Here are some pics from the day--
Group photo by the Susquehanna River
Beautiful entrance to the Priesthood Restoration site in what is Harmony, PA--but has been changed to Oakland Township, PA
Elder and Sister Mumford
Down by the Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River
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| 🎶On Lovely Susquehanna's Banks,. . . " |
🎶On Lovely Susquehanna's Banks. . . " with Elder and Sister Mumford and Victor Kyle Mumford
Elder and Sister Mumford
Cemetery headstones of Emma Smith's parents Isaac and Elizabeth Hale
Infant son of Joseph and Emma Smith buried in Cemetery
Inside Joseph and Emma's home with Kyle and Sachi, Emma and Hiro and Grammy and Papa
Two Sister Missionaries at this site--Sisters Walker and Cheret
Isaac and Elizabeth Hale home (in the background)
Joseph and Emma Smith home
This is "how" Grammy (aka Sister Mumford) reacts to her "surprise visitors--Kyle and Sachi and Emma and Hiro at the Priesthood Restoration site. They had to drive over 5 hrs to be there!! I was in "shock"-- to say the least!!
SURPRISE VISITORS--KYLE AND SACHI AND KIDS!!
Such Cuties--Hiro and Emma
Elder and Sister Mumford
Visitor's Center
Inside the Visitor's Center at the Priesthood Restoration Site in Oakland Township (Harmony )Pennsylvania
We drove to Englewood, NJ to a chapel where we linked up with Bro David Bean, CES Director and some other CES Senior Missionaries and then made our way to the site. We arrived at about 10:00 am and were welcomed by an Elder Walker and 6 of the loveliest Sister Missionaries ever!! We went to the Chapel and listened to a Sister Woodland, a Senior Missionary, former Ricks College girls' Basketball Coach and author of the book, Beloved Emma. She told us of things she learned about
Emma Hale Smith, beloved wife of the Prophet Joseph Smith and of her and Joseph's meeting and early life in that area of Harmony, PA. Some of her comments helped me to see Emma in a more sympathetic and softer light of a wife who loved and believed in the mission that Joseph had embarked on. They endured some real trials there not the least of having to bury their first-born baby boy and life threats from people in the area who demanded to see the gold plates. They accomplished the translating of the Book of Mormon mostly there in Harmony and were forced to move to the Peter Whitmer home in Fayette, NY to complete that translation.
After Sister Woodland we heard a few remarks from the CES Director at Penn State about the
translation work of this wonderful book. Then we watched a very moving and powerful movie about those things that took place in this area of Church History-- besides the work of translation--the Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood by John the Baptist with the Prophet Joseph and Oliver Cowdrey being ordained to that Priesthood by John the Baptist and then these 2 brethren baptizing each other in the Susquehanna River on May 15, 1829--just 187 years ago almost to the day!! Also the Melchizedek Priesthood was restored to the earth by ancient apostles, Peter, James and John. I gained such an overwhelming confirmation of the importance of this site and the things that transpired here. We were told that the significance of this area is further enhanced by the fact that
there are 2 places that are "dedicated" by the Apostles in these latter days--temples and Church historic sites. They are "bookends" in that they represent "the beginning" (Church historic sites) and "the end" (temples, as the culmination of this great work). That was very insightful to me. Then we were divided into groups and left the Chapel to begin our "tour" of the homes of the Hales (Emma
Smith's family home) and the home of Joseph and Emma Smith. Our group was the last to leave the Chapel-- we came down the hall and were told to gather at the entrance. I turned and the absolute SWEETEST SURPRISE I could have ever hoped for was right there--a little Hiro in a stroller and Emma atop her Daddy Kyle's shoulders and Sachi with her camera taking pics of this Grammy in
tears!! They had driven 5.5 hours from Erie, PA to see us!! I could not believe it!! We had talked
about meeting them--but that was before we realized that the Harmony, PA THAT IS 1.5 hours from Erie IS NOT the same place as this Priesthood Restoration site we were at today. So --after clarifying that last night--we "scrapped" the visit. Or so we (Elder M and I thought). Kyle and Sachi left last
night to drive those hours to this site and rented a hotel in Binghampton--about 7 miles from our
meeting. I could not get enough of those kiddos!! Hiro didn't know what to do with this lady with
sunglasses who kept mugging him (but eventually he warmed up to me and actually GAVE ME A KISS at the end) and little Emma repeated over and over "I yuv you" followed by kisses. It was the
BEST!! They toured the sites with us and the 2 Sister Missionaries--Sister Walker from Billings, MT and Sister Cheret, from Idaho Falls, ID, who were so dear!! They shared their testimonies of this latter-day work and some of the details of things that happened in those homes that have been restored to this site. We then went to the Cemetery where Emma's parents, Issac and Elizabeth Hale are buried along with the infant son of Joseph and Emma. After a group photo in front of the Visitor's Center-- we went down to the Susquehanna River (which U really wanted to see) and then headed into town. Kyle and Sachi had lunch with our group at a little restaurant in town and then we had to say good by. 😥😂😩 So many in our group came over to meet them and we were so happy to have them there!! It has been a very good day and we feel so blessed to have been able to go and experience the beautiful spirit at this most sacred site. Our thanks to Bro Bean for inviting us and to Elder and Sister Rogers from our Temple Group for organizing us!!
Temple Presc' members and Temple Recorder from l to r--Fritz Kopening, Pres and Sister Bench, Sister and Pres Bennion
Items used in Translation of Book of Mormon
Group photo in front of Priesthood Restoration site--these are "casts" of the original statues of the Restoration of the Melchizedek and Aaronic Priesthood statues that are on Temple Square in SLC, UT
Looking at Joseph and Emma Smith's home from different angle
Oh what a wonderful day!!
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