Flying Over Brigham City

I just wanted to share these videos of the Brigham City Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (from 5500 feet).

Gilbert Arizona Temple

Thanks to my sister, Monet, for these pictures of the Gilbert Arizona Temple.

Ira Stearns Hatch and Wealtha Bradford

The other day I was thinking about the Prophet Joseph Smith. I knew from old family stories that some of my ancestors had joined the Church very early in its history. Then, I began to wonder if some of them had met or known Joseph Smith. A quick shout out to family on FB yielded the following in less than an hour:

Ira Stearns Hatch and Wealtha Bradford

Ira Stearns Hatch was born in 1802 in New Hampshire, and Wealtha Bradford was born in 1803 in Maine. They were married in 1825 and lived at the Hatch Farmstead in Farmersville, NY.

The family didn't belong to any specific church, as Wealtha said she hadn't found one on the earth that agreed with her conviction. In 1830 Elders Oliver Cowdrey, Peter Whitmer, Jr., Ziba Peterson, and Parley P. Pratt were visiting the nearby Catteraugus Indians and preaching about the Book of Mormon. Wealtha obtained a copy of the book and said “That’s what we have been looking for." Being thoroughly convinced of its origin, she desired to be baptized immediately. Her husband and family convinced her to wait, which she did with a hope that more of her family would be converted.

Although they may have wanted to be baptized, none of the other relatives were ready to join the unpopular sect. In early 1832, Wealtha was baptized in a hole that had been cut in the ice of the river. She was confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at this same time and  became the first in the Hatch family and the second person in the neighborhood to join the Church.

Ira was cautious about joining the Church because of the persecution against it. At this time, the Kirtland Temple was under construction and Ira and Wealtha decided to make a contribution to it. They traveled to the headquarters of the Church in Kirkland, Ohio, where they could make their contribution and examine their leader, Joseph Smith. They prepared to make the trip to Kirtland, taking their contribution of $200.00 with them. The trip took them three days. When they arrived at Kirtland, Ira went to the grove where they were cutting timber for the Temple where he was told he could find the Prophet. As he approached the workmen, one of them stuck his axe into a tree and came toward him. When close enough, he shook the hand of Ira Stearns Hatch and said "Brother Hatch, I have been expecting you for three days; the money you have brought will be used to build the pulpit in the Temple." Thus, left with no chance for doubt, Ira Stearns Hatch was convinced that Joseph Smith was indeed a true Prophet, and his testimony was steadfast for the remainder of his life. Ira was baptized into the Church in 1834. 

Both Ira and Wealtha hoped that Ira’s parents and brothers and sisters would join the Church, but they did not. When Ira and Wealtha decided to leave the family farm and follow the “Saints” west, it caused a great deal of distress and uproar in the family. The brothers, to whom Ira and Wealtha had sold the farm, said they would give the farm back if they would stay. But Ira shook his head and replied, “No, I will go West.” 

Wealtha died from cholera in Nauvoo. Her devotion to the Church was an inspiration to her family. Her spirituality was ingrained in the characters of the young children she bore. She endured the persecutions and trials of pioneering, and yet always held steadfastly to the Church. Ira continued west, where he settled in Utah with the rest of his family. He passed away on September 30, 1869, after a long and useful and active life.

This strengthened my testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all my readers! Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (ofttimes called Mormons) are Christians and we celebrate Christmas as the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ! We believe in the Bible.

John 3: 16-17
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Isaiah 9:6-7
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no bend, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Luke 2: 11- 14
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

We also believe in the Book Of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, which is why we are ofttimes called Mormons.
 
2 Nephi 25:19
For according to the words of the prophets, the Messiah cometh in six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem; and according to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the angel of God, his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Alma 7:14
Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.

Moroni 7:41
And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.

If you would like to more about the Mormons please visit mormon.org or lds.org.

Fall Flying

Last Friday was a fantastic day to go flying. It was one of those days that don't come along that often.  The air was very still.  I took the opportunity to snap these photos of the temple before all the leaves fall from the trees and snow covers the ground. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I did taking them.

Payson Utah Temple

We recently took a family trip around the Nebo Scenic Loop and stopped at the Payson Temple on our way back.

Beautiful flowers on the Nebo Loop and the views were spectacular.

(Looking down on Payson and Utah Lake)

The temple is quite big compared to the Brigham City Temple.  That's OK because there are a lot more patrons in Utah Valley than in Box Elder County

 It will be very elegant when it is complete in a year or two.

 

 

  

Guest Post | Palmyra, New York

Hello! My dad asked me to post about my recent trip to upstate New York.

I had the opportunity to accompany my grandmother on a trip to Palmyra, New York last week.

We flew into the international airport in Rochester on Tuesday night, rented a car and drove straight to the Hill Cumorah to see the pageant. It was an incredible production! I could not believe how large the cast was. The pageant is performed on a 10-level stage that sits at the base of the hill and includes special effects of earthquakes, floods and fire. The script for the pageant

comes from the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Some of the stories depicted are Lehi and his family leaving Jerusalem and traveling to the Promised Land, the burning of Abinadi, the ministry of Alma, Joseph Smith's encounter with the Angel Moroni and the Restoration of the Gospel.

 

On Wednesday we drove up to Niagara Falls. The falls are so majestic...and loud!

Maid of the Mist

Thursday was my 24th birthday. We started the day by attending a session in the Palmyra Temple.

President Hinckley requested that these windows on the west side of the temple be clear so that those inside could see the Sacred Grove.

There are a total of 27 beautiful stained glass windows inside the temple depicting the Sacred Grove and the First Vision.

Afterwards, we headed into downtown Palmyra and saw the four corners churches. The four corner churches include the First Methodist Church on the northeast corner, the First Baptist Church on the southwest corner, the Palmyra Zion Episcopal Church on the southeast corner, and the Western Presbyterian Church on the northwestern corner. 

A block north of the four corners churches is a small cemetery where Joseph Smith's brother, Alvin, is buried. His original headstone has been reset to help preserve it. The headstone reads:
"In memory of Alvin, son of Joseph and Lucy Smith, who died Nov. 19, 1823, in his 25th year of his life."

The last stop of the day was to the Martin Harris farm.
In 1831, Martin moved away from the one-and-a-half story white frame home which stood on the site. It was then occupied by William Chapman. That home burned down in 1849 and was replaced by the lake-stone house pictured. Lake-stone buildings were first built in the area by English artisans who came here to work on the Erie Canal. After the canal was completed in 1825, they found employment by constructing stone houses. Approximately 700 of these lake-stone structures were built in that part of the state.

Friday was our last full day in Palmyra. Our first stop was the Book of Mormon historic publication site, also known as the E. B. Grandin building. The site offers visitors a glimpse of the printing and binding processes of the 1820s.

Since we arrived to the Hill Cumorah late on Tuesday night, we decided to head back to see the visitor's center and visit the monument at the top.

Next, we drove to Waterloo to see the Peter Whitmer Log home where on April 6, 1830, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was formally organized.

After visiting the Peter Whitmer farm we drove back to Palmyra to see the Sacred Grove.

The Sacred Grove and Smith family farm are located to the west of the Palmyra temple. We were able to see the log home and the newer frame home. 

When we walked through the Sacred Grove there were only a handful of people around us (I'm guessing everyone was at the Hill Cumorah waiting for the pageant to start) so it was very quite and peaceful.

We both had a wonderful time and loved being able to visit such beautiful and sacred locations.