March 31, 2015 - Tuesday

I think today was one of the warmest days we have experienced while on our mission.  We were up at our usual early morning hour to read and have our morning devotional.  Then we went on a 45 minute walk through town and enjoyed 50 degree weather at 7:00am.  It was a beautiful morning.  On our way around the town square I saw some interesting photo opportunities and will share some stories and impressions below;

This is the county courthouse in the middle of the town square.  There is some construction going on and we understand this is the 2nd courthouse built here in Carthage.  The town square around this courthouse is probably 50% vacant with buildings in need of extensive repair and facelift.

We came across this memorial for fallen firefighters.  I am always interested in firefighters since my dad was a career fireman and died while on his 3 day shift on Easter Sunday 1953.  I have always marveled at how my precious mother was able to work through this tragedy with two children under the age of 4 years.  She had kissed my dad goodby before he left work the day before he died and had spoken to him on the telephone just as she had always done.  Then she received a call from the firehouse that no one ever wants to receive.  He had just gone running with a fellow fireman and had returned to the firehouse and felt tired.  He then laid down on one of the outside benches and had a heart attack.  He was gone within a few minutes.  

My mom and dad had a special relationship and had been married a little over 5 years. They were so much in love.  My mom had such fond, loving, and wonderful memories of him and would share her stories about him that made me want to be like him.  I have shared many of those memories with my grandchildren and I hope they always remember them and try hard to treat their families and friends in such a way as to never have any regrets!

This is one of three memorials to the fallen firefighters.  The name of our apartment in Nauvoo was"Buckert Up" signifying we occupied the upstairs living quarters.  I wonder if he was related some way?

I had to snap this picture of a play area that really needs some tender loving care.  It reminded me of the playground across from Josh and Amy's home but in such need of repair!

 The sign on this building is announcing the school district offices.  But I think it has to be former offices of the school district.

This is the sidewalk in front of the school district offices.  Most of the sidewalks we see are broken up and needing to be replaced.

This is a marker sign in the town square giving some detail about the murder of Joseph and Hyrum.  There were so many individuals with various reasons to be involved with the crime.  I can't help but think of President Monson's  admonition to have courage and stand alone for what is true and right.  How many of the mobocracy had second thoughts about being involved in this awful effort stirred up by just a few evil and conspiring men?

This is another marker just on the corner of where the Hamilton Hotel was located in 1844.  It is a vacant lot today.  Artois Hamilton was in some way part of the conspiracy but after the murders, used his hotel and then one of his wagons to transport the bodies of Joseph and Hyrum back to Nauvoo.  He drove one of those wagons.

Well, we got home from our walk at about 7:45am and the temperature was beginning to warm a little more.  We had breakfast together and got ready for the day and were ready to go to work by 9:15am.  We had a first tour about 9:45am.

Mom had a tour this afternoon that included several groups.  At times it is necessary to add people to the initial starting of the movie "Impressions of a Prophet".  Before we start the movie we ask about the group or individuals to see where they are from and what kind of religious background they have.  However, when the movie begins and you try to add people who are on a short time frame this luxury is not always available.  As was the case in this one group that arrived in a small bus and I added them to mom's group.  All they said was that they were from the Quincy University.

I then got a tour as the movie ended and we could not talk about the group until maybe an hour later.  Come to find out, this group was from the Quincy University, and was studying the practice of polygamy in the United States and came to Carthage Jail to learn more!  This is an excellent reason why we pray as a group of missionaries before we begin each day.... to have the Spirit with us!  When the question of polygamy came up mom was able to bear her testimony and redirect the focus to the Martyrdom.  She will surely have more input as the experience matures in her mind.

I am not sure why I chose to snap this picture of that group, as pictured below, but I had prepared myself to assist her if she signaled me. However, she is an outstanding missionary and had the Spirit with her and I proceeded on to take my group after her....

There has been a lot of sickness here in the Nauvoo Mission.  Mom and I have been fortunate to avoid any serious affects, perhaps because of our sanitizer, but many activities have been canceled this week.  Our Sunset practice was canceled tonight so mom and I stayed home.  We have our early morning training meeting tomorrow and a session in the Nauvoo Temple right afterwards!

Thank you for checking in with us tonight!  We love you!

 

March 30, 2015 - Monday

Our day started off wonderful!  We had our morning prayers and devotional and took a nice walk around the town square and neighborhood.  We were scheduled to open the visitor's center at 10:00am today but from the view outside our back sliding glass door, we saw a moving truck and a family car drive up to the visitor's center for a tour at 9:00am.  Here is that view out the piano room sliding glass door;

We will never keep anyone waiting if we can help it so we opened up this morning at 9:15am and gave our first tour to a family moving from North Dakota to Delaware.  I am so glad we could accommodate them and help them use their time a little better!  We are grateful to have the privilege of serving here!!

We then finished up the opening procedures and by 10:00am we had two more families come in.  The third family came all the way from Australia.  Mom and Dad had three of their children with them.  One of their daughters was just called to the Japan, Sapporo Mission, and reports to the Provo MTC in two months, and another daughter was just released from her mission in the Philippines.  

I had to ask her which mission in the Philippines she had served in and she indicated the Laoag, Philippines Mission.  She was released in January 2015, and was serving there during our brief 3 week time period.  This is Sister Willson and she had heard about the "senior couple from Idaho" and was so anxious to meet us and then very disappointed when she heard we had returned home.  She was almost as excited to meet us as we were to meet her!!  Sister Lasher gave her the story of our Philippine experience, and then we wanted to keep talking to her and finding out more about her future plans.  What a precious tender mercy it was to spend some time with her today!!

Here she is, Sister Willson, and Courtney - who is she holding in the 2nd picture??

 Sister Willson, recently released from the Laoag, Philippines Mission.  Who would have ever thought that we would come to the Nauvoo Mission, then, after 4 weeks in the mission, be transferred to Carthage Jail Visitor's Center.... and then have her family come on our work day and be able to share "the rest of the story", of our Philippine Mission experience...???  It continues to be reconfirmed to us every day, that Heavenly Father loves us and gives us experiences for our pure joy and happiness!

Flat Stanley has now touched two continents with Sister Willson coming directly from Australia to Carthage, Illinois!  She and her family are on their way to General Conference in Salt Lake City this weekend.

Today we had visitors from Australia, Chili, Sweden, New York, Utah, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Wyoming and locally here in Nauvoo.

Speaking of Flat Stanley, he is a world traveler from my granddaughter Courtney's 2nd grade class.  Flat Stanley loves adventures so he came to Nauvoo to spend a few days with us to see exactly what we do while we are serving a mission.  We have been doing quite a few things so I had to take some pictures and will explain what we have been up to;  I hope you enjoy these experiences as much as mom and I had with Flat Stanley!

 Flat Stanley came to Granny and Grandpa's mission in Nauvoo, Illinois, on this big airplane so that he could give Granny and Grandpa a BIG hug from Courtney and spend a few days with us.

Flat Stanley's first stop was Nauvoo.   He was pretty excited about being here because this is his first trip to Nauvoo!

Flat Stanley with Granny as they arrived in Nauvoo.  Both Granny and Grandpa Lasher wanted to hold me up to this BIG sign!  I was so high in the air I thought I was going to get a nose bleed!  Well, anything to make my Granny and Grandpa happy in their anxiousness to photograph me....

 Here is Flat Stanley and Grandpa at the Carthage Jail Visitor's Center in Carthage, Illinois.  This sign was a little closer to the ground.  See my big smile?  No nose bleed!

 

Flat Stanley got to sleep with Granny and Grandpa.  Nice bed and I was warm as toast!  Of course I am as flat as toast too!  (I got a million of em...)

 Flat Stanley is under strict instructions, from Dr. Jeppson, to brush everyday while he is on his adventure.  Flat Stanley said; "Courtney made sure I promised to do so"!

 Flat Stanley and Granny reading our favorite Scriptures.  I love sitting in Granny's lap early in the morning getting ready for the adventures of the day!

 Courtney look!  I found the trail mix!  Emmmm good!  I sure like coming to visit Granny and Grandpa Lasher!

 Flat Stanley thought the trail mix was super good... then he found the CANDY JAR!  Oh my, all this candy and so little time....

Flat Stanley just died and went to heaven!  Oh yes....Grandpa LOVES a little bit of hot chocolate with my favorite:  WHIPPED CREAM!  I was hoping that can would never go empty!  (I'm on my 2nd million...)

 Flat Stanley is ready for his walk.  It is time to go outside and breathe some fresh Carthage air.  Flat Stanley loves taking long early morning walks.

 Oh oh!  Can't go outside until I sanitize!  They sure take good care of me.  Courtney these are sure good grandparents!  I think I love them as much as you do!

Flat Stanley saw this beautiful sign on the wall of Granny and Grandpa's little home... well I say little, I almost got lost going from the whipped cream room to this room!

 Flat Stanley is hoping to catch a ride on the pioneer wagon today!  How much fun would that be?

Flat Stanley taking his first steps in the picture of the Women's Garden at the Nauvoo Visitor's Center.  I was very happy to have these two pioneers make sure I did not fall!  All Grandpa does is stick me somewhere with scotch tape and these people let me try to walk!

Oh!  I found one of Granny's nice pictures!  I was a little cold thinking about that icy water and I felt very grateful for these boys, one big brother helping his little brother.  I like it when people are big helpers and that is how I want to be.

 Flat Stanley heard the John Hinckle story about Bobby's tree fort.  When he saw this perfect tree fort tree right outside Grandpa's home in Carthage, he wanted to stay a few more days and build one.  Thank you, Grandpa for not letting me fall!! 

 Flat Stanley was excited to be in this picture with Sister Willson and Granny and Grandpa, (they call Granny and Grandpa Elder and Sister Lasher, but I like Granny and Grandpa too).  Sister Willson served in the Laoag, Philippines Mission at the same time Granny and Grandpa did, but they never met in the Philippines.  They had to finally meet in Carthage, Illinois, when Granny and Grandpa were working at the visitor's center.

 Flat Stanley helping Grandpa take the trash out and HOPING Grandpa holds on to me when he throws the trash away!  .... Whew!... he held on to me... (those one handed tosses kind of scare me)

Wow, Granny and Grandpa have a beautiful baby grand piano in their home in Carthage!  I love playing the piano!  Except I don't know how to play!  Oh well, at least I am working at it!

 Flat Stanley was a little nervous about this picture.  I was hoping Grandpa still had the key... I'm too young to be in jail and I want to see Courtney again!

 Flat Stanley takes a picture with Joseph and Hyrum in the Carthage Jail Visitor's Center.  These are two great men!

 

 Flat Stanley will be heading back home to Courtney!  Yea!  Yea!  I have had so much fun with Granny and Grandpa, Courtney.  Now you need to come with your family and see them too.  You will have a blast just like I did!!  See you soon!!

Ah, one of the sweet experiences of serving a mission in the Lord's Vineyard!  A visit from Flat Stanley and a visit from Sister Willson and our other very special guests here at the Historic Carthage Jail Visitor's Center.  

It has been a good day!  No, it has been a great day!  We love you!

March 29, 2015 - Sunday

This has been a very busy Sabbath Day for us.  We were up early and left for our Sacrament Meeting this morning at a little past 7am.  The meetings start at 8:00am in Nauvoo so we wanted to be a little early, and we were.  Here is Sister Lasher hurrying to catch a ride with her eternal companion;

We enjoy this time of the day as the air was brisk and the temperature read 29 degrees.  It was a little wet on the ground but we were expecting a warmer day somewhere in the high 50's or low 60's.  I snapped a picture of the sunrise this morning outside the front of the house in Carthage.  And then, as we were driving the back roads to Nauvoo, we spotted a rainbow and then had a little more rain coming down.  I tried snapping this picture, too, but I could not tell if I captured the rainbow; ... maybe a little!

This was our Fast and Testimony Meeting today and then we attended Sunday School at the Visitor's Center along with a combined Relief Society/Priesthood meeting.  We have enjoyed interacting with the senior missionaries and being led by President Gibbons, our Mission President.

After the Sunday meetings we hurried back to Carthage for a 12:15pm meeting and devotional before opening up the site at 12:30pm.  However, we had visitors already walking the grounds at 12:00noon.  It was still cold outside so we hurried over to get things opened up earlier and take care of these guests.  

I want to begin mentioning here in the blog, where they are coming from.  This past week we have had visitors from Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Finland, Norway, Canada, and several states here in the United States.

Today we had visitors from New Zealand, Washington State, Utah, Arizona, Indiana, and a few other states.  The family from New Zealand had been touring Church History sites and plan on being in Salt Lake City on Wednesday.  I was not able to get his name but I felt we were sharing our time with either an Area Authority or a Seventy.

I will take better notes starting tomorrow and be a little more accurate on those various areas these wonderful visitors come from.  By the way, we take phone calls from all over the world setting up reservations for tour groups of 15 people or more.  Surprise us and give us a call!  (217) 357-2989.

To cap off a busy day, we attended an Interfaith Easter Fireside tonight back in Nauvoo at the Stake Center.  We had 6 other churches join us in singing and instrument playing and it was a really nice evening.  The more we can interact with the communities and churches, the better we will all understand each other and be more tolerant and kind.  There was even a family of 10 children from ages of around 2 years to around 14 years that sang a wonderful song together.  We noted that every child participated in singing, even the 2 year old sang along! 

It has been a great day!

March 28, 2015 - Saturday

We continue to meet some wonderful people here at the Carthage Jail Visitor's Center.  Today we had groups from all over the United States.  Some from Indiana, Wisconsin, Texas, Idaho, Utah, Virginia, Kansas and an international visitor from Columbia.  I was especially attached to this sister from Columbia.  She was at our Rendezvous Play last night and showed me some pictures she had taken!  To all of our grandchildren, see if you can recognize any of the "actors", and "singers";

This is a scene from the "Relief Society".... where is Granny?  "Oh my stars!  Just think of it?  The Ashby's and all ten children living side by side with the snows!"

Welcome! "You will make a new friend if you will just move over!"  And, "if your baby's noisy will you kindly take him out?....."

Granny and Grandpa giving a tour of the Carthage Jail.  This room is the dining area of the jailer, George Stigall and this is where he and his wife served the prisoners meals. Those prisoners who were not considered a risk were able to come out of their cell and have dinner in this dining room.  Joseph and his brother Hyrum and John Taylor and Willard Richards ate in this room.  Those prisoners who were considered high risks were given "room service"!  Additionally, prisoners were charged for their meals!

This is Brother and Sister Piggott from Yorktown, Virginia.  They met while he was on a business trip to Columbia a couple of years ago.  She was so kind to share pictures with me from Rendezvous last night and those are some of the posted pictures tonight.  I addition, she took pictures of me giving the tour, and then emailed me copies with the strict instructions to share these with my grandchildren!!!  So Zac, Hayley, Jackson, Mia, Emma, Bobby, Jacob, Anna, John, Cambry, Isaac, Callie, Courtney, Cody, Maddie, Landon, Mackenzie let me know that you saw these pictures!!!!  Then Sister Piggott will be very happy with me!

Here is Elder Lasher in the Martyrdom room in Carthage Jail reviewing the events of June 27, 1844.  Every time I come into this room there is such a special feeling that humbles me.  I marvel at the sweet fact that Sister Lasher and I can be here on the same property that Joseph and Hyrum were.  And that we can testify to people from all over the world about the truthfulness of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the Prophet Joseph Smith.  I stand humbled and so amazed....

Here is a picture of a distinguished senior missionary in front of the statue of Joseph and Hyrum that welcomes all visitors to the visitor center.

Elder Lasher is climbing the stairway to the Martyrdom room on the upper floor of the jail.  These are the original steps that led to the room where Joseph and Hyrum and John Taylor and Willard Richards were being held.  The railing on my left is the original rail of that staircase.  There were dozens and dozens of the mob who stormed this staircase to the Martyrdom room, each having one shot in their guns.  After shooting off this round, they had to stop and reload their rifles.  Can you imagine the smoke and the stench the gun powder made?  The entire jail was filled with the residue as hundreds of shots were fired inside and outside the jail.

My testimony deepens every time I give this tour and I love to focus on those young people who come here for the first time.  I have tried to make this a most memorable visit for them by letting them know that the Prophet sealed his testimony in his blood along with the blood of his precious brother Hyrum.  In the year 1844, there were about 14,000 members of the restored Church.  Today there are over 15 million members.  The mob felt they could silence the Mormons by killing their Prophet.  But Heavenly Father knew otherwise.  Just in the 2 weeks that we have worked here in Carthage, I have personally testified to members from Argentina, South Korea, Norway, Canada, Finland, Columbia, Brazil and from many, many states here in the United States.  The thought that "millions shall know Brother Joseph again, is manifested right before my eyes during each tour!

Elder and Sister Lasher - Senior Missionaries at the historic Carthage Jail Visitor's Center in Carthage, Illinois.  Finally, I wanted to add a picture of our family gathered in Utah for Callie and Courtney's baptism  We are so proud of them and their decision to be baptized!

March 27, 2015 - Friday

We have all of our move completed and everything is put away in our new home, so it was back to work today.  We were ready this morning for our neighborhood walk around Carthage and the Town Square.  I have not yet measured the distance of our morning walk but will do that in the next few days.  It was a cold morning that the temperature was at 29 degrees. I even think we saw a snowflake or two as we made our way around.  The town of Carthage is really poor and many areas are run down.  The sidewalks are crumbling and, in many areas, the weeds have literally taken over the sidewalks.  It is interesting to note that this little city has not really prospered since the Martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith.  The people are very cool toward the Church members but we hope to get involved in the community and hopefully help soften some hearts here.  I took some pictures on the walk this morning as follows;

This property was donated to the Church many years ago by the Bushnell Family.  They were not members of the Church and tried to donate the property to another church if they would restore it.  That church indicated that they would only accept the donation if they could sell the property for the money.  A son of this family who had joined the LDS Church suggested his dad try asking the "Mormon" Church if they would accept the donation in his terms.  They were happy to and restored this beautiful home into a five apartment complex for missionaries serving in Carthage.  

This is one block of the Town Square.  The sidewalks are in fairly good shape here in the Town Square but are showing age and lack of upkeep.

That building on the corner has all the windows broken and the orange barricade seems to be an old fix to making people walk around the aging structure.  Most of the spaces are "for rent".

The sunrise was beautiful this morning with the golden rays just showing up on the horizon.  This picture did not do it justice!

Our day at the Carthage Visitor's Center began at 9:30am with a devotional with the couple we were serving with, Elder and Sister Orme.  Elder Orme is the mission veterinarian.  

We opened at 10:00am and we stayed busy all day long.  We had another family from Norway in attendance today.  They were in the United States traveling to Salt Lake City for General Conference.  They flew into New York last Sunday after an 8 hour flight from Norway and they have spent the last 48 hours driving to and visiting the different Church history sites on their way to Salt Lake.  

Below:  This is the lobby of the Carthage Visitor's Center.  Those are paintings of Joseph and Hyrum and the bust of Jesus by Dee Jay Bowden is right in front of them.  Interestingly, the bust of Jesus has a Scripture placed on it; D&C 88:67-68.  Check it out!  The theater is through that door on the left, and a history room of the Church beginnings is to the opening on the right.

I also gave a tour to a man in his early 30's who has driven by Carthage many times but never took the time to stop.  It sounded like some of our customers at the deli!  Well, he stopped and we had a wonderful discussion and he told me he had a friend who was going to General Conference.  I told him to make sure he called her when she got back and ask her what she learned.  I also gave him a pass-along card on #BecauseHeLives effort the Church is initiating March 28, 2015, and continuing through Christmas 2015.  Check it out!  (#BecauseHeLives and HeLives.mormon.org) 

We had our Rendezvous Play tonight and we are remembering our parts a little better each time.  It is kind of a rush when you see some improvement!  Have a great evening!