June 12, 2015 - Friday

Today we woke up to a cooler morning and some very wet fields.  After our morning devotional we took a nice walk and enjoyed the cool morning air.  We were ready to begin our day at the Visitors Center at 8:30am.  We were expecting our first bus tour at 9:00am.  However, we had several small groups that arrived before this first tour and we got them started first.  We had a very busy day!

As I continue to learn about the people close to the Prophet Joseph, I wanted to feature a little about Stephen Markham.  He was one of Joseph's loyal friends.  He appeared in the Prophet's life at nearly every occasion of peril.  When Joseph was imprisoned in Missouri, Brother Markham brought the Smith family safely to Illinois.  When Joseph was illegally detained and abused by two Missouri constables, it was Stephen Markham who defied them, shamed them into humane behavior, and helped prevent the Prophet's abduction to Missouri.

Here at Carthage, it was, again, Brother Markham who offered to trade clothes and help the Prophet escape.  On the day of the martyrdom, Brother Markham was returning to the jail, after having spent the night of June 26th with Joseph and Hyrum, with medicine for Willard Richards.    It was the conspiring guards that challenged his return, then attacked him, and finally forced him at bayonet point to keep him from returning to the Prophet. Prodded onto his horse, he was poked so many times that his boots filled with blood.  Joseph's Last journal entry records a prophecy  spoken to Stephen Markham, that; "if I and Hyrum were ever taken again, we should be massacred".The measure of Brother Markham's love for the Prophet is his brave effort to try to prevent this prophecy's fulfillment.

There was another sweet experience today.  We had a younger man come into the jail and as we greeted him, it was apparent that he was not a member of the Church.   He told us he was a Pharmaceutical Rep, (that caught my attention!  We love Pharmaceutical Reps at the deli!!), and that his territory included Carthage.  He said he knew what his customers had to say about the Mormons, but he wanted to find out for himself.  I got to chat with him and take him on a tour and testify to him about Joseph and about my conversion.  He was so attentive during the tour, that I was able to gear toward him, and he was very appreciative of being here today.  I had taken a copy of the Book of Mormon and a Family Proclamation and a copy of Joseph's testimony before the tour began, (just in case!).   I offered him the book and the information and he readily accepted the gift.  He told me he would begin reading it and would come back again with any questions.  It was a sweet experience.

Rendezvous went well and I only slightly slipped up on a line.  I thought the whole show went well and I just love the energy the young performing missionaries put into their work!  It has been a good day!