Visiting the Issac Morley Farm

One of the interesting things we learned while visiting the Issac Morley farm was about the missionaries that were serving there and giving tours of the site. The sister missionary (the wife was a descendant of John Johnson, where we had just visited the John Johnson farm earlier in the day. Also the husband was an artist by occupation and had been called to the Kirltand area with his wife on a mission to paint the scenes of the early days of the church. In the above picture he is showing us one of his paintings. It was so interesting to me because the painting he was showing depicted a scene that I had just talked about in a lesson I had taught in Relief Society (the woman's organization) at church the week previous. It talked about God the Father and Jesus Christ visiting the early members at a conference held on the Issac Morley Farm and about a prophecy foretold there.

Billy, Ammon and Dallin sit on some stumps that are on the hill up to the location where the school house used to exist where the conference of the church was held. What a spiritual feeling was there this day for us! Everyone else was still down at the bottom of the hill listening to the presentation by the missionary couple. I was able to go up with my boys and pray there with them. I could feel the sacredness of the site and the communion with diety as I prayed over my children and their well being.

It was a beautiful day when we visited the Issac Morley Farm. Issac Morley had been married to one of dad's (Michael Quinn's) ancestors. Although Michael comes through the line of his wife and her former husband, the connection was still very interesting. The farm is considered a historical site from the early days of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

From visithistorickirtland.com

The Morley Farm
Morley Farm Facts
The farm was a gathering place for early church members in Kirtland.
Joseph Smith lived at the farm for six months in 1831. He continued the translation of the Bible and received thirteen revelations, which are now in the Doctrine and Covenants.
The first High Priests in this dispensation were ordained in the old school house on the top of the hill during the conference held there in 1831. It was in the schoolhouse that Joseph and others witnessed a vision of the Father and the Son
Joseph Smith makes an astounding missionary prophecy in the schoolhouse in1834, stating that the church will fill North and South America and eventually the world. He further stated that the saints will go to the Rocky Mountains and build temples to the most high while raising up a posterity.
The Family
After Isaac Morley's baptism in 1830, many of the early arriving saints temporally lived on his farm. A short time after Joseph arrived in February of 1831, about one hundred people were living on the farm striving to do God's will as they knew it. However, some strange notions and spirits had crept in among them. With caution and wisdom, Joseph helped the brethren and sisters overcome their plan of "common stock" for the more perfect law of the Lord. Most of the Church’s present welfare principles were given as a result of this experiment.
Joseph and Emma lived on the Morley farm for about six months before moving to Hiram. It was here at the farm that Emma gave birth to twins, Thaddeus and Louisa, who died after only three hours. About the same time, twins were born to John and Julia Murdock. Sister Murdock died at the birth of her twins, and Joseph and Emma adopted them a short time later.
Isaac was commanded to sell his farm and give the proceeds to the church. He was then called to be the second counselor to Bishop Edward Partridge. Isaac and his wife Lucy remained faithful to the end. They followed the prophet to Far West and then to Nauvoo.
Lucy died from typhoid fever in 1847 while living in Winter Quarters. Isaac led a company west to the Salt Lake Valley and was instructed by Brigham Young to settle Sanpete Valley. In 1849 he led about 224 settlers to this area, which was in the heart of Indian country. During the fifteen years before his death, Isaac was a guiding light in the development of this area, which was called the granary of Utah. He is credited as the one who selected the name for the city of Manti. He was president of the Sanpete Stake and also represented Sanpete County in the state legislature. He was present when President Brigham Young designated the site for the Manti Temple in 1850. He devoted the last ten years of his life giving Patriarchal blessings. He died June 24, 1865 at the age of 79. He had devoted thirty-five years in the service of his church, which he loved and had offered his life in the defense of its truth and its leaders.