From Colesville to Harmony, once again.
August 18, 2017
We left at 7:15 this morning to travel to the Priesthood Restoration Site, so we could arrive early enough that we had some time before the 8:00 missionary training meeting. We drove through a steady rain the whole way there. It was still a beautiful drive that follows the Susquehanna River the entire way. During Joseph Smith's day, the Susquehanna was one way to travel from one place to another, and Joseph would frequently use a ferry to travel down the Susquehanna to visit Emma in Harmony when he was living in Colesville working for the Knights and Stowells. Joseph and Emma's courtship was during the time period that Joseph worked for these two families. When we got to the visitors' center/chapel at the Priesthood Restoration Site, the missionaries were just arriving to begin their day. We entered the building with all of them and it was great to be with the Abneys again. Eric was the speaker for their missionary training this morning. He shared experiences he has had while working in translation for the Church, and some of the miracles that have occurred in order to have the Book of Mormon translated into some languages. Eric really brought the spirit to that meeting, and the missionaries seemed to really appreciate what he shared with them. The missionaries had several questions following Eric's remarks, which he took the time to answer before we had to leave to return to the Knight home to prepare for our tours for the day. Traveling between Harmony and Colesville along the Susquehanna is a special experience because we know that it was somewhere along that route where Peter, James, and John appeared and restored the Melchizedek priesthood to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, and it was within two weeks of when John the Baptist appeared on May 15, 1829 and restored the Aaronic priesthood. We recently read the following scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 128:20 that refers to the restoration of the Melchizedek priesthood somewhere along the route that we traveled this morning, "And again, what do we hear? . . . The voice of Peter, James, and John in the wilderness between Harmony, Susquehanna county, and Colesville, Broome county, on the Susquehanna river, declaring themselves as possessing the keys of the kingdom, and of the dispensation of the fulness of times!" It has been really amazing to be able to spend time in the area where these significant events occurred.
The rest of our day has been fairly routine with conducting tours of both homes and spending some time appreciating the beauty of this area. After dinner this evening, we took a walk down the road that the Knight home is situated on. We walked to a nearby cemetery that is on the land that would have belonged to Joseph Knight Sr. until he and his family left the area in 1831, never to return. The Knight family's departure from the area predates the oldest headstone in the cemetery, so it was obviously not there during their time of living here.
The area surrounding the Knight property is really beautiful and the pictures we have taken do not do it justice. We have grown to appreciate the Knight family's sacrifice even more deeply while being here. We have also gained a greater understanding of what it must have been like for them to willingly walk away from this beautiful area so they could be true to their faith and the testimonies that they had of the restored gospel. When conducting tours at the Knight home, we share Newell Knight's testimony that he recorded in 1830. The following is what is recorded:
"When 1830 ended, Newel Knight recognized the import of that year for the cause of the Restoration and, deeply religious, he wrote down his convictions about what was unfolding. He bore his testimony. This is one of the earliest expressions of personal testimonies on record in Latter-day Saint history."
"The year 1830 is closing upon us. Great things have transpired, too great for pen to paint. To reflect that the closing year has been one to which all future generations will date the rise and organization of the Church of God upon the earth, no more to be thrown down, and to know that I have witnessed the important events with my natural eyes and to know of a surety that the heavens have been opened to my view, that I have beheld the majesty on High, and heard the voice of my Redeemer which has spoken words of comfort and instruction to me, fill my whole being with gratitude to my Heavenly Father while I write these things which are verily true. And I write them that my posterity and future generations may know of them, and that I may leave a faithful testimony of the things which I do know to be verily true. And may the Lord bless me with a wise and understanding heart, that I may ever do his will and help to establish his great purpose upon the earth is the greatest desire of my heart." -- Newell Knight
We left at 7:15 this morning to travel to the Priesthood Restoration Site, so we could arrive early enough that we had some time before the 8:00 missionary training meeting. We drove through a steady rain the whole way there. It was still a beautiful drive that follows the Susquehanna River the entire way. During Joseph Smith's day, the Susquehanna was one way to travel from one place to another, and Joseph would frequently use a ferry to travel down the Susquehanna to visit Emma in Harmony when he was living in Colesville working for the Knights and Stowells. Joseph and Emma's courtship was during the time period that Joseph worked for these two families. When we got to the visitors' center/chapel at the Priesthood Restoration Site, the missionaries were just arriving to begin their day. We entered the building with all of them and it was great to be with the Abneys again. Eric was the speaker for their missionary training this morning. He shared experiences he has had while working in translation for the Church, and some of the miracles that have occurred in order to have the Book of Mormon translated into some languages. Eric really brought the spirit to that meeting, and the missionaries seemed to really appreciate what he shared with them. The missionaries had several questions following Eric's remarks, which he took the time to answer before we had to leave to return to the Knight home to prepare for our tours for the day. Traveling between Harmony and Colesville along the Susquehanna is a special experience because we know that it was somewhere along that route where Peter, James, and John appeared and restored the Melchizedek priesthood to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, and it was within two weeks of when John the Baptist appeared on May 15, 1829 and restored the Aaronic priesthood. We recently read the following scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 128:20 that refers to the restoration of the Melchizedek priesthood somewhere along the route that we traveled this morning, "And again, what do we hear? . . . The voice of Peter, James, and John in the wilderness between Harmony, Susquehanna county, and Colesville, Broome county, on the Susquehanna river, declaring themselves as possessing the keys of the kingdom, and of the dispensation of the fulness of times!" It has been really amazing to be able to spend time in the area where these significant events occurred.
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| With the Abneys |
The rest of our day has been fairly routine with conducting tours of both homes and spending some time appreciating the beauty of this area. After dinner this evening, we took a walk down the road that the Knight home is situated on. We walked to a nearby cemetery that is on the land that would have belonged to Joseph Knight Sr. until he and his family left the area in 1831, never to return. The Knight family's departure from the area predates the oldest headstone in the cemetery, so it was obviously not there during their time of living here.
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| Farm with corn field on property formerly owned by Joseph Knight Sr. |
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| Headstone in the cemetery on the land once owned by Joseph Knight Sr. |
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| Sweet statue in the cemetery of Jesus with some children |
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| View of cemetery from the road |
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| The area in the left of this photo is where Joseph Knight Sr.'s barn once stood. The Colesville Branch would meet in the barn where Joseph Smith and other leaders would teach and instruct them. |
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| The side yard of the Knight home looking back towards the house. |
The area surrounding the Knight property is really beautiful and the pictures we have taken do not do it justice. We have grown to appreciate the Knight family's sacrifice even more deeply while being here. We have also gained a greater understanding of what it must have been like for them to willingly walk away from this beautiful area so they could be true to their faith and the testimonies that they had of the restored gospel. When conducting tours at the Knight home, we share Newell Knight's testimony that he recorded in 1830. The following is what is recorded:
"When 1830 ended, Newel Knight recognized the import of that year for the cause of the Restoration and, deeply religious, he wrote down his convictions about what was unfolding. He bore his testimony. This is one of the earliest expressions of personal testimonies on record in Latter-day Saint history."
"The year 1830 is closing upon us. Great things have transpired, too great for pen to paint. To reflect that the closing year has been one to which all future generations will date the rise and organization of the Church of God upon the earth, no more to be thrown down, and to know that I have witnessed the important events with my natural eyes and to know of a surety that the heavens have been opened to my view, that I have beheld the majesty on High, and heard the voice of my Redeemer which has spoken words of comfort and instruction to me, fill my whole being with gratitude to my Heavenly Father while I write these things which are verily true. And I write them that my posterity and future generations may know of them, and that I may leave a faithful testimony of the things which I do know to be verily true. And may the Lord bless me with a wise and understanding heart, that I may ever do his will and help to establish his great purpose upon the earth is the greatest desire of my heart." -- Newell Knight
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