1st. week at Carthage Jail.

Saturday- Sept. 7, 2013
This was our second day at the Carthage Visitor Center and Carthage Jail.  Sister Harris had a very spiritual experience this day. I had a young couple and her parents come in from Peru.  The older couple only spoke Spanish and spoke very little English.  The young girl was their daughter and the young man was white and he had married their daughter and she could speak English.  The young couple would be my interpreters.  I did the tour by myself and showed first the film, "Impressions of a Prophet ."  Then I gave them the tour very simple.  The young couple interpreted what I said.  When I was in the Martyrdom room I was crying when I bore my testimony and the older woman was also crying through most of the tour.  When we finished we went outside and was under the window where the Prophet Joseph smith fell out off and the young sister said that the highlight of the tour was my testimony and her mother just hugged me for along long time.  They were all members but it was special because they felt the spirit through me. I am so thankful that God loves me so much that he is with me and that they could feel him through me. Wow! what a day.

Sunday- Sept 8, 2013
We had to get really early today to drive to Nauvoo for our meetings.  It was wonderful and then we drove back to the Carthage Visitor Center to be opened by 12:15 pm. We had another couple come to help and six young single sisters to help this day.  The Tayes were on call this Sunday.
We had the responsibility to train the one couple but all the other young sisters had been here  before.   This place is amazing because it is so spiritual all the time as long as we are in tone.  I just love it here.
     In the evening we had to drive back to Nauvoo but we took the Tayes with us to another meeting where the man from the Community of Christ was the speaker.   He talked about Joseph and Emma's children.   He is very knowledgeable but there was no special spirit as he told us the stories of each child.  It was sad that their lives could have been so different if Emma would have taken her children to the west.

Monday- Sept 9, 2013
Elder and Sister Harris are serving all the time together now.  It is great to be with your companion to serve here in Carthage, Illinois.  We do get a few more nonmembers coming to the Carthage Visitor Center and Carthage Jail.   This was the County Jail for 25 years in Hancock County and was built in 1839 and finished in 1841.  It is neat to here of what happened to the jail.  It was sold to several people and was even made into a home for a Mr. Browning and his family for 30 years. He would show the Martyrdom room to  hundreds of people if they knocked at his door.  He died and his widow wife sold it to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints in 1903. Then the church had others living in it for a while then in 1938 a Missionary couple Elder and Sister McRae came and where the Supervisors of the Restoration of the jail.  They gave tours and where the Missionaries Guide of Carthage Jail for over 20 years. They took it from a home and put it back to the County Jail.  It looks like it did when Joseph and Hyrum Smith were Martyred.  When you are in the Martyrdom room which is the Jailor's bedroom there is a special feeling.  You listen to a tape that has John Taylor singing the song that Joseph Smith loved.  Then it tells of Hyrum and Joseph being shot and John Taylor being shot and Willard Richards helping John Taylor into the dungeon cell to save him from the mob.  Willard Richards knew the mob would come back looking for anyone else who might be alive in the room. When the mob was coming up the stairs a voice was heard "The Mormons are coming".  Their were no Mormons coming so we know that the Lord needed to save these two men.  They were the two witnesses to the Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith.  John Taylor ended up being the Third President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints after Brigham Young.

Here is Elder Harris outside the Carthage Jail.  The window is on the top where Joseph Smith fell out.

                 Here is Sister Harris with Joseph and Hyrum Smith. This was taken in the spring.

Tuesday- Sept. 10, 2013
We got up early and walked around Carthage, Illinois.  It was a beautiful cool day  and we really enjoyed the walk around the block of the town.  Everyday we serve at the Carthage Jail now.

Wednesday- Sept. 11, 2013
I had to get up at 5:30 am so I would be ready to drive to Nauvoo for our Training Meeting at 8:00 am.  This day is Elder and Sister Taye's preparation day so we had to hurry back to Carthage Jail to open by 9:30 am.  We had people ready to come in because we usually open at 9:00 am.  I am getting more confident with what I am to say.  Now I can feel the spirit in the jail a lot more now. The Holy Ghost is truly with us and when I bear my testimony others can feel the spirit there and so it is spirit to spirit.  It is so special here.

Thursday- Sept. 12, 2013
Today is preparation day so I had to get up early again so I could get my hair done at 7:00 am in Nauvoo.  I am going to find someone here in Carthage to do my hair from now on.  After my hair was done we went to the Nauvoo Temple.  I just love this Temple, it is awesome.  Then we went shopping in Quincy, Illinois.  We bought Elder Harris a new suit and a lot of ties since we are at the  Carthage Visitor Center all the time.  He can't wear one of his suits and he wanted a light brown suit.  In the evening we did the Rendezvous.  Here are some pictures of us.

      Elder and Sister Harris.  This is what we look like when we sing the last song," Nauvoo"

                         You better look quick because Elder Harris never smiles like this!!! Cute!!!

Here are Sister Harris and Sister Davis and Sister Duncan.  This is what we look like when we do the songs, "Welcome  to Nauvoo" and "Streets" and "Relief Society song".  Fun Times!!!

Friday-- Sept. 13, 2013
This is Bradley and Megan's Wedding Anniversary today.   Happy day you two.  This is Friday the thirteenth.  That was the day they got married and it has come back around. We took our car in today because our air conditioning is making bad noises.  It was guaranteed so they ordered the part and had it fixed the same day while we were serving at the Carthage Visitor Center.  We did a really neat walk today around by the cemetery and around part of the lake and golf course.  Boy! was that a nice walk.  We went about 4 miles in one hour before we had to go to serve at the Carthage Visitor Center at 11:30 am.  We had so much fun meeting people and showing them the Carthage Jail, wonderful day.