2026 Ultimate LDS Church History Tour with Scot & Maurine Proctor

15 Days 14 Nights

Scot and Maurine Proctor have been leading the Ultimate Church History Tour for more than 30 years. They don't just love this tour, they are passionate about it and you will feel that passion as you travel with them and learn from them. They have spent their lives immersed in the life and times of the Prophet Joseph and the Restoration. You will come away with renewed faith, excitement, testimony, and understanding of this sacred history. 

Renew Your Faith Through Sacred History!

Scot and Maurine Proctor have been leading the Ultimate Church History Tour for more than 30 years. They don't just love this tour, they are passionate about it and you will feel that passion as you travel with them and learn from them. They have spent their lives immersed in the life and times of the Prophet Joseph and the Restoration. You will come away with renewed faith, excitement, testimony, and understanding of this sacred history. 

During your time on this trip, you'll not only learn and build your faith at these Church History sites, but you’ll also have a lot of fun with the American history sites! We'll explore historical Boston, stay in the center of the Amish country (longer this year), we'll enjoy a paddle boat cruise on the Mississippi just to name a few. While these sites are the reason for the tour what surprises and bless our guests the most is how we bond as a family and have the best time together.

We are traveling in peak fall color time so besides the beauty of the area, you'll get to take advantage of the cooler weather and smaller crowds. 

This is a life-changing experience you won’t want to miss. There is a reason this tour sells out every year, come find out why. 

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.

*Please note that while the physical activity on this tour (walking distances) is not significant, the days are full of touring from breakfast to dinner time with "down-time" only in the evening.

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

Questions? Contact:

Sarah WangsgardTour Manager
Tel: (801) 483-6473

Highlights

  • Hosted by Scot & Maurine Proctor for the whole tour along with local guides
  • 1 tour-bus experience for the whole tour!
  • Licensed, insured, and bonded travel agency with 65 years of experience!! It matters who you travel with!
  • Meals as outlined in the itinerary

Itinerary

  • Day
    1

    Monday, September 14, 2026 - Home City - Boston, MA

    Fly to Boston today and stay overnight at the Embassy Suites Boston Logan Airport. Travel safe!

    Meals : In-flight

  • Day
    2

    Tuesday, September 15, 2026 - Boston, MA

    After breakfast, we’ll enjoy Boston, walk part of the Freedom Trail, and see “Old Ironsides” and the old North Church. A memorable lecture given at Harvard Square in Cambridge will ring in your ears throughout the trip. We’ll get a feeling for the American Revolution and then let you have an enjoyable hour at Quincy Market for dinner where you’ll see the famous Faneuil Hall. Tonight we stay at the Colonial Inn in Concord, once owned by Henry David Thoreau.

  • Day
    3

    Wednesday, September 16, 2026 - Lexington, MA

    This morning we will relive the first moments of the Revolutionary War and see the place where the shot was fired that was “heard around the world”. We will travel the Battle Road, stopping at various points, and even see where Paul Revere was captured by the British. You will come to know Lexington and Concord, and understand those events which brought about the Independence of this great nation and the birthplace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the latter days. In the afternoon we will visit Louisa May Alcott’s home and see the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery where Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and the Alcott’s are buried. This evening we will have a meal together and we will stay again tonight at the Colonial Inn.

  • Day
    4

    Thursday, September 17, 2026 - Sharon, VT

    Early this morning we leave for Sharon, Vermont and to Dairy Hill where we will experience strong feelings of the Spirit at the birthplace of the prophet Joseph. We will visit the towns of Sharon, Turnbridge, and, time permitting, Norwich and Lebanon. Here we will get a feel for the first twenty years of marriage of Lucy Mack and Joseph Smith Sr. This evening we will have dinner and stay in the Best Western Inn & Suites in Rutland, VT.

  • Day
    5

    Friday, September 18, 2026 - Palmyra, NY

    Leaving New England the scenery changes as we wind our way south and west to fertile fields and lovely lands of Western New York. We will enjoy stories of early church leaders of the church, where they came from and how they came to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Tonight we will stay in the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa in Fairport (near Rochester), New York (just off the Erie Canal, not too far from Palmyra) and ready ourselves for a spiritual feast tomorrow. Dinner will be at your discretion with a cash stipend at the amazing Wegmans Food Store & Deli. 

  • Day
    6

    Saturday, September 19, 2026 - Palmyra, NY

    This morning we will be at the Sacred Grove, for many this experience is the highlight of the whole trip. We will have our own, individual quiet time in the Grove. Afterwards, enjoy the Smith farm, tour the newly refinished Smith farm House and the Smith Log Cabin (where the Angel Moroni visited the prophet). We will also visit the Hill Cumorah, Martin Harris Farm, the E.B. Grandin Printing Complex and the downtown village of Palmyra. Our little walk up the hill to the Smith Cemetery will touch you as we gather at the grave of Alvin Smith. Dinner will be at 'Applebee’s' before we stay again at the Woodcliff Hotel.  

  • Day
    7

    Sunday, September 20, 2026 - Harmony, PA

    This morning we head to Fayette where the Whitmer's lived and the Church was legally organized on April 6, 1830. Twenty revelations for the Doctrine and Covenants were received here. This is also the place where Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdrey and David Whitmer received their special witness of the plates. We will attend sacrament meeting at the Fayette Ward then head south to Harmony, Pennsylvania to visit the new Priesthood Restoration site. Here we will see the reconstructed homes of Joseph and Emma Smith, Isaac and Elizabeth Hale, and the woods where John the Baptist restored the priesthood. A good part of the Book of Mormon was translated here. Next, we will walk along the banks of the Susquehanna River where the first baptisms were performed in this dispensation. Check into the Double Tree Inn in Binghamton for dinner and overnight stay.

  • Day
    8

    Monday, September 21, 2026 - Kirtland, OH

    Today we travel through some of the western regions of New York and review the missionary labors of Samuel Smith and Parley P. Pratt. The latter headed for Ohio where their labors would change the history of the Church because of the conversion of Sidney Rigdon. About midmorning we will make a stop in Corning at the glass factory en route to Kirkland, Ohio. We will arrive there in the late afternoon and tour the Newell K. Whitney Store as well as see some of the other Kirkland sites from the bus. Be prepared for a spiritual feast at the Whitney Store. Dinner will be at Olive Garden before checking into the best Western Lawnfield Inn & Suites in Mentor, Ohio. 

  • Day
    9

    Tuesday, September 22, 2026 - Kirtland, OH - Ohio Amish Country

    This morning Breakfast is provided at the hotel before we tour the Kirkland Temple where The Lord Himself appeared as did Moses, Elias, Elijah, and numerous other angels. We will travel on to the John Johnson farm where the vision of the three degrees of glory. Here the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon were mobbed, beaten and the Prophet tarred and feathered. This afternoon we travel to the heart of the Ohio Amish Country for an old fashioned home style meal at the Dutch Valley Restaurant. Our hotel tonight will be at the charming Carlisle Inn. 

  • Day
    10

    Wednesday, September 23, 2026 - Amish Touring - Flight to Kansas City, MO

    This morning we'll enjoy the beauty of the simple life of the Amish. We’ll start on the back roads to the Hershberger Bakery and Farmers Market for a sensory overload of baked goods, jams & jellies and locally made crafts! We continue then to Heini's Cheese Factory to sample over 80 varieties of locally made cheeses before our horse & buggy ride to the house tour at the Yoder Farm. We’ll see two houses, one similar to how the Amish lived when they first came to America, and a modern day home featuring Amish girls baking and canning in the kitchen!  Afterwards we’ll get to indulge in all the goodness you’ve witnessed with our traditional Amish lunch. One of the best meals on tour!

    Later this afternoon we will depart for the Cleveland airport for our flight to Kansas City. Our hotel for the next two nights is the Drury Inn in Kansas City, MO. 

  • Day
    11

    Thursday, September 24, 2026 - Independence, MO

    This morning we will visit Independence. We will enjoy the LDS Visitor’s Center and see the Jackson County Courthouse. We then head north to the Liberty Jail where the Prophet and his companions were imprisoned through the cold months of the winter of 1838/1839. Here we will feel the Spirit as we read the revelations and hear the voices of the past. 

  • Day
    12

    Friday, September 25, 2026 - Adam-ondi-Ahman - Nauvoo, IL

    We head for our morning devotional service at Adam-ondi-Ahman then visit the Temple site at Far West before heading east along the approximate path the Saints were driven. We will stay at the Nauvoo Family Inn for the remaining nights.

  • Day
    13

    Saturday, September 26, 2026 - Nauvoo, IL

    Our day begins with an early morning opportunity to serve at the Nauvoo Temple (attendance at the Temple is optional). This morning we step back in time and spend a glorious day touring the sites of Old Nauvoo. We’ll hear stories of the past and get a feel for “the city of Joseph”. We will see the moving Relief Society Gardens where thirteen monuments to women will touch your soul. We will tour Brigham Young’s home, the Printing Complex, the Blacksmith Shop, the Seventies Hall and as many other places as we can squeeze in. You may receive a Nauvoo brick and a prairie diamond as authentic souvenirs. Tonight we dine at the old Nauvoo Hotel with their wonderful all-you-can eat dinner.

  • Day
    14

    Sunday, September 27, 2026 - Nauvoo - Carthage

    We will attend Sacrament Meeting in the Nauvoo Ward, and then tour more of Nauvoo. This afternoon we travel south and east to our final stop, the Carthage Jail. Here we will have one of the highlight experiences of the trip as we review the events of Carthage, talk about feelings for Joseph and Hyrum, and end the tour with a testimony meeting.

  • Day
    15

    Monday, September 28, 2026 - Mississippi River Boat - St Louis Airport - Home

    As we say our farewell to Nauvoo, we continue on to Mark Twain’s Hannibal on the Mississippi River where we’ll take a luncheon cruise on a riverboat. Following lunch, we’ll drive to St. Louis for our evening flight home.

Cost Includes

  • 1 tour-bus experience for the whole tour
  • 14 nights of hotel accommodations
  • Meals as specified in the itinerary
  • Sightseeing as outlined in the itinerary
  • Deluxe air-conditioned motor coach transportation
  • Group transfers
  • The flight between Cleveland and Kansas City
  • Taxes & fees on included services
  • Meal gratuities that are included as part of the tour
  • Tour audio sound system provided
  • Document Package

Cost Excludes

  • Airfare
  • Additional transfers when not arriving or departing with the group
  • Items of a personal nature
  • Trip cancellation and baggage insurance
  • Checked baggage fees
  • Bus Driver and Historian gratuities

About Scot & Maurine Proctor

Scot and Maurine Proctor are the founders of Meridian Magazine and they have written several books together, including Witness of the Light, Source of the Light, Light from the Dust and The Gathering. They were formerly the editors of This People magazine.

After receiving her education from University of Utah and Harvard, Maurine Jensen Proctor, began her writing career with McGraw Hill Magazines and the Chicago Sun-Times. She has created award-winning television documentaries, has written a radio show for more than six years that played on 300 radio stations, and was a long-time writer of The Spoken Word for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

In his youth, Scot Facer Proctor was given the extraordinary opportunity to live in Ankara, Turkey for two different years. During that time he traveled extensively, studying and following closely the footsteps of the Apostle Paul. These experiences led to a lifetime of immersion in the ancient world and the scriptures. He continues to spend a great deal of time in the Middle East and the Holy Land. After serving a mission to Germany, Scot graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in motion picture and television production and minors in political science and German. Scot is a professional photographer specializing in the photo-documentation of sacred sites throughout the world. He is the co-founder and publisher of is a professional photographer who wrote Witness of the Light which was a photographic book about Joseph Smith. The LDS Church has included his photos in their publications several times.

The Proctors taught Institute part-time for more than 15 years. They are the parents of eleven children and grandparents of seventeen and live in Alpine, Utah.

Pricing Information

Pricing Options:

  • Double Occupancy: $4479 per/person (2 people sharing a room)
  • Triple Occupancy: $4279 per/person (3 people sharing a room)
  • Quad Occupancy: $4079 per/person (4 people sharing a room)
  • Single Occupancy: $6099(private room)

Payment Terms: $250 per person due at booking time

  • Final payment due June 15, 2026
  • A CASH DISCOUNT of $125.00  per person is available! Please inquire for more details!
  • A minimum number of 40 passengers is needed for this tour to depart

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.