Harmony

(Photo taken by Bruce Satterfield)

On this location is where the small log house was built that Joseph and Emma Smith lived in during their days in Harmony.  It was here that much of the Book of Mormon was translated.

(Photo taken by Bruce Satterfield)

Etching of the log home Joseph and Emma lived in in Harmony.  (The etching is located on the lot.)

The log home that Joseph and Emma lived in was built in the 1820's by Emma's brother.  After he moved, Joseph and Emma moved in to the little three-room house in December 1827.  It was here that Joseph began translating the Book of Mormon.  Emma acted as scribe until Martin Harris arrived in April to take over the scribal duties.  Between April and into June the first 116 pages were translated.  Then Martin took the manuscript back to Palmyra to show it to his wife, after which the manuscript was stolen.  Because of this, Moroni took the plates back for a season.  Finally, in February 1929, the translating began again, but without the aid of Martin.  In the spring of 1829, Oliver Cowdery became Joseph's scribe who assisted Joseph in translating the majority of the Book of Mormon.

While working on the translation, Joseph and Oliver began to suffer the plague of persecution which forced them to leave Harmony in June of 1829 to go to Fayette, New York, to finish the work.

After the Book of Mormon was published, Joseph and Emma returned to Harmony in June of 1830.  However by the end of August, they suffered so much persecution that they were forced to leave Harmony forever.

(Photo taken by Bruce Satterfield)

Not far from where Joseph and Emma lived in Harmony was the cemetery for the village of Harmony.  While living in Harmony, Joseph and Emma were blessed with their first child whom they named, Alvin.  Unfortunately Alvin died in child-birth.  He was buried in the cemetery.  The above picture is of the original tombstone which recently has been placed inside a new granite tombstone for protection.

(Photo taken by Bruce Satterfield)

The above is the new tombstone for over the grave of Joseph and Emma's son who died in child-birth.  The original tombstone is encased on the backside.

(Photo taken by Bruce Satterfield)

This is the tombstone of Isaac Hale, Emma's father.  It has likewise been incased inside a new granite tombstone (see picture below).

(Photo taken by Bruce Satterfield)

(Photo taken by Bruce Satterfield)

This is the tombstone of Elizabeth Hale, Emma's mother.  It also has been placed within a new granite tombstone (see below).

(Photo taken by Bruce Satterfield)