Week 21 means what?
Dear family and friends
We, the Church, are moving quickly to do the Lord's work before the second coming. We are the sons of Moses (Melchizedek Priesthood) and Aaron (Aaronic Priesthood). Thursday we were at the Priesthood Restoration site (actually Aaronic Priesthood restoration site, more on that later).
John the Baptist stated that he was restoring the Aaronic Priesthood until the sons of Levi (Moses and Aaron) do offer up a sacrifice in righteousness. Elder Atherton proposes that Section 128 says it is the book of remembrance of our dead. I agree, and we are doing that, but not done. Bringing our ancestors to the temple purifies both us and them. Grandma and I will continue doing this work regardless of whether we are wearing a missionary tag on our clothes because we wear the "calling of God in Christ Jesus" Phil. 3:14) inside. I hope of all of us are seeking that calling.
Monday I was able to step into the font and baptize and then confirm a sister for my 4th great grandmother Katharen MacNacaird and then Margaret Martin's sister, a great, great aunt. Special experience. Also, I was reminded of the importance of confidence in the Lord, D&C 121:45-46. I was called upon to receive in Spanish and felt worried I wouldn't remember the ceremony. Sure enough, I started to forget it until I called upon the Lord and had confidence, then I could do it properly.
Tuesday we finished having 12 hours of rain. As I took down the flowers for the last time so the mowers could get by I accidentally kicked a frog in the puddle outside our door.
Now, I couldn't see him because he blended in so well with the grass and mud, but I felt badly even so. However, he hopped right back to where I had kicked him from, a stupid thing to do. When you are in a dangerous place and get kicked out, don't go hopping back. Next time you could get squished.
I felt to put up the RV's awning after it dried even though there was no rain forecast the rest of the week, but it has been raining even so. Good call. After I walked up the Hill, I felt impressed to stop at another missionaries' trailer. I initially walked by and then walked back and knocked. She had been praying all day for me to come and talk about a problem she was troubled by. I was able to discuss the issue and hopefully help. Another missionary also needed to talk to me after we worked the early morning session veil together. Their family had been badly treated by a despicable person. I told him the worst thing they could do to him would be to post all the documentary evidence of his past actions on line as a warning to everyone else; and also forgive him. Sometimes that is the only thing you can do and certainly is required of us.
Wednesday I wasn't really assigned much of the day but went where I was needed. Twice I was in the baptistry and another time organized the veil in a different way for a husband and wife receiving their own endowments. All veils finished at the same time. Amazing how the Lord works.
Thursday was a marathon in several ways; distance, time and spiritually. We left at 8:30 for the Priesthood Restoration site. We left last and brought Paul Bisig with us. We arrived at lunch up to half an hour before the others because we went directly and the others dawdled. That was how the entire day went. We were supposed to be back by 7, made it by 10:30 pm.
Lunch was really good at Red Rock BBQ.
At Harmony we felt strongly again the truth of the Gospel and Restoration. Learned new things, too. Emma had a younger sister nearer the Prophet's age, a blond named Tryal. Emma was older, darker and pickier as well as more spiritual. Despite the age difference, Joseph and Emma were perfectly suited for each other. They met while Joseph was searching for a lost silver mine for Josiah Stowall and boarding at her house. After Joseph convinced him, Josiah Stoal or Stowell, that there was no silver mine, there was little for Joseph to do near Emma, so he went to work for Josiah Stowall and Joseph Knight Sr in the Colesville area about twenty five miles away. He would come down to court and she would go up to "visit her sister" who lived in that area paddling a canoe on the Susquehannah. This is what Emma was giving up to get Joseph.
This was a 2000 sq ft home, not including the root cellar. It was huge for the day. Definitely larger than the Joseph Knight home you will see.
This where the quilting bee was happening when Joseph came to ask Isaac Hale for his daughter's hand. Joseph asked for her hand by interrupting a quilting bee, brave man. Isaac Hales said "No" for four reasons. Joseph's family lived far away and Emma would go away. He was poor. He had no prospects. He had a bad reputation for seeing angels and other things, people believed he was lying and he was accused of being a money digger. (The one who should have been upset about Joseph being a money digger was Josiah Stowall.
She willingly gave up comfort and ease for this.
As he translated, here Joseph would look into his hat at the seer stone to translate and Oliver Cowdery would write what he said. He never had things read back. As a writer I can tell you how impossible this is, without the help of the Spirit and a very humble listening heart. 65 days for almost 500 pages.
This is where they buried their first baby the day after Martin Harris left with the 116 pages he eventually lost. Emma had been scribe for much of this translation, so she was rightly concerned. How hard to lose both together, yet she never wavered.
Josiah Stowell home.
Examples of the boards from the Stoal saw mill. He was very wealthy, owned almost a square mile of land and had numerous businesses.
He was paying Joseph and his father fourteen dollars per month, a lot of money at the time. Joseph convinced Josiah Stowall he was wasting his money which impressed Josiah with his honesty. He had already impressed Josiah that he could prophesy, which is how he was hired in the first place. Joseph could have continued fruitless work and stayed near Emma simply by not saying anything to Mr. Stowell while being well paid. Josiah Stowell was baptized in 1830 and remained faithful to the end of his life even though he did not gather with the Saints because his family was antagonistic and refused to go. (What would you do, abandon them? Follow the Spirit in doing what is right as all you can do.)
We were told again that John the Baptist appeared in the sugar maple grove, called the "sugar bush", which is well away from the river. The missionaries also shared that the Church believes the Melchizedek Priesthood was restored somewhere between Colesville and Harmony between May 15th and June 1st.
You can see the scars from where they cut the tree to get sap to sugar to make syrup.
At the Joseph Knight Sr house we saw where the Colesville saints were baptized and where the first branch of the entire Church met.When the Saints were commanded to gather to the Ohio, Joseph Knight left everything the next day. This is what he had and left.
The original house is where the eave connects to the chimney.
This lists all the members baptized in the Colesville branch. Josiah Stowall is listed on the membership of the branch as having been baptized.
There were only two grist mills in the area, and Joseph Knight owned one, so these stones have a fifty percent chance of being his. He owned a quarter of a square mile of land and was well off, but not rich lift the Stowells.
The first public miracle performed after the organization of the Church occurred in Colesville. It may have happened in one of the bedrooms seen above. Joseph Smith Sr was attacked by evil spirits and lifted up to the ceiling in a bedroom. The Prophet rebuked them.
Josiah Stowell was important in protecting the Prophet from baseless legal accusations. The first time the Prophet was arrested Josiah was called to the stand to testify about his character with the expectation that he would say what a liar the Prophet Joseph was. He didn't, but attested to his truthfulness. Then he was asked about the plates, with the expectation that he would denounce them. Again he disappointed the prosecutor (or more accurately persecutor). Josiah said that, unbeknownst to the Prophet, he was the first person to see the plates. The night Joseph brought the plates home, he, Josiah, was there. When the Prophet handed them through the window to Lucy, Josiah Stowell received them first before handing them to her (they weighed over fifty pounds, so she would have had to have help.) As he lifted them, the cloth covering the plates slipped and he saw a portion of the sealed portion; they were green and brown from rust. He also paid the defense attorneys in the cases brought against Joseph in the area. Near the end of his life in the winter of 1844 he wrote a letter to the Prophet professing his continued faithfulness. He died before he could gather but he wanted to. We are blessed by his example.
Friday we were working on the blog and getting ready to go. The Temple was calm and sweet.
Saturday, besides preparing to leave, we spent eleven hours in the temple beginning with the early 7:30 am session where we followed. I also followed in the 3 pm session, the last one before shutdown. As follower I lead the prayer circle. Both prayers in the prayer circle were different because I try and listen to the Spirit as to what each company needs and what they should pray for.
I won't go into particulars of what was actually said. because they are sacred at it would be inappropriate. However, as to our personal prayers, if we are running down a laundry list to pray, ask yourself, "Is there real intent in the prayer as required by Moroni 10:4?" Laundry lists are for convenience and prayers should be conversations with Our Heavenly Father. He will send his Spirit to teach us what to pray for, if we are humble and will listen. He will then shower blessings on us as a result. There is no better deal anywhere.
Of course, what he wants us to have is eternal life and the things which will lead us there might not be what we want at the moment. That is where we are taught by the Spirit. May we listen as Lehi did in his dream.
Love Grandad
We, the Church, are moving quickly to do the Lord's work before the second coming. We are the sons of Moses (Melchizedek Priesthood) and Aaron (Aaronic Priesthood). Thursday we were at the Priesthood Restoration site (actually Aaronic Priesthood restoration site, more on that later).
John the Baptist stated that he was restoring the Aaronic Priesthood until the sons of Levi (Moses and Aaron) do offer up a sacrifice in righteousness. Elder Atherton proposes that Section 128 says it is the book of remembrance of our dead. I agree, and we are doing that, but not done. Bringing our ancestors to the temple purifies both us and them. Grandma and I will continue doing this work regardless of whether we are wearing a missionary tag on our clothes because we wear the "calling of God in Christ Jesus" Phil. 3:14) inside. I hope of all of us are seeking that calling.
Monday I was able to step into the font and baptize and then confirm a sister for my 4th great grandmother Katharen MacNacaird and then Margaret Martin's sister, a great, great aunt. Special experience. Also, I was reminded of the importance of confidence in the Lord, D&C 121:45-46. I was called upon to receive in Spanish and felt worried I wouldn't remember the ceremony. Sure enough, I started to forget it until I called upon the Lord and had confidence, then I could do it properly.
Tuesday we finished having 12 hours of rain. As I took down the flowers for the last time so the mowers could get by I accidentally kicked a frog in the puddle outside our door.
Now, I couldn't see him because he blended in so well with the grass and mud, but I felt badly even so. However, he hopped right back to where I had kicked him from, a stupid thing to do. When you are in a dangerous place and get kicked out, don't go hopping back. Next time you could get squished.
I felt to put up the RV's awning after it dried even though there was no rain forecast the rest of the week, but it has been raining even so. Good call. After I walked up the Hill, I felt impressed to stop at another missionaries' trailer. I initially walked by and then walked back and knocked. She had been praying all day for me to come and talk about a problem she was troubled by. I was able to discuss the issue and hopefully help. Another missionary also needed to talk to me after we worked the early morning session veil together. Their family had been badly treated by a despicable person. I told him the worst thing they could do to him would be to post all the documentary evidence of his past actions on line as a warning to everyone else; and also forgive him. Sometimes that is the only thing you can do and certainly is required of us.
Wednesday I wasn't really assigned much of the day but went where I was needed. Twice I was in the baptistry and another time organized the veil in a different way for a husband and wife receiving their own endowments. All veils finished at the same time. Amazing how the Lord works.
Thursday was a marathon in several ways; distance, time and spiritually. We left at 8:30 for the Priesthood Restoration site. We left last and brought Paul Bisig with us. We arrived at lunch up to half an hour before the others because we went directly and the others dawdled. That was how the entire day went. We were supposed to be back by 7, made it by 10:30 pm.
Lunch was really good at Red Rock BBQ.
At Harmony we felt strongly again the truth of the Gospel and Restoration. Learned new things, too. Emma had a younger sister nearer the Prophet's age, a blond named Tryal. Emma was older, darker and pickier as well as more spiritual. Despite the age difference, Joseph and Emma were perfectly suited for each other. They met while Joseph was searching for a lost silver mine for Josiah Stowall and boarding at her house. After Joseph convinced him, Josiah Stoal or Stowell, that there was no silver mine, there was little for Joseph to do near Emma, so he went to work for Josiah Stowall and Joseph Knight Sr in the Colesville area about twenty five miles away. He would come down to court and she would go up to "visit her sister" who lived in that area paddling a canoe on the Susquehannah. This is what Emma was giving up to get Joseph.
This was a 2000 sq ft home, not including the root cellar. It was huge for the day. Definitely larger than the Joseph Knight home you will see.
He was paying Joseph and his father fourteen dollars per month, a lot of money at the time. Joseph convinced Josiah Stowall he was wasting his money which impressed Josiah with his honesty. He had already impressed Josiah that he could prophesy, which is how he was hired in the first place. Joseph could have continued fruitless work and stayed near Emma simply by not saying anything to Mr. Stowell while being well paid. Josiah Stowell was baptized in 1830 and remained faithful to the end of his life even though he did not gather with the Saints because his family was antagonistic and refused to go. (What would you do, abandon them? Follow the Spirit in doing what is right as all you can do.)
We were told again that John the Baptist appeared in the sugar maple grove, called the "sugar bush", which is well away from the river. The missionaries also shared that the Church believes the Melchizedek Priesthood was restored somewhere between Colesville and Harmony between May 15th and June 1st.
At the Joseph Knight Sr house we saw where the Colesville saints were baptized and where the first branch of the entire Church met.When the Saints were commanded to gather to the Ohio, Joseph Knight left everything the next day. This is what he had and left.
The original house is where the eave connects to the chimney.
The first public miracle performed after the organization of the Church occurred in Colesville. It may have happened in one of the bedrooms seen above. Joseph Smith Sr was attacked by evil spirits and lifted up to the ceiling in a bedroom. The Prophet rebuked them.
Josiah Stowell was important in protecting the Prophet from baseless legal accusations. The first time the Prophet was arrested Josiah was called to the stand to testify about his character with the expectation that he would say what a liar the Prophet Joseph was. He didn't, but attested to his truthfulness. Then he was asked about the plates, with the expectation that he would denounce them. Again he disappointed the prosecutor (or more accurately persecutor). Josiah said that, unbeknownst to the Prophet, he was the first person to see the plates. The night Joseph brought the plates home, he, Josiah, was there. When the Prophet handed them through the window to Lucy, Josiah Stowell received them first before handing them to her (they weighed over fifty pounds, so she would have had to have help.) As he lifted them, the cloth covering the plates slipped and he saw a portion of the sealed portion; they were green and brown from rust. He also paid the defense attorneys in the cases brought against Joseph in the area. Near the end of his life in the winter of 1844 he wrote a letter to the Prophet professing his continued faithfulness. He died before he could gather but he wanted to. We are blessed by his example.
Friday we were working on the blog and getting ready to go. The Temple was calm and sweet.
Saturday, besides preparing to leave, we spent eleven hours in the temple beginning with the early 7:30 am session where we followed. I also followed in the 3 pm session, the last one before shutdown. As follower I lead the prayer circle. Both prayers in the prayer circle were different because I try and listen to the Spirit as to what each company needs and what they should pray for.
I won't go into particulars of what was actually said. because they are sacred at it would be inappropriate. However, as to our personal prayers, if we are running down a laundry list to pray, ask yourself, "Is there real intent in the prayer as required by Moroni 10:4?" Laundry lists are for convenience and prayers should be conversations with Our Heavenly Father. He will send his Spirit to teach us what to pray for, if we are humble and will listen. He will then shower blessings on us as a result. There is no better deal anywhere.
Of course, what he wants us to have is eternal life and the things which will lead us there might not be what we want at the moment. That is where we are taught by the Spirit. May we listen as Lehi did in his dream.
Love Grandad
Thank you for the reminder on prayer. Much needed this morning.
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