New Camp Facilities at Joseph Smith Birthplace

Newly constructed camping facilities at the birthplace of the Prophet Joseph Smith in Sharon, Vermont, were dedicated on 27 June by Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the Seventy, then serving as President of the North America Northeast Area. Named Camp Joseph, the site includes a log lodge, a covered pavilion, 15 log cabins named for Book of Mormon prophets, rest rooms, an athletic field, an archery range, and a swimming pond.

“There is such a strong spirit on this beautiful site,” said Montpelier Vermont Stake president Richard A. Baldwin Jr. “We wanted to draw people to the area to feel that spirit and increase their testimonies of the Prophet and the Restoration.”

Much of the camp’s labor and materials were donated. “More than 1,000 people have come here to do the work so far this year,” said full-time missionary Beth Lords. “Some people took their vacations, some brought their families. Scout troops, youth groups, Church organizations, wards, branches, and stakes have come.”

Construction coordinator Mark O. Lords, first counselor in the Montpelier Vermont Stake presidency, said, “People come here, and they feel something. It changes feelings, and it changes their lives. Now with Camp Joseph, we can offer them a place to stay.”

In addition to camping, Camp Joseph is intended for use by stakes from surrounding New England and eastern Canada for priesthood leadership meetings, ward and stake activities, youth conferences and camps, and ward socials.