Eileen and I recently returned from a church history tour which we undertook with a group of our good friends from our ward in Calgary. We started in Palmyra and this is the statue at the top of the hill Cumorah.



Atlhough this home is rebuilt it was around a kitchen table like this that Joseph may have read "If any of you lack wisdom..."



He probably didn't have this trail or benches but it was likely along this route that Joseph went that spring day in 1820.



When Eileen and I visited the grove there was a definite feeling of reverence. The group generally separated as individuals or couples for some quiet reflections on the sacred events that occurred there. Joseph Smith records: "I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me."



From Joseph Smith History "..When I came to myself I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven."



From the Joseph Smith home you can see the new temple peering up through the trees, which is on a part of the land originally farmed by Joseph Smith Sr. While we were at the Smith farm, there was a group from the Church history department that were working on the restoration of the Smith home. One of them, a Bro Anderson, when he learned our group was from Alberta asked, Do any of you know Heber Matkin? Apparently his wife is a neice to Aunt Doris and he and his wife have fond remembrances of visits to Doris and Heber. It's a small world.



Our travel group was great and we had a fantastic time together. This picture, outside of the Whitmer home in Fayette, where the Church was organized, shows all of us: Ray and Sally Pyne, Phil and Eileen Matkin, Terry and Shauna Murdock, Rick and Cathy Melchin.



D&C 20:1 The rise of the Church of Christ in these last days,.. it being regularly organized and established agreeable to the laws of our country, by the will and commandment of God, in the fourth month, and on the sixth day of the month which is called April."




In Kirtland, Bro Melchin arranged for us to join with a tour which was being guided by Karl Ricks Anderson, who wrote the book "Joseph Smith's Kirtland" (which is a book I have used for many years actually and now its autographed). I quote his description of the incident when the Prophet arrives at Kirtland.
"... a sleigh stopped in from of the Gilbert and Whitney store. A man jumped out and went into the store, where he approached Newel Whitney, extended his hand, and called him by name. Newel, bewildered, responded, "I could not call you by name as you have me". "I am Joseph the Prophet, the stranger said. "You have prayed me here, now what do you want of me."



In 1831 the headquarters of the church were moved to Hiram Ohio to the home of John Johnson. One of the sons of the Johnson family, Luke S. Johnson became an apostle in his journal he records something like this in an 1833 entry "Spent the day preaching - baptized the Stoker family". Those Stokers were part of the Michael and Catherine Stoker family, my ancestors on the Ackroyd/Olsen/Welker/Stoker line.



This is a picture of the desk in the study on the Johnson Farm. It was from this location that the Prophet worked on the translation of the bible and received 15 revelations that are now contained in the Doctrine and Covenants, including Section 76.



Perhaps one of the most significant and tragic events of the Prophet's life occurred here on the Johnson Farm: Joseph's Account: ".. In the night she (Emma) told me I had better lie down on the trundle bed (to look after the sick child while she slept with the other twin) and I did so , and was soon after awakened by her screaming... I found myself going out of the door, in the hands of about a dozen men...
From Bro Anderson's book "A contemporary newspaper called the tar and feathering "a base transaction, an unlawful act, a work of darkness, a diabolical trick". As a tragic consequence of the mob action Joseph and Emma lost their adopted son, Joseph, that night. The adopted twins were sick with measles and the 11 month boy caught a severe cold and died four days later."

Sidney Rigdon was in the nearby smaller house and he received the same tar and feathers as the Propeht - only he also suffered a very severe concussion, after being drug some distance on his back over frozen ground. Many scholars believe that this brain injury altered Sidney's personality and that he was never really the same thereafter.

The next day was Sunday and Joseph mustered his strength to preach to his congregation; included in the congregation were many of the mobbers who came to see how the Prophet would respond to the treatment he had received at their hands.



This picture is taken from the Community of Christ Visitors center (through glass). 1836 saw the dedication of the Kirtland Temple. From Bro Anderson's book: "Joseph Smith called this period "a pentecost.. a year of jubilee, and time of rejoicing". Daniel Taylor testified "All felt that they had a foretaste of heaven."

We had a wonderful experience touring the temple with Bro Anderson. One of the trip highlights was discussing Section 110 while in the very room.

"The Veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened. We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber...."




To me it is really amazing what the members of the Church accomplished in a few short years in Nauvoo. This building represents the church's dedication to culture and improvement. In addition to being a meeting hall for the 70s and a social hall for dances. Returning missionaries brought and displayed curios from around the world gathered in the course of their missionary journeys.

In the photo, I'm the guy in the middle, on my right is Ray Pyne and on my left Rick Melchin. As a modern day Seventy, Elder Melchin, felt a particular affinity to this building. I was just pleased to find the names of some of my ancestors in the list of seventies including, Michale Stoker, William Stoker, John Stoker, (John Stoker's son David Stoker, Jacob Stoker and Eller Stoker (Michael is the father - my 3rd great grandfather and the others are his sons and one grandson). Also included in the list was my great grandfather James Wilburn Welker (who would have been barely 20 years old).



I had no idea that "Browning" guns originated from one of the early member's of the church who set up his shop in Nauvoo. When I was a kid the name "browning" was synonymous with gun.



The visit at Carthage is always memorable. The pour missionary's canned tour presentation did not do it justice but it is a difficult event to describe. The statue outside of the brothers is touching. What a great example of what brothers can and should be to one another.



On this plaque is the names of many of Smith family that are buried in this beautiful spot on the banks by the Mississippi River.



These are the headstones for Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Joseph, Emma and Hyrum are to the left.



This statue at the Pioneer Cemetery just outside of Nauvoo, is in tribute to the number of children who lost their lives during these difficult times.



No self respecting family historian can visit a cemetery without taking at least one headstone photo. One of our group (Cathy Melchin) is a descendant of Edward Partridge - she is also a descendant of Hyrum Smith and Brigham Young so her being with us brought a unique perspective to the trip.



One of the best experiences of the trip was our opportunity spend some time in the newly built Nauvoo temple. It is not only a nice reminder of the past but is also a great experience for today. In many respects it reminds one of the Cardston temple but, in some respects a little more up to date.



They came, they built, they left and wept. Oh how sad and difficult it must have been for them to leave one more time.



We said farewell to Nauvoo the beautiful and drove away in our travel van. However, we did contemplate about how the Saints left, walking over a frozen river in the dead of winter. Their sacrifice, which included some of our own ancestors helped us and the church to have and be what we are today. May we not forget them.