Joseph Knight Sr. Farmhouse

August 10-11, 2017:

It is hard to believe we are really here at the Joseph Knight Sr. ancestral home in Colesville (Ninevah), New York. We have looked forward to this day ever since the first Saturday in April when we made a commitment between the morning and afternoon general conference sessions to be docents here. This opportunity has loomed larger than life in our imaginations for the last four-plus months and now, at last, it is a reality! The Knight farmhouse was the home of the Colesville Branch that was organized in September 1830. Joseph Knight Sr. employed Joseph Smith beginning in November 1826, and Joseph Smith lived in the Knight home while he was employed by them. The Knights were the first family outside of Joseph Smith's own family to believe in his divine calling and mission. Being a direct descendant of Joseph Knight Sr., it has always been my dream to someday visit here, but to actually live in the Knight home and have the opportunity to tell their story is beyond what I ever hoped for.

Sign at the corner of the farmhouse

Replica of the statue at Carthage Jail

Sign on the right side of the Knight home front door

Sign on the left side of the Knight home front door

Original front door and window above the door at the Knight home

We arrived at the Knight farmhouse yesterday evening after a day of travel consisting of two different flights, and a rental car drive from Syracuse, New York. On our drive we were struck with the incredible beauty of this area. The vistas in every direction are breathtaking. There are green, rolling hills that are thickly forested, and other hills that are farmed that are covered in corn fields and other crops. There is a picturesque scene around every bend which made for a very pleasant drive. We traveled along the Susquehanna River for much of the drive, to our delight. Once we arrived at the Knight farmhouse, we were met by Larry and Carolyn Clark who were the docents who proceeded us. They are from Tempe, Arizona, and were very kind to show us around and orient us to our duties caring for the Knight home and also the Josiah Stowell home that is two miles down the road from here. After taking us on a tour of both homes, the Clarks bid us farewell and began their journey to Newark and their eventual flight home.

We spent last night in the docent's apartment in the Knight home, and we awoke early this morning excited to begin our official first day on our unofficial service mission. We were so excited when we got a call this morning from the Priesthood Restoration Site in Harmony, Pennsylvania, letting us know that we had a group coming for a tour later in the morning. We were nervous, but also greatly anticipating conducting our first tour. It felt like such a privilege to tell the story of our ancestors who sacrificed so much to be members of the Church and to follow and remain true to Joseph Smith, as they knew he was a prophet of God. We read the following today in a Knight family history:

"The family of Joseph Smith Sr. is of course the first family of Mormonism, but in the foundation years, the title of second family should go to the extensive Joseph Knight family. Before Joseph Smith received the gold plates, he confided in Joseph and Polly Knight about the visits of the angel Moroni. Father Knight believed in Joseph's mission even before the young man met the Whitmers or the Cowderys. While young Joseph Smith struggled to translate the Book of Mormon, the Knights provided him paper, food, transportation, and encouragement. They helped him court Emma Hale. Joseph Knight's wagon carried the gold plates from the Hill Cumorah., The Church's first miracle involved a Knight, and more than a dozen revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants were for Knight relatives. The Knight families were the first Saints in this gospel dispensation to attempt to live the law of consecration. They were the first company of believers sent to Missouri to establish Jackson County as the center place of Zion and the stage for Christ's millennial return. The first marriage Joseph Smith performed by priesthood authority united Newel Knight and Lydia Bailey (Stand by My Servant Joseph: The Story of  the Joseph Knight Family and The Restoration, Hartley 2002)."

It has been an almost surreal experience to be in the very home that the Knights lived in and where Joseph Smith worked and lived for a time. This has been a day of remembering and thoughtful reflection for what our ancestors endured to embrace the truth.