July 16, 2015 - Thursday in Carthage

What a day we had today!  I was up early and anticipating a nice log walk.  The morning temperature was in the low 70's, and, after our morning devotional and prayers, mom and I started our walk.  Well, after going part of the way, mom felt the clouds and the sky looked too ominous so she headed back home.  I continued along the 3 mile path and, it did rain a little, but I enjoyed the walk.  There was distant lightening shower but nothing close to me, or threatening me, so I just kept going.  We were ready to go to the visitors center by a little past 8:00am.

After we got the center opened, the groups started arriving.  Mom took the lead and wanted to arrange the tours so I went outside to help with crowd control and spent most of the day in that responsibility.  We had two large family groups and two bus groups show up without reserving some time with us.  That always makes it interesting to keep things flowing, but we made it work.  I really enjoy trying to set the tone of the tour with the bus groups and especially with the youth groups.  We had over 1200 visitors today!

With four bus groups and the family groups, we were able to coordinate both the singing of hymns and then showing the movie rather smoothly.  It seemed like everyone had a pretty good experience.  Then, I like to stay outside and try to keep the kids from running around, and help keep the noise level low to try to maintain some level of reverence.  Perhaps the most challenging group, today, in regards to reverence, was a group from Brazil who let their children run wild.  With others trying to have a spiritual experience, I had to step in and gave them good old American signals that this kind of behavior was not acceptable.  Fun times....

Then, later in the afternoon, I had the opportunity to take a group of Institute and Seminary teachers on the jail tour.  That was fun.  My motive was to share with them some key experiences we have had that might help their young people become more engaged in studying the life of Joseph Smith.  They were a very receptive group of teachers and educators and it was a pleasure to share with them a few of the insights I have been privileged to gather over the last 5 months of working here in Carthage.

I think that the key message that Joseph Smith was a Prophet, and that he sealed his hard earned testimony with his blood,  is the focus of his work right here, in the Carthage Jail, in that upstairs martyrdom room. 

Coupled with his last act of love for the people of the Church, and his desire to fulfill every assignment given to him by our Father, makes him a most remarkable man.  And, it signifies that we need to know him, and study his life and teachings, and instill that learning process into every person we can influence.  Certainly not an easy project for most of us, but that effort will pay huge dividends in all of our lives.

It is a significant effort to study out his life, but what we can potentially gain from his experiences will help us become better people and more faithful disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I think it is worth the effort.