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| Joseph Smith reads from D&C 25 about Emma, an elect lady. |
On March 17, 1842 the Relief Society was first organized in the upstairs of Joseph Smith's Red Brick Store. I don't know when the mission started the re-enactments but they've been done for several years. This year the Barrows and the Davies were assigned to be in charge of organizing it. There was a particular challenge this year. The re-enactment reader's theater calls for a cast of 13 people. The mission is down in numbers and it's been hard to cover the sites as it is, let alone take 13 people away, plus others who were providing music and Sister Davies and myself. The good news was that 16 new senior couples were arriving. The bad news was, they were arriving the day before the re-enactment. They wouldn't have time to unpack and get groceries, let alone read their information site booklet, before they could be put on sites. Usually couples have a few days of orientation before they are put on the sites.
Miracle of the storm
Many plans were made to accommodate the challenge as best we could. Then the Lord stepped in, producing a huge storm out west, so that the MTC told the missionaries to get on the road early. Getting them here Thursday still made it challenging, but at least gave them a chance to go to the store, make their beds, receive a site dress, and some orientation before Saturday. Amazing the difference one day can make.
The day before
We planned a dinner for the sisters, and invited the sisters from Nauvoo 1st and 3rd Ward (there is no 2nd ward), and the Community of Christ friends. Others also came who were friends or family of the missionaries. We had 102 at the dinner. Gratefully the mission presidency had Hy-Vee groceries catered the dinner. The men set up, served, and cleaned up. So the sisters only had to show up, and really felt honored. After dinner we had a short program. I conducted. Sister Whiting shared a poem she'd written for the occasion, and Sister Munns shared some history of the Relief Society.
I don't have photos of the actual dinner. I hope someone can share some pictures with me at some point. But here is what set up and take down looked like. Oh, and I met one of the new missionaries who told me she's been reading my blog! That makes 4 people that I know of. For some reason, my blog doesn't show how many are looking but people tell me they've looked. This is the first new friend, so I'm excited about that.
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| Tables are finally arranged to our liking. |
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| Elder Christensen folds napkins so well. |
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| Sister Dare, our florist |
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So beautiful
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And the all important clean up crew.
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The Re-enactment
The day began at Sarah Kimball Granger's home. Her husband lived here in Commerce, before it was renamed Nauvoo. Hiram Kimball wasn't a member of the church until 1843, but his wife was and it was in her parlor, which is pictured below, that she and Margaret Cook conceived the idea of a women's service society for the temple workers. They asked Eliza R. Snow to write up a constitution for them. When presented to Joseph Smith he said it was the best he'd ever seen, but it isn't what they wanted. The Lord had something else for them, and so on March 17, 1842 in the Red Brick Store the women were organized under the priesthood of God. It started with 20 women and now numbers over 6 million. In the 19th century they gave relief to the needed, became educated in medicine and maternity care, started hospitals, fought for women's suffrage, and much more. We continue to serve and give relief today.
