New York - Palmyra

Tuesday, 9 August 2011

The morning was overcast and drizzly.  But undaunted, off we went to explore the township of Palmyra, New York.  This town is of significant historical interest to those who belong to our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  It was in this town in the early 1800's that the Smith family settled, carving out a meager existence on a large plot of farmland just outside the township.  It was here that the restoration of the gospel occured.  Where young Joseph Smith prayed in a grove of trees for an answer as to what church to join, as there was so much contention in the area on the subject of religion. He was answered, by an unmistakable vision of the Father and his Son, that the the true church in it's fullness, no longer existed on the earth.  It was near this place that he recieved the gold plates from Moroni, an ancient record of the people who previously inhabited the Americas. It is also a record of Christ's visit to these people on the American continent after his resurrection.  This record was eventually translated to become the Book of Mormon and was first published in this town.  Once the Book of Mormon was published, in due course, the Priesthood was restored, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was organised in this dispensation in 1830.  I love the history of our church.  I love the things that happened here.  The sacrifice and hardships those early saints went through so the gospel could once more be established in its fullness on the earth.  I love the truths I hear.  I know these things happened and they are indeed true.  The Book of Mormon is a wonderful source of personal strenght and happiness in my life.



I divert!  Our tour began first at the Grandin Printing Office.  Here we heard how the transcript was typeset, then the process through to binding in lambskin.  A lengthy process for a large order for the day, of 500 copies.  The original cost for each book was $1.75 but later reduced to $1.25.  This was still an expensive book, equivalent to a couple of days wages.

The original Print Office was just one strata. Quite a small shop.
 It now is twice the size to encompass the Visitor Center.

Next, we found Martin Harris' farm.  He was a wealthy friend of Joseph Smith Snr; and it was his resources that enabled the Book of Mormon to be published.  At one point, Martin also acted as a scribe in the translation of the plates.

The Martin Harris Farm.  Very tidy and neat, also very fine for 1830 in a frontier town..

We found Alvin Smith's gravesite.  Joseph was deeply grieved when his older brother Alvin died suddenly at 25yrs. At the time, Alvin was engaged to be married.

The Palmyra cemetery. 
Alvin's grave is on the far left, the only visible headstone,
but in a very pretty resting place..

We visited the Hill Cumorah.  This is the site where the Gold Plates had been deposited and then entrusted to Joseph by the angel Moroni to care and translate the record.

The Hill Cumorah Visitors Centre, with the Christus clearly visible from the highway, especially at night..

Tom & Me in front of the statue of Moroni on the crest of Hill Comorah

Tom & Sarah on the Hill Comorah

We passed the Palmyra Temple on the way to the Smith Farm.  As is standard, the Temple is in a beautiful position.  It is the same plan as the Adelaide Temple, but this one has stain glass windows depicting the First Vision. 

We found the Smith farm.  It's a large holding encompassing the original log cabin they lived in, the house Alvin started to build which they also lived in, the farm dwellings and the Sacred Grove.  I think this was my favourite of all the places we saw over the summer.  We were able to wander around the Sacred Grove on our own for as long as we wanted.  Just a wonderful experience.  It really is a sacred place.  It felt like I was in the Temple..

There was only one other family and us on this tour.  We were lucky, two weeks before the area was swamped with people visiting for the Hill Cumorah Pageant..

The main room in the log cabin.  There is a room upstairs for sleeping and another coming off this room used by the parents and as a parlour.
 An additional room was added on when the last child was born.

Today, the Temple is visible from the Smith Farm.  A very beautiful spot.

The Smith Family Home, that Alvin commenced for his parents comfort.

The Sacred Grove, a most reverent, special place..

..a place of meditation, prayer.  The place where Joseph first prayed..  My favourite place. 

 Finally, we drove out to Fayette, New York to the Peter Whitmer farm.  Here, there is a massive chapel and Visitors Center in the midde of nowhere, surrounded by large cornfields, and this little log cabin.  The log cabin is where the church was officially organised with six members on April 6th, 1830. This again, was a great experience.  While here, we met a family also travelling who were from Utah.  It just so happens they are moving to New Zealand at the end of the year!  We spent a great time talking with them and as it got too dark and mozzies were being pesky, we exchanged contact details.  Hopefully we will hear from them again! 

The chapel and visitors center at the Whitmer Farm.

The log cabin where the church was first organised in 1830.

This was a wonderful day.  The spirit of this area is very strong, and it's so beautiful!  When I think of all that the Prophet Joseph Smith went through, he was very blessed to have had to spent some of these trials in mortality in such a beautiful part of the world.

The Palmyra Temple, so beautiful lit up at night..

Bed and Breakfast, a FULL three course breakfast!!!

That evening, we stayed on the main street of Palmyra in Liberty House.  An original building in Palmyra.  In town there was  a fair, so the others had a look at it, while I stayed behind and had a quiet read.  Solitude.  You can really appreciate quiet moments!  Apparently, the fair was a 'typical' country fair, just as you imagine it to be.  They had a great time!