June 30, 2015 - Tuesday in Carthage

It has been a marvelous day here in Carthage as we have been able to serve yet another day here in the Visitors Center.  Both mom and I were greatly blessed with a visit from Ali, Jared, Cody, Maddie, Landon and Mackenzie over the last few days.  While it was hard to say goodbye, when they left for Rigby this morning, we were so uplifted and rejuvenated by their hugs and kisses and conversations and blessings.

Here they go..........8:16am

Thank goodness we were busy at the Visitors Center today!  We hit the ground running about 15 minutes after our precious family drove away.  Mom and I both had some great tours and some wonderful discussions with some of our visitors that really helped us not get sad.  We just need to work harder now!

In the Nauvoo Brass Band, there are so many precious performing missionaries we have grown to love!  In one instance, I have really enjoyed a young sister, Sister Smith, who plays the trombone.  There is a piece that she participates with two other trombone players, an Elder and another Sister.  They play a piece that has Sister Smith put on this absolutely adorable "snooty" face when the Elder tries to participate in the sister's duet.  I have told them how much I enjoy their music every time I see them!  The combination of music, looks, and talent in this precious group is priceless and it makes me smile every time!  I know that these talented Young Performing Missionaries have this same wonderful affect on 100's if not 1000's of guests here in Carthage as well as in Nauvoo!.....

Well, this afternoon I met Sister Smith's parents and an older sister.  What a great family!  Her mom told me how her daughter likes my comments and we talked a little about that.  Somehow, I told her about our mission and how it started in the Philippines.  Then I spoke with her sister and found out she plays the piano so I invited her to come into the Visitors Center and play a piece for us.  

As she was playing and I was talking to her parents,  the mother asked me if I knew and Elder Laoag.  I said, "are you referring to a blog"?  And she said yes!  She loved reading his blog and was so disappointed he had taken it private!  Can you imagine how fun it was for me to tell her I was "Elder Laoag".....??  I told her to email me and I would get her back on!

Now, here is another huge tender mercy.  I sure hope my sister will read this post and let me know if the name, "Duane Matsunaga" sounds familiar?  He was a regional young adult rep when Jackie was a stake young single adult rep in Fresno.  He had so many good things to say about my sister and wanted to re connect with her and her family.  So, Jackie, he has your phone number!  He also knew several other young single adults including Ellen, Wendy and Bob, and had such wonderful memories of those associations.  Unfortunately, I was off to El Centro with Longs Drug Stores and did not know very many of the singles he named...

I had to take his picture with his wife and post it here in case Jackie might see it and recognize him.  What a wonderful "chance" meeting with a piece of my past, just as I was getting involved with Church activity, thanks to Ellen and my precious sister, Jackie.

On my third tour today, we had a family reunion for a group of families from all over the United States.  They were here in Carthage for their final day.  As we sized up the families, we decided to break them into three groups.  The first group consisted of those 6 years and under, with several moms.  The second group was the young men and young women age group and the third group was the balance of the adults.  There were about 20 in each group.

Guess which group I wanted?  That's right, the young men and the young women.  They were not too excited about this tour, which made it all the more interesting for me!  I really had to work them and try to catch their attention.  

There was one of the young men, Deacon aged, who was assigned to heckle me, I think...  But I finally caught their attention with a discussion of Joseph running for President and talking about his platform.  That opened a lot of doors and generated a lot of questions.  I had a great time fielding those questions and they continued to talk with me for over 20 minutes after the tour out in the middle of the brick walkway.   I love talking to these young members who are so vulnerable to the whims of the world.  Hopefully they felt my love for them!  If fact, the heckler finally started asking some of those wonderful questions near the end of the tour and I could sense that there was a change coming over him on his understanding of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

I am so grateful to be here serving with my sweetheart and  having the full support of our family.  You know that was the principle of the Gospel that first caught my attention, that families can be together forever.  And now, as we are here serving this mission, I just want to make sure I am doing all I can to be worthy of this precious family!  Mom and I love you so very much!

June 29, 2015 - Monday in Carthage

Mom and I had the day off today just to enjoy Ali and Jared and Cody and Maddie and Landon and McKenzie's last day with us.  I am trying not to think about not seeing family members for at least until next late spring or early summer 2016.  I have thoroughly enjoyed our visit and can't now imagine coming home tomorrow night and the house being empty.

Here are some great pictures of the day;

Here is a little girl just waking up for the big day with Granny and Grandpa.  Mackenzie remembered Granny and Grandpa!  

Here we are sharing our Blizzard's at Dairy Queen while Jared and Ali went to the Nauvoo Temple for the 10:00am session.  We sure had fun sharing the day today!

Here  is Cody learning about how the children his age helped with building the temple in the 1840's by carrying water up to the workers on the temple hill.

Here is our family learning about how to make tin products in the Stoddard Tin Shop.  When you see these children, ask them about the mouse trap they saw in the display at the tin shop!

Here is Landon, ready to help carry water to the temple workers!

Of course, Maddie wanted to take her turn in helping with the temple workers!

 Here is a picture of Landon, Kenzie and Maddie on the wagon in front of the Browning Gun Shop.  The making of guns did not interest them, but posing as riders on the wagon did!

This picture represents the last time Joseph and Hyrum saw the progress of the Nauvoo Temple.  It was June 24, 1844.  They were riding to Carthage in response to Governor Ford's demand that they come to Cartrhage to answer the charges stemming from the Nauvoo Expositor incident from June 7, 1844.  The charges were false and the men were "guaranteed" state protection by Governor Ford.

 

This is a picture of Elder Caldwell, one of the Young Performing Missionaries.  He always has a smile on his face and the grand-kids loved these missionaries!

Mackenzie and Grandpa are having some fun on our way home from Nauvoo tonight.  We have had such a wonderful visit with them!  We love our family and mom and I have had so much fun this month of June 2015, having the Sathre's and the Brown's here with us to experience our time in Carthage and Nauvoo first hand.  

But as for tomorrow, we go back to our full time missionary service and have a deeper love and commitment to keep the covenants and promises we have made so that we can be together with all of our family... forever!

Thank you for checking in with us tonight!

June 28, 2015 - Sunday in Carthage

We had a wonderful Sabbath Day with Ali and Jared and Cody and Maddie and Landon and Mackenzie.  We attended the missionary ward Sacrament meeting at 8:00am in Nauvoo this morning.  Everyone got ready and we left Carthage at 7:10am in plenty of time to be in Nauvoo 15 minutes early.  We got to sit with my "Marie", Sister Solomon.

It has been so much fun working with her and with Elder Rosenberg who plays "Jimmie".  It is so far out of my comfort zone, but it really is such a fun thing to do after a full day of missionary work.  I certainly see why the pioneers would work hard all day moving closer to their "Zion" in the Rocky Mountains and then sing and dance after the long days of travel!

Mom and I spent the day with the family here in Carthage since we had the time off from the missionary schedule.  Here are some highlight pictures:

Here is a very precious little girl.  Inquisitive, adventurous, confident and with a complete lack of fear....

Mackenzie Marie -

Here is the picture of the complete absence of fear look.  No fear from an approaching concerned Grandpa, and definitely no fear of heights!

This precious girl heard about the possible opportunity to be a guest blogger on the Laoag and on to Nauvoo Blog?

Even though we had temperatures in the very comfortable low 70's, Popsicle's are always in style!



Maddie, Cody and Landon!

Here is a very unique view from the Martyrdom window at the Carthage Jail.  The beautiful statue of Joseph and Hyrum make a very special backdrop to the view from this historic window. 

I have also included this view from the Martyrdom window overlooking the site of the original well.  This is the view that Joseph would have had prior to falling out the window.  My feeling is that only his body touched the ground and his precious Spirit returned back with his Heavenly Father.  In fact I feel his journey back had a very special Escort.

Needless to say, it has been a wonderful week here in Carthage as mom and I have studied and prepared for the commemoration we had on June 27th.  In fact, it has been such a rewarding and eyeopening week beginning with the events each day leading up to the Prophets martyrdom.  June 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th will never be the same in my minds eye.


On the morning of 28 June 1844 the bodies of the slain leaders were gently placed on two different wagons, covered with branches to shade them from the hot summer sun, and driven to Nauvoo by Willard Richards, Samuel Smith, and Artois Hamilton. The wagons left Carthage about 8 A.M.and arrived in Nauvoo about 3 P.M.and were met by a great assemblage. The bodies lay in state the following day in the Mansion House while thousands of people silently filed past the coffins. The shock of the deaths was devastating to the families of the martyrs. Joseph and Hyrum were buried in secret in the basement of the Nauvoo House so that those who wanted to collect a reward offered for Joseph’s head could not find the remains. A public funeral was held and caskets filled with sand were buried in the Nauvoo Cemetery. For weeks the Saints sorrowed deeply over the tragedy at Carthage.

Mom and I will forever be grateful for this marvelous opportunity to serve here in Carthage during the late winter, spring and summer months of 2015!  We are so grateful for your love and support and interest in our experiences here as indicated by your following of this blog!

Guest Blogger

Guest blogger here!  Not sure if my dad meant me or not but this is his daughter Ali. I wanted to get on here and set the record straight about my parents "acting". My dad always talks about how acting isn't their thing and they are so uncomfortable on stage BUT I have to say I think they found a hidden talent! My dad plays "Pa" in one of the plays here and he's great!  No wonder they have him practicing for a bigger part soon!  And my mom is also great on stage!  She has no talking part but she does great up on the stage with her silent acting!  I have pictures and will upload them soon! I again just wanted to set the record straight!  Thanks for all your support you show to my parents while they're out serving the Lord!

June 27, 2015 - Saturday in Carthage

Mom and I were up early on this 171st anniversary of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum.  They were murdered in cold blood here in Carthage on June 27, 1844.  I have been thinking about those events over the last few days and my gratitude grows from what these men were able to accomplish together.  We had a program at the Carthage Visitors Center this afternoon at 5:00pm where over 1,000 joined in with the commemoration.

As part of the commemoration, there were two riderless horses that walked down the stone pavers.  It was very touching to have this as part of the program today.  Messages and music of hope and faith and appreciation were the hallmarks of this special day.

This morning we had a special tour of the British Pageant tour group who will be performing here in the Nauvoo Mission for the next two weeks.  They are mostly from Britain and will perform for probably 100,000 or more guests this summer.

And this was Cody's special friend who came to Carthage today.  She was part of a tour group and Cody got to talk to her when he was helping me.  He found out her name was.... Cody!  Same spelling!

The Tragedy at Carthage

The next morning, Thursday, 27 June, “Joseph requested Dan Jones to descend and inquire of the guard the cause of the disturbance in the night. Frank Worrell, the officer of the guard, who was one of the Carthage Greys, in a very bitter spirit said, ‘We have had too much trouble to bring Old Joe here to let him ever escape alive, and unless you want to die with him you had better leave before sundown; … and you’ll see that I can prophesy better than Old Joe. …’

“Joseph directed Jones to go to Governor Ford and inform him what he had been told by the officer of the guard. While Jones was going to Governor Ford’s quarters, he saw an assemblage of men, and heard one of them, who was apparently a leader, making a speech, saying that, ‘Our troops will be discharged this morning in obedience to orders, and for a sham we will leave the town; but when the Governor and the McDonough troops have left for Nauvoo this afternoon, we will return and kill those men, if we have to tear the jail down.’ This sentiment was applauded by three cheers from the crowd.

“Captain Jones went to the Governor, told him what had occurred in the night, what the officer of the guard had said, and what he had heard while coming to see him, and earnestly solicited him to avert the danger.

“His Excellency replied, ‘You are unnecessarily alarmed for the safety of your friends, sir, the people are not that cruel.’

“Irritated by such a remark, Jones urged the necessity of placing better men to guard them than professed assassins. …

“… Jones remarked, ‘If you do not do this, I have but one more desire, …

“… ‘that the Almighty will preserve my life to a proper time and place, that I may testify that you have been timely warned of their danger.’ …

“… Jones’ life was threatened, and Chauncey L. Higbee said to him in the street, ‘We are determined to kill Joe and Hyrum, and you had better go away to save yourself.’”¹⁹

That morning Joseph wrote to Emma, “I am very much resigned to my lot, knowing I am justified, and have done the best that could be done. Give my love to the children and all my friends. … May God bless you all.”²⁰The Prophet also sent a letter to the well-known lawyer Orville H. Browning asking him to come and defend him. Soon afterward, Joseph’s friends, with the exception of Willard Richards and John Taylor, were forced to leave the jail.

Contrary to his promise, Governor Ford left that morning for Nauvoo without Joseph and Hyrum, taking instead Captain Dunn’s Dragoons from McDonough County, the only troops that had demonstrated neutrality in the affair. En route, he sent an order to all other troops at Carthage and Warsaw to disband, except for a company of the Carthage Greys to guard the jail. The Greys were Joseph’s most hostile enemies and could not be depended upon to protect him. They were part of a conspiracy to feign defense of the prisoners when enemies of the Prophet would later storm the jail.

In Nauvoo, Ford delivered an insulting speech. He said, “A great crime has been done by destroying the Expositor press and placing the city under martial law, and a severe atonement must be made, so prepare your minds for the emergency. Another cause of excitement is the fact of your having so many firearms. The public are afraid that you are going to use them against government. I know there is a great prejudice against you on account of your peculiar religion, but you ought to be praying Saints, not military Saints.”²¹

Meanwhile, Colonel Levi Williams of the Warsaw militia read to his men the governor’s orders to disband. Thomas Sharp then addressed the men and called for them to march east to Carthage. Shouts followed for volunteers to kill the Smiths. Some of the men disguised themselves by smearing their faces with mud mixed with gunpowder and started for Carthage.

At the jail, the four brethren sweltered in the sultry afternoon heat. Joseph gave Hyrum a single-shot pistol and prepared to defend himself with the six-shooter smuggled in that morning by Cyrus Wheelock. Gravely depressed, the brethren asked John Taylor to sing a popular song entitled “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief,” about a suffering stranger who revealed himself at last as the Savior. Joseph asked John to sing it again, which he did. In view of their circumstances, one of the verses seems especially poignant:

In pris’n I saw him next—condemned
To meet a traitor’s doom at morn;
The tide of lying tongues I stemmed,
And honored him ’mid shame and scorn.

My friendship’s utmost zeal to try,
He asked, if I for him would die;
The flesh was weak, my blood ran chill,
But my free spirit cried, “I will!” ²²

At 4:00 P.M.the guard at the jail was changed. Frank Worrell, who had threatened Joseph Smith earlier that morning, was then in charge. A few minutes after five, a mob of about one hundred men with blackened faces arrived in town and headed for the jail. The prisoners heard a scuffle downstairs followed by a shout for surrender and three or four shots. The Prophet and the others rushed to the door to fight off the assailants who had ascended the stairs and poked their guns through the half-closed door. John Taylor and Willard Richards attempted to deflect the muskets with their canes. A bullet fired through the panel of the door struck Hyrum in the left side of his face, and he fell, saying, “I am a dead man!” Joseph, leaning over Hyrum exclaimed, “Oh dear, brother Hyrum!” John Taylor said the look of sorrow he saw on Joseph’s face was forever imprinted on his mind. Joseph then stepped to the door, reached around the door casing, and discharged his six-shooter into the crowded hall. Only three of the six chambers fired, wounding three assailants.

The shots delayed the assassins only a moment. John Taylor attempted to jump out of the window, but was hit by gunfire. A shot through the window from below hit the watch in his vest pocket, stopping it at 5:16 and knocking him back into the room. He fell to the floor and was shot again in his left wrist and below his left knee. Rolling to get under the bed, he was hit again from the stairway, the bullet tearing away his flesh at the left hip. His blood was splattered on the floor and the wall. “Joseph, seeing there was no safety in the room,” tried the same escape. Instantly the mob fired on him, and he fell mortally wounded through the open window exclaiming, “Oh Lord, my God!” The mob on the stairs rushed outside to assure themselves that Joseph Smith was dead.²³

Willard Richards alone remained unscathed, having only had a bullet graze his ear. Earlier Joseph had prophesied in Willard’s presence that one day he would stand while bullets whizzed around him and would escape unharmed. Only then did Willard fully understand what Joseph had meant. He dragged the terribly wounded John Taylor into the next room, deposited him on straw, and covered him with an old filthy mattress. The straw, Elder Taylor believed, saved his life by helping stop his bleeding. Meanwhile Willard, expecting to be killed at any moment, was surprised when the mob fled and left him alone with his dead and wounded comrades.

June 26, 2015 - Friday in Carthage

We had a very soaking rain fall most of the night and into this morning here in Carthage.  The pools of water just keep expanding and I'm not sure how much more we can take before the floods begin.  Perhaps it is a direct result of what the magnitude of the evil decisions coming down in our society today and how we are rapidly approaching, if not surpassing, Sodom and Gomorrah.... The war with the adversary is being compounded more and more with every unrighteous decision being made on behalf of our country by evil and corrupt judges and leaders....

Here is the official statement by the Church concerning this Supreme Court ruling;

Official Statement — 26 JUNE 2015

Supreme Court Decision Will Not Alter Doctrine on Marriage

SALT LAKE CITY —  The Church issued the following statement Friday:
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints acknowledges that following today's ruling by the Supreme Court, same-sex marriages are now legal in the United States. The Court's decision does not alter the Lord's doctrine that marriage is a union between a man and a woman ordained by God. While showing respect for those who think differently, the Church will continue to teach and promote marriage between a man and a woman as a central part of our doctrine and practice."
The Church has outlined its doctrine and position on marriage in the document The Divine Institution of Marriage. 

The truthfulness of the Gospel cannot be diluted by mortal men.  However, there will be some who will challenge the rulings from Heavenly Father, but that won't be a happy place for them to be when the day of reckoning comes....

Supreme Court Decision on Marriage “A Tragic Error” Says President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference

June 26, 2015

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Supreme Court decision, June 26, interpreting the U.S. Constitution to require all states to license and recognize same-sex “marriage” “is a tragic error that harms the common good and most vulnerable among us,” said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

The full statement follows:

Regardless of what a narrow majority of the Supreme Court may declare at this moment in history, the nature of the human person and marriage remains unchanged and unchangeable. Just as Roe v. Wade did not settle the question of abortion over forty years ago, Obergefell v. Hodges does not settle the question of marriage today. Neither decision is rooted in the truth, and as a result, both will eventually fail. Today the Court is wrong again. It is profoundly immoral and unjust for the government to declare that two people of the same sex can constitute a marriage.

The unique meaning of marriage as the union of one man and one woman is inscribed in our bodies as male and female. The protection of this meaning is a critical dimension of the “integral ecology” that Pope Francis has called us to promote. Mandating marriage redefinition across the country is a tragic error that harms the common good and most vulnerable among us, especially children. The law has a duty to support every child’s basic right to be raised, where possible, by his or her married mother and father in a stable home.

Jesus Christ, with great love, taught unambiguously that from the beginning marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman. As Catholic bishops, we follow our Lord and will continue to teach and to act according to this truth.

I encourage Catholics to move forward with faith, hope, and love: faith in the unchanging truth about marriage, rooted in the immutable nature of the human person and confirmed by divine revelation; hope that these truths will once again prevail in our society, not only by their logic, but by their great beauty and manifest service to the common good; and love for all our neighbors, even those who hate us or would punish us for our faith and moral convictions.

Lastly, I call upon all people of good will to join us in proclaiming the goodness, truth, and beauty of marriage as rightly understood for millennia, and I ask all in positions of power and authority to respect the God-given freedom to seek, live by, and bear witness to the truth.

I find it most interesting when so many people want to "support" this judgement made from 9 unelected officials when the Lord has clearly stated;

Alma 45:16 - 
And he said: Thus saith the Lord God—Cursed shall be the land, yea, this land, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, unto destruction, which do wickedly, when they are fully ripe; and as I have said so shall it be; for this is the cursing and the blessing of God upon the land, for the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.

I wonder how allowances can be made by man when the Lord does not allow "the least degree"....???

Mom and I have been so very blessed to be here in Carthage and serving this mission.  It was 171 years ago, tonight, that Joseph and Hyrum spent the last night of their mortal lives together here in Carthage jail.  They were in the upstairs bedroom of the jailer, George Stigall's, private room.  He suggested they move up there after the breakfast meal that morning and Joseph took him up on that offer after supper.  In my opinion it was an inspired thought that came to George Stigall where the possibility opened up for two witnesses, to this terrible evil, to survive and write about it.

We had a wonderful day with Ali and Jared and Cody and Maddie and Landon and Mackenzie today!

After seeing several sites in the Nauvoo area, they all came to two performances of Rendezvous and we pretty much wore them out.  They were so ready for bed when we got back to Carthage!!!  I am the last one up!

The wagon ride was one of the favorites!  Only two other people joined us on the ride and it rained lightly for the entire trip of 50 minutes.  However, the rain kept the air cool and the bugs away!

Working together to make a rope!  This was in the Family Living center and what a great team building activity!  Everyone had a job!  Landon was spinning one wheel and braiding the rope, and Cody and Maddie kept the rope tight as it was being braided.  They made a great length of rope that will be heading back to Idaho with them next week!

Well, it has been a good day!  I am going to invite a guest poster to come on the blog in the next few days and record some insights to the Illinois, Nauvoo mission that may be news to you!!  

Stay tuned and thank you for joining me tonight.  We so appreciate your love and support!

June 25, 2015 - Thursday in Carthage

We woke up to a downpour this morning that finally let up around 7:00am.  There has been a tremendous amount of rain here this past few weeks.  I don't think the ground can hold much more water!  The fields are literally saturated and the rain keeps coming.  I keep hoping that we will have a good clear day on Saturday when we commemorate the martyrdom of Joseph Smith.  I think that it might happen!

We had a very busy morning with larger family groups coming to visit Carthage.  Our first three groups all consisted of guests numbering over 40 per group.  The BYU Ballroom dancers were a part of the morning groups and I always enjoy those presentations with these young people.  The day was cooler than usual and we had a nice breeze most of the day.  And the rain did not return!  However, there are big puddles of water all over the Visitors Center grounds.

Here is the entire group of the BYU Ballroom Dancers.  They are a very talented group of young performers.  And so very kind to the missionaries.

 Finally, at around 4:00pm this afternoon, Jared and Ali and Cody and Maddie and Landon and Mackenzie arrived here in Carthage!  What a wonderful reunion with these precious family members!  This is a priceless picture of the two precious grandchildren, Cody and Maddie, peeking around the tree in front of Granny and Grandpas house in Carthage.

We were in the process of getting their car unloaded and getting everyone settled and fed before Granny and Grandpa went with them to Nauvoo for our Sunset Play on the outdoor stage.  What a blessing it is to be a part of this family!

Here are some members of the Nauvoo Brass Band singing Happy Birthday to Cody!  Today he was celebrating his 8th birthday....... with Granny and Grandpa Lasher in Carthage!!

It has been so much fun to get to know these band members this summer.  They are all here after going through some extensive auditioning.  They are very talented and continue to develop those talents here!  They are just finishing up their Thursday performance here in Carthage.

Here, on the Sunset stage, is Landon!  He is centered between the two American Flags!  Somehow he got separated from Cody but he was quite a trooper going through the kids parade by himself!

And here is Cody.  Happy, confident and eight years old!  What a way to celebrate your 8th birthday, - on the Sunset stage in Nauvoo!

We are so grateful to have this special privilege to serve here in Carthage and Nauvoo and to have family come and join us in this wonderful experience!

June 24, 2015 - Wednesday in Carthage

We have arrived at another Preparation day and attended our weekly training meeting this morning in Nauvoo.  We are anxiously awaiting the safe arrival of our family tomorrow and we have prepared our home for them.  I was able to take some time this afternoon and bake some cookies for the missionaries here in Carthage and in Nauvoo.  I really enjoy that opportunity!

Our training meeting was fun this morning as the mission president presented some ways to make sure the missionaries stay healthy.  It was hilarious to see him participate in this training.  He even filmed a training video on his suggestions on how to eat nutritious cereals!  He quoted from the Doctrine and Covenants section 89 on the goodness of grains in our diet.  He quoted;

 14 All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth;

 15 And these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger.

 16 All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground 

He then proceeded to tell us about his favorite cereals; Cheerios, Wheat Chex,  Puffed Wheat, Shredded Wheat, and several others.... then he indicated that to properly eat cereal you needed a large bowl.  He pulled out the largest mixing bowl he had in the cupboard!  Then he explained that you needed a large bowl because if you mixed several cereals together, (this is his preference), that you needed the larger bowl so that the cereal would not flow out of the bowl as easily when you added too much milk.  

He even explained that when you put the Shredded Wheat biscuit in the bowl you needed to do it over the sink because the big  biscuit becomes kind of messy when you crush it into the bowl!  Hilarious!  He is such a kind man!  He even scolded the cameraman, who was shaking with laughter, because the video was about him sharing his nutritious ideas on cereal and the cameraman was messing up the shots!  It was a fun training meeting...

Mom and I are in for the evening and we just experienced a downpour today that probably left 3 or 4 inches of rain here in Carthage.  The martyrdom commemoration scheduled for Saturday June 27th, is expecting over 1,000 people and the only place to seat that large a crown is to set up chairs on the lawns surrounding the Visitors Center.  However, with all the rain, the grass is saturated and like a marsh because of all the rain that has fallen this week so far.  And there is more rain in the forecast...

I have pasted an article from the Church News about the anniversary date of the Martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith.  Mom and I will be here as missionaries in Carthage to participate ion this commemoration.  What a privilege this will be....

Viewpoint: Remember the “Gems for the Sanctified”

Contributed By the Church News

• 21 June 2015

As we approach the end of June, our thoughts turn to one of the seminal events in the history of the Restoration: the martyrdom of Joseph Smith the Prophet and his brother Hyrum on June 27, 1844.

Article Highlights

• Joseph and Hyrum Smith were martyred on June 27, 1844.
• We do not reflect on this day to be negative but to see how much good has happened since then.
• It was necessary that he should seal his testimony with his blood so he would be honored and the wicked might be condemned.

“We remember their martyrdom not because we wish to dwell on the sorrow and grief of that dark day. … Rather, we commemorate the martyrdom because to do so is to rejoice in what has happened since.”

As we approach the end of June, our thoughts turn to one of the seminal events in the history of the Restoration: the martyrdom of Joseph Smith the Prophet and his brother Hyrum on June 27, 1844.
Students of Church history are more or less acquainted with the narrative: Joseph, 38, and Hyrum, 44, were shot by assassins as a mob stormed the jail at Carthage, Illinois, where the brothers were awaiting a hearing on a dubious charge of treason for having declared martial law in the Church’s headquarters city of Nauvoo in the wake of mob threats and violence.
Hyrum died first from gunshots fired from outside the door of an upstairs bedroom in the jail where the prisoners were confined. While trying to fend off the ruffians by means of a wholly inadequate and unreliable “pepperbox” pistol, and then trying to leap from a window, Joseph was shot, twice from the open doorway and twice more from outside the window, where others of the mob had gathered below. He fell to his death from the window.
The mob soon dispersed in fear of a rumored report that the Mormons were coming.
Joseph’s heroic action in resisting the mobbers inside and then deflecting their attention likely saved the lives of two companions in the room: John Taylor, who was severely wounded in the attack, and Willard Richards, who, in fulfillment of a miraculous prophecy Joseph had made, was unharmed.
Both would provide eyewitness accounts that have preserved our understanding of the events of that horrible day. Their accounts likely formed the basis of the narrative in what is now part of the scriptural canon: section 135 of the Doctrine and Covenants.
“Henceforward, their names will be classed among the martyrs of religion,” the section reads, “and the reader in every nation will be reminded that the Book of Mormon, and [the] book of Doctrine and Covenants of the church, cost the best blood of the nineteenth century to bring them forth for the salvation of a ruined world. … They lived for glory; they died for glory; and glory is their eternal reward. From age to age shall their names go down to posterity as gems for the sanctified” (D&C 135:6).
“Gems for the sanctified” is an apt characterization of the Prophet and his devoted brother.
We remember their martyrdom not because we wish to dwell on the sorrow and grief of that dark day. We do it not out of a sense of anger or vindictiveness. Rather, we commemorate the martyrdom because to do so is to rejoice in what has happened since.
The glory and grandeur of the Resurrection and Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ are all the more meaningful when contrasted with the darkness and torment of His crucifixion and the grievous events in the hours leading up to it.
Similarly, with solemnity, we view the events of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum knowing with clear hindsight that it was merely a dark contrast preceding the victory and triumph over evil that we see in the solid establishment of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the ongoing fulfillment of its mission to carry the restored gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.
“For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator,” the Apostle Paul wrote to the Hebrews. “For a testament is of force after men are dead” (Hebrews 9:16–17).
And so it was with Joseph Smith.
“Many have marveled because of his death,” the Lord said through President Brigham Young when the Latter-day Saints were encamped at Winter Quarters, near Council Bluffs, Iowa, en route to their Rocky Mountain refuge, “but it was needful that he should seal his testimony with his blood, that he might be honored and the wicked might be condemned” (D&C 136:39).
Enemies of the Church thought the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum would mean the end of the Latter-day Saints as a body; in this, they were wrong. Though it looked for a time as though the Church might dissolve into schisms and factions, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, holding the keys of the presidency of the Church, delivered to them by the Prophet himself just three months before his martyrdom, led the Church forward.
As President Wilford Woodruff, his voice preserved on wax cylinders, testified in March 1897, “The Prophet Joseph Smith called the Twelve Apostles together and he delivered unto them the ordinances of the Church and kingdom of God; and all the keys and powers that God had bestowed upon him, he sealed upon our heads, and he told us that we must round up our shoulders and bear off this kingdom, or we would be damned. I am the only man now living in the flesh who heard that testimony from his mouth, and I know that it was true by the power of God manifest to him.”
Under the leadership of the Twelve, the Saints made their epic journey west and fulfilled the prophecy of Joseph himself that they would become a mighty people in the Rocky Mountains.
Before leaving, they would obey the Lord’s commandment to finish the temple in Nauvoo, there to receive their endowment, strengthening them for the trials to come. They would then abandon the temple to the desecration and eventual destruction by enemies of the Church.
True to the prophecy, the Church prospered and became a global organization as envisioned by the Prophet. In its strength the Church would return and rebuild the temple on the same spot. On June 27, 2002, President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the temple, timing the ceremony to coincide with the very day of the year and hour of the day when the Prophet and his brother were martyred, a magnificent tribute to the latter-day work begun by these “gems for the sanctified.”

June 23, 2015 - Tuesday in Carthage

Mom and I had a marvelous day here in Carthage as the weather continues to be moderate.  We had cool breezes this morning and very low humidity on our walk.  Three of the single sisters joined mom and I on our walk around Carthage.  It was invigorating to begin the day this way, after our early morning devotional and prayer.  This is how the sky looked as we began our walk!

Mom had a very special group that she took through the jail tour this morning.  They are part of the Riverton, Wyoming Stake and both the husband and wife and the mother assisted with the "rescue" of the Willey and Martin handcart pioneers of the fateful trek of 1856.  

Under the stake president, President Lorimar, they all worked together to identify each pioneer in those handcart companies and then assisted in doing their temple work.  They were also a part of the effort to bring the Martin's Cove area under the direction of the Church.  

Of course this family's picture made the blog! - This is the Zent Family.  The husband and wife were Mutual aged during the project and the mom was the Stake Young Women's President.  What a connection for us to meet some of the individuals that did so much to make my preparations back in 2007-2008 so complete, and added so much to Bob's experience in 2014!

Then mom and I went to the Rendezvous Play tonight, and we had both shows go very well.  "Pa" pulled off his part without a hitch and it seems to be getting better each night!  Jackson would be so proud!  Next time we go on stage, we will have Ali and Jared and Cody and Maddie and Landon and Mackenzie in the audience!!!!  Yea!!!

June 22, 2015 - Monday in Carthage

Here we go!  Another beginning to a great week here in Carthage.  We are getting ready for the 171st anniversary of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith this coming Saturday!  But the biggest news is the much anticipated arrival of the Brown Family!  These are the things that keep mom and me going here in the mission field... anticipating the arrival of our family and friends here.  Oh happy day!

Mom and I were up early to get the day started with our devotional and prayers.  We had the opportunity to clean the jail this morning and then we were off on our morning walk.  It was getting warm and humid at 6:30am this morning.  Mom and I have really enjoyed our walks around Carthage and waving to the people as they drive by on their ways to different destinations so early in the morning.

I just have to make a note here that I have never tired with the privilege of leading groups of people through the jail.  Every time I open the door to the jail, there is such a sweet Spirit throughout the building.  There have been a very few groups of guests who take the Spirit away with their condescending and arrogant questions, but it always returns.  Think about that and don't pass that thought up.  The precious Spirit of Carthage is here for the asking, if one is prepared to receive it.

The Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum were assassinated in this building.  Joseph, as a faithful Prophet of God, gave his life to seal the testimony he had of the truthfulness of this work. He and his brother Hyrum did everything the Lord had asked them to do, and in this building, they forever sealed that work and their testimonies with their blood.  

I am absolutely convinced that the Lord was very pleased with that work, and that Joseph was not left alone to suffer death without the comforting presence of Heavenly Father.  To me, that means that not only Joseph and Hyrum have walked these rooms, but our Father in Heaven has also walked these rooms.  That feeling has almost always been present for each of us as missionaries assigned here, and we have been witnesses to that Spirit affecting our guests on so many occasions. 

This past week, one of the sister missionaries related this to me;  "On my tour, I had a young autistic man come with his family.  In every doorway he would stop before entering the room and then carefully walk in.  He did this for the summer kitchen, the dining area, the parlor, the debtors cell, and the upstairs cell, but when he came to the martyrdom room he did not hesitate as he walked confidently right into the room".

Another sister related this story;  "We were just finishing up in the martyrdom room when a young boy about 4 years old said to his mom, there was light coming in this window, and there was light coming in this window, and then there was light coming in this window".  (The mom was a little flustered because the boy did not want to leave the room as he was telling her about these lights)... then she picked him up to carry him out when he said; "that is when Jesus came to save Joseph".

We are not sure, and we will probably never know, how many lives are changed by a single visit to the Historic Carthage Jail Visitors Center. But knowing what we do know, we count this assignment as one of the pivotable points in our missionary service...., perhaps even in our lives. Every day we see the Hand of the Lord through the experiences we have had here in Carthage, affecting the guests who come here ready to be inspired by those events that took place here on June 25th, 26th and 27th, 1844.

We are anxious to share these experiences with each of our family members and friends who come to visit with us.  This has been such a life changing experience for mom and me.  We will always be grateful for our "reassignment" to serve here in the Illinois, Nauvoo Mission!  We are looking forward to Saturday's activities here in the Visitors Center.  We will close the center at 3:00pm and have the final tour completed by 4:00pm.  We will then have the commemoration at 5:00pm by our mission president.  And we will get to experience this commemoration with our precious Brown Family!!!  

Thank you for checking in with us tonight!!  I am working hard on getting the lines down for my next Rendezvous part.  I was able to figure out a way to record the 14 pages on my phone with the help of Elder Hansen, so I can listen to my own voice recording as I attempt to memorize those lines!!

June 21, 2015 - Sunday and Father's Day in Carthage

It was a great morning where I received messages from all of our children and some grandchildren.  We also heard from some friends and then had the opportunity to serve here in the Carthage Jail Visitor's center.  

Mom and I hurried back to Carthage after the meetings this morning and got the first tours started at 12:00noon.  It was not a very busy day but we had a good group of missionaries and a very steady flow of guests throughout the day.  I usually don't give a tour on Sundays so that I can maintain order throughout the day, but today, I got to give a tour to 29 guests.  

I love the feeling that I have when I have the opportunity to testify of Joseph Smith and to see the Spirit work on the people who take the time to come here.  It has been a good day, and mom and I are now in for the evening!  Yea!  Ali and Jared and Cody and Maddie and Kenzie are coming this week! 

June 20, 2015 - Saturday in Carthage

Mom and I had a chance to sleep in this morning, but habits of getting up early are hard to break!  We were still up by 5:30am and had our morning devotional and prayers, and were ready for our long morning walk by 6:15am.  We did not need to be at the Visitor's Center until 12:00 noon today.  It was a very relaxing morning and I even got to slip in a short nap before our shift!

We had some more Idaho Falls/Shelly contacts today.  I have posted a picture of the Winder's here.  They have returned from an 18 month mission to Albania and were coming by Carthage with a group of missionaries they served with there.  

It was so fun to make the connection... they own the Winder's funnel cakes that we have seen in a number of events we participated in with the deli food truck!  Remember the Shelly Spud days and the 4th of July at the Falls, and the Rodeo at Sandy Downs???  They are back after their kids ran the funnel cakes while they were gone.  Now here's the fun fact;  they said to make sure when our children see them at any event, just tell them you are one of Elder and Sister Lasher's family members, and they will make sure you enjoy the funnel cakes... on them!  Take them some deli coupons and tell them hello for us!  

Here is their picture from their visit today:  They were so very kind and they love Gandolfo's!

And just a little while later, in walked Dr. Hamer with his family!  His sister was just married in the Nauvoo Temple and they were here to support her!  He is the kids doctor for both Ali and Jared and Josie and Tom and he remembered both families!  Here is their family picture!  Mom gave them the tour...

We seem to have had a little more of a quiet day.  Must be because of the Father's Day weekend.  We will see how tomorrow goes, but today was our slowest day so far this month.  It has been such a great week with our large groups of youth and families coming to Carthage.  

There were so many faith promoting experiences with many of the missionaries this week, and it has been such a great blessing on our testimonies!  With our youth groups we have had young men make the commitment to return home and be better prepared to serve missions.  We have had parents become emotional when their sons and daughters realize the great sacrifice and love that Joseph Smith had for the Saints.  

The experience in the martyrdom room is really a point of no return.  You must make a decision as you leave that room to be better and do better in living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Spirit of that room is not only filled with Joseph's and Hyrum's love, but it is filled with Heavenly Fathers love for all His children!  You can never be the same again after being here.  Mom and I know that first hand.

Thank you for checking in with us tonight and thank you for your love and support of two Senior Missionaries who love and miss their families and friends so much!  But we know we are where we are supposed to be and we will work hard to fulfill the full purpose we have of being here.

Happy Father's Day to Bob and Tom and Josh and Jared and Doug and Pop Pop and Tony and Will and Dougie and to all of our family and friends!  We hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow and we will be thinking about you!

June 19, 2015 - Friday - In Carthage

The days just keep getting busier here in Carthage.  We had two full buses pull up about 30 minutes ahead of schedule this morning.  We jumped all over that and got them started to avoid a huge back up.  It worked out very well.  By noon today, after just 3 hours, we were over 400 guest tours.

Mom and I were both up and ready to get the day going this morning.  We had our morning prayers and devotional and started our walk by 6:15am.  We decided to take a shorter route, although the morning was cool and clear, just to get to the Visitors Center early and get ready for our guests.  I am glad we did and it made the start of the day so much better.

We had a steady flow of visitors throughout the day.  I could not believe that it was time to head home at 3:30pm this afternoon!  Mom and I had dinner together and then we were able to relax for about an hour and a half.  I even got to take a nap!

We had Rendezvous tonight and the play went very well.  "Pa" and Jimmie and Marie has been a fun part of the second play for me.  I will get to show off my new found "talent" here next week when we have some more family come and visit!  We are so anxious to see them!!!

As a side note, this is the second day in a row where we have not had rain.  That hasn't happened in quite a while.  It is giving the saturated ground an opportunity to dry out.  We will have a June 27th commemoration of the martyrdom that will draw over 1,000 guests.  We hope the grass area will be dry by then even though the forecast is not so optimistic...  Two dry days in a row is such a good start!

June 18, 2015 - Thursday in Carthage

Today was a day without rain!  The entire day was overcast and cloudy, but no rain came down.  That made for a very nice day.  For our Sunset performance tonight in Nauvoo, we had a very cool and almost humidity free evening and that was wonderful!

Our day began with our morning devotional and prayer.  Mom and I had time for our 3 mile walk around town and it was a beautiful morning.  It was a lot more humid this morning for sure.  We had our first scheduled tour at 8:45am, and this morning was very busy!  The first group of 40 came a few minutes late, and our second group of 60 came about 15 minutes later.  After efficiently getting the first group started, the second group comes in and the leader announces he needs to be done by 10:00am.  That was about 9:10am that he announced that.  The tour would normally take 45 minutes if we could have started it right then, but that wasn't possible.  So, needless to say, we had our work cut out for us as a result of a poorly planning tour guide!

The first group went fairly smoothly until they got to the martyrdom room.  There, they decided to sing the song "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief".  The site missionary did not know how to say no to this group.  As a result, it put our second group back about another 20 minutes, and the tour guide who could not plan very well, got pretty anxious and told the first group to "hurry up".  Well, the Spirit has a hard time under these circumstances.  As a result, I gave direct training on how and when to say no to these kinds of requests to sing with groups following close by.  It shouldn't happen again.

We had over 600 guests today and except for the start-up this morning, things went pretty smooth.  I had our first group from Scotland this afternoon.  I love the accent!  As I got to speak with the son of this family, I found out he had just been released from his mission to the France, Paris Mission.  I spent a little time talking with him and found out he was Tyler Martin's trainer!  I had to take a picture!  This is Elder Mckechnie with his sister and his mom and dad.  Brother Mckechnie was Elder Skidmore's, (one of the site missionaries here in Carthage), Bishop when he first lived in Scotland with his wife about 30 years ago!

Of course I had to ask Elder Mckechnie to tell me about Elder Martin and his work as a missionary.  He said he was able to spend six weeks in training with him and was amazed at how quickly Tyler had picked up French.  He said Tyler was a good cook and loved the French cuisine.   I then asked him to tell me something about Tyler that no one else knew.... he came up with a story fairly quickly.  It seems that Tyler was sending him off, at transfer time, on the train along with some other missionaries when the train started to take off.  It was reported that Tyler pulled the emergency brake and stopped the train to get off.......Tyler - how close to the truth is that???

Yes it is definitely a small world and it just seems to keep getting smaller.  Those who know Tyler, please pass this on!

Our Sunset play was in front of about 100 people and the weather was simply perfect.  There was a cool breeze and overcast.  Not bad for a mid June performance!  I found out that the Young Performing Missionary who is my "Jimmie" was hurt falling off a stage last evening.  Apparently he sprained his ankle. He wasn't on stage tonight but I did see him in the back of the audience.  However, I did not get to talk with him.  Let see what happens tomorrow night!

This brother came into the Visitors Center this afternoon with his wife.  They had taken a tour and came back to tell us about his life's work.  He is a recording artist and reminded me so much of Brother Kenny.  He has recorded some albums and wanted to give each missionary a CD of his work as an expression of appreciation for our service.  I had him play the piano in the Visitors Center and he was amazing!  He is Benn Cole and he gave us two of his albums.  His latest one is "A Blessing of Promise", and his other album is, "Peace Before the Storm".

We sure have a great variety of experiences here in Carthage.  I had the Mission President come out today and he reviewed with me our procedures for giving tours and laid out the plans for the June 27th commemoration.  He seemed very pleased with what was going on here in Carthage.  

He indicated that he would be transferring some of the young sister missionaries on July 4th, and he got my ideas on that subject.  I told him that the missionaries were well trained and ready for the big July crowds and that moving trained missionaries would place a great deal of pressure on us to train and recover our preparations.... but, I ended with our willingness to be obedient to his direction.... there must be an opposition in all things... including our preparations that have been refined and strengthened over the last 6 weeks...

Like I always say, we are glad to be here and to be a part of this marvelous work!  Thanks for checking in with us tonight!