In architecture, an arch represents strength and support. This reunion arch beautifully illustrates, the strength of our Smith heritage and support we can lend one another as family now.
Our family story officially began January 24, 1796, when Lucy Mack married Joseph Smith. The heart at the center is for them and the love they have for each one of you, their dear grandchildren.
How many lilac blossoms can you count in the second arch? Lilacs are a favorite flower in the Smith family. The blossoms represent all eleven children born to Joseph and Lucy.
Seven bands of our arch represent the seven children who have living posterity. Is your great grandma Katharine or Lucy? Maybe your great grandpa is Don Carlos, William, Samuel, Joseph Jr., or Hyrum. The band width and mix of styles is an example of how Smith siblings love each other through thick and thin. Differences do not divide us. Instead we become a more beautiful and loving family.
The vine represents each new branch of the Smith family tree. Grandma Lucy would be delighted to see us all working together in the family garden, knowing the fruits of our labor include far more than just vegetables to harvest. Perhaps this band of leaves will remind you of the old willow tree growing behind the mansion house. Imagine having picnics with cousins in the shade or finding a quiet place under its branches for prayer.
Celebrating fifty years since Smith reunions began again in Nauvoo 1972, this arch also represents the span of generations past to present. In 1863, Joseph III said he could see “…the dawning of a day when the sons of our fathers will stand shoulder to shoulder … as stood our fathers in bygone days.”
Arches often remind us of rainbows which direct us to lift our eyes toward heaven and remember God’s promises. This week you will learn more about the promised blessings to the Smith family and perhaps make promises of your own. Our family friend, Karl Anderson taught at a previous reunion in Nauvoo, as you draw close to our Savior, you will grow close to Joseph, Hyrum, and each of the other children of Joseph Sr. and Lucy Mack. He said, “I know that the work they tried to do is establish firmly the restoration of God’s Kingdom on earth. … That is what they were all about. It is true. It came from heaven through the Smith family.”
From an article written by Sarah Jane Weaver with Church News, she quotes Anne Barret, president of the Topsfield Historical Society. Anne said the history of the Smith family is intertwined with the Topsfield community. The new marker — built by the Ensign Peak Foundation in collaboration with town officials — serves as a quiet reminder that the Smiths were once here, she said.
(Images taken from a family scrapbook of a trip made in 1805 by President Joseph F. Smith and several others)Smith Family Memorial Dedication – Saturday, May 14, 2022 Left to right: Association Committee Member – Don Blanchard, Smith Family Member, Tiina Maughan, helped with planning events in Topsfield – Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith Family Association Committee Members from left to right: Robert (Bob) Smith, Julie Maddox, Daniel Adams, Steve Orton, Mike Kennedy, Michael Jr. & Meagan Kennedy, Michael Nebeker, Daniel Larsen, Laura Blanchard, and Jared Glade. Sitting in front: Frances Orton, W. Emery Smith, and Karl Anderson. Photo provided by Daniel Adams. The Smith Family returned and gathered outside the Topsfield Congregational Church after services – Sunday, May 15, 2022 – Photo credit: SWhelan.The Smith Family presented a painting of Topsfield in the 1760’s by Vivian Adams to the Congregational Church and community as a gift of gratitude and appreciation signed on the back by the Smith Association Committee and Family Members
Left to right: Karl Anderson, Executive Secretary of the Joseph Smith Sr and Lucy Mack Smith Family Association, Michael Nebeker (Smith Association Committee), Craig Ballard (Smith Association Trustee), Daniel Adams (Smith Association Committee), Tony Rogers (Topsfield Church Moderator), Steven and Frances Orton (Trustee &Chair of Activities of Joseph Smith Sr and Lucy Mack Smith Family Association) and Emery Smith (Smith Association Treasurer). Photo credit: SWhelan.
From the 1985 Smith Family Reunion News: “Matriarch Lucy Mack clearly pointed out in her writings that her family possessed close family ties and had a divine destiny. Patriarch Joseph Smith Sr., recognizing his wife to be “one of the most singular women in the world,” told her, “You have brought up my children for me by the fireside, and when I was gone from home, you comforted them.”
“Lucy Mack Smith,” by Sutcliffe Maudsley
in 1863, Joseph III said he could see “…the dawning of a day when the sons of our fathers will stand shoulder to shoulder…as stood our fathers in bygone days.”
Smith Family Siblings – December 2005 Ensign Magazine
Service Project – Nauvoo Smith Family Gardens
Nauvoo Smith Family Gardens by the Mansion House
Some August 4-6, 2022 Reunion Highlights:
Pickup your registration Thursday evening and meet and greet your cousins.
Join with the family at the tents by the Nauvoo House.
Participate in the service project—working in the new Smith Family Gardens by the Mansion House.
Honor Father and Mother Smith with the family wreath memorial.
Sign up to participate in a family archeological experience with iDig Nauvoo.
Enjoy the homecooked barbeque dinner arranged by Doug Smith and Bob Smith and sponsored by the Samuel Smith Family.
Smile for the traditional Smith Family Reunion Group Photo.
Gather for the banquet and program at the Nauvoo Stake Center.
Purchase Price before July 5th:
$60 – Adult Registration $45 – 10 and younger Free for 2 and under
The Smith Family was invited to attend the dress rehearsal premier for the new production, 1820: The Musical, a contemporary theatre show portraying the life of Joseph and Emma Smith through the eyes of Emma. They let us announce this year’s Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith Scholarship Winners before the performance, the night of August 5th. They are giving a portion of the proceeds back to the Smith Family project, for Early Childhood Development and Education for Displaced Children. We had several hundred Smith Family members attend.
You can learn more about the musical on the https://1820musical.com/ website. Benjamin Hill (1st Place) and Sunny Rasmussen (3rd Place) as Frances & Steve Orton announce the winners on the stage of the Covey Arts Center Photo by Sunny’s mom, Kathi Rasmussen
Joseph Sr. and Lucy Mack SmithScholarship Winners
Joseph Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith sacrificed their lives to support the Prophet Joseph and establish the restoration of the gospel. Without their support, the restoration would not have been possible. This legacy has been passed down through their descendants. The Joseph Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith Family Association has established this Scholarship to share their legacy, strengthen today’s youth, and tie the younger generation to their ancestors.
This year we had significant participation and strong entries sharing stories that creatively show how the Smith Family examples impacted them.
This year the judges chose two First Place winners.
First Place – Benjamin Hill
Benjamin Hill – First Place Scholarship Winner
Benjamin is currently living in Provo, Utah, and attending Brigham Young University. He wrote a feature-length screenplay that chronicles Mary Fielding Smith’s immigration to Canada from England.
Benjamin states, “The story of Mary Fielding’s conversion to the gospel and of how she became the faithful mother of Joseph Sr. and Lucy Smith’s grandchildren is so inspiring that I could not overlook.”
First Place – David Pinegar
David Pinegar – First Place Scholarship Winner
David, from Chesterfield, New Hampshire, is a Junior at Keene High School. He plans on attending Brigham Young University.
David arranged two songs from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints hymnal, Praise to the Man and I Believe in Christ, and I have formed a medley arranged for a full orchestra. Complete sheet music and a recording was submitted.
David said, “The words and message of Praise to the Man pay tribute to the man and by extension his family, who was worthy enough to be the Lord’s primary instrument of the Restoration and the leader of the last dispensation. The message of I Believe in Christ is only made possible by the revelation brought through “the man who communed with Jehovah!” These two songs go together because one is the cause, and the other is the effect. Because Joseph Smith initiated the ongoing process of the Restoration, we can believe in Christ and know of all He has done for us.”
Second Place – Sydney Smith
Sydney Smith – Second Place Scholarship Winner
Sydney Smith is from Powell, Ohio. She is moving to Utah this fall and will be attending Brigham Young University. She produced a video titled, Sacrifice: The Legacy of My Fathers.
Sydney said, “I will do everything in my power to honor the legacy of my ancestors as their namesake. They sacrificed all in the name of God, and for that, I am very grateful. I hope to continue the tradition and be a strength in these difficult days. Now more than ever, people turn away from God, and it is my mission to be an example and light.”
Third Place – Sunny Rasmussen
Sunny Rasmussen – Third Place Scholarship Winner
Sunny is in 11th Grade at Pahranagat Valley High School. She is from Hiko, Nevada, and plans to attend the University of Utah. Her project titled, Continuing the Legacy came with a picture of a beautiful quilt she made and the written paper which explains how she is carrying on a family tradition. She quotes her grandma Geri who wrote, “A quilt is a lesson in patience and creativity.”
Sunny said, “I found more joy in making this quilt because it was harder work than I originally planned it to be, and I had to have a good attitude to finish it. Learning about how hard the Smith’s worked, despite their agricultural issues and pressing times, helps me honor their legacy of hard work, thriftiness, and education.”
She also is going above and beyond as she mentions, “I will be giving the quilt away to my neighbor who needs it. She has been sick for a long time and could use the same joy and comfort that making this quilt has brought me. Just like Lucy and Joseph Sr. taught, and my grandma Geri taught me, working and doing things for others is our legacy.”
Our family was not able to be together physically but we did gather in smaller family units and globally watched messages to honor the 200th Anniversary of Joseph Smith’s First Vision – 2020 Vision Celebration.
Fun Facts:
306 Viewers completed the mapping survey
1209 Viewers were reported on the survey
10 Countries had viewers
3.98 Average number of viewers per survey response
2,685 views reported by YouTube
With each reunion we traditionally we have a family photo. Not meeting in person meant our photo needed some creativity. I believe we accomplished this and we are grateful for your participation.
2020 Online Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith Family Reunion Group Photo – We had 228 families submit a picture with a total 2793 people from the following family lines: Hyrum, Joseph Jr., Samuel, William, Katharine, and Lucy.
2020 Virtual Family Photo in the Sacred Grove
“This year has been full of so many things that have made us feel disconnected. Then the turmoil in the country and the world has pulled many apart. We wanted to find a way to bring everyone together and so we decided a virtual family mosaic would allow us this opportunity. Mosaics bring many pieces together in one unified image and because we could not meet in the Sacred Grove, we made us part of our own Grove.” – Frances Orton
Painting for Mosaic Used with Permission
“Light Descending” by Matt Kennedy Image used with permission of Temple House Gallery. All rights reserved. templehousegallery.com
2020 Virtual “Go to the Grove” Photo
Painting for Mosaic Used with Permission “Prayer — Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove” by Bev Barnett Image used with permission of Bev Barnett. All rights reserved. BevBarnettArtStudio
Due to the size of our group we will be unable to meet in person for our 2020 Vision Celebration. What happens when trials and hard times appear in the Smith Family? They make something great anyway.
Click above button Monday, October 26th, 2020 at 7:00 pm.
We are happy to announce that our scheduled speakers are still preparing and sharing messages to help us enjoy this 2020 Vision Celebration year. The 200th First Vision Anniversary needs to be celebrated by the Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith Family. The family stood by Joseph. They encouraged and supported him in this miraculous event. We need to mark this occasion and strengthen our spiritual and family relationships.
Because we won’t be gathering together physically, we are scheduling this event online for Monday, October 26th, 2020 at 7:00 PM (MDT). What better way to spend a family night than to be gathered together in our smaller family units to honor our ancestors? Mark this on your calendars. The link to watch the YouTube Live 2020 Vision Celebration will be posted here before the event when it is available.
Pancake Meal…. by Candlelight
We can’t sit down at the same table and venue, but we can all sit down with our family before our 2020 Vision Celebration and enjoy a meal the Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith family would have eaten together. Add more fun eating your meal by candlelight.
“There is not enough darkness in all the world to put out the light of even one small candle” – Robert Alden
Place a candle in your window for the week before our event. When your friends ask why you have a candle in the window invite them to join our 2020 Vision Celebration. The candle was often placed in the window when a member of the family was away. A glowing candle in the evening was also placed in the window announcing good news or as an encouragement to tired travelers. Candles also represented friendship and were seen as a sign of welcome to others.
Church buildings and facilities are not assessable to large groups
Hotels in New York do not allow large groups
Hotels in New York cannot provide continental breakfasts
Restaurants aren’t allowed to accommodate large groups
Ten years ago, we began planning this commemorating event. We would never have imagined when we changed our reunion schedules to coincide with the 200th Vison Anniversary that we would face so many uncertainties this year. We ask you all to see the good we can accomplish with our Go to the Grove Virtual activities.
Our main concern is to keep everyone safe and healthy.
Use this link https://www.relativefinder.org/#/groups/189309/join and enter the password (for the password email SmithReunionNews@gmail.com) to see how you are related to the Smith Family members. This group is private, but it will be exciting to see how we all relate through our ancestors. Check back often as this is a new group.
Family History is one of our eight categories with our Go to the Grove event. A great place to start is to understand how you related to the Smith family. We encourage the older generation to explain the family lines. We encourage the younger generation to ask their parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents about their family tree. Spend some time to learn or to share. You can record your family history activity at http://record.gotothegrove.com.
The Smith Family’s first Virtual Go to the Grove 5K is a huge success. We have almost 300 people from all 50 states participating. With encouragement from some living out of the United States we are moving our Virtual Go to the Grove to an expanded international level. Additional categories allow each person to “Go to the Grove”— celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the miraculous First Vision in their own way. Free registration options are available and donations are appreciated. The Virtual Go to the Grove raises funds that the Smith Family will donate to save vision and honor the good that began with Joseph Smith’s First Vision.
Go to the Grove—Join with us by participating in one or more of these eight categories: Contemplate–Celebrate–Commemorate! Shall we not go on in so great a cause?
5K
The Virtual 5K gives you time to contemplate the event and your own convictions.Activity: Run or walk. Record your time. Prizes: $200 Fastest times. And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.
Meaningful Service
Providing service is a way to show your gratitude and build your charitable heart.Activity: Provide service and report.Prizes: $200 Random picks.When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.
Read a Good Book
Reading good books provides you with knowledge and wisdom. Activity: Read a book. Share your report. Prizes: $200 Random picks. Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom.
Photo or Art
The earth is amazingly beautiful. Capture a photo or create some art of your own sacred grove. Activity: Take a photo or create some art. Share it. Prizes: $200 Judging committee It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day
Short Story or Poem
Committing thoughts to words to bring understanding and enlightenment. Activity: Write your short story. Share it. Prizes: $200 Judging committee Proverb: A brief moral saying or counsel
Music
Music reaches the soul, matching the beats of a grateful heart. Activity: Perform music and share it. Prizes: $200 Judging committee For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me.
Family History
Know family history, know thyself. Know thyself, know God. Activity: Do family history. Report it. Prizes: $200 Random picks. A day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another
Food
Food is the celebration of life, bringing people from the world to the table to rejoice. Activity: Create your own recipe. Share it. Prizes: $200 Judging committee And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the dchildren, and the heart of the children to their fathers
(The picture inside Chalk the Walk is Elder Ballard in2013 as he chalked the beginning of Joseph’s Miracle Run.)
Elder Ballard holding a stick with chalk to draw the line to begin the Children’s Run and Joseph’s Miracle Run
Congratulations to eleven-year-old, Wesley of Provo, Utah for his First-Place Winning drawing in our Chalk the Walk contest. He put in his personality into the work and managed successfully to work around a couple of flaws in the pavement. They ran out of chalk and the stores were out so they had to order some online.Lottie is the second place winner. She is eleven and said, “This art project is to symbolize the pathway to my own sacred grove, -my home- where I can feel and recognize the spirit.”Carter (age 7), Madilyn (age 5) and Abigail (age 3) recieved third place and wanted to show their personal vision of the first vision. These three are the youngest participants. They also used # gotothegrove5k.Dave and Miranda Montijo had the smartest project. Miranda said, “My husband knows I love sunflowers so he decided to get a picture of a sunflower off the internet, do mathematical calculations to get plot points, and then recreate the picture with those plot points so we could draw and chalk a 30 foot diameter Sunflower in our court.”The family favorite. Ashley, Sarah, Anna, Emily, and Mary Jensen said they “LOVE playing games as a family!
Monopoly is one of our favorites! We spent the afternoon drawing and coloring, listening to music and eating snacks! We ran out of black and white chalk so we used burned bits of wood from our fire pit for black and scraps of sheet rock to fill in for white. It worked great!
This chalk art is brought to you by the girls in the family…the boys were teasing so they got kicked off the project! 😁”Zachary (age 9) was one of the children who had to wait to find chalk. He did a great job maintaining the theme of Go to the Grove.Riley (age 9).Cameron is 9 years old. Cameron is really looking forward to seeing the Sacred Grove for the first time at the Smith Reunion 2020.
