Our first stop was the Hill Cumorah, where the Angel Moroni directed Joseph Smith to find a set of metal plates, from which he translated the Book of Mormon. Atop the hill you can see a monument with a statue of Moroni on the top, and scenes from Church history on the sides. Most of the hill is thickly forested, but part of it has been cleared and well-manicured (probably because of the annual pageant held there).At the nearby visitor center, we watched a film the Church recently produced about Joseph Smith's life. The film always increases my respect for the Prophet, but watching the horrible persecution and suffering he and the saints endured just tears my heart out every time.
My favorite part of the trip was our visit to the Sacred Grove. I expected my thoughts and feelings to center around Joseph Smith and his experience there, but instead they centered on my own convictions. I found myself asking, "Since I believe Joseph was called by God to be a prophet, what am I doing to sincerely live what he taught?" As I sat reflecting on my life and my principles, it struck me that the grove felt like a temple--a peaceful place where you just want to be still and draw closer to God.
Speaking of temples, it seemed appropriate that we should spend part of our visit worshiping in the nearby Palmyra Temple. It was a fitting compliment to our experience in the Grove.
We also toured the Smith family homestead. This is a reconstruction of the log cabin the Smiths lived in when Joseph had the First Vision. A few years later he was visited by Moroni in the cabin's upstairs bedroom. You can see the Sacred Grove in the background.
Between Moroni's first visit and the time Joseph obtained the gold plates, the family finished and moved into this frame home a short distance away from the cabin. Seeing these homes didn't necessarily increase my testimony, but it was nice to put some events in context and see how the family lived.
And yes, I did have to take a picture of the spinning wheel in the second house. :)
4 comments:
wow ... looks like a FABULOUS trip. i would love to visit palmyra, ny and nauvoo. how awesome.
Was the Hill Cumurah Pagent running when you were in Palmyra? We used to go every other summer. It's been too long since I've been back.
Alas, we missed the pageant. Pity - I've heard it's an awesome experience.
It's amazing to be back there where it all began. I had the same experience visiting the Sacred Grove as you - that is, looking at my own life. What a meaningful trip!
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