Contemporaries in History

I learned so little about history in school. Ok, so I know a few main characters, and a little bit about how the government in supposed to work, and that the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are our founding documents, but beyond that I really didn't learn to understand the fabric of history.

I didn't even know how much I didn't know and understand until recently. The first inkling of my lack of knowledge was towards the end of my college career. I was taking an art class (art 101: History of art or something like that). We covered a lot of types of art throughout history. I remember being amazed when I realized that 6000 years is a really long time, and that their is a art history that goes back that far. Here I was, a young married mother of two, and finally grown up enough to enjoy an art class(where we did indeed experiment with many types of art) and finally learn that a people had been creating art for thousands and thousands of years.

A few years later, when I was a mother of 4, I was finally privileged to learn again how little I really knew about history. We were studying ancient history, and the Old Testament side by side, what an amazing bit of serendipity. I didn't know enough to plan it that way, but it was indeed a blessing from above that we were able to see how the Old Testament is the spiritual account of history, and that other historical records exist to verify the existence of people like ABRAHAM and DAVID. I had never, until that time, really connected the scriptures, with actual history. I didn't doubt the scriptures, I guess I just assumed they were the only records that we had . . . ?

I am still often pleasantly happy to discover many more fascinating stories from history, and feel so very blessed that I am able to learn right along with my kids as we learn together in our homeschool. I know that they are learning so much more than I learned at their age, and I am finally getting the education that I continually desire.

On that note, I'd like to share my amazing discovery for today. Joseph Smith and Abraham Lincoln were contemporaries, and their lives are amazingly similar. Think about it, they were both born and raised poor, were basically self educated, ran for President of the United States, served fellowman immensely and were both martyrs. I learned even more about Abraham Lincold and Joseph Smith by reading this article: Did Abraham Lincoln ever meet Joseph Smith by David and Nancy Leroy. While it is impossible to say if they ever met in this life, I'm sure that they've met on the other side. I know you'll agree with me.