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Scholarship 2023 – 1st Place

Chloe Isom “Cricket”
755 S Main St. Suite 4-337
Cedar City, UT
cricketreads@1beckyjsmithgmail-com
Brigham Young University

Slam Poem “Related” (video and written copy)

The Smith family are largely known for Jospeh Smith’s role in bringing about the
Restoration of the gospel in full. Because of the miraculous and impactful nature of his work and accomplishments, his and his family’s lives are elevated to illustrious and almost mythic proportions. As a consequence, it can sometimes feel like they are more heroes from stories than real people. While reading and contemplating about their family as a whole, I was struck with how many relatable experiences they did have in between and interwoven with what they were called to do; mainly, the trials and struggles they faced that were not only unique to their position, but are still relevant to what we face today. With this understanding, I have felt a closer connection to them and a desire to follow their examples of endurance and integrity through hardship.

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Scholarship 2023 – 2nd Place

David Pinegar Jr
176 Twin Brook Road
Chesterfield, New Hampshire
davidothesecond@gmail.com
Keene High School

A musical arrangement

I have formed a medley arranged for a full orchestra. Complete sheet music and a recording was submitted.

“The selection of this particular work comes from my respect for Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith’s family. They consistently, throughout the raising of their family, taught their children to believe. This principle of teaching faith is one that is so important in our world today, especially given the advances of the adversary in leading youth away from the priorities that matter most. Referring to the Ammonite stripling warriors, in Alma 57:26, it reads, “And we do justly ascribe [their preservation] to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe.” The Smith family’s devoted teaching of faith provided the setting for the Prophet of the Restoration, Joseph Smith, to be preserved.

This medley of hymns is meant a tribute to the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in His Atonement and an homage to Joseph Smith, who “has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it” (D&C 135:3). Like the Smith family, I have always believed in the importance of teaching faith and teaching to believe. As a result, I will be serving a mission this coming July, in the Buenos Aires Argentina South Mission. As I prepare for this, I try to find more and more opportunities to teach others about what I know and believe. Particularly through music, I am able to teach others about my faith in Christ.”

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Scholarship 2023 – 3rd Place

Jeannette Baird
1024 E Golden Ct
Spokane Washington
gobaird@msn.com
Brigham Young University
Service Through Music – Inspired by Lucy Mack Smith

She learned how to serve others by studying Lucy Mack Smith’s life. Jeannette used her musical skills to serve in the community nursing homes. She also raised proceeds through service donating to local charities. She learned she can use her skills to bring her community together.

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The Joseph Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith Newsletter Goes Paperless

For years, the Joseph Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith Family Organization has provided a hard-copy newsletter with information related to the descendants and friends of Joseph Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith. Now a digital copy is available. This helps us to stay connected, save trees and reduce printing costs.

To go paperless, please subscribe for future email newsletters by clicking on the button below.

SUBSCRIBE
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Plans for 2023 Dig

TIMES AND SEASONS BUILDING

We had great success with last year’s dig (2022) in exploring more of the Times and Seasons printing office location. We were able to identify the steps that lead to the basement entry. This discovery is crucial once we begin reconstruction to restore the building. Additionally, type from the printing press and glass from the windows of the building were uncovered.

What we hope to discover and excavate this year is more of the foundation of the building. It would also be helpful to find the privy because it is a treasure trove of artifacts.

The Times and Seasons printing office housed the printing press that was used to print the Times and Seasons periodical— an important source of information to the early settlers of Nauvoo and the surrounding area. Issues were published at least monthly from November 1839 to February 1846. The motto of the paper was “Truth will prevail.”

Editors included Ebenezer Robinson, Don Carlos Smith, Robert B. Thompson, Willard Richards, Joseph Smith, Jr., John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff.

We are looking forward to the participation of students from Western Illinois University Archaeological Department to this year’s dig. Their addition to the efforts of students from Brigham Young University and other volunteers will help make this dig even more productive. The idigNauvoo archaeological discoveries have only been made possible by the contributions of many volunteers throughout the past ten years.

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Smith Family Gardens — Phase II

PHASE II

This Spring (2023), Phase II of the creation of the Joseph Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith Family Garden has begun. Seedlings of heirloom flowers and vegetables have been chosen and germinated. Volunteers will begin planting as the temperature warms. Plants will be arranged using the three-sister gardening method developed in the 1800s. Some of the garden beds will use a rain garden elevation landscape. Vegetables were chosen based upon what was historically used by the early settlers of Nauvoo, Illinois.

Upon completion, the garden will be something that would make “Mother Smith” and all of the founding women of Nauvoo proud.

PHASE I

In August of 2022, with the combined efforts of many volunteers — most of which were attendees of the Joseph Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith Family Reunion — Phase I was completed.

The construction process included building a spilt-log fence, and staining a picket fence that was then installed around the hotel wing of the Joseph and Emma Smith Mansion House.

PURPOSE

The garden is a tribute to the founding family of the restoration — Joseph Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith and their children. They, with many stalwart families transformed a swamp land into a city that was more like a “garden of gardens.”

The founding settlers loved this bustling haven and worked together to make it beautiful. They planted gardens and shared in its bounty.

 Joseph Smith Senior emphasized the importance of sustaining “family and friends.” It was a favorite motto of his. The purpose for building this garden is to promote that legacy of strengthening family, friends, and community.

DONATIONS

Through the ANS Legacy Foundation, donations can be made toward the Smith Family Gardens. The ANS Legacy foundation is a 501(3)(c) operational non-profit organization, and 100% of all donations go toward the project.

You can choose specific items to donate. There are also opportunities to volunteer at various times of the year. To learn how you can help with this project, click on our donations or volunteer link.

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200th Anniversary of Moroni’s Visit

Angel Moroni Giving the Plates to Joseph Smith by Jorge Cocco

200 years ago, 17-year-old Joseph Smith was under constant and severe persecution for claiming he had seen God and Jesus Christ—persecution intended to make him deny that vision or any heavenly manifestation— persecution which under any other circumstance would have closed the heavens! Yet in this very environment, young Joseph announced a second remarkable vision, one in which the promised messenger of the Lord had come to prepare the way for the long-prophesied restoration.

As is the pattern of restoration, this messenger quoted several Biblical prophecies and stated that they were beginning to be fulfilled, of angels appearing to men, old men having remarkable dreams, young men having glorious visions and power and truth coming to the earth once more!

This messenger called himself Moroni and spoke of a new book of scripture, its translation, and of Joseph’s role in this restoration. This visit was so critical that Moroni repeated it three times over the course of the night and again the next day.

Despite Hell’s intensifying fury, the heavens were forever opened, God stood revealed, and man could finally know his purpose and destiny! Moroni and other angelic visitors would now mentor Joseph as the restoration unfolded and which, as Moroni prophesied, is now filling the world.

Join Us
Thursday, September 21, 2023, for the Family Fireside
www.JosesphSmithSr.org

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Daguerreotype Discovery the Real Joseph Smith?

Isn’t it every child’s dream to discover a lost treasure that peeks into the past? Daniel Larsen may have done just that. In 1992 Larsen’s mother, Lois Smith Larsen, daughter of Frederick Madison Smith, RLDS Church President, and son of Joseph Smith III, bequeathed him some family heirlooms. One was a pocket watch with a Joseph Smith III monogram. The second was a similar but smaller locket. The locket was gold plated, about 1 ½”, and had a jammed mechanism. He secured these in a safe for later perusal.

In 2020, he came across the keepsake items and grew curious. This time he forced open the locket and discovered a picture, a daguerreotype. Larsen said, “I looked at it and I looked at it and saw those eyes. I told my wife to come in and look at this. We looked at it and…almost at the same time said, ‘This is a photo of Joseph Smith.’” quoted from Trent Toone’s article “Does an image of Joseph Smith exist? What one descendant found in a forgotten family heirloom” in the Deseret News.

Dan Larsen then emailed a photo of the image to his nephew, Lachlan Mackay, avid historian and Community of Christ Apostle. Mackay shared the image with the Community of Christ historian and archivist Ron Romig, and they began to investigate the provenance and possibility that the daguerreotype could be the earliest image of Joseph Smith. They spent the next two years working to authenticate the daguerreotype before their public announcement.

To view details of the authentication process (expert analysis, historical research, facial recognition software, forensic artist & overlays and cutaways): and to see pictures, see:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVpwIOViIuw

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Topsfield Monument Dedicated 2022

“Never lose sight of those who laid the groundwork and built the paths that have led to light and truth that has now been available to those who would be willing to seek it and find it, embrace it and join it,” President Ballard said when he dedicated the monument in May 2022.

In 2020, the Ensign Peak Foundation* placed a 14,000 pound obelisk granite monument in the Pine Grove Cemetery in Topsfield, home to five generations of Smiths: Robert, a 14–year–old indentured servant who immigrated to America; Samuel, Samuel II, Asael, and Joseph Smith Sr.

In 1873 George A. Smith placed a monument honoring the two Samuels. The new monument updates and expands historical information.

Family members joined civic and religious leaders and friends at the dedication and attended the Topsfield Congregational Church.

*A private company dedicated to preserving and hallowing sacred sites.

newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-ballard-smith-monument-ministry-massachusetts