Sunday, February 26, 2012
The Smith Farm & Sacred Grove in the Winter
We had a few pictures to show, so we will have two groups just before this story.
Two weeks ago we had the opportunity of visiting the Smith Farm and the Sacred Grove on a Saturday. It was a privilege to have two of our young Sister Missionaries walk through the Grove with us in 2 inches of snow. There were no other visitors, so we were able to leave the senior couple in the Welcome Center. The Grove is amazing in any season, but it was very still and pristine that day. We walked past some trees that are known to be over 200 years old, which we refer to as the "witness trees" (since they lived when Joseph Smith had the marvelous experience of seeing and speaking with God the Father and Jesus Christ). There is always a special feeling that can be felt when one pauses in the Grove and reflects back to that sacred event.
After 45 minutes in the Grove we walked out the path that led back to the Smith frame home. We walked past the cooper shop (barrel making shop) where Joseph buried the plates under the floor boards for one night. He was told to move them, and did so, putting them in the loft and leaving the closed wooden box under the floor. Some people came searching and tore up the floor boards. They found the box and were excited until they found it empty. They were so disappointed that they did not look elsewhere in the shop before leaving (not knowing that the plates were just above them in the loft). We then walked past the frame home and down the path back to the log home and the Welcome Center. We look forward to showing any of you these special sites. This is an amazing place to be.
Two weeks ago we had the opportunity of visiting the Smith Farm and the Sacred Grove on a Saturday. It was a privilege to have two of our young Sister Missionaries walk through the Grove with us in 2 inches of snow. There were no other visitors, so we were able to leave the senior couple in the Welcome Center. The Grove is amazing in any season, but it was very still and pristine that day. We walked past some trees that are known to be over 200 years old, which we refer to as the "witness trees" (since they lived when Joseph Smith had the marvelous experience of seeing and speaking with God the Father and Jesus Christ). There is always a special feeling that can be felt when one pauses in the Grove and reflects back to that sacred event.
After 45 minutes in the Grove we walked out the path that led back to the Smith frame home. We walked past the cooper shop (barrel making shop) where Joseph buried the plates under the floor boards for one night. He was told to move them, and did so, putting them in the loft and leaving the closed wooden box under the floor. Some people came searching and tore up the floor boards. They found the box and were excited until they found it empty. They were so disappointed that they did not look elsewhere in the shop before leaving (not knowing that the plates were just above them in the loft). We then walked past the frame home and down the path back to the log home and the Welcome Center. We look forward to showing any of you these special sites. This is an amazing place to be.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
The Pittsburgh Exchange Experience
We just returned from a wonderful visit with our cousins, Rod & Cathy Green, in the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission. A month ago they were transferred to their mission office, having had no previous office training. We wanted to go visit them and share information and techniques that are unique to a mission office. We obtained permission from both Mission Presidents and were able to make the 5 hour drive to Pittsburgh last Thursday. It was great to see our close cousins again. We were able to spend two days with them in the office. We were able to share pointers with each other. They taught us some good things, and we taught them some. The visit was a revelation to us that there are many ways to do things that can make the process run more smoothly.
Sister Green is the Correspondence Secretary, but also handles the proselyting supplies. Sister Servoss does the secretary part, and then does a lot of cooking for missionary functions. Elder Green in the Fleet Coordinator and takes care of over 60 vehicles. He also manages the cell phone usage. Elder Servoss is the Financial Secretary, manages the apartment and utility payments, and manages the phones. We had a mutually beneficial time of sharing. We were also able to spend time meeting some of the missionaries.
Saturday and Sunday there were the Pittsburgh Stake Conference meetings that we attended. It was nice meeting many of the saints. We also visited four of the Wards in the Stake. We missed seeing a friend of ours from Utah, Keith Webb, who is the Institute Director in Pittsburgh. Kae taught him in Cub Scouts many years ago.
We walked through some of the buildings of the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt). It was very interesting to be on a college campus that is a little scattered through the commercial area of the Oakland suburb of Pittsburgh. We had a wonderful time and were blessed with mostly dry, cold weather during the time away.
Last night we heard a great talk from a young man, who is from the Wheeling, WV Ward that the Greens had spent the last year serving in. Wes has read the Book of Mormon 4 times in 4 weeks and since then has read it 10 more times. His talk was about the wonders of the book and how he learns something new each time he reads it. We would like to invite each of you to read the Book of Mormon through before July this year. You will be very enlightened and blessed as you do. It is all true and we are so happy to be able to serve.
Sister Green is the Correspondence Secretary, but also handles the proselyting supplies. Sister Servoss does the secretary part, and then does a lot of cooking for missionary functions. Elder Green in the Fleet Coordinator and takes care of over 60 vehicles. He also manages the cell phone usage. Elder Servoss is the Financial Secretary, manages the apartment and utility payments, and manages the phones. We had a mutually beneficial time of sharing. We were also able to spend time meeting some of the missionaries.
Saturday and Sunday there were the Pittsburgh Stake Conference meetings that we attended. It was nice meeting many of the saints. We also visited four of the Wards in the Stake. We missed seeing a friend of ours from Utah, Keith Webb, who is the Institute Director in Pittsburgh. Kae taught him in Cub Scouts many years ago.
We walked through some of the buildings of the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt). It was very interesting to be on a college campus that is a little scattered through the commercial area of the Oakland suburb of Pittsburgh. We had a wonderful time and were blessed with mostly dry, cold weather during the time away.
Last night we heard a great talk from a young man, who is from the Wheeling, WV Ward that the Greens had spent the last year serving in. Wes has read the Book of Mormon 4 times in 4 weeks and since then has read it 10 more times. His talk was about the wonders of the book and how he learns something new each time he reads it. We would like to invite each of you to read the Book of Mormon through before July this year. You will be very enlightened and blessed as you do. It is all true and we are so happy to be able to serve.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Revisiting Brigham Young's Baptismal Site
It is so amazing to live in western New York, in the midst of so many LDS historical sites. We live in Mendon, which is about 20 miles west of Palmyra. This is the area where the Youngs and the Kimballs lived. Brigham’s father, John, came here in 1828. He and Brigham built the home that we live in. In December 1829 Brigham moved to Mendon and built a water-powered wood mill and home about ¼ mile to the east of his father’s home. For year there has been an old simple sign at the site of Brigham’s mill/home/baptismal site. Every year it was removed as a precaution against vandalism by deer hunters. Then it was put back up. When we arrived here in August we saw the old faded sign and knew that it needed to be replaced. The Mission Office staff talked about getting a new sign. We wanted to have it done by someone from the church facilities management (FM) group. Finally in December we were going to have an event at the John Young home, and wanted to have a better sign. I made a temporary sign and mounted it at the site. Recently Elder McVea was encouraged by President Christianson to get a new sign put up at the site. Saturday the Office Staff went to the site and installed a beautiful new sign. It was determined that the temporary sign that I had made would also stay in place.
We met at 10 am and had a short devotional at the site, after installing the new sign. We sang “Come Come Ye Saints” and President offered a prayer of safety and protection for the site. We then took pictures. This site is not as well known as other sites in the area, but in the summer busloads of tourists stop near the site and some walk the 400 feet along the grassy path to Trout Creek. Brigham built a dam there to hold water for a mill pond; to provide more water volume and pressure to run the water wheel of his mill, which he had built over the stream.
In 1832 Brigham and Miriam Young, John and Mary Young, Fanny Young, Phineas and Clarissa Young, Heber C. and Vilate Kimball, John P. and Rhoda Greene, Nathan Tomlinson and his wife, John and Betsey Monson, Israel Barlow with his mother, brother and sister, and many others were baptized in the mill pond. We have read that 65 people were baptized there, including half of the local Baptist Church congregation. It is an amazing privilege to live so close to the site and to be able to walk there in 10 minutes is great.
We hope that you enjoy learning more about Church history here in New York. We will try to tell you more as the months progress.
We met at 10 am and had a short devotional at the site, after installing the new sign. We sang “Come Come Ye Saints” and President offered a prayer of safety and protection for the site. We then took pictures. This site is not as well known as other sites in the area, but in the summer busloads of tourists stop near the site and some walk the 400 feet along the grassy path to Trout Creek. Brigham built a dam there to hold water for a mill pond; to provide more water volume and pressure to run the water wheel of his mill, which he had built over the stream.
In 1832 Brigham and Miriam Young, John and Mary Young, Fanny Young, Phineas and Clarissa Young, Heber C. and Vilate Kimball, John P. and Rhoda Greene, Nathan Tomlinson and his wife, John and Betsey Monson, Israel Barlow with his mother, brother and sister, and many others were baptized in the mill pond. We have read that 65 people were baptized there, including half of the local Baptist Church congregation. It is an amazing privilege to live so close to the site and to be able to walk there in 10 minutes is great.
We hope that you enjoy learning more about Church history here in New York. We will try to tell you more as the months progress.
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