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Family Fun Prize Winners

(The picture inside Chalk the Walk is Elder Ballard in 2013 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.
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Go to the Grove – Chalk the Walk

We are sharing some activities to help distract our family members from the COVID-19 news. Add some fun and lighten the day. One challenge: be the first person to determine what the image inside the below words “Chalk the Walk.” Email your guess to Steve Orton or Frances Orton.

We are excited to announce a new contest “Chalk the Walk” to celebrate with art the “Go to the Grove” theme. We invite you individually or as a group to decorate your sidewalks and driveways with chalk art. These “Go to the Grove” activities are to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the First Vision in our efforts to have Joseph’s name known for good. This contest is open to the public, so ask your family, neighbors, and friends to participate. Please follow the guidelines and directives of physical distancing as instructed by community leaders. Here are the details:

  • The contest is free and anyone that appreciates (or is interested in) the “Go to the Grove” activities can enter.
  • Enter to win up to $50 in prize money. We currently have $50 and other small prizes which will be for one winner or divided by up to five winners.
  • If you’re able, contact us about donating additional prize money.
  • Share photos and comments of you creating your artwork. Add the # Go to the Grove 5K.

  • Complete your chalk art project anytime between now and Saturday, April 25th
  • Submit your entry by Noon, Mountain Standard Time, Monday, April 27th
    http://chalk.gotothegrove.com.  
  • Winners will be announced on by Friday, April 30th.

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Virtual Go to the Grove 5K

For health and safety concerns we are making the 5K a virtual race. This new format is actually more fitting with the goal of “Go to the Grove” because we are celebrating the world-changing event that Joseph Smith made 200 years ago. He went to the grove by himself to ask a question. The answer has changed the world.

Each reunion year we are excited to do a service project that will help and improve the world we live in and have Joseph’s name known for good. This year, our project reflects our theme of the 2020 Vision Celebration. In honor of the miraculous event 200 years ago, we have chosen to donate to Vision Care. This organization helps “volunteer ophthalmologists assist medical care providers around the world with training and equipment to treat simple vision problems.” The Go to the Grove Virtual 5K raises funds that the Smith Family will donate to honor the good that began with Joseph Smith’s First Vision.

  • Register soon. We have extended the deadline to May 11. (http://gotothegrove.com/)
  • You will receive a t-shirt and a collector’s medal in the mail.
  • Run or walk a 5K whenever and wherever you can before October 2020.
  • Get someone to take a picture of you running or do a 5K selfie.
  • Record and report your time if you would like a chance at winning a prize.

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Smith Family Monument & Plaza Dedication

Topsfield, MA. – June 20, 2020


Topsfield Cemetery Smith Monument during a visit of Joseph F. Smith and family members
December 25, 1905
This monument was erected in memory of Robert Smith and also 1st and 2nd Samuel
By George A. Smith and other descendants in Utah

A new Smith monument and plaza is underway in Topsfield, Massachusetts. This unique and large endeavor at the Pine Grove Cemetery will include a monument similar to the Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial in Sharon, Vermont.


Congregational Church in Topsfield, Massachusetts –
Photos by Michael Nebeker

The monument has been developed by the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation through the Chair, Kim Wilson. This 2020 project celebrates the 200th anniversary year of the First Vision and the 400th anniversary year of the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock. The Smith Family Monument and plaza is a tribute to the Smith family who immigrated to Topsfield, Massachusetts. Five generations of Smith descents cherished the American dream and raised their families in the Topsfield community. They were actively involved in the Congregational Church and the community.

On the left: Joseph F. Smith visit to Robert Smith Home, 1905. On the right: Joseph F. Smith’s visit to home of Samuel Smith in Topsfield, MA.

President M. Russell Ballard is excited about the project and he is planning to perform the dedication. The dedication will take place on Saturday, June 20th, 2020 at the Topsfield Fairgrounds Arena. It is an exciting time for descendants of Robert Smith, the first Smith to immigrate to this country, to come together and to celebrate and learn an amazing part of the Smith family history. Space at the dedication will be limited.

If you would like to participate please click this link.


Partially installed granite sections – Photos by Rick Cochran

The construction of the site has begun. Like the Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial, Vermont granite is being used. The Topsfield Cemetery Commission approved a large plaza area encompassed by granite curbing, granite corner posts, the middle granite posts, four granite benches and decorative chain cordoning-off the plaza area. The new monument and the existing marker will be inside the curbed area with a long 300-foot handicapped accessible pathway from the parking area directly to the Smith Family Monument.

The approval of the project included a stipulation that the site work would begin in 2019. The polished granite memorial is expected to be installed by late March of 2020.


This photo was taken at the edge of the parking area looking towards the new Smith plaza and monument – Photo by Rick Cochran

Architectural rendering of the Smith Family Memorial

Mormon Historic Sites Foundation has asked that the family contribute toward the memorial. This is honoring the Smith family and we feel we should support it by contributing what you are able by pressing the green donate button and giving what you can.

This is a wonderful gift in honor of the Prophet’s birthday! It is exactly 214 years from his birth – Monday, December 23, 1805.

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Assassin shoots at young Joseph but hits the family cow

History of Joseph Smith by His Mother Lucy Mack Smith, p. 67-68

At the age of fourteen an incident occurred which alarmed us much, as we knew not the cause of it. Joseph being a remarkably quiet, well-disposed child, we did not suspect that any one had aught against him. He was out one evening on an errand, and, on returning home, as he was passing through the dooryard, a gun was fired across his pathway with the evident intention of shooting him. He sprang to the door much frightened. We immediately went in search of the assassin, but could find no trace of him that evening. The next morning we found his tracks under a wagon where he lay when he fired, and the following day we found the balls which were discharged from the gun, lodged in the head and neck of a cow that was standing opposite the wagon in a dark corner. We have not as yet discovered the man who made this attempt at murder, neither can we discover the cause thereof.