Vermont: The Green Mountain State

THE FIRST WEEK

Johnson’s told us not to come to the Center on Saturday so that we could start to get situated a little.  So, we spent half the day trying to get things put away.  Then Johnson’s picked us up in the afternoon and took us to West Lebanon, NH to the grocery stores (3) to get acquainted.  That is about 15-20 miles from our apt. and where we will have to go to shop.  The Osborne’s met us after their shift and we all went to dinner at Applebee’s.

Our front door (kitchen sink is inside under window).

Our Apartment is the door behind our car (left of stairs).

 

South Royalton Ward House

Here comes the bus!

 Sunday morning, Church started at 10:00am and we were all but there when Rhonda discovered she didn’t have her missionary badge so we turned around and hustled to get it.  Back to the Church just a little late, Elder Johnson was waiting out in the hall for us to arrive.  We stayed for Sacrament Mtg and Sunday School and then went to the Monument as there was a bus load of visitors scheduled to tour at 12:00noon.  We did what we could and then stayed for a while longer to find out a few things, finally getting back to our apt. about 4:00pm for lunch.





Visitors Everywhere!
 

We were scheduled for the 2-7:00pm shift on Monday.   I feel like I am beginning to get the tour thing down.  Two sister missionaries came to do the last hour of the day while the rest of us went to Family Home Evening in the Johnson’s residence. Rhonda and I were the lesson.  We both told a little about our lives and included a faith promoting story that we told in our Sacrament meeting in St. George.   Each of the missionary couples prepared a food item. All the left-overs were given to the ward members to take home to help them eat for the next week. 

At the entry to LDS Lane

Just about closing time on Tuesday, several groups came so we were late.  One of the guys was a  member from Idaho in the area for business.  Elder Johnson asked me to give him the tour and he followed along behind adding a few things he thought important that I left out.  I did feel pretty good about my first time and the guy complimented me on the tour so things are looking up. Finally about 8:00pm we got things tidied up (supposed to close at 7:00pm) and Johnson’s asked us to come have chicken-noodle soup and left over rolls from home evening for our supper.  As result, we didn’t get home until nearly 9:00pm.

Monument with Visitors' Center on right and Johnson's home and office at left.

Back of VC looking down from Monument

 

  We had the early shift on Wednesday and had several groups come through. I had my first opportunity to drive the golf cart as tour guide down in the woods to show the remains of Solomon and Daniel Mack’s  homes along with the old stone bridge and the rock wall that was part of the old turnpike road that went from Montreal Canada to Boston.  That gave me an opportunity to tell more of the “story” that we have been learning for the visitors.

Old Turpike Road

          

         

Solomon Mack ruins

Daniel G. Mack ruins

 

 
Getting off shift shortly after 2:00 made it possible for us to find our own way to West Lebanon, NH and the grocery stores. We also did a little shopping for a TV for our apartment.  Didn’t get too lost and am starting to get some slight sense of directions.  At least we made it home safely.  We were invited over to Osborne’s for supper.  They said it was quite unusual for both of us to be off the same afternoon.  Dykes were also invited and we had a good meal and a good time visiting and getting a little better acquainted.  Osborne’s are the other missionary couple from Spanish Fork (Hansen's neighbor and former bishop) while Dykes are from Mt. Pleasant and doing work with the FM group.



Thursday was supposed to be our “P” day but they had 2 buses scheduled for 9:00am tours so they asked us to come in to help.  The buses were late but our job was to catch all the visitors that came from the non-tour group and give them the tour.  We had two groups come but the building was full so I got out the golf cart and we toured down in the trees and gave them the “speel” as though we were in the visitor center itself.  It was nearly 1:00pm when we finished so we spent nearly a full shift on our day off.  After getting some lunch we again went back to NH and got a TV and some groceries so we should be set for the coming week.  I washed the car once we got home.  I don’t think I have worked so hard washing a car for a long time.  There were so many smashed bugs I really had to scrub to get them cleaned off.  The car sure does look better clean.   We worked around the apt. for a while and went to the Memorial to try to take some night pictures of the monument with the full moon in the background.  A good attempt but I need to learn how to use my camera better.

Friday morning early, the guys from the TV company came to install Dish-network for our TV and internet hook-ups.  Before they finished, Elder Johnson called and ask me to go with him to administer to an older lady of the ward who had fallen.  (Sister Bowles)  We found her place out in the trees.  She was pretty black and blue and swollen so we administered to her.  She is the only member of the Church in her family.  Her husband is paralyzed from a stroke and can’t get out of bed.  We did the afternoon shift at the Memorial.  The shift started off with cake and ice cream to celebrate my birthday.  All the missionaries  and most of the FM people made it for the treats.  Rhonda baked a cake and we got ice cream so it was kinda fun.

R) Elder Johnson, Elder Osborn, Sis Osborn:  L) FM's

Celebrating birthday at JS Memorial mission

The Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial: We Made It, At Last!

By going to Syracuse last night, it made the trip to the Joseph Smith Memorial Visitor Center only about a 6 hour journey.  We arrived there about 3:00 pm (Friday, Sept. 13) and were met by the Johnson’s (Center Directors) and a couple of the FM missionaries (Dyches) who were working in the area.   It was great to finally get to our destination!  Overall, nearly eight days and 3000 miles from the cabin to the Memorial.  

 

We were immediately enchanted with the beauty and spirit surrounding this area.

The polished granite reflects the sun differently from various places

 We visited for a while and took some pictures of the monument and the ruins of the home where Joseph Smith was born. Then we were escorted to our apartment by the other missionary couple (Osborn’s from Spanish Fork, also Rochele’s former Bishop).  We managed to get everything moved from the car to the inside of the apartment (just piled inside the door) and then had to look around to get an idea of where everything would go.  Our apartment is of the 70’s style-- wood paneling. wallpaper, etc. and to me it seems dark with the lighting basically done by lamps. 

The home site is just to the left side of the monument.

 

Elder Osborn and Elder Ogden.  The Director's Home/Office at the bottom of monument hill.

Traveling To Vermont

Leaving the cabin proved to be about as difficult as it was to leave our home in St. George.  There was more to do than we had time to complete and packing the car was a difficult situation. 

 

Once down the road, we had to keep the pedal to the metal, went through a lot of rain and windy mountain roads but luckily enough we made it to the Denver Temple in time for the last session.   
This was our first time to see the new film.

Elder Ogden at Denver Temple

Sister Ogden at Denver Temple

           
 Friday was a long travel day--from Denver to Liberty, MO; 650-675 miles.  Mac Niel drove all the way across the country, except for an hour-and-a-half during this stretch.  A construction slow-down just outside Kansas City caused a 45-minute "crawl" which made it even later for us to get to our motel.

             First thing on Saturday, we went to the Kansas City MO Temple.  It was very nice (also new) and enjoyable.

Kansas City Temple

 From there we went to the Visitor Center at Independence MO.  Quite large and very well equipped.  After the visitor center, we drove around Independence and Liberty for a little bit, much had changed but there were still many things that seemed familiar.  My old apartment house in Liberty was still standing (I thought it was old 50 years ago).   Went to the Liberty Jail and saw their presentation and headed north thru Missouri, arriving in Keokuk, IA where we spent the night. 

..... while serving here 50 years ago.

  

This is the house where Mac Niel lived .....

Re-constructed during Mac Niel's mission in 1963

Liberty Jail

Sunday morning we got up early and drove to Nauvoo to go to Church with all the missionaries at 8:00am.  There were  hundreds of missionaries there.  Nauvoo didn’t start their hosting of tours , etc until after noon so we decided to just drive around a little and see things from the roads (since we had been there twice in recent years). 

 I feel so happy that this Temple has been built again.

 From Nauvoo we journeyed on to Carthage, IL.  They opened about a half hour after our arrival so we waited since we both wanted to go thru the Jail again.  

Carthage Jail

At the Carthage Jail on June 27, 1844, a mob murdered the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum, who thus sealed their testimonies of Jesus Christ with their blood.

From Carthage we spent the rest of the day driving to Indianapolis.  We spent the night there and the next morning made a leisurely drive to Cincinnati, OH.  Parked our loaded car in a Comfort Inn and Suites parking lot, took their shuttle to the airport (I made my first contact with the shuttle driver and he agreed to see the missionaries) and waited for a flight to Orlando.  Rochele and boys picked us up at the airport.  It sure was great to see them again, don’t know who seemed the most eager, us or the boys.  We met Ryan at an Outback Steak house to celebrate some birthdays (Zac, Cael, Rochele and mine).  Martha also met us there and she brought a birthday cake as well.  

After dinner, we said good-bye to Martha and went to Ryan’s home and had an enjoyable time just visiting and playing with the kids.  They are so cute and special.  Earlier, Rochele had made peanut-butter fingers and they really topped off the night but we eventually had to go to bed.

Ty has changed the most--not a a toddler any more

            Up at 6:00am and off to the airport (we always hate to get Ryan up so early but he never complains).  Back to Cincinnati, met the same shuttle driver again and were soon on the road to Kirtland, OH. 

We arrived in good time and after assessing the situation and timing, we decided to tour the John Johnson farm which was 25-30 miles to the west.  We were the only ones there so we got a little “special” treatment on the tour which was very informative and interesting.  Pres. Boyd Packer’s nephew was our tour guide. 

Sidney Rigdon resumed translation of the Bible.

The up-stairs room where Joseph Smith and

Several important events in Church History happened at the Johnson farm and surrounding area in the year the Prophet Joseph stayed there.  

 (Four appearances of the Savior, Important sections of the D & C (eg. 76 and 88), tar and feathering, twins born and died).   

The next morning we had the usual continental breakfast (small Danish roll, an apple and maybe a waffle, sometimes yogurt) and headed for more historic spots.  Our first stop was to the Kirtland Temple.  This is owned and operated by the Community of Christ Church (formerly Reorganized LDS).  Un-like our Church’s invitation to come and enjoy, you paid a $3.00/person “maintenance” fee and were not allowed to take pictures, etc.  Just a completely different feeling.

 

  

  
It is still a beautiful place with the Priesthood alters on both ends and on two levels but the feeling just wasn’t there.  

Next we went to the Morley farm and the atmosphere completely changed.  We took a hike up into the trees and learned more about Church history and of another visit of the Savior.  Then we went to the Whitney store and surrounding area.  Saw where the School of the Prophets was held etc.  and also inspected the saw mill and ashery.  This was really a nice place to visit since so much Church history happened in this area.

Newel Whitney generously provided rooms in the store for Church meetings and a home for the Joseph Smith family.

From Kirtland we got back on the road and headed to Palmyra, NY.  Typically, we got there just in time for the last session.  It was nice but a little different from any other Temple we had been too.  

             












Morning brought intermittent rain showers.  How appropriate since this is the day we were outside quite a bit.  Our first stop was to to the Joseph Smith Farm.  

Here was a replica of the cabin where Joseph Smith was visited by the Angel Moroni three times in one night.  



 We also walked around a while in the Sacred Grove.  There was still a special feeling in that area in spite of the rain.   




From there we paid a short visit to the visitor center at Hill Cumorah and then proceeded to hike around the hill, again in the rain, and up to the statue of Angel Moroni.  It was really an impressive sight. 

Chapel/Visitors Center at Peter Whitmore Farm

The next stop was to the E. B. Grandin building where the first 5000 copies of the Book of Mormon were published.    It was quite an undertaking for the times.  Our last stop in the Palmyra area was to the Peter Whitmer Farm.   This is where the Church was officially organized on April 6, 1830 with six official members.  Quite a bit of growth has happened since that date.  (Today there are approximately 14 million members of the Church.)  It was at the Whitmer Farm where we met one of the couples from our MTC group (they were assigned to Palmyra) just out touring the places like we were.

On April 6, 1830 In Peter Whitmer's small log home in Fayette, New York The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was formally organized.

Although it was getting late, we decided to head up the road a few miles so that the drive to Vermont tomorrow wouldn't be quite so long.  So we drove to Syracuse and spent the night there.