May 12, 2015 - Tuesday

Mom was up by 5:00am and was able to study her Scriptures and say her prayers before she woke me up at 5:30am..   We had our morning devotional and exercise before going over to clean the jail at 6:30am.  We then took our walk in the country and enjoyed a beautiful Spring morning.  However, from my exercise and sweat this morning, I was cold throughout the entire walk!  So much for mountain boy being hot!  It felt so good to get back to our home and take a nice hot shower!  Look at the beautiful clouds along our walking path this morning;

This is taken over a field of corn and as it is peeking up over the surface of the rich Illinois soil.  We pass this field almost everyday and we love seeing the progress of the growth of this corn field!

The day began at the visitors center this morning with mom taking the usual first tour of the day.  She had a couple come into the visitors center who seemed interested in a tour.  When they were asked about them possibly serving a senior mission, he said, "we don't believe in some of your doctrine...., we are just interested in the historical view of the jail...", or something close to that effect.  Well, mom took them on a tour of just the jail and, in the martyrdom room, bore her testimony to them of the role of Joseph Smith as a Prophet of the Restoration.... the lady seemed interested and the man did not offer any opposition to her testimony... way to go mom! 

Another tour mom had was with these three special ladies pictured here;

These special ladies are all from Detroit, Michigan.  They are going to school there and the one in front with that wonderful hair is from Liberia.  She plans on putting in her mission papers in the near future.  They had such a wonderful spirit about them and were so touched with the tour of the jail.  I told them about this blog and let them know they were going to be included tonight!

Our guests have a wide variety of reactions and impressions of their visits here in Carthage.  Some come with preconceived ideas of what they think they should feel or experience here.  Then, after the tour and some discussion and especially from our testimonies, they leave with a deep sense of gratitude for the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum.  How could we not be thankful for their dedication, their faithfulness and their testimonies of this great work?  

My appreciation and my testimony is strengthened each time I open that dining room door to the jail, and walk softly through the downstairs parlor, and up the same stairway the mob used to play out their dastardly deed,  and enter into the martyrdom room.  I touch that martyrdom room door, reverently and with a great deal of respect, and walk into another time and soak in the peace that comes from being in there.  

And what a privilege it is to be here and take these visitors on a journey into the final minutes of the Prophets life and explain the significance of his sacrifice for each of us today.  We each come away from that room with a greater appreciation for the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum.  We would do a great disservice to the events that transpired here if we left our testimonies in that upper room....

Well, so ends another wonderful day here in Carthage.  Mom and I had a rare night at home and it looks like I'm going to be in bed before 10:00pm!!!  Thank you for checking in tonight!  I have enjoyed this blogging experience and hope you can feel a small part of the spirit that it has generated in mom and me...