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.
That's cool.
ReplyDelete