Palmyra

We left Niagara Falls on Monday and drove to Palmyra, New York.  Some rain fell on us along the way, but it was a nice evening (a little warm, but no rain) when we arrived in Palmyra.  Since our hotel was in town (one of the few) we drove by the Sacred Grove before we checked in.  Surprisingly the crowds were minimal, so we drove on to the hotel, checked in and then came back for a quiet visit to Joseph Smith's log home and farm (which includes a few other buildings) and the Sacred Grove.  The picture above is the log home in which the Smith's lived when Joseph at 14 years of age sought to know which church he should join.

Here we are upstairs in the log home.  Although the buildings are mostly replicas, not originals, one of the visitors said, "We are in the same space".  Nonetheless, there was a special feeling to be where the Prophet Joseph Smith lived and had some of the experiences recorded in the Doctrine & Covenants and church history.

The log home and frame home each had a beautiful vegetable garden behind them.  Adam and Michelle were both impressed with what they were growing since we have a garden at home.

Here is Dan behind the Smith's log home.

As you walk from the log home to the frame home, you can look to the west and see the Sacred Grove.

This is the frame home Alvin Smith built for his family.  It is just down the way from their log home.  They only lived in it a short while, and due to financial circumstances lost the house and had to move back to the log home.

While they lived in the frame house, Joseph received the gold plates from Angel Moroni.  Many people heard of the plates, and wanted them for the gold, not the record that was engraved on them.  Joseph had to hide the plates several to protect them.  One time he hid them under this hearth.

After we visited the threshing shed and coopers building, we turned towards the grove of trees where Joseph went to pray about which church to join.

We expected the sacred grove would be full of people since this was pageant week, but since we were early in the week, we had it all to ourselves. 

What a peaceful feeling we found in the grove.  Somewhere in these woods is where Joseph knelt and asked in prayer for guidance as to which church to join.  In answer to that prayer, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him and instructed him to join none of the churches.  The first step in the  restoration of the Christ's church began here.

This was a nice added bonus to our visit.  As you walk on the grounds of the Smith's farm, you can look to the east and see the steeple of the Palmyra Temple through the trees.

Dan took this picture on Main Street in downtown Palmyra.  The banner is welcoming visitors to the Hill Cumorah pageant, but Dan took it to show the four church steeples.  On the corner of Main and Church streets there are four churches, one on each of the four corners. And these are not the only churches in this small town.  They reminded us of the religious fervor that was occurring at the time the Smiths lived in the area.  Each church trying to persuade the people of that time to join their congregation.  It helps understand why Joseph felt the need for heavenly guidance as to which one to join.

This picture is significant to the four of us on the trip.  It was a good reminder for Adam who can be a joy to be around, but sometimes the stress of traveling can make him forget this adage.  We often forget three important words that bring this smile back to Adam's face - food, water & rest.

The next morning, Tuesday, we started at the Hill Cumorah visitors center.  After going through the visitor center we walked out where the pageant would take place.  Dan and Bryce hiked up the steep path to the top of the hill where a statue of the Angel Moroni stands.

Here is Bryce at the top of the Hill Cumorah.  You can see the stage below him and the seating (blue) beyond that.

After Dan and Bryce came down, we discovered you can drive up to the top.  So we piled back in the car and drove to the top so Michelle and Adam could see the view from above and the statue.  Can you see us at the bottom of the monument?

From the Hill Cumorah we drove to Fayette, New York to the Peter Whitmer farm.  On this property there is a ward building that also serves as a visitor center for the farm.  A third building houses the missionaries that serve on the site.

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The Peter Whitmer farm is where the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized on April 6, 1830.  In the nearby woods is where the David Whitmer, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris were shown the gold plates by the Angel Moroni.  This was a very special place to visit.

The priesthood was restored here also.  Bryce already holds the Aaronic Priesthood, and by this time next year, Adam will too.

In this bedroom upstairs the translation of the Book of Mormon was completed.  Also several revelations included in the Doctrine and Covenants were received here.

Here we are at the front door of the farm house.

The beautiful steeple of the ward building next door to the farmhouse.

This is the ward building with a large lawn leading up to it.  Although the Peter Whitmer farm is a distance from Palmyra, it was definitely worth the drive for a visit.

On our drive back we went past one stretch of the Finger Lakes. 

Our last stop before heading back to the hotel to rest up before the pageant was the printing shop where the Book of Mormon was first published.  Inside we learned about the different steps in the printing process.  It is amazing that writings were ever published when they were typeset one letter at a time.  What an accomplishment.

Then it was time to head to the pageant and grab our seats.  Our hotel provided a shuttle.  The drive was only 5 minutes down the road to the visitor center and there were no worries about parking.  We had a brief walk of about 100 yards to find great seats.  We sat on the front row of the second section and Adam (and the rest of us) had an unobstructed view.

We love it when Dan wears his red hat.  He is so easy to spot in a crowd.

Next to the seating are tents with the local Lions Club and Kiwanis Club selling food.  We had heard from several people that we had to try the salt potatoes.  So we did (small new potatoes cooked in salted water and drenched in butter) and they lived up to the reviews. 

We had arrived early - 6:30 pm - to get good seats (we had been advised this was a good idea).  The pageant started at 9:15 pm, but we spent the time eating dinner, playing some games (the Clue card game is fun), people watching and talking to cast members.  In no time at all, the sun was setting and it was almost show time.

We are ready for the show to begin.

We took several pictures of the pageant, but this is really the only one that turned out.  The stage appears farther away that it actually was.  The sound system was perfect.  Dan learned that they use the same speakers that are used at the Mesa Easter Pageant - they pack them up and move them from one pageant to the next.  The show had waterfalls, water mists, fire, a cast of 700, Christ descending from the sky to visit the Nephites - it was spectacular!  The pageant gives a brief summary of the Book of Mormon up to Moroni burying the plates, on which he had recorded all this history, in the hill (the very hill on which the reenactment is being portrayed).  The story continues with Joseph Smith receiving those gold plates from the Angel Moroni (again on the very same hill).  A unique production - and to see it all on the Hill Cumorah was amazing.

We would highly recommend a visit to the Hill Cumorah Pageant and the church historical sites in the area.