Virginia stake compiles Kirtland history
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A simple request to render community service evolved into a project that consumed the attention of an entire stake, and in the process, organized the history of Kirtland, Ohio, in such a way that visitors will now better understand the lives of the early members of the Church.
Four months ago, the early Church members in Kirtland were mere names to the youth of the Oakton Virginia Stake, said Terry Glasgow, co-chairman of the youth conference committee.
But after combing through thousands of pages of history and compiling their findings into a computer database, the lives of the early members became real during the stake's three-day youth conference in Kirtland on July 18-20.
"The youth connected with the early members," said Brother Glasgow. "It's all about the spirit of Elijah."
"We wanted to provide some significant service that would make a difference," he said. So in preparation for this year's conference, Oakton stake leaders visited Kirtland last January where they learned about the "Saints in Kirtland" project. Assistance was needed in compiling information about each member who lived in Kirtland during 1830-1838. From this information, a database was then to be created, allowing visitors access by touching a computer screen in a kiosk in the newly constructed John Johnson Inn.
Groundwork for this project was laid 10 years ago when Lyle Briggs and his wife were called to serve missions in Kirtland. They swept the corners and closets clean looking for any historical record of the early members, explained Elder David M. Brown, director of the Kirtland Visitors Center and Historic Sites. They found court documents and other public records detailing the lives of the 1,800 members who lived in Kirtland. After being released, Elder Brown returned a second time four years ago to continue his research.
In total, he gathered 18,000 sheets of historical information, which average about 10 pages for each member.
His findings were carefully stuffed into 16 cardboard boxes and sent to the Oakton stake where 275 families reviewed each document to discover the specifics of birth and death dates of each member, as well as other pertinent information, such as participation in the Zions Camp March.
Brother Glasgow, as well as others in the stake who specialize in the information technology industry, completed the database in early June prior to the open house of the Johnson Inn.
After only several weeks of use, the historical kiosk, "is turning out to be one of the most popular attractions in Kirtland," said Elder Brown.
"The Oakton stake is uniquely blessed with technically talented people who understand how to digitize a large project such as this for the computer," said Elder Brown.
Stake members worked an estimated 2,000 hours compiling the information and creating the database. It was completed by June 1 and ready for the open house held June 25-29 for the new visitors center in Kirtland and the newly constructed John Johnson Inn.
The database was not meant to include all information about the lives of the early members, explained Brother Glasgow. Rather it was designed as an introduction, a starting place for members to conduct their own research.
During the youth conference, the 290 youth and leaders of the Oakton stake visited the various historic sites where the events of the Restoration were recounted. The names of the people they had helped chronicle for the database became real people.
As part of the youth conference, the youth extended their contribution by completing four projects totalling about 1,500 hours of service. Some youth built a split rail fence along the border of the Hyrum Smith home, others rebuilt a parking lot for the Community of Christ by replacing old railroad ties, and two other groups reclaimed two forgotten cemeteries by cutting back overgrowth, cleaning headstones building a 600-foot fence, mapping grave sites and spraying for poison oak.
"They worked hard in the hot summer sun," Brother Glasgow said. "We've found that the youth love to serve. They've learned that doing something that matters helps them feel better about themselves."
E-mail: shaun@desnews.com
