“Helping in Harmony,” Friend, May 2016, 18–19
Friends Who Stand Tall
Helping in Harmony
Hi, I’m Syri! My brother, Alex, and I visited Harmony, Pennsylvania, USA. It’s a place where Joseph and Emma Smith lived. It’s also where the Prophet Joseph Smith got the priesthood from John the Baptist and where he was baptized. We got to help volunteers fix up this special place so people can learn more about the Restoration.
Joseph and Emma Smith’s House
This is where Joseph Smith translated most of the Book of Mormon. This house was rebuilt to look just like it did when Joseph and Emma Smith lived there.
Emma’s Parents’ House
We also visited the Hale house, where Emma Smith’s parents lived. It is very close to the house where Joseph and Emma lived. This house was also rebuilt.
A Giant Rock Collection
People had to dig up the foundations of the Hale and Smith homes. They collected the rocks on 70 wooden pallets.
Building Fences
“My favorite part was when we helped with the rocks, because I like doing service,” Syri said. Syri and Alex helped other volunteers stack the rocks to make fences.
Paving Paths
We watched volunteers make trails in the woods. They spread rocks and dirt on the trails and then raked them flat. The trails led to the place where John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and gave them the priesthood.
Priesthood Monument
This statue shows Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery receiving the Aaronic Priesthood from John the Baptist. It happened on May 15, 1829—187 years ago!
A Special River
After they got the priesthood, Joseph baptized Oliver Cowdery in the Susquehanna River. Then Oliver baptized Joseph. I really liked how we got to see the river. I actually touched the river where Joseph Smith got baptized!
A New Site
After all the work was done, the Priesthood Restoration Site was ready to be dedicated. President Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave a prayer to dedicate the site in September 2015.