“Across the snow of many states [the bells] had jingled their sweet melody. [Joseph Smith] had buckled them on to his restless horses, and with his wife and children tucked warm in the sleigh had gone joyfully or with heavy heart to the sound of those bells.
“We shook each one alone, from the tiniest one with its lisping, high-toned tongue, to the deep voiced soft-toned bass so large and round near the center of the chimes. What a variety of cadence and what quality of sound tones lay asleep in the old leathern belt!
“Together they made a full-toned, rich-throated, harmonious music. Alone there was sweetness and clear-ness, but ’twas heart-breaking, lonely, unfinished. Not one of them would command attention and move hearts to tender loving as had the whole in one collective movement.
“Old bells, you ring to us a lesson. Together, all together, in harmonious accord if we would make perfect our work, Each bell in its place, and each place necessary, all moved upon by one great power to one great end.”(1)
We don’t know if others bells exist. This one was found in the treasures passed from Coral Smith Horner to her daughter Lorena and then to me, Gracia Jones. If anyone out there has other bells, perhaps we can get them all together for one melodious moment of bell-song at a reunion?
This story and a color picture are available on the foundation web site: www.josephsmithsr.org.
Notes:
1 Source: Vida E. Smith, Autumn Leaves Vol. 33, #1, January 1930, Herald House, Independence, Missouri.