Brigham Young's home and Lucy Mack Smith's home

Monday and Thursday I served in Brigham Young's home.   Brigham Young has such an interesting history and was the right man at the right time in the right place.  I could go on and on about his life, but I will just tell you one interesting thing.  When the Saints lived in Missouri, and the mob and the
Governor were persecuting the leaders, Brigham stayed under their radar.  So when Joseph and several other leaders were arrested and imprisoned, he was ignored, which left him, as the senior apostle,  to lead the saints out of Missouri. This proved a preparation for the much larger move to Utah 7 years later.  I recognize the hand of the Lord in this preparation.

Which reminds me of one of my other favorite stories.  I should explain that when Joseph Smith was martyred it wasn't readily apparent how the next president of the church should be chosen.   In April, 1844, Joseph laid his hands on the heads of each apostle and gave them all of the authority he'd been given as the president of the church, and the Lord's prophet.  Brigham was on a mission to New England when he finally got word that Joseph had been killed. 
From the Church History manual:
   Brigham recorded in his journal, “The first thing which I thought of was, whether Joseph had taken the keys of the kingdom with him from the earth; brother Orson Pratt sat on my left; we were both leaning back on our chairs. Bringing my hand down on my knee, I said the keys of the kingdom are right here with the Church.”1
https://www.lds.org/manual/church-history-in-the-fulness-of-times-student-manual/chapter-twenty-three?lang=eng

Ever since then when a president of the church dies, the president of the quorum of the twelve becomes the acting president until the quorum meets.   The apostles gather, pray, and receive a confirmation that the senior apostle should be the next president of the church.  There is no politicking, no other candidates are brought forward.  It is a smooth transition. 

Here is a website showing all of the homes of Brigham Young.
http://www.moroni10.com/prophets_homes/Brigham_Young.html

The Young house

The council room in the Young house.  My favorite room because the plan to go out West was made here.  

This calf was only a day or two old.  He lived in the pasture across from Brigham's house. 

Wednesday and Friday I served in Lucy Mack Smith's home. She actually only lived her for 9 months.  She moved in in April 1846.  In September 1846 the mob violence against the Saints became so great that the citizens of Nauvoo, including Mother Smith, moved out to places away from Nauvoo.  She did return, but not to this house.  But this house is one that she actually owned and it was still standing in 1964 when the church started the Nauvoo restoration project. It is the best place to tell about this remarkably faithful woman, who though small in stature, was never afraid to defend her son's reputation and stay loyal to his prophetic calling. 

This is not how Mother Smith's house looked on the days I served there.  No green trees. These pictures are all  taken from the church website.

Bed in alcove with period clothes on the bed.

Mother Smith's kitchen