Dear Cousins!

We have a great program this year. Some wonderful Hawaiian saints, who “want to honor your Grandfather and his descendants for his lifelong efforts for the people of Hawaii”, are coming all the way from Hawaii to do just that!  Shannon and Kimo Kanekoa who run an LDS Historical Tours business on Maui and are faithful members of the LDS Church, thanks to Joseph F. Smith and others, have much to share in honor of our ancestor. They will talk about ancient Hawaiian religious traditions that correlate with the restored gospel. They will provide insights about the Iosepa (Joseph) colony in Skull Valley that Joseph F. Smith started and where descendants of those early Hawaiians still meet for “spirit-filled reunions”. We will hear about the Authentic Hawaiian Voyaging Canoe, built at BYU-Hawaii, and is named for Joseph F. (another Iosepa). We will hear from a young Hawaiian whose name means “The Keeper of the Record” after his great-great-grandfather, along with some Hawaiian genealogy of those who were first converted to the gospel by Joseph F. and those who accompanied him. The Kanekoas have arranged for the Utah Polynesian Choir to sing for us as well – in Hawaiian and English. Perhaps you thought you knew all about Joseph’s visits to Hawaii. Come and see if you can learn something new and amazing!

Don’t miss this reunion/birthday celebration/Family Home Evening! It will be on:

Monday, November 13, 2017
At the Monument Park Stake Center (1320 East Wasatch Drive)
Registration begins at 6:30 PM. Program will start promptly at 7:00 PM.

As always, we will honor our 8- and 12-year-old family members. They will be singing “We’ll Bring the World His Truth,” so remember to practice a little. The children’s program, for children ages 3-7, will be held in the Primary area of the building. Light refreshments will be served following the program.

Some family members have expressed an interest in a program for children older than our 3- to7-year-old group. If you have ideas for such a program, or would be interested in helping, please send your ideas to Julie Goodro, juliengoodro@hotmail.com  As Vivian McConkie, our Educational Outreach officer says, “I absolutely believe that the youth are the most important members of the family and that it is more important to reach them than anyone!”

For next year’s program, we are requesting any stories about Papa that you might have heard from your grandparents, parents, etc.  Email the stories ASAP to Andrea Black, abmomof6@gmail.com. Thank you!

Upcoming Joseph Smith, Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith Family Reunions

August 2-5, 2018 – in Salt Lake City, Utah
August 6-9, 2020 – in Palmyra, New York

For questions, contact Steve Orton, steve.ortonio@gmail.com, or Frances Orton, ortonfrances@gmail.com.

Please make a family donation so our reunion can continue to be an annual event. To make the reunion happen we research family names and addresses and send out nearly 5000 invitations each year. The money covers postage, refreshments, website domain renewal, sharing family history research, etc. Suggested donation is $10-$50 per household. You can make your donation at the reunion or through the website http://josephfsmith.org/. Last year, sadly, we did not receive enough to cover reunion expenses. Thank you for your contributions!

We hope you will be active participants in carrying on the Smith Family legacy by attending the reunion, helping to keep our family connected, by reporting updates to Data Stewards, and perhaps volunteering to help on a committee.

With love,

Julie Nichols Goodro
2017 Committee Chairman