Cemetery service project leads to notable discovery
E-mail story
It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.
Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.
SHABBONA, Ill. — A ward service project to clean up a town cemetery here resulted in the restoration of the grave of a Church history figure.
James Stewart, executive secretary of the Sycamore Ward, Rockford Illinois Stake, was enjoying a summer stroll last year through the Smith Cemetery on Shabbona Grove Road with his wife, Karen. They noted the state of disrepair that the cemetery was in.
Contacting the town commission and coordinating with Bishop Douglas Holyoak and the ward activities committee, Brother Stewart arranged a ward service project to beautify the cemetery.
Hearing of the project, Sandra Bullis, former school teacher and a member of the town museum board, asked Brother Stewart if he knew who was buried in the cemetery.
"Does the name William Marks mean anything to you?" she asked.
"It sounds familiar, but refresh my memory," Brother Stewart replied.
"He was the first stake president at Nauvoo, and is mentioned in your scriptures!" she exclaimed.
In addition to restoring other stones in the cemetery, ward members refurbished the Marks gravestone, which "was a complete shambles," according to Brother Stewart.
"We put 160 pounds of cement plus steel reinforcing rods around the base stone and had to cut the bottom section of stone to fit it back in the base," he said.
He said plans are under way to restore more stones in the cemetery this year.
William Marks is indeed mentioned in the scriptures, Doctrine and Covenants 117:10, where he was called to preside in Far West, Mo., in 1838 and promised that if he proved faithful over a few things he would be ruler over many.
Later, he presided over the Nauvoo Stake, from 1839-44.
But he did not remain faithful. After the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, he supported the claims of Sidney Rigdon to the presidency of the Church, and the members rejected him as their stake president. Later, he appeared to have a change of heart. He denounced Rigdon's claims and supported the Twelve under the leadership of Brigham Young.
But ultimately, he was excommunicated from the Church for lack of faithfulness. He later affiliated with groups that broke away from the Church.
