The "Mini" Mission

Dear Uncle George, May 23, 1907 Rose about 5 am.  Not feeling very well.  After dinner, started for Haun's Mill.  Bowels troubling me.  Very warm and was an effort for me to work.  Made a general view of site of Haun's Mill sit from the north looking southwest, showing...timbers on the south side of creek, and it was from this direction and likely at this point when the mob came out of the timber.  After getting this view, I could not take any part in the coversation.  Weak under the knees.   May 24, 1907 I spent a miserable night tossing and rolling about.  In the afternoon, had a chat with Dick Lane.  Lane has been here since 9 days after the battle (Haun's Mill Massacre).  One of those killed was not put in the well.  His name was Lewis.  He was on the fence and thought he was out of reach away.  Rockholt had a long-range rifle and said he could make him get off that fence.  He shot him throught the shoul...

Dear Uncle George, May 21, 1907 Cold this morning.  I rose about 5:30 a.m.  Foot bath.  Charles Ferat moved to Jameson.  Fattening stock and hogs there.  Has about 192 or 200.   Pork is a sweet meat Dr. John Cravens had a store there in 1838 (Cravens purchased most of the land in the central area and renamed it Cravensville).  Also, Benjamin Kimbal Clendersen was the last man to run store in Diahman.  North and South Methodists divided in 1844.   A old lady neighbor of Mrs. Cravens, when she heard I was from Utah, said that the Mormons when here would steal cows and horses etc. and that caused the trouble.  A Mormon went to one of his Gentile neighbors and told him he had revelation from the Lord that the cow belonged to him.  The neighbor said he had seen the Lord since and He told him the cow to belonged to him. May 21, 2013: Talk about a rough neighborhood. Fat hogs...at least 192...or 200.  Stolen livestock. ...

 Dear Uncle George, May 20, 1907 Left Far West.  Fare, $.64 cents.  Tried to find someone going to Adam-ondi-Ahman.  Livery wished $1.50 so concluded to walk and carry instrument.  Met Mr. TB Buzzard, who took me to Diahman in buggy.  When we reached McDonald Ford, about 4 miles nw of town, had trouble to get mare into Grand River.  I could see that water had gone into buggy.  Soon got me across and was very pleased to find that water had not reached plates, package of 5" by 7" films. May 20, 2013: Do you like pina coladas? It's tor nado season, so I was not surprised to see the flipped over semi on the freeway.   I was, however, more suprised to see the pay phone in a booth in the middle of the Amish farmland.  I am still a little fuzzy on what that was about. So, $.64 cents for a ride seems like a deal.  I payed $3.80 in gas (I paid that literally per gallon just today--April 15, 2024), so that was a steal back then.  A...

Dear Uncle George May 19, 1907 Rose about 5 am.  After crossing Shoal Creek, found a gentleman in the fields who said I was going the wrong way to Whitmers.  Mr. and Mrs. Whitmer made me welcome.  William, Alonzie Troupe took me to Kingston, with five pair of grey mules.  Made a negative of John Whitmer's tombstone.  Reading History of Caldwell County...aka "Mormon Occupation." "North and South Methodist Churches, divided since the Civil War.  The war brought freedom not only to the Negro but also the whites.  Before the war, you must not be known as North Methodist or LDS if you wished to get away with your life." March 2024 It is true:  185 years and 360 days is a long time. George, your interaction with the Whitmer family 117 years at this point in your mission comes into my life at the exact time that finally, after 185 years, the journal that you referenced has actually just been purchased by the "regular" Mormons, as they are called here in ...

Dear Uncle George, May 16, 1907 Sent my instruments to Far West.  Just southwest and across the street from the temple block is the Reorganized Church.  I had dinner with Eldmer Entrakin while negatives were washing.  Would not make a charge.  Questioned John David Whitmer who never paid much attention to his father's testimony of the Book of Mormon until he was dead.  Then he thought more about it in one year than he had the the 20 years before. May 16, 2013 It is stupid humid today. One does not simply drive to Mordor ...I mean Far West.  There are a whole lot of roads with random letters involved like "D" and "HH."  Some numbers thrown like 83, 35, 116, and the 459 curve to spice things up. When you are in a Mini, the winding roads are actually quite soothing.  Unfortunately, it takes forever to figure out which road is which because they all look alike. The speed that you build up, driving way faster than recommended is for naught ...