You may have never heard of Topsfield, Massachusetts, but the small town of 6,500 residents now has a historic marker that honors the family of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
In a new video released by Church News, President M. Russell Ballard, a descendant of Hyrum Smith, says he has read everything he can about the Smith family, and he stands in awe of “absolute, unwavering faith of that branch of the Smith family.”
“Robert Smith came to the United States in the late 1600s and he settled in Topsfield,” President Ballard explains in the video. “The world needs to understand that little community just outside of Boston—about 15 miles or something—was really the gathering place of preparing the Prophet Joseph Smith. It’s a remarkable family line as it relates to Church service and to dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ.”
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Topsfield is where the Prophet Joseph Smith’s father, Joseph Smith Sr., was born. The new marker honors five generations of the Smith family who lived, served, and worshiped there, according to the new video. The dedication of the marker, donated by the Ensign Peak Foundation, will take place in coming months.
Watch the full video at Church News and learn more about the members of the Smith family who lived in Topsfield.
