Tomlinson Inn: The Place of the Book of Mormon in Early Missionary Work in Mendon, New York

Video Transcript

Abstract

Samuel Smith, brother of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the first official missionary of the newly organized Church of Christ, stopped at the Tomlinson with a knapsack filled with copies of the Book of Mormon. He conversed with Phineas Young regarding the book as well as others in the area. Eventually, copies of the Book of Mormon was shared with Brigham Young, other Young family members, and Heber C. Kimball. Samuel Smith serves as a good example for missionaries today in his use of the Book of Mormon in missionary work and planting seeds of faith without seeing immediate results.

Interesting Facts

• Tomlinson Inn was a noted stagecoach hostelry with an attached dance hall.
• Referring to the branch meetings held in the Tomlinson Inn Heber C. Kimball related: “Women would come from Victor, a distance of three miles, to the town of Mendon, new York, where I lived; and I have seen them walk barefooted until they came near to where I lived, and then they would put on their white stockings and shoes to go into meeting; and when they came out of meeting and had passed off a little out of sight, they would pull off their shoes and stockings and go home barefooted, for the purpose of saving their fine shoes and stockings which they had spun and knit out of flax.”
• A possible existing renovated home of Phineas Young is located in nearby Fishers, New York

Additional Photos