Yesterday Brad and I went on a church history tour to Richmond, Far West, and Adam-Ondi-Ahman. Our tour guide was a CES employee who has been giving these tours to visiting general authorities for 11 years. Needless to say, he was very knowledgeable and I really learned a lot. So, today I am going to write some of the things I learned.
In 1833, the saints were forced to flee Jackson County to Clay County. The Lord had them organize Zion's Camp. The saints made their way towards Liberty and along the was Zion's Camp was disbanded. They eventually camped along Rush Creek (between Liberty and Richmond), where a cholera epidemic broke out. Even the prophet Joseph Smith came down with it just as he was calling upon the Lord to heal another person. Joseph realized that this epidemic was fulfillment of a revelation that he had earlier: The Lord would send a scourge upon the camp because of their "fractious and unruly spirity that appeared among them...." Fourteen people died and were buried on a bluff overlooking Rush Creek. Fast forward 150+ years and now there is a barn on top of that hill. The farmer was digging in his barn and uncovered human remains. He was pretty concerned so called in authorities, who removed the remains. Autopsies on the bones revealed that they died of cholera. It was determined that these bones belonged to those saints who died of the cholera epidemic and the bones were buried in the Independence City Cemetery. The comment made was that death comes from contention and fractious spirits. For these saints, it meant physical death. However, this threat is very real on a spiritual level.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Story of Zelph
This was one of those side stories that only guides know. Some saints traveling through Illinois found an intact skeleton with a different kind of weapon piercing its chest. When asked about it, Joseph Smith had a vision and said it was a Lamanite man who was a good man and fought for the Nephites. His name was Zelph and he died at the last great battle between the Nephites and Lamanites.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Richmond
When we visited
Richmond we visited the gravesites of David Whitmer and Oliver Cowdry. At the beginning of church history, David Whitmer and family were called to settle in Missouri while Joseph stayed in Kirtland. He did so and it was said the Joseph was the president of Iowa and David was the president of Missouri -- he really would have been considered a stake president. By the time Joseph Smith moved to Missouri in 1838 David Whitmer was in Far West and there became quite a leadership crisis. David Whitmer and his family left the church and subsequent groups that left the church all commonly wanted Whitmer as their leader. So he must have been a magnificent leader. David Whitmer evenually moved to Richmond, where he died.
Oliver Cowdry left the church at the same time because his wife was a Whitmer. Oliver later rejoined the church and was going to go west with the saints when he came to Richmond so that his wife could say goodby to her family. He suddenly took ill and died. He is buried at Pioneer park, which is kept up by the Church.
Richmond we visited the gravesites of David Whitmer and Oliver Cowdry. At the beginning of church history, David Whitmer and family were called to settle in Missouri while Joseph stayed in Kirtland. He did so and it was said the Joseph was the president of Iowa and David was the president of Missouri -- he really would have been considered a stake president. By the time Joseph Smith moved to Missouri in 1838 David Whitmer was in Far West and there became quite a leadership crisis. David Whitmer and his family left the church and subsequent groups that left the church all commonly wanted Whitmer as their leader. So he must have been a magnificent leader. David Whitmer evenually moved to Richmond, where he died.
Oliver Cowdry left the church at the same time because his wife was a Whitmer. Oliver later rejoined the church and was going to go west with the saints when he came to Richmond so that his wife could say goodby to her family. He suddenly took ill and died. He is buried at Pioneer park, which is kept up by the Church.
Far West Temple Site History
The Far West temple site (which I must say is my favorite) is absolutely beautiful. But more than that, the spirit there is so very strong. There is a gate surrounding the dedicated temple site. At each corner lies a cornerstone, each dedicated to the separate branches of the priesthood. In the center at the far end are three large stone tablets with inscriptions on them. It is absolutely beautiful! There is a nice restroom facility just outside the gate along with some picnic benches. All of this, except for the cornerstones, was absent until 1968. We had a treat because the project manager of the area had joined us on our tour. The site was slated for dedication at the same time as the Independence Visitor's Center in August 1968.
When Harvey Evans was asked to head up the project, he had only three months to complete all the work. It was a daunting task: the stone tablets take over a year to make; the copper signs next to each of the cornerstones were made by a company who had a single man making them -- and each sign took him a month; water had to be brought in; dirt had to be moved and so on. When asked if he thought the task could be done, Harvey said, "Hell no!" However, nothing is impossible for the Lord and that was proven in this project. The stone tablets were made, the copper signs made, the water came from wells, found by a local farmer who actually whitched them! There was a hill just to the south that was lowered so that people could see the site from the south as they are driving. The road just south of the site had to be lowered several feet. Harvey's friend built the bathrooms, not originally on the plan, because they realized that with the amount of people coming, they would be needed. Miracles happened to make everything completed for the dedication.
On the morning of the dedication, Harvey and crew were there at sunrise to lay down the sod. When they got half done inside the gates, they ran out of sod. So, they stole sod from outside the gate and put it inside. They finished just minutes before the ceremony at 10am. Harvey's son was on the crew that morning and was covered in mud from head to foot. A visitor for the ceremony chewed him out for attending the meeting in such attire!
When Harvey Evans was asked to head up the project, he had only three months to complete all the work. It was a daunting task: the stone tablets take over a year to make; the copper signs next to each of the cornerstones were made by a company who had a single man making them -- and each sign took him a month; water had to be brought in; dirt had to be moved and so on. When asked if he thought the task could be done, Harvey said, "Hell no!" However, nothing is impossible for the Lord and that was proven in this project. The stone tablets were made, the copper signs made, the water came from wells, found by a local farmer who actually whitched them! There was a hill just to the south that was lowered so that people could see the site from the south as they are driving. The road just south of the site had to be lowered several feet. Harvey's friend built the bathrooms, not originally on the plan, because they realized that with the amount of people coming, they would be needed. Miracles happened to make everything completed for the dedication.
On the morning of the dedication, Harvey and crew were there at sunrise to lay down the sod. When they got half done inside the gates, they ran out of sod. So, they stole sod from outside the gate and put it inside. They finished just minutes before the ceremony at 10am. Harvey's son was on the crew that morning and was covered in mud from head to foot. A visitor for the ceremony chewed him out for attending the meeting in such attire!
Far West
The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that elders would be sent on the first missions to England from Far West on April 26th, 1839 (see D&C 118). This actually happened after the saints were exterminated from Missouri and settled in Nauvoo. However, Brigham Young, one of the missionaries, was determined to begin his mission from Far West, to fulfill the Prophet's prophecy. Anti-Mormon sentiment was extremely high and mob members swore that it would not happen. A saint named Theodore Turley rebutted and said it would. It did indeed happen, starting at midnight, on the morning of April 26th. The meeting lasted until daybreak and then the missionaries were off to England. Turley was so excited that he immediately left the meeting and went to the house of a former member (who had actually baptized Turley). The wife answered the door and went to tell her husband of Turley's arrival. Upon hearing who was at the door, the man said, "What day is it?" Surely the Lord caused enemies of the saints to forget the day!
The elders were very successful; a census taken in the early years of Utah showed that 1 in 5 households were either descendents from or a direct result of the first missions to England.
A final thing about Far West is that it has been revealed that it is the place were Cain slew Abel.
The elders were very successful; a census taken in the early years of Utah showed that 1 in 5 households were either descendents from or a direct result of the first missions to England.
A final thing about Far West is that it has been revealed that it is the place were Cain slew Abel.
Adam-Ondi-Ahman
Some saints had settled there and between 300-500 people had houses on Spring Hill and farmed the valley below. Spring Hill is where Adam will judge his people (See D&C 116). In Hebrew, Spring Hill means Tel Aviv. I thought that was pretty interesting.
Adam-Ondi-Ahman is the place where "the big, priesthood meeting" will take place at the time of the second coming. At this meeting, every dispensation head will instruct members of their dispensation as pertaining to their role and duties during the millenium.
This picture is taken looking southwest at the overlook. The valley is 1.25 miles long.
Adam-Ondi-Ahman is the place where "the big, priesthood meeting" will take place at the time of the second coming. At this meeting, every dispensation head will instruct members of their dispensation as pertaining to their role and duties during the millenium.
This picture is taken looking southwest at the overlook. The valley is 1.25 miles long.
Sharpen Your Saw
Today we had our high councilman speak during sacrament meeting. He is actually a member of our ward and was just released as one of my primary teachers. He told the congregation that if it were his will, he would still be a primary teacher. That does my heart a lot of good; I pray that my teachers will not only want to do their calling but they will love it!
Anyway, he told a story that was probably meant for me: One day there was a man visiting another town and while there stopped to watch another man sawing a large log. The visitor noticed that the sawyer's saw was very dull and that he labored much in cutting that log. He thought, "if he would just stop for a few minutes and sharpen his saw, not only would his task become easier but he would get more done." So, he decided to approach the sawyer. After hearing the question, the sawyer replied, "I can't stop now; I'm too busy."
How many times have we said, "I don't have time (or don't want) to read my scriptures" (or pray, or attend stake/general conference, etc.)? How many times do we feel down or overwhelmed with all the many tasks we are called upon to do? Do these coincide? The point of the story is that our lives are much more difficult and we can not function effectively if we don't take the time to sharpen our own spiritual "saws" through prayer, reading scriptures, attending conferences, etc.
I loved this because one of the things I am always saying to myself is "I'm too busy" or "I just don't have time." I admit that I am not as diligent as I should be at "sharpening my saw" -- in fact, I'm feeling pretty dull. So this story was the perfect lesson for me. I have felt such a longing to go to Sunday School and Relief Society and I realize it is mostly because I need to fill a void. (However, I really do enjoy a classroom environment; I love learning from other people and their experiences.) At any rate the lesson is taken to heart: sharpen your saw!
Anyway, he told a story that was probably meant for me: One day there was a man visiting another town and while there stopped to watch another man sawing a large log. The visitor noticed that the sawyer's saw was very dull and that he labored much in cutting that log. He thought, "if he would just stop for a few minutes and sharpen his saw, not only would his task become easier but he would get more done." So, he decided to approach the sawyer. After hearing the question, the sawyer replied, "I can't stop now; I'm too busy."
How many times have we said, "I don't have time (or don't want) to read my scriptures" (or pray, or attend stake/general conference, etc.)? How many times do we feel down or overwhelmed with all the many tasks we are called upon to do? Do these coincide? The point of the story is that our lives are much more difficult and we can not function effectively if we don't take the time to sharpen our own spiritual "saws" through prayer, reading scriptures, attending conferences, etc.
I loved this because one of the things I am always saying to myself is "I'm too busy" or "I just don't have time." I admit that I am not as diligent as I should be at "sharpening my saw" -- in fact, I'm feeling pretty dull. So this story was the perfect lesson for me. I have felt such a longing to go to Sunday School and Relief Society and I realize it is mostly because I need to fill a void. (However, I really do enjoy a classroom environment; I love learning from other people and their experiences.) At any rate the lesson is taken to heart: sharpen your saw!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)