Day 19 - A Second Witness...

August 8th - Palmyra, New York

Today we visited the place where it all began...

The most important event in this dispensation...

The bringing forth of the Book Of Mormon

and the restoration of Christ's church !

This is the path into the Sacred Grove...

Where the young Joseph saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ...

and was given instruction pertaining to the eventual restoration of Christ's Church to the Earth in this, the final dispensation of time.

This is the upstairs room in the old log cabin where the angel Moroni visited Joseph and told him of the plates hidden in the Hill Cumorah... The translation of the plates made possible the publication of the Book Of Mormon, which took place at E.B. Grandin's in the Village of Palmyra, New York...

On the way into Palmyra, we passed this famous corner at Church and Main Streets... There is a different church on each of the four corners - Episcopal, Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian. The variation on the preaching of these churches during Joseph's youth had a significant impact on his decision to enter the Sacred Grove and inquire of God which church he should join...

As we parked in front of E.B. Grandin's Book Printing Shop, the sky back towards church corner looked pretty angry... it proved it's fury a little while later.

This is where the first 5000 copies...

...of The Book Of Mormon were printed in 1829-30.

An amazing sky over the Sacred Grove...


This is the Smith Family frame home...

Just down the road from the old log cabin...

This is one of the rooms in the recently restored home.

Midway between the old log cabin and the frame home is this beautiful view of the Palmyra New York Temple...

These photos were taken on the grounds of temple...

After leaving the temple, we drove to the Hill Cumorah...

and visited the Angel Moroni Monument at the top of the hill.

We then drove about twenty miles to the Peter Whitmer Farmhouse...

where the Church of Christ (later renamed by revelation The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints) was organized on April 6, 1830.

This was a very inspirational day to be able to visit the sites of these important events in the history of the church.

Joy, Mom took this photo for you so you can be reminded what your father looks like...

Finally, I took this photo for President Knight... These are a couple of your friends that wanted us to tell you hello... Brother and Sister Weston, who are directors of the Historic Palmyra Visitors Center.

OK... for the Quote Of The Day, I have to rat on myself...

"Now, isn't that interesting for two Sisters to have the same first name, Hermana..." as I read the missionary name tags of the Sisters who took us on the tour of the Smith Frame Home!

I guess it is time for "Rosetta Stone"...