Topsfield, Mass

 On a recent visit to the Boston area, I took the opportunity to visit a new monument placed in the Pine Grove Cemetery in Topsfield, Massachusetts, by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a memorial for some of the ancestors of Joseph Smith, the founder of my church.

It was a foggy, wet morning, fortunately not rainy. Topsfield seems like a quiet bedroom community for people who work in Boston. The cemetery is very old. I would have loved to walk around but there was snow and the ground was very wet and I had no boots. Fortunately I was able to get close enough to the monument to take some pictures.

These faraway stones were in the background. This section looked like it was one of the oldest in the cemetery if not the very oldest. The monument was close to the main road. It is not known where the actual graves of Samuel Smith II and his wife Priscilla Gould are--the cemetery is just too old. But it seems likely the monument is in the general area.

I took my grandson with me and he had a wonderful time seeking out all the biggest puddles.

After the cemetery I drove to 22 Boardman Lane to to see a marker for the house, now torn down, where Samuel Smith lived. I believe it was where Asael Smith, the grandfather of Joseph Smith, was born and lived. He is also my 4th great-grandfather through my great-grandmother Lorana Smith. 

I enjoyed my visit! It was not too cold, just wet. Here is a link to an article that tells more about it, which is how I originally learned about it::

https://www.thechurchnews.com/history-revisited/2020-12-07/joseph-smith-ancestors-topsfield-massachusetts-monument-president-ballard-198778