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2026 Missouri and Nauvoo LDS Church History Tour with Rich Robins

6 Days

Join us as we embark on this sacred voyage, retracing the footsteps of pioneers and prophets, and uncovering the enduring legacy of the Church of Latter-day Saint. We invite you to join Rich Robins to celebrate the spirit of the early faithful saints and pioneers. LDS Church History will be brought to life while you visit Missouri and Illinois!

Come experience the adventure of a lifetime!

Please see our cancellation policy:

If a participant needs to cancel their reservation, written notice must be provided. Cancellations within seven calendar days of booking (if not past the final payment date) will receive a full refund, excluding airfares, which follow the airline’s policy. Cancellations after the seven-day grace period incur a 50% penalty on the deposit until the final payment date, and cancellations after the final payment date are non-refundable, including for unused portions of the tour.

To book this tour contact your favorite Morris Columbus Travel Advisor or the Group Tour Manager listed below:

Tour ID #9226J04

Questions? Contact:

Dani Edmunds, Tour Manager
Tel: (801) 483-6114

Itinerary

  • Day
    1:
    Monday,
    October
    5,
    2026

    Departure City - Kansas City - Independence

    This morning we depart for Kansas City, Missouri, the starting point of our journey through early Church History. Upon arrival, we travel to Independence, a place of profound significance in the Restoration. Our first stop is the LDS Visitors’ Center and the Temple Lot—the very site where the Lord commanded the first temple of this dispensation to be built. Here, we will review the Lord’s revelations to the early Saints about establishing the center place of Zion.

    Next, we will drive around the historic Independence Square – with brief stops at the location where the Book of Commandments was first printed and the Gilbert/Whitney Store was built. We will then drive to LaBenite Park, a peaceful spot along the banks of the Missouri River to reflect on the sobering history of the Saints' expulsion from Jackson County – a pivotal moment in our history that tested the faith of the Saints and forged a stronger, more unified people. This evening, we will gather for our Welcome Dinner—which provides a chance to get acquainted and to have a brief overview of the sacred sites we will be visiting.

  • Day
    2:
    Tuesday,
    October
    6,
    2026

    Richmond - Liberty

    We begin our day with a visit to the Michael Arthur Farm, a sacred but lesser-known site tied to the expulsion of the Saints from Jackson County. Here we will remember the tender mercies of the Lord which followed the tragic expulsion period, the march and official disbanding of Zion’s Camp, and see the monument honoring the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon. We will then make our way to Richmond, Missouri to visit several significant sites including: The Three Witnesses Monument, the Richmond Courthouse, and the site of the Richmond Jail where many Latter-day Saints—including the Prophet Joseph—were illegally incarcerated.

    After lunch, we will visit the Liberty Jail, one of the most sobering stops on our journey. It was here, during the harsh winter of 1838 – 1839, that the Prophet Joseph Smith and other Church leaders were illegally imprisoned under brutal conditions. In this ironically-holy place, we will reflect on the remarkable revelations received by the Prophet in the jail, including the three sections of the Doctrine and Covenants that inspire faith and endurance for us today. We will also make a brief stop at the beautiful Kansas City Missouri Temple for group photos and a moment of peaceful reflection.

  • Day
    3:
    Wednesday,
    October
    7,
    20256

    Far West - Haun’s Mill - Adam-Ondi-Ahman - Drive to Nauvoo

    This morning we drive to Far West to visit the dedicated temple site where cornerstones for a holy temple were laid in July 1838. Although the Saints were not able to build the temple, the cornerstones and property remain as a testament of their faith and devotion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Next, we will visit the recently upgraded site of Haun’s Mill in Caldwell County, Missouri – the site of one of the great tragedies in our early history. After lunch we will visit a most-holy place – Adam-Ondi-Ahman. Spring Hill was named "Adam-ondi-Ahman" by the Lord as recorded in the revelation (see D&C 116). We then continue on to Nauvoo.

  • Day
    4:
    Thursday,
    October
    8,
    2026

    Nauvoo, IL

    We begin our day in Old Nauvoo, a city of historical significance in the Restoration, with a scenic drive-by tour of several sacred and key historical sites. We will make a brief stop at the Historic Pioneer Cemetery, a quiet and sacred place that honors the early Saints of Nauvoo. Our next stop will be the Nauvoo Visitors’ Center, where we will see an overview of the historic city, and sense a greater appreciation for its history, and the faithful Saints who once called it home. You will then have free time, both before and after lunch, to explore many of Nauvoo’s significant historic sites at your own pace. Among the many memorable stops are the Cultural Hall, Browning Gun Shop, the Times and Seasons Print Shop, the John Taylor and Brigham Young Homes, the Riser Tin Shop, and the Scovil Bakery. Each site offers a glimpse into the daily lives, faith, and determination of the early Saints who built this amazing city. You might also choose to take a wagon ride through the historic district and/or visit additional historic homes on "the Flats". After dinner, we will gather at the restored Seventies Hall—the center of missionary preparation in the early Church – for a short evening devotional.

  • Day
    5:
    Friday,
    October
    9,
    2026

    Nauvoo Temple - Nauvoo, IL

    We begin our day with a visit to the Nauvoo Temple—a sacred opportunity for those with appointments to participate in temple ordinances. (Please note: Temple attendance is optional and subject to the temple schedule.) Your time at the temple will be a treasured memory as you reflect on the sacrifices made to build this majestic House of the Lord. Following the temple and lunch, we will tour the Joseph Smith Historic Sites, including the original Homestead; the Mansion House, once home to Joseph and Emma Smith and a gathering place for guests and dignitaries; the iconic Red Brick Store, where the Relief Society was organized and sacred ordinances were performed; and the gravesites of Joseph, Emma, and Hyrum Smith, where we will pause to honor their lives and legacies. As with the previous day, you will also have free time to visit additional historic sites or to take a wagon ride through beautiful Nauvoo. After dinner, we will walk the memorable Trail of Hope, as we retrace the steps of the Saints who were forced to leave their beloved city in the bone-chilling cold of February 1846. Along the way, we will read excerpts from the journals and letters of these valiant Saints, and sense the sorrow, faith, and determination that filled their hearts as they stepped into the unknown.

  • Day
    6:
    Saturday,
    October
    10,
    2026

    Carthage, IL - St. Louis, MO - Flight Home

    We begin our last day of the tour with a sobering, but memorable visit to the Carthage Jail—the solemn and sacred site where the Prophet Joseph Smith and his beloved brother Hyrum were martyred on June 27, 1844. Standing in the very room where this tragedy occurred, we will have the opportunity to reflect on their courage, their enduring testimonies, and their unwavering dedication to the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth in our day. After lunch, we will drive to St. Louis for our evening flight home, carrying with us not just memories of the holy places we have seen, but a deeper and lasting appreciation for the faith, sacrifice, and vision of the Prophet Joseph and the early Saints in whose footsteps we have walked this week.

Cost Includes

  • 1 tour-bus experience for the whole tour
  • 5-night's hotel accommodations
  • Meals as specified on itinerary (B,L,D)
  • Meal gratuities on included meals
  • Ground transportation via deluxe air-conditioned motorcoach
  • Group transfers when arriving and departing with group
  • All Admissions and activities as specified in itinerary
  • Taxes on included services
  • Tour Director/Historian Rich Robins

Cost Excludes

  • Airfare (Flying into Kansas City and back home from St. Louis)
  • Additional transfers when not arriving or departing with group
  • Meals not specified in itinerary
  • Items of a personal nature
  • Trip cancellation and baggage insurance
  • Checked baggage fees
  • Bus Driver gratuities

About Rich Robins:

Rich Robins loves Church History – and especially loves teaching about the miraculous events of the glorious Restoration in the holy places and at the sacred sites in which they occurred! His love for the Prophet Joseph Smith and Church History was first kindled while serving as a young missionary at the Hill Cumorah Pageant over 50 years ago! His forty-year teaching career, thirty of which was in the Seminary and Institute programs of the Church, have only sweetened and deepened that love for the Savior’s Orchestration of the glorious and grand latter-day Restoration.

Immediately following his retirement Rich, and his wife Robyn, served as full-time missionaries in the New York/Pennsylvania Historical Sites Mission. Rich has also directed Church History tours for LDS youth groups, for LDS Seminary/Institute Faculty Summer Workshops, and during the past five years for Morris Murdock Escorted Travel.

Rich was born and raised in Orem, Utah. After serving in the Ontario/Quebec Canada Mission, he completed a bachelor’s and master’s degree in educational Curriculum and Instruction at BYU, followed by a 40-year teaching career. He has also served as a CES Area Director in Utah Valley, as the LDS Institute Director at the Orem Institute (adjacent to Utah Valley University), and as a Seminary Preservice Instructor at BYU.

Pricing Options:

  • Double Occupancy: $1,559 per person (2 people sharing a room)
  • Triple Occupancy: $1,509 per person (3 people sharing a room)
  • Quad Occupancy: $1,459 per person (4 people sharing a room)
  • Single Occupancy: $1,889 per person (for private room) 

Payment Terms:

  • $250 per person deposit due at time of booking
  • Final payment due August 5, 2026
  • A minimum number of 30 passengers are needed for this tour to depart

Morris Murdock Escorted Tours has been fulfilling travel dreams for our clients for over 65 years. Morris Murdock Escorted Tours, was the first tour operator to offer LDS faith-based and Church History escorted tours. Since then, we have expanded our offerings to include cruises, humanitarian, shopping and other types of tours with hand-picked tour guides and tour directors that are experts in their field or celebrities with an attachment to the destination or tour's theme.

(800) 809-9910
563 W 500 S, Suite #180, Bountiful, UT 84010

groups@morrismurdock.com

See it online https://mmetours.com/trip/2026-missour-and-nauvoo-lds-church-history-tour-with-rich-robins/