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Saturday, July 14, 2012

In the Spring 2012 Smith Family Newsletter, Daniel Adams eloquently reminded the family, “When
Joseph Smith was still a young boy, Mother Smith had a remarkable dream: She saw two majestic trees in a meadow by a stream, one with a gold band of light around the trunk. A gentle breeze blew, and the golden tree bent gracefully and exulted with joy as it was filled with the wind. But the other tree would not bend. As she awoke, she saw that her husband and his brother were the trees, and that Joseph Sr. would be willing to listen and accept the gospel, but his brother would be stubborn.”

Daniel continued, “Trees hold a unique symbolism in our family; from Mother Smith’s dream, to clearing virgin farmland, to the Sacred Grove. Like trees, each of the Smiths stood out among men. They were tall, majestic people and lived larger than life. From the earliest days, it was always Joseph, Hyrum, Samuel, etc. who uplifted and sustained everyone.”

In 2007, the Smith family gathered at Heber Valley Camp in the Lucy Mack Smith Campground and honored Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith by planting 11 trees one for each of their children. Over time the young trees were being eaten by the deer. A Boy Scout in an effort to save the trees from the deer placed chicken wire completely enclosing each tree. The heavy snow weighed down on the chicken wire and the young trees snapping the tops of each tree. This stunts the growth or kills the tree.

The family returned again on Saturday, July 14, 2012 to replace each tree with an 8 foot Concolor pine tree. These trees are drought resistant, deer resistant, and established a little more. After working through one of the camp Forrester’s, Brother Robert Riddle, a new location was picked to increase the chance of survival of these trees. The trees now grace the slope on the way to the challenge course by Lucy Mack Smith’s Campground.

What family could show how to come through great challenges better than the Smith’s.

A plaque was also to be placed in 2007. The funds were not completely available at that time. This year we placed a plaque to honor Joseph and Lucy with their children that matches the camp signs. We were given wonderful help through Sister Ruth Jarvis who directed us to Michael Hamilton working with the Curriculum Graphics Division—Signage for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His help and work produced the plaque to help us honor the family.

Earlier in the week several missionaries at the Heber Valley Camp dug the holes for our eleven trees. The bulk of the digging was provided by Elder Boyce who used his expertise with a back hoe, but so many of the camp missionaries delivered service in our efforts.

Friday, July 13, 2012 at 1:45, Frances Orton and her son Sterling, met Glover Nursery at the camp for all 11 eight foot trees and supplies to be delivered. The wonderful camp missionaries also greeted the trees and began helping move the trees into place.

Commemorative Lunch

Bob Smith with the Samuel Family provided the following background on the last dinner held as a group before some of the Smith Family moved West. This was for the funeral of Caroline Smith the wife of William Smith. Bob tried to find a record of what the family ate for that meal. He did learn that Isaac Manning provided watermelon for the lunch and Emma made scones on the occasion for dessert.

Smith Family Tree Event Program

Glipses of the Children:
Joseph Smith Sr. – Don Lee
Lucy Mack Smith – Janet Frogley
ALVIN – Reading: Ethan Denney
HYRUM – Reading: John W. Smith
SOPHRONIA – Reading: Maria Kettenring
JOSEPH JR – Reading: Michael Kennedy
SAMUEL H. – Reading: Bob Smith
WILLIAM – Reading: Uriah Kennedy
CATHERINE – Reading: Lori Denney
DON CARLOS – Reading: Matthew Maddox
LUCY Reading – Cassie Young

The Children Helping hold pictures in the meeting:
ALVIN – Austin Denney
HYRUM – Austin Denney
SOPHRONIA – Kameryn Grose
JOSEPH JR – Austin Denney
SAMUEL H. – Nathaniel Kettenring
EPHRAIM – Ethan Park
WILLIAM – Samuel Kennedy
CATHERINE – Olivia Denney
DON CARLOS – Alexander Harris
LUCY – Elliana Kennedy

A message was sent to the family from Elder Ballard and read by Craig Frogley.

Elder Ballard – Message, Heber Valley Camp
I express my greetings and love to each of you as you gather to celebrate Joseph Smith Sr.’s 241st Birthday at Lucy Mack Smith’s Pavilion in the beautiful Heber Valley Camp. How pleased and happy Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith would be to see their posterity gather and plant these eleven trees, each in the name of one of their children. What a wonderful way to honor these noble ancestors who gave everything they had to establish our family and the Church. Your children for generations will come here and be reminded of who they are.

In a sense, these trees, planted together, also symbolize the unity of the Smith family. This family stood unitedly together. Through slander, opposition and persecution, they stood as one. Joseph Smith’s mission, given to him by God and Jesus Christ in the Sacred Grove, also became a mission for each of the children memorialized by these trees you are planting today. Their mission should also become a mission for each of us. We must build that same unity, love and strength within our family. That was the desire of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith.

One of the great quests that all of us have is to build this family unity so that we will stand together in that day when we will all be together in the presence of our wonderful great, great grandparents and others of our family members.

We must continue to find ways to pass our family legacy down to each child in each generation so that our heritage never dies. To you youth who are here today, I say, “Learn about your ancestors and the great Smith legacy they have left you.” To parents I say, “Teach your children and your grandchildren about their ancestors and their faith, courage and determination to firmly establish the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

“I express my deep love for each of you and thank you all for what you are doing to honor the names of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith and each of their children here at this beautiful Heber Valley Camp. May God bless and be with you all.”

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Joy Ercanbrack gave announcements about the children’s booklet

Musical numbers—Serenity Blue and Old, Old Path by Kim Smith & Bryan Davis—
www.ldsgenerations.com

Closing Prayer – Stephen Quinn

One of the highlights was listening to music provided by Kim Smith and Bryan Davis. They performed one number Kim wrote called Serenity Blue. It speaks of Lucy’s having lost her sons yet realizing their work has only just begun. The emphasis of the song is though there is pain and loss at times, those sacrifices are consecrated unto the work of the Lord, also that the Fullness of the Gospel is true. It was touching and spoke so clear to the hearts of those in attendance.

During the last number Kim asked the family if anyone had ever sung the song Old, Old Path. Mark & Lisa Denney who had driven out from Missouri had sung this song many times and joined with Kim and Bryan singing this piece. What a great memory and blend of voices was a beautiful surprise.

Old Old Path was written by Joseph and Emma’s granddaughter Vida. Kim sent on the story below about that song and it is very beautifully stirring.

On a summer Sabbath morn in 1903, Vida Elizabeth Smith heard the bell atop the Old Brick Church at Lamoni, Iowa, pealing its call to the Saints to come to worship. She was unaware that the Lord had chosen that very day to use her to assist in bestowing a gift of song upon the Saints of His Church. That song about an old, old path is as “strangely sweet” to the Saints now as it was when it was first published ninety years ago.

It must have been a busy morning in the Smith home, for Vida was the wife of Apostle Heman C. Smith, who was also the Church historian. The couple’s devotion to the Church was deep and genuine. She was a granddaughter of Joseph and Emma Smith, and the daughter of Alexander Smith, the presiding patriarch of the Church. Heman was a grandson of Apostle Lyman Wight, an apostle at the time of Joseph’s martyrdom. Among Vida’s many responsibilities during the summer of 1903, was the
teaching of the primary Sunday school class, and the serving on a committee which was preparing a hymnbook for the Church’s Sunday schools. Vida was thirty-eight years old and the mother of four active children, ranging in age from ten to sixteen years.

No doubt Vida was well prepared to teach the primary class when she entered the Old Brick Church. The record states that the day was hot, and at the end of the class Vida was weary. Her classroom was in the basement and was poorly ventilated. She very likely had a large class, since the worship sanctuary in the church had a seating capacity of five hundred and all seats were usually filled for Sunday morning services. She must have struggled to teach the uncomfortable primary pupils. But whatever happened in that classroom to cause her weariness, the Lord was about to give her an outstanding gift—one that she would always give Him the honor for bestowing by inspiration. History states of Vida’s experience:

It was a hot day, and she wearily picked up the materials and put them away. When she had finished, she felt tired and was only too glad to climb the steps to the upper auditorium. A breeze blew through the window as she passed before it and saw her friends coming up the green pathway to the open church door. A feeling of security and warmth swept over her as she took her usual seat and the service began. The choir sang, and someone offered the opening prayer. Then the minister read a text from the Scripture and spoke of finding old paths and walking in them. (Georgia Metcalf Stewart, How The Church Grew [Independence, Missouri: Herald Publishing House, 1958], 273)

The name of the minister has so far eluded researchers; however it is known that for his scriptural text he read Jeremiah 6:16. Vida listened as he read, “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.”

Suddenly she felt a change come upon her tired body as the Spirit touched her. She later testified: He [the minister] soon faded from my realization as my eyes rested on the swaying branches of the trees outside and the soft clouds against the blue sky, and I felt the nearness of congenial friends. I felt at home in the house of God and I felt at ease before his mercy seat. The glory of the message of the ancient prophet [Jeremiah] flooded my soul and opening my quarterly I wrote on the fly-leaf the words of the song which would become known as, “The Old, Old Path”]

Vida wrote these words on the flyleaf of her quarterly:

There’s an old, old path
Where the sun shines thro’
Life’s dark storm clouds
From its home of blue.

Refrain:
In this old, old path
Made strangely sweet
By the touch divine,
Of His blessed feet.

Find the old, old path,
‘Twill be ever new,
For the Savior walks
All the way with you.

In this old, old path
Are my friends most dear,
And I walk with them,
With the angels near.

‘Tis an old, old path,
Shadowed vales between,
Yet I fearless walk
With the Nazarene.

That evening Vida gave a copy to her cousin, Audentia Anderson, who was also a member of the hymnbook committee. She, too, was a granddaughter of Joseph and Emma and a daughter of the Prophet Joseph Smith III and Bertha Madison Smith. She was thirty-one years of age and the mother of three children, the youngest just a few months old. She had studied piano, organ, voice, harmony, and music composition. Audentia was gifted with many talents. She took the words Vida had written and set them to music. A few nights later the five members of the committee met at Vida’s home. Audentia went to Vida’s organ and played the tune and sang the words which would become a favorite to many throughout the following generations.

If we are to remain on the old path, we must heed the words of the Prophet Jeremiah—and come what may, “Stand in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and … find rest for… [our] souls.”

Kim and Bryan gave one copy of their CD – The Smith Family – The Journey to each family at the event. This was a generous gesture that brought tears to eyes. Kim and Bryan have their music available at their website: www.ldsgenerations.com.

Smith Family Tree Event Time Capsule

A week or so before the event family members sent on messages to be included in the family time capsule. Many wrote messages to include during this gathering. These gold colored time capsules hold some important thoughts and feelings that will be opened as part of a family night on July 11, 2022.

Everyone was asked to fill out the below form and include it with their time capsule. All were asked to
take a picture of their family standing by the tree they planted so they could see the growth in themselves and the tree in 10 years. There was a lot of excitement as each family member chose from three types of pine tree seedlings.