Sis. Vorwaller and I visited Shelburne Farms on our prep. day this week. We were astounded when this amazing barn came into view. Yes, it is a real barn that looked like a castle to us. I tried to inform the elementary students riding on our wagon that this was a very fancy barn and not what they would usually see. However, the Webb family have certainly done well to preserve a beautiful place that is still a working farm where many gain a greater education of and appreciation for agriculture. We hope to return and enjoy the spectacular scenery this fall. We plan on eating at the resturant then when they will have lamb raised at the farm on the menu. We'll keep you posted.

Following the birth of Joseph Smith Jr. the family only lived on the farm they rented from Lucy's father for about two years. They moved back to Tunbridge where Samuel Harrison was born March 13, 1808 and then moved on to Royalton where William was born. In 1811 they moved their family of six children to Lebanon, New Hampshire. They rented the house pictured at the right. It was here that life for the Smiths began to improve. Lucy relates there was nothing of which we have not a sufficiency to make us and our children comfortable

Their success and new found prosperity does not last long. In 1813 the typhus fever came to Lebanon and claimed 6000 lives in the Connecticut River Valley. Joseph and Lucy did not contract the illness but all of the children were seized with the disease and Sophronia was sick for ninety days. The doctors said there was nothing more they could do and ultimately it was the mighty faith and fervent prayers of Joseph and Lucy that brought back the life of their daughter. All of the children recovered but young Joseph who while still recovering developed a severe pain in his shoulder. The doctor misdiagnosed his condition as a sprained shoulder. Two weeks later Dr. Parker returned and found a large sore under his armpit which he immediately lanced and drew out over a quart of matter. The pain went to Joseph's leg and it began to swell. Despite the families best efforts Joseph's condition steadily worsened. The doctor is summoned two more times and he cuts open the leg in an effort to drain the infection so the leg could heal. However, the leg would not heal and a team of surgeons determined that amputation was necessary to save the boy's life. Lucy refused to let them do so without trying something else first. Among the surgeons was one Doctor Nathan Smith who was not a relative of Joseph's family. He told Lucy he was willing to perform a surgery he had previously done successfully that might save Joseph's leg but it would be extremely painful. They had brought cords to bind Joseph to the table if that was the course chosen. The family was desirious that the effort be made but little Joseph refused to be bound and ask only for his father to hold him. He didn't want any alcohol to ease the pain yet he did ask his mother to leave because the surgery would be too hard on her since she was worn down from caring for her sick family. An amazing request from a seven year old. It is difficult to really understand all that Joseph went through during the surgery and long healing process. However, the leg was saved and Joseph endured an ordeal that certainly toughened him and helped prepare him to overcome the many trials and afflictions he would face in his life. It is significant to mention here that the Dr. Nathan Smith who performed the surgery founded Dartmouth Medical School and went on to found the medical school at Yale University.

We finally bought bird seed and additional feeders and are so excited to have some of the huge variety of beautiful birds come to dine. Watching the birds eat while we enjoy our meal is delightful. Our Humingbird feeder is right on the window so I haven't figured out how to get a satisfactory picture of them yet. They brighten our day and we hope they do yours.

Following their marriage Joseph and Lucy lived on their farm in Tunbridge where three children Alvin, Hyrum and Sophronia were added to the family. They worked their farm for six years when they decided to rent the farm out and try their hand at store keeping. Stephen Mack was doing very well with his store in Tunbridge and there was not an existing store in Randolph which was on another branch of the White river in a valley just to the west some fifteen miles away. During their first year of business they learned about the demand for Ginseng which was an herb that was plentiful in New England soils and very profitable. So Joseph decided to collect and crystalize the ginseng roots as part of his business. He prepared a sufficient amount to ship to the Orient that it brought an offer of $3000 from a Mr. Stephens a resident of Tunbridge but Joseph determined to arrange for the sell of his crop on his own. He went to the New York harbor and contracted with the captain of a vessel headed to China to take care of the sell of his product. They anxiously waited for their ship to come in but when it arrived the captain only had a chest of tea for them. There would have been no question in their minds that something was terribly amiss. However, it was Stephen Mack who discovers what happened to their much needed profits. They were robbed of a reported sell of $4500 which they were unable to recover. They found themselves in a difficult position since so much of their stores inventory had been let out on credit or in exchange for ginseng roots taken in on barter. So when the Boston merchant that had provided the goods for their store called for payment they used the $1000 wedding gift towards the debt but that was not enough. To cover their financial obligations and not tarnish their family name they sold their farm basically for half price to pay off the final $800 of debt. This was a sad conclusion to what had been such a promising beginning. The Smiths had just crossed over the line from land owners to renters. After a short stay back in Tunbridge they accepted an offer to rent a little farm with a small house from Lucy's father Solomon who had recently acquired 100 acres in South Royalton and Sharon Townships. The farm was only some eight miles from Tunbridge so they would still be close to the Smith family as well as Lucy's parents and two brothers. Solomon and Lydia lived in a large house just to the north not even a mile away that sat next to the Old Turnpike Road that ran from Boston to Montreal and Daniel Mack and his family had a place just about a mile farther west. Joseph and Lucy had only been living in their small 20' by22' home just over a year when Joseph Jr. was born on Dec. 23, 1805. Because conditions for farming were not favorable the Smiths only stayed a couple years before moving on. They moved back to Tunbridge where another son Samuel was born and then moved to Royalton where Ephraim was born and died eleven days later and a year later in March of 1811 their son William was born. Later that year the family moved to Lebanon, New Hampshire.

The Prophets grandfather Asael Smith moved his family from Topsfield, Mass. to live in Tunbridge, Vermont. They did much business with Stephen Mack. Stephen ran a store with his partner John Mudget and also had a tin shop where some of the Smiths boys were apprenticed.

The building in the foreground of this picture on the bottom is the old sawmill that Stephen Mack owned and ran in Tunbridge Vermont at the time Asael and Lydia Smith lived there with their family. Water divereted from the first branch of the White River ran under the road and into the mill beneath the low flat tin roof where the water wheel was located. The little old covered bridge behind the rest of the buildings goes across the White River. The gentleman that now owns the property would like to restore the mill.

The Tunbridge Village Store in the picture on the top is the spot where tradition holds that the store owned and operated by Stephen Mack and his partner once stood. This is where Lucy Mack the prophet Joseph's mother to be will come to work as a young lady for her brother Stephen. Lucy had experienced deep sadness at the passing of her older sisters at their home in New Hampshire and her mother arranged for her to go and work for her brother in hopes the new scenery and responsibilities would take her mind off the loss of her sisters. While living and working at the store she meets Joseph Smith Senior a handsome and strong 6ft. 2 twenty three year old whom she is immediately attracted to. Lucy was only 4 ft. 11 and of slight build and some of the family didn't think she could hold up under the rigors of frontier life. Even though they both were very much interested Lucy ends up moving back to her home in New Hampshire. However her brother Stephen who was so impressed with Joseph and the rest of the Smith family travels to New Hampshire and plays the role of matchmaker. He brings Lucy back to Tunbridge with him and she marries Joseph in Jan. of 1796. Joseph's father made him part owner in one of his farms at the time of their marriage and Stephen and his partner gave the two a $1000.00 wedding gift which was an amazing amount of money at that time. Stephen was a successful business man and truly loved his sister.

Cute Sis. Vorwaller and I are standing by a favorite tree of Elder McKinnon our director who named it the "Winnie the Pooh" tree. He was leading us along the trail on our first hike up Patriarch Hill on one of our first prep. days. Now you can't see much past the tree because of all the leaves on the trees. We now hike all the way from our cabin to the top and back which is four and a half mile round trip. We go on the mornings when we have our 11:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. shift at the Memorial. It was a bright crisp hike today since it was about 42 degrees when we left at 7:00 A.M. We were having such a nice walk down when Sis. Vorwaller twisted her ankle on a rock hidden by leaves. It really scared me to see her roll head over heels. We're grateful she didn't hit something solid with her head. It took a few minutes to shake it off before she could start walking slowly and she did o.k. getting back down. However, it has swollen somewhat in spite of putting ice on it after we got home. She feels like walking kept it from swelling worse. It is sore but she gets around as much as she needs to. We just won't be able to walk to the Memorial for awhile which makes us sad.

Sister Vorwaller and I enjoy the beautiful one mile walk from our apartment up Dairy Hill Road and then under the canopy of sugar maple trees bordering LDS Lane to the Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial. We love the sights and smells and sounds of the lush Vermont woods that surrounds us. It truly is a dream come true for us to be at this sacred site in the midst of such splendor where we have the privilege of sharing our testimonies of our Savior as we teach about Joseph Smith and the restoration.

Sister Vorwaller and I were so glad to arrive before the busy tourist season began so we were allowed the time to develop our own dialogue within the purposes provided by the church for this commemorative site. We would study, write , and practice and then start all over again. It was a line upon line due process that bennefited us in numerous ways. We were just grateful we could practice on each other before we ever hosted any visitors.