Posted by admin on Dec 5, 2017 in Christmas Past 2017, Uncategorized | 4 comments

  With warm thanks for your patronage & sincere wishes for a happy holiday season. Our 7th Annual Twelve Days of Pioneer Christmas PAST Just For You! Get into the spirit of Christmas and enter our giveaway drawings to win a !!FREE!! seat on our Missouri to Nauvoo to Winter Quarters Church History Tour  as well as exciting daily prizes!  Keep this grand prize for yourself or surprise someone special for Christmas. Winner will CHOOSE TRAVEL DATE:  June 23-29, 2018 OR July 28-Aug 3, 2018 enjoying amazing sites!  (June tour visits Carthage Jail on martyrdom date; July tour attends TWO incredible pageants –  BOTH the Nauvoo Pageant & Truth Will Prevail – British Pageant.) All you have to do is follow us on our Facebookpage or on ourwebsite blogfrom Dec 12th – Dec 23rd. We will post a thought every day regarding something from Church History’s Christmas Past – anything from hymns to accounts of the pioneers and others.  Each day when you comment to our Christmas Past post, your name will be entered into our grand prize drawing plus our additional mini daily drawing awarded each day. “Sharing” our Facebook posts with others will earn you another entry in the grand and daily prize drawings.  Answers and the daily winner will be posted on our Facebook page and website Blog the following morning before the next question is listed.  The accounts behind our ChristmasPast answers will be found here.  See below for more information and contest rules.If you haven’t already done so, join us now on Facebook!  It’s free! Here is the link to our Facebook Page-  http://www.facebook.com/Mormon-Heritage-Association-302320186624/?fref=ts    All new Facebook followers will receive an additional entry for joining our page profile (click on the “Like” box in the main cover photo).  Or participate on our webpage blog by Clicking on this link http://www.mormonheritage.com/blog.   Our hope is that this activity will help us all slow down and appreciate the Christmases of simpler times and learn something new to inspire us this holiday season.  Tell all your family and friends about this unique and festive way to remember our Mormon Heritage. Merry Christmas! Mormon Heritage Association Staff and Tour Guides  12 Days of Christmas Past Rules: You must be 18 years or older to enter and a resident of the United States or Canada.  Daily prizes will be announced when drawing winner is posted each morning.  Winners will be notified through Facebook unless other contact information is provided to or known by MHA.  Daily prize winners and grand prize winner must provide their address for mailing their prize OR prizes could be picked up at MHA office Mon-Fri 10am-3pm or by other arrangement.  If no response from winners to claim prize within 30 days, prize is null and void.  MHA ensures privacy with all contact information.  One entry per person per day will be entered into the Grand Prize drawing for posting a “comment” answering the daily question.  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 24 entries for the grand prize per person for sharing and commenting...

Posted by admin on Dec 22, 2016 in Christmas Past 2016, Uncategorized | 9 comments

On the 11th Day of Christmas Past, the question is to be – Question:  On Christmas time of 1905 (111 yeas ago today), where was Pres. Joseph F. Smith and why? To be entered into today’s daily giveaway & FREE tour drawing- Read the story; “Comment” & “Share” your answer on Facebook or our blog. “A Memorial to Joseph Smith in Vermont” Joseph F. Smith was ordained and set apart as President of the Church on October 17, early in 1905. At the request of President Joseph F. Smith and members of the first presidency, Junius F. Wells visited the farm once belonging to Solomon Mack.  This farm was in the townships of Sharon and Royalton, in Windsor County, Vermont.  Solomon was the grandfather of Joseph Smith, Jr. and it was on his homestead atop Dairy Hill that the Prophet was born to Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith on Monday, December 23, 1805. Through township records, interviews, and available historical sources, he was successful in purchasing the property and was authorized by the brethren to build a memorial cottage on the site of the original home. It was likewise agreed that he would commission the erection of a thirty eight and one half foot granite shaft with appropriate inscriptions to be dedicated and unveiled at that location on December 23, 1905, the 100th anniversary of the Prophet’s birth. Elder Wells completed his arduous task, the memorial shaft, still standing today, weighs forty tons and was set in place with great difficulty. A special road had to be built from the railroad to the site of the monument, and a specially constructed wagon transported the shaft to its resting place. President Joseph F. Smith and the centennial memorial party were greeted as they arrived at South Royalton, Vermont on December 22 (111 years ago today!). The group of thirty persons was comprised of Smith family members, general authorities, and other invited guests. During the services held the following day, December 23, in the Joseph Smith Memorial cottage, President Joseph F. Smith dedicated the home, the polished shaft of Vermont granite, and all appurtenances. The opening words of President Smith’s dedicatory prayer read, “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy most holy name. We thy servants and handmaidens representing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have gathered here to dedicate this monument to the memory of thy servant Joseph Smith, the great Prophet and Seer of the 19th century, who was born into the world near this spot on the 23rd day of December 1805, one hundred years ago.” President Smith and certain members of his party spent Christmas Eve in transit to Boston by way of the railroad. On Christmas Day, the Smith family members drove to Topsfield and Boxford, Massachusetts and there visited the home sites of Joseph Smith’s ancestors, including that of Joseph Smith,...

Posted by admin on Dec 17, 2016 in Christmas Past 2016, Uncategorized | 10 comments

On the 6th Day of Christmas Past, the question is to be – Question:  How did not getting the gift a young man wanted end up being an even better gift? To be entered into today’s daily giveaway & FREE tour drawing- Read the story; “Comment” & “Share” your answer on Facebook or our blog. “Christmas Eve 1881” Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving. It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn’t been enough money to buy me the rifle that I’d wanted for Christmas. We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so we could read in the Bible.  After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for Pa to get down the old Bible. I was still feeling sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn’t in much of a mood to read Scriptures. But Pa didn’t get the Bible, instead he bundled up again and went outside. I couldn’t figure it out because we had already done all the chores. I didn’t worry about it long though, I was too busy wallowing in self-pity. Soon Pa came back in. It was a cold clear night out and there was ice in his beard. “Come on, Matt,” he said. “Bundle up good, it’s cold out tonight.” I was really upset then. Not only wasn’t I getting the rifle for Christmas, now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for no earthly reason that I could see. We’d already done all the chores, and I couldn’t think of anything else that needed doing, especially not on a night like this. But I knew Pa was not very patient at one dragging one’s feet when he’d told them to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got my cap, coat, and mittens. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door to leave the house. Something was up, but I didn’t know what. Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the work team, already hitched to the big sled. Whatever it was we were going to do wasn’t going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell. We never hitched up this sled unless we were going to haul a big load. Pa was already up on the seat, reins in hand....