New York Trip Oct. 14th- Day 7 -- Palmyra Sites

Day 7

Friday morning, we decided to attend a temple session in the Palmyra Temple.  

 All temples never have clear windows, but President Hinckley wanted to be able to see the Sacred Grove from this temple, so the Palmyra Temple has one clear window that faces the Sacred Grove.

After changing our clothes at the really nice Visitors Center at the Joseph Smith farm, we went to all the sites there. First was the cabin the Smith family lived in when they first arrived in Palmyra.

 Around 1818 the Joseph Smith Sr. family built and moved into a log house in the woods several miles south of the village of Palmyra, New York. On the 100-acre property that became the family farm, young Joseph and his brothers and sisters learned to work hard, love each other, and do as they were commanded of God. The Smith family read together from the Bible and "always had family prayers" in this home.

 Fourteen-year-old Joseph was living here at the time of his First Vision in the spring of 1820. Three-and-a-half years later, in the upstairs bedroom where he and his brothers slept, Joseph prayed to know his standing before God. The angel Moroni appeared and taught the young prophet about a restoration of divine truth and authority in which he would participate.

On the walk to the Smiths new home that their son Alvin built for them, we could look over and see the angel Moroni atop the Palmyra Temple. 

The Joseph Smith Sr. family moved into a new frame home in late 1825. Alvin Smith, Joseph's older brother, started construction on the house on the Smith farm in 1822. After Alvin's death in 1823, the family completed it.

Joseph brought his new wife, Emma, to live here in January 1827. Eight months later, he and Emma drove a carriage to the Hill Cumorah, where Joseph received the golden plates from the angel Moroni. The Prophet often kept the plates hidden inside and around the frame home. Persecution forced him to leave Manchester in late 1827, and Joseph and Emma went to live with her family in Harmony, Pennsylvania.

In this home, Joseph learned that his scribe Martin Harris had lost 116 pages of the Book of Mormon translation. Later that year, a schoolteacher named Oliver Cowdery came to board here with the Smith family. Oliver learned of Joseph's work, and in the spring of 1829 he went to Harmony and became the Prophet's new scribe.

Elder George Albert Smith purchased the frame home and farm in 1907 and later conveyed ownership to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The home was renovated and restored to its original condition in 2000.

 One time the plates were hidden under these bricks and another time in the bed with his two little sisters. Another time they were hidden in this box. It was Alvin's tool box, his name is carved in it. There in an indentation on the lid where the plates were pressed against it. This is a replica, the original is in Salt Lake City.  When President Kimball held the only General Conference in 1980 at the Peter Whitmer farm, he brought this box and told the story of the plates being hid inside. 

 After their oldest son Alvin died at the age of 23, they think of appendicitis, a tree was planted for him. This may be that tree.

Then we got to walk in the Sacred Grove. It really does feel like a sacred place.

We drove around, seeing the country side, always lots of geese!

This is where Martin Harris' farm is located, but his isn't his home, his home burned down and this 'lake-stone house' was built. It looks like brick, but it is all little rocks that were hauled from Lake Superior. 

 Then we drove to the Erie Canal to see a lock.

 These big gates open to fill the lock once the boat is inside.

A beautiful Fall picture of the trees reflecting on the Erie Canal.

This was our last day in Palmyra. Such a wonderful place to visit and learn of all the special events that took place here. 

Day 8  Oct. 15th
Saturday morning it was back to Buffalo, New York. We like to get to the airport early so we could return the rental car and not have to rush. We relaxed in the airport, had some lunch, then had a 4 hour flight home.

What a great trip we had, so much fun with our friends, the Penrods!  Wonderful memories to cherish for years to come!!

New York Trip Day 6 FAYETTE & PALMYRA

Day 6

Driving from the Priesthood Restoration Site late on Wed. nite, we found a little ice cream place to eat, then drove until we found a NICE Holiday in to stay in. We decided we'd stay there the rest of our trip. In the morning, it was raining, but still a nice day to start the rest of our church history tour. We started our day at the Peter Whitmer Farm in Fayette, New York. 

The Visitors Center also serves as a chapel. There were beautiful mums like this everywhere!!

From the Visitors Center we walked over to the little log cabin where the church was officially organized.  The rest of the Book of Mormon was translated here and many revelations received here. 

The Whitmer Farm in Fayette, New York

Over the past 100 years, almost every session of general conference has been held in Salt Lake City, Utah. The only exception came in 1980, when a session of conference was broadcast instead from a small, commemorative log home on a 100-acre farm in Fayette, New York. That spring, the Church looked back to remember the place where it had been organized a century and a half before, on April 6, 1830

 After the Peter Whitmer farm, we headed to Palmyra. On the way we stopped at a really cool Amish store called Sauders, that had everything!!

 Inside these pretty glass windows of the Visitors Center in Palmyra is this beautiful statue of Christ.

Inside on display are over 110 Book of Mormon in that many languages! What was interesting to me, the guide told me that it took Joseph Smith about 60 days to translate the BofM. It takes the church from 3-5 years to translate it into another language!!

 More Mums

 This monument with Moroni sits on top of the Hill Cumorah!
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints acquired the Hill Cumorah in 1928. A granite monument topped by a nine-foot statue of Moroni was erected at the highest point of the hill in 1935. Today, the Church operates a modern visitors' center at the base of the hill. A dramatic pageant featuring events from the Book of Mormon is held here every summer.

Looking down the Hill Cumorah. This is where they put on the great pageant in July.

 Then it was on to the Grandin Print Shop

 These are originally ink stains on the wall and floor!

 What a long process it took to print the Book of Mormon- amazing to see how they did it!

 Love seeing the 'colors' we went back East to see!!

After a long day, it was back to the motel for a good nights sleep!