Week 5--September 22-28, 2019

Transfers are happening next week and we decided we wanted picture of all the sisters we have been serving with at the Independence Visitors' Center and Liberty Jail.

Pictured left to right: Sister Johnson, Sister Dalton, Sister Moritz, and Sister Nabhan. All of these sisters also live in our apartment building.

 We are with Sister Smith and Sister Pomeroy at the Liberty Jail Visitors' Center.

 Sister Spencer, who is from Blackfoot, and Sister Buist.

 Sister Horman and Sister Lynsky, who also serve in the Hillpark Ward with us. Sister Lynsky attended Maeser Academy and knows our granddaughter Emma.

 Sister Barajas and Sister Durfee.

Sister Harris and Sister Maumau.

Sister Barney, who is from Rigby, and Sister DeLeon who is from Guatemala.

Sister Matalolo and Sister Harris.

 We visited the monument to the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon. It is in a beautiful little plot that is well maintained by the local stake. Each side honored a different person.

The First Missouri Presidency of the Missouri Stake that was established in 1834.

One side of the monument told about the Michael Arthur Farm. It was on this farm that the Saints who were driven out of Jackson County County Missouri found to be a safe haven. Michael Arthur also provided employed for a number of Mormon men. Lyman Wight and his family also occupied a home on the Arthur property from 1834 until the summer of 1836. We learned something we didn't know before.

On another side of the monument it told about Zions' Camp. Zion's Camp was disbanded on the Arthur property.

One of my BYU roommates, Melauna Smith from Shelley,  came to Liberty Jail on Tuesday. We haven't seen us other for many years. It was a great time reconnecting.

Part of each week is spent at Historic Liberty Jail. It is a very spiritual place. It was there that Joseph Smith received the revelations that later become Sections 121, 122, and 123 of the Doctrine and Covenants.

The lower level was the prison area where Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Caleb Baldwin, Alexander McRae, and Lyman Wight were held for 4 months and 6 days. The prison guard lived in the upper level. The only entrance into the prison was through a trap door. The cell itself measured 14 ft. by 14 1/2 ft.  The height is 6 ft. 6 in., so that Alexander McRae, who was 6'7" could not stand erect. The two side windows, measured 2' x 6" and didn't provide much ventilation. The prison was built for security (not comfort). The exterior walls were two feet thick (from hewn sandstone), and the inner walls were 12" x 12" timbers. The one foot void between the walls was filled with loose rocks.  Rocks were also loaded above the upper room ceiling to make the prison inescapable.
The builder was paid $600 for the job.

During one of our walks in our local cemetery, we found this headstone for Robert A. McBrde who we have discovered is a cousin several times removed. We also found three other headstones for McBrides one of which is a Robert L. McBride who is the father of Robert A. McBride. We also discovered today that the Melvin Harrington headstone we found earlier is related to Garnalee through her McBride line. We had read about a Thomas McBride in our site guide who was brutally killed  at Hawn's Mill that we discovered is one of Garnalee's relatives. Garnalee didn't know that she had connections in Jackson and Caldwell Counties of Missouri. 

We had the opportunity to have Family Home Evening with all of the senior couples in our mission and also President and Sister Love and President and Sister Cannon. Welcomed were: Elder and Sister Harrington from Blackfoot, ID: Elder and Sister Allen from American Fork, Ut:
Elder and Sister Penrose from Smithfield, Ut.;
Elder and Sister Brown from Orem, Ut.; Elder and Sister Clayson from Santa Clara, Ut.
Departing missionaries:  Elder and Sister Langford from Pleasant Grove, Ut; Elder and Sister Johnson from American Fork, Ut.

Each Friday all of the missionaries that live in Independence and serve at the Independence Visitors' Center have a training meeting. Our meeting this week was to go the Church of Christ property where the temple lot Joseph Smith dedicated is located.
Front - Sisters: Spencer, Buist, Soren, Johnson,  Barajas, Durfee, and Smith
Middle - Sisters: Price, Crandell, Moritz, Elder and Sister Johnson, Lynsky, Walker, Cannon, Nabhan, Dalton, Leakehe, Dunn, Horman
Back - Garnalee, Tom, Elder Dunn. Photobrapher: President Cannon

 Each Saturday the missionaries who live and serve at Historic Liberty Jail gather for their training. This week they went to monument for the Eight Witness to the Book of Mormon.
Front: Sisters Harris, Maumau, Pomeroy, Barney, and DeLeon.
Middle: Sisters Flindt, Matalolo, Richins, Parkin, Smith, Mills, and Banner.
Back: Sister Cannon and President Cannon.