Letter from the Board – October 1, 2018

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Dear Cousins,

We have a wonderful opportunity this year to learn a little more about our wonderful ancestor, Joseph F. Smith.  This year marks One Hundred Years since he received the revelation which became D&C 138.  In addition, it has been One Hundred Years since he passed away.  Please join us for a program celebrating what a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and man he was.  He was very loving and kind, and he so enjoyed his posterity.

Don’t miss our annual Reunion & birthday celebration FHE:

Monday, November 12, 2018
At the Monument Park Stake Center (1320 East Wasatch Drive)
Registration begins at 6:30 PM
Program starts 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 if you can.  The children’s program for children ages 3-7 will be held in the Primary area of the building.  In addition, there will be a program for children ages 8-12, which will be held after the 8- and 12-year=olds have sung and been honored.  They will be dismissed from the general meeting.  Light refreshments will also be served following the program.

Please make plans to attend the Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith Family Reunion in 2020. It will be held in Palmyra New York.  For questions, contact Steve Orton, steve.ortionio@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 $15-50 per household.  You can make your donation at the reunion or through the website http://josephfsmith.org/.  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 to data stewards, and perhaps volunteering to serve on a committee.

With love,

Andrea Patrick Black
2018 Reunion Committee Chairman

Letter from the Board – 10/01/2017

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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

Mary Bigg Ware King Personal History

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Mary began to feel that she was homeless, but the feeling did not remain, for she at once became personally acquainted with the Prophet Joseph Smith, and became a member of the household of Patriarch Hyrum Smith. She also became acquainted with many other noble men of Israel, and learned to love them for their goodness and integrity. In the Patriarch’s home she assisted in the household tasks, doing whatever there was to be done and caring for the children. In later years she often related little incidents connected with her life there. She remembered Joseph F. Smith, son of the Patriarch Hyrum Smith, and later a president of the church, as being a mischievous boy. Like some other boys he enjoyed pulling other children’s hair. One day when he had been playing his pranks she was forced to lock him inside the pantry. But he was not to be conquered in this manner, as his screaming and kicking on the door convinced her, so he was released and punished in another way.

Road to Carthage Marathon

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I am helping to publicize and promote a marathon run that honors the memory of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. It is being held on May 27th this year, which is Memorial day weekend. The run starts in Nauvoo, and ends … Continue reading →

Letter from the Board – October 2, 2016

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Dearest Cousins,

It is that time of year again when we have the privilege to come together to celebrate our heritage as descendants of Joseph F. Smith.  Please join us for the annual family reunion/birthday celebration/Family Home Evening on:

Monday, November 14th, 2016
at the Monument Park Stake Center (1320 East Wasatch Drive)
Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. and the program will start promptly at 7:00 p.m.

This year we will be privileged to hear from Michael F. Hemingway. Brother Hemingway is currently the Director of Proselyting for the Missionary Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He served as the mission president of the New York Rochester Mission from 2007 to 2010. Because of his service there, Brother Hemingway has a great knowledge of the Church historic sites in that part of the country. He will be sharing stories about the influence that Joseph F. Smith had in procuring many of the historic sites in the New York and Vermont areas.

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