Porter Rockwell and other tidbits

Other Tidbits First

Time is rushing by.  We can't believe it is already three months....we are half way through our mission.  This is such an amazing place...if we did not have other responsibilities at home, we could stay indefinately....We love the peacefulness here.

Close your eyes and envision life here.  The morning dawns crisply, slight breeze, green everywhere.  Acres and acres of mowed lawns, tall trees everywhere, squirrels and Racoons race across the lawns, birds chirping from every tree, bright red Cardinals fighting on the grass, deer standing peacefully eating grass, very little traffic, completely clean, grass down to the asphault or gravel roads, quaint buildings from the 1840's spread out, perhaps 1 to every 5 acres, and the sun starting to come up over the Temple to the east.

No need to lock your doors, there is no crime here. Everyone respects and loves everyone else. If you walk somewhere, 10 cars will stop and ask if you want a ride.  In town, the store merchants love us missionaries and we get senior discounts. At church this morning, we had over 600 people in attendance, with an unbelievable spirit there. In mid summer, we will have over 900 people in church, and people come to church an hour early just to get a seat.  When you give someone an assignment, it is willingly accepted and always performed.  No one complains, no one shirks their duty, and things get done very efficiently.

We go to our Site assignments, open our buildings, have a prayer for safely and inspiration during the day, and begin greeting visitors, telling them about the early pioneers, and in almost every case, we are able to convey an important message to the visitors...either of Love, of importance of family, of the faith and sacrifice of the pioneers, of their willingness to follow Gods commandments, or such other message. Everyone leaves knowing more about the pioneers, and with a challenge to improve their lives. Time flies.  Before we know it, we are relieved by another set of missionaries, and we move on to other things.  In the evenings, we perform in the musical productions, and they are more and more fun as time goes by.   We were joined a few weeks ago by the Young Performing Missionaries, who are extremely talented, who now share the stages with us, putting on acts of their own. They are GREAT.  They could perform in any finals of American Idol, or other professional show.  Wow....what a treat to hear them.  They put on about 6 different shows, and they ride one of the horse wagons and go from place to place and put on their acts.

We go home tired, but extremely blessed for our service.  Pretty close to heaven, we think.  :)

We are healthy, maintained in our efforts, and we remember most of what we need to remember.  Despite our age.....)

PORTER ROCKWELL

One of the most interesting characters in church history, Porter Rockwell was the bodyguard to Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.  He was a boyhood friend of Joseph's, but was a rough and tumble man who knew how to take care of business.  He was an excellant marksman, and many stories are told of him and his exploits, but one in particular can be related here because these facts are documented.

Porter was a large man, with a very full dark and ominous beard.  He had dark eyes that would intimidate anyone.  You did not want to get on Porter's bad side. If you recall a posting I did a few weeks ago, I talked about how the Mormons were driven from Missouri by the Missouri Extermination Order, signed by Gov. Boggs. Gov. Boggs lived in fear of the Mormons after that event, even though the Mormons assured the people of Missouri that the Mormons would not retaliate.  One day, after Gov. Boggs was no longer in office, someone took a shot at Gov. Boggs, wounding him.  He assumed it was Joseph Smith attempting to retaliate, and asked that Joseph be arrested.  When the police arrived in Nauvoo, they learned that Joseph had been in Nauvoo on the day of the assasination attempt, addressing the Nauvoo Legion, and could not have taken the shot.  Gov. Boggs then accused Porter Rockwell, and Porter was arrested and spent 8 months in jail awaiting trial.  When the case went to trial, the judge dismissed the case, stating there was no evidence sufficient to hold Porter, or try him for the shooting.  After the court proceedings, the judge called Porter in and said, "Mr. Rockwell, I have dismissed your case and no further harm can come to you. But tell me, man to man, did you try to kill Gov. Boggs?"  Porter replied, "No sir, I have living proof that I did not try to kill him.  If I had shot at him, he would be dead."  Porter was reputed to be able to shoot coins in the air...so he was quite skilled.

Porter left the courthouse and traveled back to Nauvoo, arriving there Christmas day, 1843.  He went to Joseph's home at the Mansion House as a Christmas party was in progress.  He was stopped at the door by some bodyguards, who did not recognize him, as hewas very dirty, scruffy, and unwashed after 8 months in jail.  A scuffle ensued until Joseph came to the door and saw his friend, Porter.  They hugged, and Joseph said, "This man is welcome in my home at any time and in any condition.".  Porter went west with the Mormon Pioneers and was body guard for Brigham Young for many years.  Porter settled down in the Lehi, Utah area eventually.

Joseph Smith once wrote of Porter, who had never learned to read or write, "He was an innocent and a noble child, and my soul loves him".

Porter was truly a valuable and cherished man in the history of the church.

PICTURES

Here are some additional pictures we have taken.  Hope you enjoy this posting and our photos.  Love to all.............Jerry and Pam

This is the sign that begins the Trail of Hope.  Down this road, about one mile, the wagons lined up to cross the Mississippi river in February, 1846, in a snowstorm.  The mobs were nipping at their heels. From here down to the river, there are about 20 smaller signs along the road which contain the journal entries of actual people who traved by Wagon Train or Handcart to Salt Lake City.  They are very touching to read.  In the evenings here, the Young Performing Missionaries line up at these smaller signs and they take the parts of those pioneers, They read to us, they sing, or play instruments, as though they were relating those experiences first hand.  No one can get through that without shedding many a tear.  Very wonderful. These presentations are open to the public during the summer months.  Everything here is free.

Pam & I sitting in our Carriage....with our Percheron horses, Tim and Tim. Sorry for the poor quality of the photo...we will get some better ones. 

Sunset by the Mississippi.  We see clouds like this quite often.  Dramatic.

One more of our horses.....beautiful boys.  We love them.... and we love you.

Till next time....

Jerry and Pam