On Friday, September 22 at the Nauvoo Stake Center, a chapel full of people came to learn about the history of the life of Joseph Smith. That particular Thursday and Friday marked the bicentennial of an important event in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On those dates in 1823, […]
The Book of Mormon: A Wondrous Work Read More »
Memorial Service This summer my family and I participated in a memorial service at Smith Family Cemetery in Historic Nauvoo for the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith (June 27, 1844).1 The service included prayer, music, scriptures, and quotes all crafted into a dramatic retelling of that fateful June-day when
Battles with Grief: Then and Now Read More »
192 years ago the Church was organized with six members. Now, Church membership soars above 16 million across the globe.1 I love the description of this momentous day found in “Saints.” The day began with the meeting formally organizing the Church, which included the administration of the sacrament and the Prophet Joseph Smith receiving a
‘His Joy Was Full’: 192 Years of the Restored Church Read More »
Emma’s parents were “bitterly opposed” to her marriage.1 In deciding to marry Joseph she was also deciding to say goodbye to her family, her home, and everything she’d ever known and loved.2 Why would Emma do it? Why elope with Joseph? I remember the first time I met my husband. It felt like my heart
Choices of the Heart Read More »
I had hit a crossroads. I knew I had to make a decision. I was 17 years old and I wanted to know: Should I continue to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or should I take a different path? Growing up, sometimes we would go to church, and
