Praise to the man!

I'm so grateful to the prophet Joseph Smith.  I know that he was God's instrument in restoring his power and authority to the earth once more.  Joseph and his family suffered through unimaginable challenges and in the end, he sealed his testimony and his teachings with his own blood when he was martyred by a mob in Carthage, IL.  He was chosen as a pure, clean vessel in his youth and was schooled and taught through the power of God during the times of restoration when the authority of God was restored to the earth once again.  He and his brother Hyrum were faithful men who were true to their beliefs.

We recently visited the places where Joseph Smith and his family walked, talked, slept and lived.  It was a very moving experience for me.  I have heard about these places since my youth, but it was an entirely different experience to see, learn and experience first hand the places of the coming forth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the church of which I am a proud member.  I have no illusions that Joseph Smith was a perfect man.  He was human.  Some mistakes were made, but more things were done right than wrong.  Given the history in that time period, there are things that we don't understand in our more modern world.  I still give him tremendous credit and I am grateful for his exemplary life.  I also appreciate that the LDS church is being more forthcoming with information about the life of Joseph Smith and the early saints.  I have read these accounts and they do sled light on the occurrences of the early church organization and the events that took place there. There is so much negative information about Joseph Smith, but I choose to read the account from the sources that are credible and that build faith rather than destroy it.


Rick and I started out visiting Liberty jail in Liberty, Missouri

Hard to imagine four or more men
sharing this tiny space for four months during the winter months
 without proper food, clothing or bedding.

Independence, Missouri

The Community of Christ church owns
this land in Independence, MO.

The future temple site at Independence, MO.

The Community of Christ church in the background.

Winter quarters, Nebraska (with Jake and Ellie)

Jake and Ellie at the Winter Quarters visitors center.
We are all so grateful to our pioneer ancestors who came before us and paved the way.

So wonderful to share these great learning experiences with Jake and Ellie.

Beautiful Winter Quarters temple outside of Omaha, Nebraska.

The Winter Quarters temple grounds on a beautiful but very hot and humid day in Omaha after attending church.

Kanesville tabernacle at Council Bluffs, Iowa (with Jake and Ellie)

Ellie was ab out the same size of this little pioneer girl
who came west with her family to cross the plains.

Nauvoo, Illinois (with Jake and Ellie)

The beautiful Nauvoo temple that was rebuilt to replace
 the one the Saints left to destruction, fire and mob ruin.

A statue built to Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum as they
rode out of Nauvoo for the last time on the road to
Carthage where they were killed by a angry mob.

Attending the Nauvoo temple was a very meaningful
 opportunity and I will always remember how I felt there.
  Such a great spirit is present in this special temple.

The Mansion house where Emma and Joseph
 lived very happily for a time before he was martyred.

The grave sites of Hyrum, Joseph and Emma.

A beautiful statue of Emma and Joseph commemorating
 the organization of the Relief Society
and the beginning of charitable work.  

Carthage jail, Illinois

The side view of the Carthage jail.

The room where the killing took place.
  The prophet Joseph was shot andfell out of the window
 on the left and his brother Hyrum was also killed here.

Shots in the door still remain from the angry mob of killers.

A statue of Joseph and Hyrum the two brothers
 who died defending what they believed.

After spending the day in Nauvoo, I had the opportunity at the end of the day to sit alone by the graves of Joseph, Hyrum and Emma Smith.  Other Smith family relatives are buried on this site as well.  It is right on the edge of the mighty Mississippi river.  It was late in the day and as dusk was coming on, I sat on the bench and shed some tears of gratitude for the prophet Joseph Smith and what he accomplished in his short life.  I thanked Joseph, Hyrum, Emma and the entire Smith family for the trials they endured to help restore the church of Jesus Christ to the earth again.  I am eternally grateful to them and hold them in high regard.

"He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!" Doctrine and Covenants, section 135.