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The SIXTH DAY of Christmas, many went with
the Vermont trip conducted by George Albert Smith.

Congrats to 6th Day drawing winner, Cecily Jenkins, who won a set of Christmas cards depicting the Nauvoo Mansion house at Christmas!

Pres. George Albert Smith (a member of the 12 at the time) was asked to take care of all logistics for a trip to Vermont marking the 100th anniversary of Prophet Joseph Smith’s birth where a monument was to be unveiled.  See the entire story below.

“Elder Smith received an unusual and rewarding assignment. He and Lucy were invited by the president of the Church to accompany a group from Salt Lake City to Windsor County, Vermont, where a monument honoring Joseph Smith was to be unveiled and dedicated on December 23, 1905, the hundredth anniversary of the Prophet’s birth. The party consisted of Church leaders and their companions, including the other members of the Smith family who were General Authorities. Since George Albert was the junior member of the clan in length of service, he was appointed to supervise all physical arrangements before and during the trip.

His task was simplified by chartering several Pullman cars, which avoided the inconvenience of checking and transferring baggage. His main duty, therefore, was to see that the pantry on board was well stocked with provisions and to oversee the work of two porters, Seth Young and Bud Price, who had been assigned by the railroad to prepare and serve the meals and to take care of the other personal needs of the passengers.

The train left the Salt Lake City depot on December 19 for the three-day transcontinental trip. En route, the party followed a relaxed routine. Singing, visiting, sight-seeing, and religious discussions were interspersed with checker playing, President Joseph F. Smith’s favorite diversion.

On December 22, the party arrived at South Royalton, where it found a typical white and frigid Vermont winter. Horse-drawn sleighs took the travelers to nearby Tunbridge, where they were able to check the town records for genealogical data about the Smith and Mack families before attending an evening reception at the quaint Tunbridge hotel. Here they were welcomed by civic officials and assorted residents who were curious to meet the leaders of the Church whose founder had bestowed such vicarious fame on their community. For months they had watched with interest as the 38 1/2-foot granite shaft had been put in place on the old Solomon Mack farm. It marked the site where Joseph Smith was born a hundred years before, and its height was symbolic of his short but action-filled life span of 38 1/2 years.

Early on December 23, the visitors, whose breathing etched miniature clouds on the icy air, loaded into sleighs to be driven to the farm site. There, in brief services, the monument, standing stark and tall against the rock-ribbed Vermont hills, was dedicated in memory of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

In returning home, the party stopped in Massachusetts so the Smith clan could trace and savor their family roots. At Topsfield, they visited the ancestral home of Asael Smith, the father of Joseph Smith, Sr., and Uncle John. At the town cemetery, they paid homage at the gravesite of Robert Smith, the first member of the clan to reach American soil. There they also found a monument erected in 1873 to the memory of Robert Smith and the first and second Samuel Smith. What unexpected distinction had come to the progeny of these three who bore such an undistinguished name!

From Massachusetts the chartered train traveled to Palmyra, New York, where the passengers visited the farm once owned by Joseph Smith, Sr., whose son and namesake had received the remarkable vision that opened the drama of the Restoration. A meeting was later held at the nearby Hill Cumorah, where President Joseph F. Smith offered a prayer of gratitude and benediction. Contacts made during this visit with Avery Chapman, the owner of the Joseph Smith, Sr., farm, and Pliny T. Sexton, the owner of the Hill Cumorah, culminated eventually in the Church’s purchase of both of these historic properties. George Albert Smith would later play a key role in these acquisitions.

The last stop on the traveler’s itinerary was at Kirtland, Ohio, where they visited the temple and the homes of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. Four days later, on December 31, as they sped across the plains of Nebraska, the travelers held a service aboard the chartered train. Each member of the party bore testimony about the reality and goodness of God and the joys of the trip then coming to an end. Following this meeting, “a resolution was passed,” wrote George Albert in his diary, “thanking me for my care in looking after the party. It was signed by every member of the party.” Elder Smith’s official duties ended the following day when, after seeing that his friends were safely off the train with their luggage he tipped the porters thirty dollars each for their attentive service.”

Taken from:  Francis M. Gibbons, George Albert Smith: Kind and Caring Christian, Prophet of God [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1990], 51 - 52.

With warm thanks for your patronage & sincere wishes for a happy holiday season, we present to you 25 days of Christmas Past!

Get into the spirit of Christmas and be entered into our drawings to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend our 7 day Missouri to Nauvoo to Winter Quarters Church History Tour, as well as other fabulous prizes.  Keep this grand prize for yourself or give it to someone else for Christmas.  This tour travels during the incredible Nauvoo Pageant, some of the most delightful Pioneer entertainment imaginable!

All you have to do is “like” us on Facebook and your name will automatically be put into the Grand Prize Tour drawing.  Then to increase your chances of winning this incredible trip, and to put your name into our daily prize drawings, “follow” us on our Facebook page from November 29th - Dec 23rd.  Each day a question regarding something from Church History’s Christmas Past will be posted - anything from hymns to accounts about prominent church history individuals.  For those who do not have a facebook account and are not interested in setting one up, you can comment your answer on our blog under each day’s post.

Each day that you answer our Christmas Past post, your name will be entered into our grand prize drawing and all those with the correct daily answer will be put into a separate drawing for holiday prizes awarded each day.  “Sharing” our posts with others will earn you another grand prize daily entry.  Answers and the daily winner will be posted on our Facebook page the following morning before the next question is listed.  The accounts behind our Christmas Past answers will be found on our blog.  See below for more information and rules.

Click on this link http://www.mormonheritage.com/ to see our blog and to join us now on Facebook!

Our hope is that this activity will help us all to slow down to appreciate the Christmases of simpler times, learn something new to inspire us this holiday season, and to thank you for another wonderful year.  Joining us on Facebook and following our blog will continue to benefit you as you will continue to receive inspirational thoughts and can stay informed of all our latest tour information (we are planning some exciting things for 2012!).  Tell all your family and friends about this unique way to spend this holiday season.

We wish you a very Merry CHRISTmas!
MHA Staff and Guides

25 days of Christmas Past Rules:
Everyone who has “liked” us on our Facebook page will automatically be entered into the grand prize drawing to be held on the evening of Dec 23, 2011.  One additional entry per person per day will be entered into the grand prize drawing for posting a “comment” regardless of multiple daily comments.  A second grand prize entry per person each day will be entered for a “share” of our post on your own Facebook profile.  There is potential of receiving a total of 51 entries per person for liking then sharing, and commenting each day.  Daily prize winners and grand prize winner need to provide their address for mailing their prize OR prizes could be picked it up at MHA offices Mon-Thu 10am-2pm or by arrangement.  MHA ensures privacy with all contact information.  Grand prize is one seat on MHA tour M71 - Missouri to Nauvoo to Winter Quarters July 21-27, 2012 and includes one person’s roundtrip air transportation from Salt Lake City (or equivalent airfare from another city) with all taxes & fees as quoted at booking, all meals (except any at the airport), lodging, deluxe charter bus, tickets to scheduled events, and expert MHA guide services (bus driver tip and possible air fuel surcharges not included).  Daily prizes will be announced when drawing winner is posted each morning.  You must be 18 years or older to enter.

Daily prize drawings are valued at $5-$20 or more; Grand prize valued at $1540, $1365, $1275, or $1235 depending upon occupancy (single, double, triple, or quad, respectively).  Grand prize winner has option of rooming with additional people of own choosing and final value of winner’s prize is determined by how many room together (any difference due to occupancy cannot be applied toward other travelers). Prize winner is subject to any applicable state, local, and federal taxes as well as laws governing the United States and the State of Utah.  Grand prize winner is required to submit information for tax purposes (W-9); failure to provide this information will result in forfeiture of prize.  MHA employees not eligible.  Entries must be received by 7pm MST daily for elibility.  We can’t be responsible for any computer, online, telephone, or technical malfunctions that may prevent or postpone your entry’s receipt. Your entry will become our property once we receive it, and it will not be returned in any format. Your odds of winning a prize on any contest day will depend on the number of eligible entries received that day.  By entering, you agree to abide by the terms of these official rules and by the decisions we make regarding this contest, which are final and binding on all matters. If you do not agree to that, please do not enter.  By entering, you grant us the right to use and publish your name online, in print, and in any other media in connection with the contest. You also grant us the right to use your name for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation, unless this is prohibited by law.

Entrant’s release: By entering, you agree in advance to release and hold harmless us (Mormon Heritage Association) and our subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agents from any and all liability or any injuries, loss, or damage of any kind arising from, or in connection with, this contest or any prize won.  Should this contest be terminated prior to the end of the Entry Period, which we may do at our sole discretion, a notice will be posted on www.mormonheritage.com.

We are required by IRS Circular 230 to tell you that neither these rules nor any other communication regarding this giveaway is written or communicated for the purpose of helping you avoid any penalties that may be imposed by federal tax law, and neither you nor any other affected taxpayer may use them that way.

Jurisdiction and Venue: Utah law applies to this contest. Void where prohibited for any reason. All disputes resulting in legal action shall be resolved in the courts of Salt Lake County, state of Utah and Entrant consents to the exclusive jurisdiction of those courts. Should MHA find it necessary to seek legal assistance to enforce its rights, its damages, if any, shall include its reasonable legal expenses and fees.

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to disqualify anyone who tampers with the entry process, and to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the contest if anything required for its conduct should malfunction or be deemed illegal.

We assume no responsibility for anything that happens outside of our control to delay or prevent your entry, and we assume no responsibility for anything within our control that delays or prevents your entry except where by the exercise of ordinary care we could have kept it from happening or promptly corrected it.Winners’ list: For a list of winners, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Mormon Heritage Association, 1840 Moormont Dr, SLC UT 84117, Attn. Christmas Past Contest. Requests received after one month following the contest’s end will not be filled.

The sponsor: This contest is sponsored by Mormon Heritage Association, 1840 Moormont Dr, SLC UT 84117.

Big news regarding our September 19-30 2011 Grand Tour!  A few seats have become available for this exciting tour visiting sites from Palmyra to Kirtland with Missouri to Nauvoo to Winter Quarters.  Seats are first-come, first-served with payment. 
Call our office 801-272-5601 for current air pricing and options (as always, the sooner the better!). 

You won’t want to miss out on this unique opportunity to visit these sites with expert hosts who love this history and share it in a most inspiring way.  The world is changing almost daily and we’ll discuss great, prophetic events that will shortly take place at these incredible sites.  WE HOPE YOU CAN JOIN US!

June 12, 1831 – John Whitmer, called as Church historian, begins to write a history of the Church he calls the Book of John Whitmer.

June 1839 - The first house erected by the Saints in Commerce was raised by Theodore Turley.

June 12, 1847 – The advance part of pioneers reached the North Platte River crossing about four hours ahead of a wagon party of Missourians heading west.  They built a raft and made some good money by ferrying the Missourians across the river.

June 12, 1983 – The first stake in Fuji is organized at Suva.

Garden Tomb

In celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, this Easter Sunday - THE GARDEN TOMB & Resurrection Garden; GOLGOTHA

A beautiful & peaceful garden shielded by buildings and a steep escarpment from the noisy and vigorous city all around.  Located a short block north of the Damascus Gate on the Nablus road, was discovered in 1895 by General Gordon while walking along the old city wall.  General Gordon first noticed the distinctive skull features of Golgotha, the garden was subsequently discovered.  A large in-ground water cistern and a wine press have also been found.  These items suggest the ancient use of this property as a garden.  Inside the area, is a chiseled-out tomb.  Jewish tombs were often composed of two chambers; the first served as a vestibule, and in it the relatives congregated to mourn for the dead; in the second, on a shelf cut into the rock, the corpse was laid.  The entrance to the monument was closed by a round massive slab, like a millstone, which rolled in a grove.
•    Jesus was buried in a garden (Matt. 27:57-66; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:41-42)
•    Jesus’ tomb was guarded (Matt 27:62-66)
•    “Who shall roll us away the stone….?”  (Mark 16:3-4)
•    Mary Magdalene saw the resurrected Christ in the garden (Mark 16:9; John 20:11-18)
•    Peter and John raced to the garden (Luke 24:12; John 20:1-4)
•    Jesus was resurrected (Matt. 28:1-15; Mark 16:1-11; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18)
•    Nephi prophesied Jesus’ entombment (2 Nephi 25:13)
•    Jesus was resurrected (2 Nephi 25:13; Ether 12:7; D&C 20:23)

In this garden, the Jerusalem Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized in September 1972 by President Harold B. Lee, with David B. Galbraith as the first president of the branch.  Of his visit to the Garden Tomb, President Lee said, “something seemed to impress us as we stood there that this was the holiest place of all, and we fancied we could have witnessed the dramatic scene that took place there” (The Ensign, April 1972, p. 6).  [DWB p. 62.]

Today, the site is owned and operated by an association group of churches from Britain.  The land was purchased “that it might be kept sacred as a quiet spot.”  Since then, the Garden Tomb Association has been proclaiming the very heart of the Christian faith, the dying and living of the Lord Jesus Christ.  A door has been hung in recent years at the entrance to the tomb and carries a sign inscribed with a verse from the Bible that touches the heart of Christ’s Gospel: He is not here, for He is risen…

Oxford

Oxford is the site where many of the Bible Translators studied, and did actual work of translation.  One significant Bible translator and martyr, William Tyndale, was educated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford (now part of Hertford College, Oxford).  Tyndale was admitted to the Degree of Bachelor of Arts at Oxford University in 1512, the same year he became a subdeacon. He was made Master of Arts in July 1515, three months after he had been ordained into the priesthood. The MA degree allowed him to start studying theology, but the official course did not include the study of scripture. This horrified Tyndale, and he organized private groups for teaching and discussing the scriptures.

In celebration of the 400th anniversary of the publication of King James Bible, the Bodleian Library of Oxford is holding an amazing exhibition honoring the various individuals who contributed to its translation.

Highlights of the Oxford Bible Exhibition include:

• the sixteenth-century Bibles used in the making of the KJB ( such as the ‘Great’ Bible (1539), the Bishops’ Bible (1568), the Geneva Bible (1576) and Douai-Rheims (1582));
• an Old English manuscript with verse renderings of Genesis and Exodus;
• surviving leaves from Tyndale’s translation of the Pentateuch or five books of Moses (1530);
• a velvet bound Bishops’ Bible that belonged to Queen Elizabeth I (1568);
• a 1602 Bishops’ Bible annotated by some of the translators of the King James Bible;
• a copy of the 1611 King James Bible owned by James’ son Prince Henry;
• contemporary copies of the working notes of John Boys, one of the Cambridge translators;
• reference works from the libraries of John Rainolds and Henry Savile used for the translation, and more.

A Martyrs’ Memorial is also located in Oxford and commemorates the 16th-century “Oxford Martyrs”.
The actual site of the execution is close by in Broad Street, located just outside the location of the old city walls. The site is marked by a cross sunk in the road.

For more information about other amazing Bible Translator sites, visit our England & Wale’s 400th Bible Commemoration Tour Page.

Liverpool was England’s chief port and also the port of embarkation through which practically every emigrant from England passed. Over a hundred thousand Saints sailed from Liverpool to gather in Zion.  Situated on the east bank of the Mersey River, it was the exporting harbor for all the rest of Lancashire, the center of British manufacturing.

Elders John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff and Theodore Turley, the first of the Apostle missionaries to arrive in England, met in a special council Friday, January 17, 1840, with Joseph Fielding and Willard Richards of the presidency of the British Mission, and decided on their fields of labor. It was agreed that Elders Taylor and Fielding should go to Liverpool.  In Liverpool, Elder Taylor was the first LDS missionary to proselyte.  Elders Taylor and Fielding raised up a branch of about thirty members before the arrival from America of the other brethren of the twelve. This number rapidly increased and at the beginning of the year 1841 numbered more than two hundred souls. In March, 1842, the headquarters of the mission were transferred to Liverpool.

A few days after Christmas in 1840, Brigham Young  went on to Liverpool where he remained through most of January and February and where, in January, he completed indexing and publishing the Book of Mormon.

Tuesday, February 4, at 3:00 in the afternoon at the seashore was the time and place set for the first baptisms in Liverpool. Ten people were baptized that day in the chilly waters of the Irish Sea.

For more information visit our England Tour Page. Learn about the 400th Anniversary Bible Translation Commemoration.

January 29, 1839 (Tuesday) - The Elders met at Far West to complete measures for the removal of the poor from Missouri, and pledged themselves to assist each other until all were removed.

January 26, 1840 – The first preaching in Liverpool, England occurred by Elder John Taylor during the Apostolic Mission to England.

31 January 1844 (Wednesday) - The Prophet Joseph Smith contributed several books to the Nauvoo Library and Literary Institute for the Saints to increase their understanding.

January 1946 - Ezra Taft Benson is appointed president of European Mission.

January 1962 - Derek Alfred Cuthbert, first resident of the United Kingdom to be called as an LDS Church general authority while living in Britain, helped establish Deseret Enterprises, an agency that directed the distribution of materials for the LDS Church in Britain and on the European continent.

Far more amazing visions and miracles took place in Kirtland than all other LDS sites combined!  There is so much information that we have had to dedicate an entire tour to this area with Kirtland renowned expert Karl Ricks Anderson.  There is far too much information for one entry.  This week marks the anniversary of a very important vision that took place at the Kirtland Temple which will be this week’s highlight.  (See this weeks Glimpse of Past entry for more details)

Kirtland Temple

Kirtland was the first temple of the Church and was constructed 1833-1836, by just a few hundred poor saints under conditions of great sacrifice.  “For thou knowest that we have done this work through great tribulation; and out of our poverty we have given of our substance to build a house to thy name” (D&C 109:5).  There were tremendous manifestations of the Spirit during construction, at the dedication and thereafter.   Lorenzo Snow enumerated blessings received in the temple during this period:  There we had the gift of prophecy – the gift of tongues – the interpretation of tongues – visions and marvelous dreams were related – singing of heavenly choirs was heard, and wonderful manifestations of the healing power, through administrations of the Elders, were witnessed.  The sick were healed – the deaf made to hear – blind to see and the lame to walk, in very many instances.  It was plainly manifest that a sacred and divine influence – a spiritual atmosphere pervaded that holy edifice (KRA p 170).  On January 21, 1836, Joseph Smith, his father, the First Presidency, the presidency of the Church in Missouri, the bishoprics in Kirtland and Missouri, and the Prophet’s scribe, Warren Parish, saw a vision of the Father and the Son as is recorded in D&C 137.  In April 1836, Joseph and Oliver received Priesthood Keys from Moses, Elias, and Elijah (D&C 110).  Also, there were at least four visits from the Savior (KRA p 174).

For more information visit our Week in Kirtland Tour Page.

Part-time office help/computer programmer (Holladay UT area).  Expected 4-6 hours a day 4-5 days per week plus occasional evening meetings and airport send-offs/greetings (own transportation required).  The ideal responsible candidate will be very computer savvy with the ability to learn many things including a specific computer programming system requiring logical, sequential thinking.  Also required: general office knowledge and skills with friendly, competent customer service and ability to take direction and follow instructions.  Email resume and cover letter to info@mormonheritage.com.