Best way to describe the Mormon History Conference 2005 in Killington, Vermont is that it was a “once in a lifetime experience” – many interesting topics, many interesting persons for conversations, questions asked and answered and tours with notable historians “at our elbows” so to speak.

Some of the sites visited on the tours we would never have found on our own. We read the information provided on Plymouth Colony before arriving there. Read “Tales of a Wayside Inn” by Longfellow after arriving home, and reflected more visually our combined LDS and American heritage on the recent 4th of July holiday as a result of the conference experience.

So glad conference planners included sites pertinent to our American heritage at Fort Ticonderoga, Lexington and Concord. We enjoyed the Freedom Trail in Boston in the rain with Richard Cowan tying LDS history into sites on the Freedom Trail. Paul Anderson’s map of the Smith Family historic sites which tied in with events of American history helped us keep track of where we were going and a record of where we had been.

We enjoyed delicious soup and sandwich at the fish market near the wharf in Salem, Massachusetts after walking about the town and realizing more than ever there is more significance to Salem than witch trials, especially the LDS significance of that town.

Standing beside the Boston Temple at night and listening to a discussion on it’s history was certainly worthwhile and finishing off a wonderful week with a wonderful concert at the Boston Pops was tops!
We must comment on the beauty of the state of Vermont. From the balcony of our room in the hotel we could view a typical Vermont hillside with rounded dome-shaped tree tops touching each other one after the other across the landscape. A comment made by a grandson who served a mission in New England came to mind: “Going by air over New England in the Fall is like flying over a bowl of Fruity Pebbles” (a breakfast cereal). Though at conference time it was late spring in Vermont, while on the balcony viewing the gorgeous shades of green on the hillside we thought, “Yeah, it could look like a bowl of Fruity Pebbles”.

And we can’t wait to read, when it is published, Richard Bushman’s talk given at the banquet as he spoke of the Joseph Smith, Sr. time period as an age of failed fathers, the old system broken, father’s could not provide for their families, how Joseph Jr. never gave up on his father, would stay home with him while his mother took the other children to the Presbyterian Church and with the restoration Joseph Jr. could baptize and confer the priesthood on his father who could then bless his sons – the priesthood a father’s legacy to his sons. In restoring the priesthood Joseph Jr. restored fatherhood. What amazing insight from Richard Bushman.

The last session of the conference, which took place at the Prophet Joseph’s birthplace in Sharon, Vermont with Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the Seventy speaking to us about how the fruits of Joseph Smith’s work vindicate his being a prophet, will linger with us for a very long time.
So much to enjoy, experience and learn. It was a great conference!”

Ed and Velma Skidmore,
Manhattan, Kansas