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!!