The Lord’s work: Hosts and Volunteers Combine to Bless the lives of the Posterity of Joseph and Emma Smith

My name is Sheri Bennett.  It has been my great privilege to serve as a volunteer assisting in some of the logistics to help gather the descendants of Joseph and Emma Smith during the 2007, 2009 and 2011 events sponsored by the Joseph Smith Jr. and Emma Hale Smith Historical Society.

I was drawn into this work after hearing Darcy and Michael Kennedy, descendants of Joseph and Emma Smith, share their story at a fireside in 2006. I loved hearing how the Lord found them, brought them into the gospel, and then called them to gather Joseph and Emma’s posterity.  During the fireside, Darcy shared how during the first reunion in 2005 held at BYU, they had arranged for out of town Smith family members to stay in the homes of Hyrum Smith’s descendants. She explained they didn’t want them going to a hotel room and losing the beautiful spirit they had felt all day during the reunion.  The results of the hosting by family members in the Salt Lake City area proved very beneficial in building family bonds among many cousins who had never met each other prior to the event.  It also brought about remarkable consequences which they could not have anticipated. Darcy explained that they were hoping for a similar situation in Independence during the reunion they had planned for June of 2007.  Unfortunately they didn’t have enough family contacts in the Independence area to organize a family to family hosting plan.   The idea of asking for volunteers from LDS Church members living in the area seemed a possible solution. But when she had called the Independence Stake President he indicated that the Stake was unable to provide host homes at that time.  Darcy said she didn’t know what she was going to do, but she hoped they could think of a way to find housing for those who had to travel long distances—aside from the cost of housing in motels, she wanted the family to have more personal attention and care, as had been provided by the cousins in 2005 thus providing the Spirit opportunity to whisper to their hearts.

After the fireside, the thought popped into my mind that we had lived in the Olathe Stake in Kansas located about 30-45 minutes from Independence and possibly the members of this Stake could host the Smith posterity.  I felt the members of the Olathe Stake would love to be involved in missionary work for Joseph and Emma’s children.  Every day of our lives we enjoy the blessings of the gospel as Joseph restored.  It would be a honor if we could do something even in small way to help his family in some way.  Believing I could volunteer the members of the Olathe Stake, I approached Darcy after the fireside and told her I thought I could help find host families for the reunion in June.  She showed me goose bumps on her arms and told me this was the reason she and Michael came to our neighborhood to do the fireside.  She said, “I didn’t know why we came to speak here tonight, but I knew that something would happen to help us with this reunion.  This is the reason.”  Darcy then related a similar experience when preparing for the Joseph Smith Jr. reunion in 2005, she asked a woman from the Hyrum Smith family to find volunteers from Hyrum’s family to be host families for the reunion in 2005. Darcy then gave her a list of the Smith families that were going to attend the reunion. This woman fasted and prayed to have the spirit to guide her in the process of matching up each host family with their Smith family.  The host family situation was a blessing for all involved.  Darcy told me that she knew I was the one to do the same for this upcoming reunion.

What a huge responsibility!  However, I knew the spirit would guide me in this process because I had seen my husband, while serving as a Mission President in the Chile Santiago South Mission, receive the same type of inspiration.  When new missionaries arrive in a mission, they need to be assigned a companion.  Every six weeks we saw the hand of the Lord guide this process as He arranged companionships and miracles flourished.  Only after much fasting and prayer and diligent thought, did the revelation flow, I witnessed firsthand the spiritual effort required to receive this revelation for each and every missionary.  Though I had fasted and prayed with him, and discussed ideas, it was he who held the keys to determine the Lord’s will.  This was the first time the responsibility would be mine.

I contacted the Olathe Stake President and told him of this project and of our needs.  I scheduled a fireside with the Olathe Stake members where Michael and Darcy would have opportunity to share the vision of gathering the Smith posterity.  Many were prompted to help and signed up to be host families.  Bill and Melanie Hull of the Olathe Stake caught the vision and were an amazing help in Kansas.  As word spread, others were prompted to volunteer and our list of host families grew to fill the need.

Finally, Darcy sent me the first list of who would be attending the reunion.   I began the process with much fasting and prayer, attending the temple and deep thought.  Believing I had done my part to prepare, I then I sat down one night and went to work. I looked at both lists.  On the Smith list were about 30 families that needed host homes.  I knew only a few people on the list from the Olathe stake and no one on the Smith list.  So I began to follow the little promptings about who to place in which home.  When I finished with this first group, I called Bill Hull.  I asked him to review what I had done and make any comments. He told me it felt right to him.  He then shared that he and Melanie thought they wouldn’t actually host some of the descendants because they live so far out in the country, about an hour or more from Independence.  But when I told him that I placed the Nathan Washburn family in their home, he knew they had to host them.  He said his great grandfather was a Washburn!  I just cried because to me this was the divine signature of the Lord telling me each family was with the host family He wanted them with and where they would have the best experience.  It was a sweet confirmation of the spirit.

Darcy told Nathan Washburn’s side of this story in Nauvoo one night over dinner.  On the bus ride from Independence to Nauvoo, Darcy shared her personal conversion story.  When Ivor and Gracia Jones and Michael and Darcy Kennedy formed the Smith family organization many years ago, they met in the Kennedy’s basement.  The basement was unfinished at that time.  Darcy and Michael had obtained curtains from the Provo Temple when the temple was replacing the endowment room curtains.  With these they covered their unfinished walls.  At their meeting to organize, Ivor gave Michael a blessing and Michael gave Ivor a blessing.  During these blessings, Darcy felt herself being drawn back into the darkness behind the curtain.  Not in a physical way, but mentally.  A voice kept telling her, “you are not really a part of this family; you don’t have a place here.”  She felt herself mentally being pulled away from the others and separated from them and the mission of gathering the Smith posterity.  But Michael, who didn’t know what she was feeling, reached out and took her hand and told her it was her turn for a blessing.

In the blessing she received, she was told, “You are just as much a part of this family as Emma was to Joseph.”  She was like Emma for this generation.  Just as Emma was at her husband’s side contributing so much to his great work, Darcy has been at Michael’s side helping and contributing to the effort of gathering Joseph and Emma’s family. This gathering couldn’t happen without her special gifts.  Gentle and loving, Darcy reaches out to each person, bringing a wonderful light and love to everyone.  The blessing helped her to know though the adversary would have her believe she wasn’t a part of the Smith family, she is in fact a vital part of the family.

A third great grandson of Joseph’s friend Newell Knight,   Nathan Washburn, who is married to Michael and Darcy’s daughter Angeline, was feeling pulled as well. The thoughts kept coming to him that he really didn’t need to attend the reunion. He was also shouldering weight from work that was in a transitional point in which he was an integral part requiring the question to be answered as to how important was ‘his’ attendance.  Darcy called Nathan just at the time these thoughts were reverberating in his mind and he was pacing in their pantry trying to figure out how he was going to tell Angeline he wasn’t going.  Darcy excitedly shared with Nathan that his host family were also Washburns.  Nathan quickly said, ‘Hold on a minute.”  After time for a few short breaths he came back on the phone and shared with Darcy where he was and what he was doing at the very moment she called.  Nathan recognized his prayer for help was being directly answered and he was being shown that this was a priority and the Lord was lining things up just for him.

When the Washburn’s and Hulls were together the first night, they found that although they come through different wives, they share the same great grand-father, Abraham Washburn. Bill had found information about Grandpa Washburn and shared it with Nathan. One of the documents was a list of members who received their endowments in the Nauvoo temple in the early 1800’s. Studying the list, they noticed that Charles Crismon and his wife, Melanie’s ancestors, were listed right beneath the Washburn’s. Their ancestors knew each other and went through the temple together. Through this simple discovery, they realized how very involved our ancestors are in our lives and in the Lord’s work.

Another similar experience occurred with another host family, Charlie and Annie Sherwood, at the reunion in July 2011.  Hosting Heidi Smith and her family, they said it was a more than a delightful experience and loved having Heidi, Isaac, and their sweet children in their home.  Annie shared this; “It didn't take us long to discover that we are related--well, through marriage, but with the sealing covenants we are bound together. We were looking through one of our family albums together and Isaac, Heidi’s husband, pointed to a picture of one of our uncle's and said, ‘that is my Uncle Danny!’ Close connection!  It explains why we felt like family right away.....we are!! What a memorable weekend.  Thank you for giving us the opportunity and blessing to be a part of such a special reunion. We wish we could do it every year!”

The host families and the descendants quickly form bonds during the few days they have together. Li Chia Borich, one of the hosts, said it best over the phone before the 2007 reunion, “Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to host Dawn Schmidt. We love her already and we are already planning the meals we will share with her in our home.  This is such an honor and the privilege of a lifetime to help Joseph and Emma in some small way.”  She expressed what we all feel in our hearts.

Interestingly, I had felt impressed to wait several weeks before assigning someone to stay with Li Chia back in 2007.  It wasn’t until Dawn Schmidt, from Australia; decided to attend the reunion at the last minute that I knew there was a reason for my impression.  She was supposed to stay with Li Chia.  Dawn came a day early and stayed a few more days with Li Chia after the Nauvoo portion of the reunion.  Li Chia was so delighted to have extra time with Dawn.  She was the perfect hostess driving Dawn to special places and showing her what America is like. They became good friends, and the experience was part of Dawn’s conversion process.

Gordon and Geri Ganshow, another host family, expressed their feelings about the experience they had with the descendants in their home.  In an e-mail Geri said, “At first I was disappointed to learn that our house guests were members because we were so excited about sharing the gospel message with Smith descendants.  Then I learned and realized that there are many members who are struggling with their own “Gethsemane’s,” and there is much need for strengthening those within the membership of the church. In that vein, I feel that we were able to ‘share the gospel,’ ‘strengthen the feeble knees,’ and ‘lift up the hands that hang down.’ What greater blessing and opportunity could there be than to lift and edify those who have children who have gone astray; grandchildren who are struggling with their own testimony and consistent membership; parents who have almost literally worn themselves out trying to keep their children on the ‘straight and narrow path’ leading along beside the iron rod to the Tree of Life.  I could not feel that we had a more fulfilling missionary experience than to have the descendants of Joseph Smith in our home, and to have bonded in a life-long friendship. Thank you for asking us to participate.”

In 2009 we held another Smith family reunion and many of the former host families opened their homes and hearts again to those who stayed with them in 2007.  Fred and Sheila Clarke hosted Stephen and Karoline Huls and their children in their home.  The Huls’ son, Josh, is speech impaired and once again we saw the hand of the Lord watching out for each individual.  Fred and Sheila speak sign language because they have a son who is hearing impaired.  Josh was able to communicate with the Clarkes and feel comfortable.  The friendship between the two families continues to this day.

Annie Hamrick shared her family’s experience of being host families in her own words:

Six years ago, an announcement was read in our ward about an upcoming Joseph Smith Family Reunion. Our ward was asked to provide host homes for members of the Smith family, and my husband and I were so excited. We both love studying church history, and have testimonies of the Prophet Joseph Smith and we were thrilled with the possibility of meeting some of his descendants. We were really looking forward to the opportunity.

As time went on, we were told, that much prayer had gone into placing Smith family members with members here in our area to assure that all would be benefited. I truly believe that the Lord's hand was in this. We were very excited to meet the family of Joy and Brad Stoddard. I had called and spoken with Joy on the phone prior to picking them up at the airport. She was so kind  and appreciative, and I felt a connection.

On the day of their arrival, I was very anxious to meet them. I was so hopeful that they would feel comfortable with us, and that they would feel at home with us for the days that they were staying.  We had a great visit on the drive home from the airport. Brad entertained all of us with his keen wit and sense of humor. Joy was kind and gracious, and their children, Tess and Sam were delightful. I felt very comfortable in visiting with them, and felt that we had been reunited with some dear friends from long ago.

The time we had together was an absolute treat for our family.  Joy and I stayed up and visited into the early hours of the morning each night that they stayed with us. It felt so comfortable visiting with her.  I told her how much I appreciated Joseph and Emma for their sacrifices, and that it was an absolute honor to have their descendants in our home.  It was such a touching experience for me, a defining moment in my life.  What a blessing to have Joseph and Emma's descendants gathering after all these years, and to have the blessings of the gospel back in many of their lives after so many years without the full blessings of the gospel.  My heart was full.  A wonderful realization came to me.  My Great-Great Grandfather is Parley P. Pratt a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who served with Joseph Smith.  He met Joseph Smith shortly after he was baptized in 1830.  Joseph and Parley became dear friends and remained so until Joseph's life was taken.  It was now one hundred and seventy seven years later, and Joseph and Parley's grand daughters were having the blessing of meeting and becoming dear friends as well.  As Joy and I discussed this, I truly felt the spirit and knew that the Lord was blessing me with a tender mercy.

Six years have now passed, and Joy and I still keep in touch. We were able to reconnect for the Joseph Smith Family Reunions in 2009 and 2011.  When we got together again, it seemed as if no time had passed.  We picked up right where we left off.  She is an angel, and I am so thankful for her friendship.  This experience has been one that I treasure.  I have felt the Lord's hand in it.

Brad and Joy shared their feelings about their hosts:

Our first experience with a host family was with the Hamricks. When we met Annie at the airport, her cheerful spirit instantly melted away all our worries, and we felt an instant friendship. We felt so comfortable with the Hamrick family, in their beautiful home. The next reunion, the Iba family hosted us, and we felt the same warm welcome in their home. This year we spent time with both families.Our hosts cheerfully took time out of their busy schedules to house, feed, and shuttle us to the places where we needed to be. We were happy when they could participate in some of the reunion activities with us. We cherish the memories of our evening conversations where we talked together about the day's experiences, our families, and our common love for Joseph and Emma Smith.

It has been a blessing to get to know the Hamrick and Iba families, and we miss them. So when the time comes for us to decide if we can make it to the next reunion, and life gets hectic, and we wonder if we can really go, the thought of getting to be with our dear host families again will tip the scales. We look forward to seeing them again and to feel their great spirit and love, as we spend time together, sharing our lifes' experiences. We have a great desire for them to know how special they are and how they have touched our lives.

Another host, Heather Wimmer shared on her blog how she felt:

Two years ago, I met Judy and Tenessa while they stayed at my house for a family reunion.  This summer, I had the pleasure of hosting them again.  They come to the heartland every two years because they are direct descendants of Joseph and Emma Smith.  I think they even have a little of Emma's look about them with their deep brown eyes and dark hair.

Judy told me again of how she grew up knowing that she was a descendant of Joseph Smith, but that she had been told not to tell anyone--which is a common story she has heard from cousins. When the missionaries came to her door, she felt like she should at least see what her several-greats- grandfather had started, but was mad when she could not deny it was true. She said she went to the field in California where she grew up and was kicking dirt and rocks and yelling at the heavens that even if it was true, she didn't want to be a Mormon.  Eventually, she did join the church, but smiles as she says she did it kicking and screaming.

One of the greatest pleasures of hosting them this July was that they invited us to come with them for the final dinner of the reunion where they spoke about the theme of the reunion-temples.  An actress/historian who has studied Joseph and Emma came dressed up as Emma and told us about them.  Emma was tall--my height--and "well-turned."  Then they spoke about the painting by Julie Rogers, which was given to each descendant.  Julie wanted to paint two paintings, one of Joseph "The Seer" and one of Emma "An Elect Lady." As she started Joseph, she got stuck and decided to start painting Emma.  After painting Emma for a while, she was drawn back to Joseph's painting.  She kept going back and forth between the two paintings until she realized that she could not paint one without the other.  She needed to paint another painting of them together.  This beautiful piece shows Joseph holding Emma tenderly and is titled "Eternally Bound,” which references the ordinances Joseph, restored which allows families to be sealed together forever.  I bought a print to honor the prophet and his family because those same ordinances seal my family together eternally.

Another artist in New York designed a special necklace which was given to all the adult female descendants of Joseph and Emma. The chain is woven of 1300 hair-thin strands of gold, which symbolize the 1300 living descendants. On it hangs a beautiful replica of Joseph's thick gold wedding band, inscribed with the words "Joseph and Emma--Eternally Bound."

A fine woodworker, also unrelated to the family, used unstained maple and walnut--the trees of the sacred grove--to make a beautiful box for the necklaces.

I was impressed at how many people who were NOT direct descendants of Joseph and Emma worked to make this happen. In addition to the artists, many of the good people who put on the reunion, made arrangements for lodging and staged games for the children were just people who decided they wanted to be a part of this. I was pleased they let me be a part of it too. Providing a clean bed and bath and a few rides seems like such a small thing, but it let me honor the prophet who ushered in the dispensation of the fullness of times. And, as always when you are serving the Lord, my offering was met with blessings worth so much more than anything I could give.”

Heather Wimmer’s mention of the many people who helped make the reunion happen brings to mind the Zaugg family, and their nephew, Ryan Porritt.  Acting as “hosts-in-action” for the children who came to the reunion, Suzanne and Brent a wonderful spirit of service and fun to the event.  They brought a huge rope for a family tug-o-war; they also planned stick pull games and many activities for children and youth during the times when the adults were on tours or in meetings.  In 2011, Brent was unable to attend due to is work; however, Suzanne and her daughters, Candice , and Kendra, drove to Independence and executed another outstanding oversight of the children’s activities.   At each gathering there have also been family members who stepped in to assist in story-telling, crafts, and singing, giving the children a memorable good time.

This is just a mere sampling many other stories from the host families, and other volunteers, that testify we are all engaged in the Lord’s work.  It is his work and we are privileged to assist.  It takes many individuals participating and following the spirit to do their part and the work goes forward.  Even though I did not personally know the descendants or the host families, the Lord did.  Each one was placed in the perfect home for them.  All those who help gather Joseph and Emma’s children have followed their own promptings that they were supposed to help.  These small but meaningful behind-the-scenes stories testify that our Heavenly Father loves His children and knows each of us individually.  It is thrilling to witness how the Lord orchestrates His work and guides us, providing unexpected miracles along the way.

Those who feel a desire or prompting to help with the gathering of Joseph and Emma’s posterity, please contact us!