Sunday, May 2, 2010

Joseph Smiths House


Joseph Smith's home tour was amazing. It was just the three of us on the tour. The tour guide told tons of stories about Joseph's son and all the adventures he had in Nauvoo when he was about Hayden's age. Hayden loved the guide telling about Joseph blasting for a well and little Joseph running out during the explosion. He was unharmed during the incident.

The guide also explained how Joseph III and his cousins would play, collect water from the river and all of their other daily happenings. Hayden was fascinated and what was originally a 30 minute tour turned into over two hours of questioning from Hayden. We learned so much.

The neatest experience was in the Prophet's home. The bedroom that Joseph and Emma stayed in was blocked off, so you could only look in. Hayden charmed the guide and as she told of a secret stairway in a closet, that was built to hide Joseph from the angry mobs. She actually let us back into the room, right next to Emma's chair and into the closet where a hook was turned to turn into a door with a staircase that led up into the attic and out the back. It was an amazing experience to get to stand where he stood and be that close to the experiences that happened to him. It made it all very real to Hayden.

Hayden came away from Nauvoo with an understanding of how the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored on the earth today. He understands the sacrifices made by the early Saints. He was able to see how blessed we are today because of the sacrifices and dedication of so many generations before us. He felt the Spirit of the Lord testify to his heart and soul of the divinity of our beloved Prophet Joseph Smith. It was such an incredible experience for me to see my son gain an understanding and appreciation for the early saints.




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