Our summer vacation: Kirtland, Ohio

Our first stop during our summer vacation was Kirtland, Ohio.  For a very long time we have been wanting to take the kids, Conner and Parker to see the church historic sites.  When we lived in St. Louis we took the girls to see the sites so the boys had not been and since Parker will be graduating and going on his mission next year this was a good time to do it

The Newel K. Whitney store:  In the fall of 1832, Joseph Smith moved from Hiram, Ohio, back to Kirtland. Bishop Newel K. Whitney prepared an apartment for the Prophet's family in his store, and Joseph lived here until the winter of the following year. The Whitney Store served as headquarters for the Church during that time. Many revelations now included in the Doctrine and Covenants were received by the Prophet in this place, including the Word of Wisdom, the oath and covenant of the priesthood, and the command to build a temple in Kirtland. Joseph also completed much of his inspired translation of the Bible here. During the winter of 1832–33, the School of the Prophets was held in an upper room of the store. The school was organized to teach gospel doctrine and principles and to prepare members for ministry in the Church. On one sacred occasion, members of the school beheld a vision of God the Father and the Son. The Church purchased the Whitney Store in the 1980's and restored it to its original condition in 1984. This historic site won a U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in 1988. (LDS.ORG)

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Parker reading a scripture on the Word of Wisdom

Newel K. Whitney's house: 

 Latter-day Saints began moving from New York to Kirtland, Ohio, in 1831. Joseph and Emma Smith arrived in February of that year. graciously invited to live in the home of Newel and Elizabeth Whitney and their five children, where they stayed for a few weeks.

Joseph healed Elsa Johnson's lame arm in the Whitney home. The Prophet also received important revelations here, including the Lord's confirmation of Joseph's prophetic calling, the law of the Church, and the office and duties of a bishop.

Here, Newel K. Whitney was called as the second bishop in the Church. A three-day "Feast for the Poor," many of them newly arrived Saints, was hosted in Bishop Whitney's home in January 1836. "The Prophet Joseph and his two Counselors [were] present each day, talking, blessing, and comforting the poor, by words of encouragement and their most welcome presence."

The Church purchased the Whitney home in the early 1980s and restored it to its original condition. (LDS.ORG)

Visitor's center

Kirtland's stone quarry-Where the early Saints obtained stone for the temple

Kirtland Temple:

God commanded Joseph Smith in December 1832 to build a temple in Kirtland, Ohio. The Prophet and several others saw the Kirtland Temple in a vision, which provided its design. Construction began in June 1833, at a time of great poverty in the Church. Work slowed in 1834 because many brethren were absent with Zion's Camp. When they returned, Joseph Smith labored with others in the sandstone quarry, and vigorous efforts to build the temple resumed. Church members made enormous sacrifices to complete this "House of the Lord."

The Prophet Joseph dedicated the Kirtland Temple on March 27, 1836, repeating the ceremony several days later. Beginning in January and continuing past the dedication, many Church members witnessed heavenly manifestations during this glorious season, culminating in Jesus Christ's appearance to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to accept the temple. Moses, Elias, and Elijah also appeared to Joseph and Oliver to restore priesthood keys for the salvation of all mankind.

Most of the Saints moved away from Kirtland in 1838. The temple fell into disrepair, and its ownership was challenged. The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, now known as the Community of Christ, gained title to the building in 1880. They restored and beautified this sacred place and maintain it today as a historic site with guided tours. (LDS.ORG)

The Johnson Farm:

 On the night of March 24 1832 Joseph and Emma were caring for their adopted twins who were sick with the measles.  A mob came and attacked Joseph, dragged him out of the house, choked him and tried to put acid in his mouth.  They put tar all over his body and then covered him with feathers.  When Joseph got back to the house, Emma thought that the tar was blood and fainted.  Joseph's friends spent the rest of the night cleaning the tar off of his body. Joseph Murdock Smith, one of the twin babies died four days later.  Many revelations were received by Joseph Smith while he lived there.

Joy is an Act of Courage

Sometimes life is hard and you don't feel happy.  Raising a child with Aspergers is very difficult.  It can feel very lonely because lets face it, it is hard for others to understand what we are going through.  These kids don't come with a manual that tells you "this is what you do when this happens". You learn as you go, you figure out what works and what doesn't.  We have been dealing with his food issues since he started eating baby food, at around 6 months. It was as if you were killing him when you tried to feed him. He also never slept and neither did we.  It was HARD!! I did not feel joy, and I was not a happy mom.  It is hard to go places with him.  Traveling is difficult because of it.  He only eats certain foods so it is HARD.  Life is HARD!!!!  It is hard to find joy everyday, when I feel alone, when it feels no one understands, when we can't take him out to dinner because he doesn't enjoy it, when dinner time is torture for us and we can't have family dinners like other families,  when it is hard to see how others treat him.  I wish he could just stay little so I can stand up for him but he needs to grow up and stand up for himself.  Life is not going to be easy for him and that makes me sad.  At times I feel like a failure, I don't know what I am doing, but Heavenly Father has entrusted this wonderful son to me.  I should say that I am not always sad but it really hurts to feel alone.  My parents are not around so I can't even talk to them.  I am so thankful for a wonderful husband that is extremely helpful and patient. 

Conner is one amazing, smart, loving, sweet child. Even though he has his hard times he is just wonderful.  I am learning so much from him.  I am thankful he came to us.

This scripture helps me because I know that the Lord understands me!!  He knows what I am going through.  He knows when I am sad and lonely.

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

I found this talk on-line and it is about Joy.  It is an awesome talk.  To have joy is to have courage.  It is to not let your troubles overcome you, it is not easy to do but the Lord has told us to "be of good cheer".  To have joy we must be grateful, I am thankful for my family, they bring me joy! I am thankful for the gospel that makes it possible for us to be together forever.  To have joy we must forgive. When we serve others we are happy.

This is what I CAN DO: Everyday when things get rough I will try to be courageous and try to be happy, I will remember what I have been blessed with,  work hard to be forgiving of my self and others and serve those in my family and others.  I know that I will still have times of "tribulation" and loneliness but I can be of "good cheer". I know the Lord is there for me, He is patient and loving.  I am thankful for Him, for His atonement, that He loves me so much to suffer and die for me.  This brings me hope that everything is going to fine and that it will all work out in the end and we will live in complete happiness for eternity!

Elaine Marshall (Women's conference April 30, 2004) This is not the entire talk it is a summary.

Joy Is an Act of Courage

First, to live joyfully you must be brave. True joy is not for the fainthearted. You must decide to be happy. Joy is an act of courage. Joy will not abide until you make a conscious decision to treasure it. 

To Have Joy You Must Be Grateful

After you find the courage to make a decision for joy, the next step is to be grateful. Gratitude is the gateway to joy. How presumptuous we are to question the trials of our lives. We are blessed to be born with the greatest daily comforts of any time or place in history. We are blessed to be here on this day to share in the feast of the word of God.

Joy Requires Forgiveness

Even in the face of such daily joys, some of us suffer chronic sorrow or anger toward others who have hurt us. Joy requires forgiveness. Has your life been changed by pain of an event, loss, or action of your own or another? Is there a moment or a decision that you regret, that you want to take back and start again? Go to the Lord, forgive yourself, and let it go. Has someone hurt you? Take it to the Lord, find help to heal, forgive, and let it go.

Forgiving is not forgetting. The memory of the pain will always linger. It is because you remember that you must forgive, in order to allow joy into your life. Forgiving is not excusing or tolerating wrong or sin or living with hurtful behavior. Hold the person appropriately accountable, take appropriate action—then forgive. Do it for yourself. Give it to the Lord, find faith in the Atonement, and let it go. To forgive is not easy. It extracts all the strength you have. It requires practice over and over. But there is healing comfort in forgiving, and it frees the soul to welcome joy.

Joy Comes from Service

It is not enough simply to forgive others. Joy requires that we take the next step to serve others.

I know that you know, only too well, that when you take the time to serve another in time of need, you nearly always feel a little burst of joy, a sense that God is in His heaven and all is nearly right with the world.

Joy Requires Your Presence

In order to know joy, you have to be there. Joy requires presence.

Joy often lights in little fairy twinkles. I call them angel gifts. They are fleeting moments of sparkling enlightenment, like gentle kisses of meaning when everything comes together. They are little heavenly glimpses of eternal joy. Joy can happen quickly, so you have to pay attention. If you are not present in your life today, you will miss the joy as it happens. We cannot change the hurts of the past, but we can let go of the grudges and reflect today on past joys. We won’t recognize joy in the future if we don’t practice noticing it today.I once heard Annie Dillard say, “Grace happens anyway; the least we can do is be there.” The least we can do is be there in our own lives. It is not enough to simply take breath. We must live every moment of life. We must find the joy that is there to be had anyway. This life today is part of our eternal life and a time to practice knowing eternal joy.

The Message of the Atonement Is a Message of Joy

The message of the Atonement is a message of joy. Our Savior knows our suffering. He took upon Himself our suffering that we might have joy. Joy is life. To have joy is to live life fully. The meaning of the Resurrection in our own daily lives is that He lives! He lives, and because He lives, we live. This truth brings meaning, purpose, and joy to our lives. It gives us a reason to get up every morning even in times of despair, to laugh with abandon, to embrace life. The good news of the gospel is for each of us to live. To live is to know joy in our own personal lives, every day, every now.We don’t live only after we die. We don’t find joy only in the hereafter. We live today because of His gift of the Atonement. To live anew, repent, and begin again are gifts from our Savior. We can live again every day. Some days are exhilarating; some days are exhausting. Some days are full of pain and others are full of grace. I get up every day and say aloud, “OK, I am going to try this just one more time . . .”

The Atonement allows us every day to try one more time.But the greatest gift of the Atonement is that it is real and there for us regardless of the state of our testimony. Whether we believe it or not, it is true. The Savior lives. His Atonement allows us to try again, to repent, to have hope, and to live. He suffered, died, and rose again for us, regardless of where we are in our belief or doubt about that reality. Sorrows and losses will come. We will sin and regret and need to try again. We will be hurt and need to forgive again. We will grieve and need to find joy again. We must help each other to remember the gift of life, that “men [and women] are, that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25; emphasis added). Our very existence today is to know joy.The truth, the sacred truth, and our gift of joy is that He lives. Because of the Atonement, we can repent of sin and give up our fears and all of those mortal burdens that diminish our life. Because He lives, we must live every day of our eternal life. That includes today. We must live to bear vibrant testimony. We must live in joy. If we, who know the truth of salvation and the truth of the mission of Christ, if we are not the very model of joy in this often thankless world, who is left to show the world what is joy? If we do not have joy, who will?

In the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin blessed his people with a promise and assurance we may receive today:

For the Lord hath heard thy prayers, and hath judged of thy righteousness, and hath sent me to declare unto thee that thou mayest rejoice, and that thou mayest declare unto thy people, that they may also be filled with joy. [Mosiah 3:4]

I take this as permission and assurance from God Himself that in this life I may have joy, that joy is a divine principle whose eternal implications may be beyond our understanding but are significant to God Himself. I pray that today and always we may all find the courage, gratitude, forgiveness, service, and presence to honor our divine gifts of joy. “In this life [let us] have joy” (Moses 5:10).

Parker's boy scout camp at Rainey Mountain

Brittany and the girls

Brittany and the girls came to visit this week.  Tomorrow we go on our trip to New York.  We are so excited.

Reagan

Brinley having lunch outside in the back porch

Conner reading to Brinley at bedtime.  Brinley slept in Conner's room on the bottom bunk. Conner was so excited to have her here and to have someone to play with.

We are so glad we kept all of the kids' toys and now the grand-kids can enjoy them. 

Alison

Alison and her new companion in Savona, Italy, Sorella Pace