New Stake in Johannesburg South Africa and our missionary saw the change.

Elder Tyrell standing at the doorway of the Johannesburg Temple

March 13, 2011
To the family
Boy am I tired today. This week has been full of cool news. First of all our stake was re-organized and there is now a brand new stake in South Africa. Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the 70 was here to officially organize the new stakes. So our current Stake president was released after many years of faithful service. And our Bishop was also released as a Bishop and called as the new stake president. So now we are working with a new Bishop whom we know not until Sunday. It's quite a monumental event and at the end of this transfer, our zone will be changed to fit the stake, and a new zone will be formed to fit the new stake. I've never experienced this before, but I'm sure it is going to mean alot of readjusting, especially since I'm also going to have a new companion when it happens. So that's the biggest news since last week. We had the opportunity to attend a fireside today with Elder Clayton and it was in the form of a question and answer type thing. There was a lot of funny questions asked, as well as some good ones. I Asked if the uproar in the middle east was going to effect the possibility of missionary work there and he said that the lord will open doors in his own time. :) So i guess that's really just the way it is. Elder Seastrand and i feel like the zone is struggling a little bit, but were not quite sure what to do anymore. Maybe were just getting a little to overwhelmed. We implemented the 5 talent challenge which is a challenge that whoever is able to increase their Father Led Family lessons as well as double the amount of people they have on date for baptism by the end of the transfer then they will get to through a pie in the Zone leaders faces. the only thing is that it isn't having the effect that we thought it might have. So we have to revamp in some way or another. Anyway.
To answer your questions.

1. So tell us about the 5 talent challenge what is that?

1. Look up ^

2.What are some of the guide lines of teaching about how Fathers should treat their families. Is that something you have ever had to focus on or teach because people did not realize they should not do say something like not have incest or in appropriate sexual activities with their daughters. I know that in some areas that has been a problem there but not sure if you directly have to teach out about it.
2.Well we really just teach about the law of Chastity. I've never come across an instance of incest. I'm sure that if that happened, a lot more then the full time missionaries would be involved.

3.Well I'm sure that a lot of what we paid had to do with it, but i never handed over cash for it.
3.Did you have to buy your own bedding and pillows when you got there?

4.Your guess is as good as mine really. The only thing i know is that we have to look out for Rent signs and then tell the senior couples over housing so they can contact them. We've told the bishop\stake president to keep an eye out for us so that's really all i know.
4.So how do you go about finding a new flat? Do you two just take the time to look while trying to teach or does the older couples look also with you that are serving there too? We will pray that the doors will open to a place that you can put your head at night.

5.I finished that book along time ago.
5. How much have you read of the church history book that we sent with you?

sorry I'm not writing much today I'm really tiered because we had to wake up early to get to the fireside this morning and we were late with our call ins last night, but i love you all and am willing to answer questions next week.
Love Elder Jones

Chapel where Tyrell attends at the moment in Pretoria.

On Sun, Mar 13, 2011
Dear Elder Tyrell Jones
I went and listened to the granddaughter of Joseph Smith tell of her conversion story. She is the 3rd to be baptised in his family since his death. The 1st was his son that he baptized at 8 but after Joseph Smiths death he did not progress in the church. The second was one of daughters of a son who joined but then later went to the RLDS church and denounced her baptism in the LDS church. Gracia told that on the day they celebrated the organization of the Relief Society that was made by her own great grandmother Emma Smith she was being baptised and no one in her little branch knew that she was Joseph Smiths great granddaughter and she did not know about this special occasion that was also taking place on the same day. So now I have written a blog about it with some links to lots of LDS info sites and even a rare photo that was found of Joseph Smith and when blown up it shows many of his facial scars from the beatings that he took for the sake of the gospel.
You have actually met Gracia because she is married to your Dads cousin Ivor Jones and they would come visit Grandma and Grandpa at their house through the years.
She stated that many of Joseph Smiths Descendants were scattered all over the world and the majority are in Australia. They have traveled everywhere trying to meet with those families to help them know about their ancestor and his bringing the gospel to the earth.

Japan has suffered a huge 8.9 earth quake with Tsunami's its crazy all the footage that we have seen. And that came after there was one in New Zealand a few weeks ago. But all the missionaries are all safe in those places. You have such a great protection upon you when you are being obedient in serving him.  I have a cousin who facebooked that was there in Hawaii and he said that they were sitting on a very high hill waiting to see how far up the waves were going to come on the shores in about I think it was six hours later after the earthquake had hit Japan. Papa said he admits he is glad he was here.

Marcus Rose just returned home from his mission. Did he really leave before you cause it seems that he left after wow has time flew and my memory mixed up on time frames.

C has been playing on JV and varsity soccer and he says he feels like jello when he is done.
Sondra and her kids came to visit for a bit today they are waiting for Chad to finish the last of his school and then he will most likely start flight school. The kids are all so grown up now and they only left last Sept.

Well I went to take that CDL test and missed it by one point the buggy thing is that the next time it will be a whole different set of questions and they don't tell you what you did wrong so you can't fix your mistakes or relearn stuff.

Dad took Jo,C and Mc skiing Sat. he tried to to go on the mogul hills like when he was young and spent alot of time sitting on the slope and banged up. He complained about being old more then I have ever heard before. Make sure and send a note to Jo since it is her 17th birthday soon. ok. Yes Will went back to school last week I guess he jumped in in the middle I think is how it worked out. he hasn't said to much more on his facebook since the address was sent he is most likely trying to get back into the swing of non missionary life.

And sat night C went with Jo Trav, Tay, and Cod to the movies. Jo said she loves how respectful Tay can be and the fact that she never feels like she will get in trouble nor that Tay pushes her to do dumb stuff. It makes her really like her alot. She is a very respectful young lady.

I wonder if you have read much in Alma. I started to and my thoughts are along the lines of how well our world can really match or fit some of the things that are happening at that time if you put words in that replace to our words today. The very first chapter how he the man is being so lying and deceitful to get what he wants. This seems to be happening to so many people especially adults doing this to little people so that they can not sort out what would be right or not as they grow older and it causes them great confusion. Now in our own house it would sure be nice if a few of the 3 teens would listen just a bit better to the things the parents are trying to teach so that the influence on the little peoples would change. But I guess that's life in the learning stage right now.
Well this is a first I am writing this and getting it sent off really early Sunday morning because we have not made it to church today. Jo and Jer are both running fevers, the dang water did not get hot so no one had a bath, Dad can hardly move from his ski adventure try to be young again.The worst is that the time changed and I fixed the clocks and it went off like at 4 am so I fixed it again and then it went off late and then I became aware of the sick kids and the unmovable Dad. What a morning so I am reading my scriptures and seeing what the day brings with it. I hope yours had a baptism and some wonderful full filling spiritual input for you.

We love you alot and hope that you find a home(hehehe) I am sure the Lord will guide you if you make that a matter of prayer too which I am sure you do.

Love Mom

Joseph Smith Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints and Gracia his Great Great Granddaughters story.

Today we can see a picture on the left side that is an daguerreotype photograph of Joseph Smith jr. In the middle is the one that is used by the RLDS Church. This middle picture is the oil painting Josephs face has been painted to look perfect with a nice straight nose and no scars to his face from the many blows that he received in his life while standing for the truth of the gospel that he spoke out about.

It is said by Joseph Smith that, "the artist made me to look like a Pretty Boy" "because he has no facial blemishes that are visible in it, Gracia told us".

In the last photo to the right it has been blown up and you can see the slight indention above his left eye that indicates a scar and his eye is slightly pushed in or slanted to the inside where a heavy blow was placed. There is a break in the hair lay of his brow showing that the lay of the skin has been cut and marred in his lifetime. His nose is not such a straight line in this one either.

Please go to Kim Marshall's blog site HERE to see her side of this amazing story with her 2nd generation contact print taken from a negative in about 1879.

Joseph Smith never backed down from speaking his truth of the Gospel (link to the gospel and what that means to LDS church) and the fact that he knew that the Lord met with him and asked him to do many things to bring the light of that truth to the world even in the face of many beatings that hurt his physical body he stood faithful.

This is me Brooke B. Jones  with Ivor Jones and Gracia N. Jones the great great granddaughter of Joseph Smith Jr. the first Prophet of this dispensation of the

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She happens to be my cousin through the marriage of my husband and her husbands being first cousins.

If you would like to hear some of Gracia's story of how she came to know about the church that her grandfather helped to bring to restoration here on the earth please click on this link to read her conversion story Here. This is a link to the info of her fathers families history Here.

This is a photo showing Gracia Jones family photo link to Joseph Smith and Emma as a great great granddaughter. The top couple show Emma and Joseph Smith then the young man Alexander is their son. He had a daughter Coral who had a daughter Lorena and then Gracia. She is said to be the first ancestor of his to become a member of the Church. She says she is actually the third but the first to be actively pursuing and continuing to reach out to many others that are in Joseph Smiths family today. Here is another story of the conversion of one of their cousins to the Gospel Robert W. Smith just click on his name and it will take you there. Its an amazing story of how Emma Smith spoke to him so that he could go ahead and join the LDS Church.

Gracia's deep felt mission is to try and reach as many of her relatives as she can because as she said "we were not allowed to speak about him and or even know anything about Joseph". This seems to be the same thing that many say as they come to learn of there relative once Gracia has met with them. We can see this plea in this photos caption above the children's heads. Pray that they may come to know about their own ancestors.

 It can be realized that the great grief that Emma Smith suffered because of the brutal death of her husband and the very realization that her and her own children's lives could be in the same great danger instigated that there was no longer communication about their father that they loved so much along with the fact that they were very young children and taking time to talk about the past was just frivolous time spent when a living must be made. Emma was left with a great burden in many little children and the majority of the church members left to a safer land for them so the contact with the congregations of the church were now gone thus the children did not learn of the truths he translated for the Lord on the earth from the sources that he may have wanted them to know it from. Emma's very old Mother in law Lucy 

Mack Smith stayed with her after her sons deaths and she cared for her even feeding her by hand every meal because she could not raise her arms in her old age. Emma was a saint to those she cared and loved but she could no longer speak about her Joseph Smith after he passed away. Thus her children and grandchildren grew not knowing much about their father and grandfather. Only that there was great fear in talking about him was created.

This is a cast of the death mask of Joseph Smith that Gracia Jones shows as she speaks about her Great Great Grandfather Joseph Smith.

A board showing many photos of the history of her ancestors and the connections that make up Josephs historical life. Also photos of her family and the links that are so important and visible when viewed through a photo. Wouldn't it be nice if we could all view history by photos. 

Gracia spoke about the great prejudice that seemed to be between Emma Smith and Brigham Young and there has now been an official letter made stating that this should be set aside and not be recognized in our life times. I sat listening to this and of course was very surprised. My Great Great Great Uncle is Brigham Young and I never knew there was a rife in the friendship. Now I was curious and went searching here to find a link to the story of how an apology came to be asked for HERE. You will see after reading this article that I must be of that 4th generation and I would much rather see a friendship then separations of our families.  This is a wonderful scripture to read D&C 109:70,  and it confirms this action as quoted by Robert Smith in his story "that the  prejudices of Joseph’s posterity" “may be broken up and swept away as with a flood that they may be converted." This is a link site to the story of the man who asked for the apology as he could see that prejudices was a stumbling block for many of his loved ones and needed to be put to rest so to speak. Please read Michael A. Kennedy's story HERE or the more complete story from the Meridian Magazine HERE (which by the way to a person who is a member is quiet a funny renadition).

I really loved Gracia's words of advice "make a paper trail for your family to be able to see and find the links that make you connected".  My personal advice is write your stories so that your children can read them add the photos to the story so that they can see the fun that is in your family and yes include the struggles because those are what shape a family into the survivors and those who endured to the end, kind of people that we are if we but follow the Saviors plan here on the earth.