parting thought from kirkland...

driving to chicago to see the cubbies today, my thoughts drifted back to kirtland. you cannot help but be impressed by how the Lord put everyone in place... the harris's, whitmers, pratt's, whitney's, oliver, sidney rigdon, young's... all there with support, talent and the faith necessary to restore the church again.

my thoughts however went to emma and the calling and sacrafice she was asked to make. during their courtship she must have first questioned and then became convinced of joseph's calling to restore the church and become it's prophet seer and revelator. i doubt she had any idea of the sacrafices to come and the trials she would be asked to overcome. i think history may paint a poor picture of the women i hope to meet someday, and thank her for all she must have done which allowed Joseph to fulfill his calling... consider the things she had to endure;

- marriage to a man her parents forbade her to be with and all the anxiety and hurt that must have caused.
- the loss of her first 3 children, 2 at birth and one before the age of one.
- became the foster parents of the murdoch twins 9 days after losing her own... and then losing the baby boy to exposure shortly after her husband was pulled from their bed, tarred and featured then left for dead.
- the countless days and nights she worried and prayed for her husbands safety and deliverance.
- the countless days and nights she was left alone to tend to the house, children and affairs of the family while her husband was called upon to do the affairs of the church.
- the persecution she must have endured each time she walked through towns being the wife of the prophet.
- the doctrine of poligamy!!
- having to move from place to place, in support of the church, her husband and the community which followed
- learning to live on next to nothing and somehow making ends meet for her family and all who came to her door.
- the only time she was able to call a home her own was 3 short years in kirtland, living in borrowed rooms of her parents, her in laws, the whitney's, morleys, johnson's and the whitney's again before finally moving into a house of their own just south of the temple in kirtland. the rooms they called home for a majority of their married life were barely big enough to fit a double bed, yet that may have been her only sanctuary.
- was a hostess to thousands of visitors who sought the prophets time and attention
- she was a partner, wife, mother, creator of the first book of hymns, a scribe, a confidant and a living witness to the plates having been shown them by an angel... she may have murmured a bit, and in revelation was asked to repent and support her husband which she did faithfully until his death.

and much much more..

i have watched my wife and my mother, as well as other wives and mothers quietly & efficiently support their husbands... they are called upon to take care of the house, the kids, the cooking, the cleaning and the organization of a family... now that i've been home a bit, i can honestly say that i was the lucky one. my role as bread winner was a piece of cake compared to what karen accomplished on a daily basis while the kids were growing up. marriage is a partnership, we each have a role to play. one cannot be successful without the other. i am eternally grateful for karen... for her support, and unbelievable talents which allowed me be out of the home and chase my career goals.

in the garden of eden, it was determined adam needed a helpmate, a partner to be his equal and soul mate for his sojourn here on earth. learning a little more of the challenges the saints faced in the early days of the church, the burden which each was called to bear... especially the prophet, i know he could not have accomplished what he did without the Lord's help AND a worthy partner.

thank you emma and all the wives, we are worthless without you.

pictures from upper left to right;

-whitney's guest room where smiths stayed when first arriving in kirtland
-conference room above whitney store... revelations were recorded, guests were seated and hosted, next to small room where the school of the prophets was held.
- john johnson's farm, where smith's stayed for 1 year. this was the room Joseph was dragged from then tarred and featured

bottom row... left to right
- finally a home to call their own... just south of the kirtland temple
- historic sign outside the smith home in kirtland
- john johnson home... after joseph was tarred and featured he gave a sermon from the front porch the next morning, some of the mobsters from the night before were in attendence.