March 9, 2015 - Monday

This was an especially rewarding day as we had the opportunity to serve as hosts at the Carthage Jail Visitors Center.  We were up early this morning to workout and prepare for the day.  Our goal was to be ready and leave by 9:00am for Carthage for our 10:00am start time.  We knew the drive was supposed to only take 30 minutes or less, but we wanted to make sure we were there on time and ready to work.  

Well, we got there in plenty of time and got to walk around the center before we met our trainers.  I did get some pictures;  The first two came from our early morning walk this morning as the dew was lifting and the sun was rising!

Nauvoo Temple at 7:00am

Another view of the Nauvoo Temple

The morning air was clean and clear with just a hint of a light fog.  The temperature was about 40 degrees and very comfortable with a slight breeze.

Here are some pictures of Carthage Jail Visitor's Center:

The sign just outside Carthage - I started feeling the Spirit of the site right here

Joseph and Hyrum

There are five of these monuments teaching about the Prophet

These introductory markers are on the brick pathway to the Visitor's Center.  The jail is just behind this marker and over to the left of the picture.  There were several fascinating stories we heard and experienced today.  Sister Lasher and I participated in taking several visitors through the presentation.  It begins with an 18 minute movie about the Prophet and his brother.  This movie can only be seen in the Carthage Visitor's Center.  

Then we take them outside the theater and teach them a little about the jail.  The building began construction in 1839 and was completed in 1841.  The cost was $4,505.00.  The Martyrdom took place in 1844.  The jail was sold at auction in 1866 for $1,100.  It was purchased by James Browning, in 1871, a nephew and non member of Jonathan Browning who began the Browning Gun shop in Nauvoo, and was an active member.  The James Browning family lived there for over 30 years and did some remodeling of the upstairs jail to make it living quarters for his family.  

It is interesting to note that many of the glass window panes, some flooring, most of the roof, and foundation beams as well as the wood door through which Hyrum and Joseph were hit as the mob attacked, are all original.  After James Browning passed away, his widow sold the building to the Church with Joseph F. Smith as the President and trustee in 1909.  It was purchased for about $4,000.

It was rented out as a private residence until 1838 when the Church began the restoration of the property.

Here are some pictures I took today of the different rooms;

The jail dining room

The jailer, George Stigall, and his wife and seven children lived in the jail facilities.  They were responsible for housing and feeding the prisoners.    Meals were prepared by the jailer's wife.  John Taylor, who visited with Joseph and Hyrum in the jail, wrote of eating with the jailer and his family and paying for their meals.  It was the county magistrates who usually ordered and charged the prisoners, through the jailer, for food, clothing and candles.

The "debtors" cell

When Joseph and Hyrum were taken to the jail on a charge of treason, eight other men came with them and were allowed in the debtor's cell the night of June 25, 1844.  This cell was normally used for those put in prison when someone filed a complaint that they owed them money.  They were held there until a family member or friend paid the debt.

The stairway the mob used to storm the upstairs room the Prophet had been moved to on June 26, 1844

The jailer was sympathetic to Joseph and Hyrum and some of the guards were taught the Gospel by Joseph on these two nights.  The jailer moved them up to the higher room that served as part of his living space where he thought the prisoners would be safer.

This door led to the "Dungeon: Cell

After Joseph fell from the upstairs window, those men on the stairs rushed downstairs and went outside.  Willard Richards was the only person in the Martyrdom room that was not dead or seriously wounded.  This fulfilled a prophecy of Joseph Smith about Willard; "The time will come that the balls will fly around like hail, and he would see friends fall on the right and on the left, but that there should not be a hole in his garment". It is interesting to note that Willard was much larger than any other man in the room and would have been an easy target. 

During the attack, a bullet grazed the lower part of Willard's left ear.  Willard went to the window to see where the Prophet had fallen and then was ready to hide in the Dungeon cell when he heard a very faint, "take me with you".  It was John Taylor who had been hit several times and who had rolled under the bed.   He helped him into the dungeon cell room and hid him under the mattress, within the open cell, thinking the mob would return back upstairs... however, the mob fled when someone yelled, "the Mormon's are Coming!".  Thus, John Taylor was preserved to become the third president of the Church.

From the doorway to the Martyrdom Room

The full view of the Martyrdom Room

On June 26, 1844, the night before the Martyrdom, seven men spent the night in this room.  Joseph and Hyrum slept on the bed.  Willard Richards was seated at the desk just to the left of the window in the corner writing by the light of a candle.  

About midnight a shot rang out, just outside the window.  Joseph was awakened and got out of bed and laid down on the floor between Dan Jones and John Fullmer.  Joseph whispered to Dan Jones; "Are you afraid to die?" Jones asked; "Has the time come, think you?  Engaged in such a cause, I do not think that death would have many terrors".  Joseph replied; "You will yet see wales, and fulfill the mission appointed to you before you die".  (As we might all know, he went on this mission and then assisted in the rescue of the handcart pioneers in 1856.) 

Joseph then said to John Fullmer; "Lay your head on my arm as a pillow, Brother John".  He told Fullmer; "I would like to see my family again and I would like to preach to the Saints in Nauvoo once more".

The door that still has the bullet hole that likely killed Hyrum

I could not take my eyes off this door.  All that it represents is overwhelming.  This is the original door and has been preserved for all these years for us to "see and feel" the pain and suffering: that took place here and the promises fulfilled of the true and living Church spreading to all four corners of the world.  It is such a special place.

The Window that Joseph fell out of, mortally wounded

On the morning of June 27, 1844, the Prophet sent Dan Jones, John Fullmer and Stephen Markham on errands connected to his pending trial.  Around 5:00pm the mood became somber and Joseph had John Taylor sing "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief".  Then, the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith, sealed their testimonies with their blood.  Today there are millions of Latter-day Saints who honor the memory of this Martyrdom from all over the world and thousands come here each year to keep his memory alive in their lives.

As Sister Lasher and I were waiting in the Visitor's Center this afternoon, we had a sister come in who wanted to make a reservation.  We started talking to her and had to sit down to hear this most amazing story.  It was 10 years ago, Chenille Saunders, (I think this is a close spelling), and her husband were living in Houston, Texas.   This is one of the amazing stories I was referring to as I began the blog tonight;

She was 24 years old and involved with a world renowned opera school in Houston.  She was on her way to Broadway with a very promising career on the stage.  Her husband had been unemployed for about two months but had a job interview that he only needed to show up to in order to be offered the position.  He had been a general manager for MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, and was apparently just what this company was looking for.  He left the home for the interview and did not come back for over 6 hours.  

When he finally got home, she asked him about the interview.  He said he did not go to the interview.  He felt that he was not supposed to take the job and he went to the temple to pray and find out what the Lord had in mind.  The answer was to move to the Nauvoo Stake.  His wife was flabbergasted to say the least.  Her career was set and there was no way she was going.  "Well, he said, go and pray about it, but I'm leaving tomorrow".... "Oh, and by the way, you are supposed to open a voice class in the Nauvoo Stake".  

She did pray about it and spent a great deal of time in the temple parking lot and reading her Scriptures since she had received specific direction from them on a regular basis.  When she finally realized what she needed to do she was scared to death but willing to go.  The chance for Broadway vanished and they moved to the Nauvoo Stake and settled in Carthage.  

When they got here she was a frightened little girl with the way the Carthage people treated her.  The garbage folks refused to take her garbage and they got some very threatening phone calls.  Her mom suggested she join the Chamber of Commerce.  She did not know what the Chamber was but soon found out and joined.  The local bank president saw her in a store a few days later and asked if she was "Chenille Saunders".  She said she was, and then he asked if she was going to be at the Chamber Meeting on Wednesday.  She said, "yes", and he said "good".  We have some questions for you.  And then walked away.  (talk about intimidation, the people of Carthage still pretty much hated to Mormon's).  

Well she attended the meeting and noticed she was on the agenda under "other" right at the end of the agenda.  When that point of the meeting arrived, the bank president stood up and addressed her directly, and said something to the effect of; "you Mormon's opened up a big temple in Nauvoo and had hundreds of thousands of people come to it and you did not let any of us merchants open up booths to sell our goods... why was that?  

At this point she said a prayer to Heavenly Father, and said, Heavenly Father, I'm just a 24 year old girl.  I don't know how to answer this question.  When I open my mouth you need to speak the words because I don't have any idea what to say.  (Can you imagine this situation in the middle of a hostile crown in Carthage, Illinois?)

What she said was something like this; I am so sorry for the hurt that was felt by this situation.  I know that no hurt was intended.  When the Mormon Church opens a temple anywhere, it is a sacred building that is very special to us.  Like all the sacred temples, the Carthage Jail is also like a very special and sacred place that millions of Mormon Church members come to to remember and honor a man we revere as a Prophet of God.  We do not sell anything at these special places, not even a book marker or any souvenirs that would take away from what we feel and experience in these sacred places....

She knew the words were not hers and she said the feeling of doom and gloom immediately left the room.  She further indicated to Sister Lasher and me that it has been a big struggle over the last 10 years but the residents are starting to accept the members.   It was 10 years ago that they answered the call to come to the Nauvoo Stake.  They answered the call along with another family from Texas and another family from Oregon.  They all felt impressed to come.  Now here is perhaps the most fascinating point; the Nauvoo Stake was holding, at that time, a 30 day fast for help in softening the hearts of the people living within the Stake boundaries and to have help come from outside the Stake to assist in moving this work forward.  And these three families all came within one week of the end of that 30 day fast, 10 years ago.

When she came in today, she was making an appointment to bring some non members into the Visitor's Center to see the movie "Meet he Mormons".  One of these non members is the CEO of the Hospital in Carthage and she has been one of those antagonists who have been touched by Sister Saunders and the others who came.  Sister Saunders opened her music class and is teaching at the high school about opera and playwrights.  Another sister is helping with special needs children at the school.  One brother is connecting with farmers, and another is a physical therapist connecting with the older community members.

This is just one more way the Lord is in charge, if we just listen.  Whether it is moving to the Nauvoo Stake or lending support to local leaders, or just saying hello to neighbors and less active members, we just need to act and roll up our sleeves, and go to work.  It really is a preciously simple process that will pay huge dividends in creating a Zion Society where our Lord and savior can return to.  We have got to remember that He can't return until Zion is established by His people.

It has been a good day!  Thank you for joining Sister Lasher and me for a recap of today!  We love you!

The view of the temple on our walk home tonight