Trip #6 - Part 2: Palmyra, NY

Andrew and I safely made it to Syracuse very late Sunday night. Monday we slept in and headed off to the airport to pick up Dennis and drop Andrew off for EFY. Alone at last Dennis and I headed off to Palmyra for our first night away. We arrived mid-afternoon checked in at the Palmyra Inn and headed off to the Sacred Grove, Joseph Smith farm, and the Palmyra Temple.

Sacred Grove:

Pictures just don't capture the beauty and feeling you get be seeing and being in the Sacred Grove. Dennis and I strolled through the area for 2 hours just enjoying the quiet solitude of the trees. We would stop at the benches along the way and just sit quietly enjoying the spirit. It was amazing to stop and think about what happened in these trees to young Joseph Smith. You read about it, but being there was special.

Joseph Smith Farm:



Our children have no idea what chores are (or us for that matter)!! Being in the grove of trees and realizing that the whole farm was covered in trees and that they had to be removed roots and all before they planted their crops is quite amazing. Then we saw how they made a rock border around their whole property. Then there was farming, taking care of the animals, making of barrels, etc. I'll take taking out the trash, making my bed, housework, cleaning out the cars, etc. any day. And then on top of it they had to live in this little log cabin and share beds with their siblings. Boy, are we spoiled!!

Palmyra Temple:

The Palmyra Temple is a very beautiful small temple. The windows are all beautiful stain glass pictures of the Sacred Grove. While we were walking around one of the maintenance workers came out and talked to us. (It was Monday, temple is closed) He told us an interesting story about the temple. Did you know that it is the only temple where you can see outside from the inside? When President Hinckley came to dedicate the temple he had them replace the frosted stain glass windows facing the Sacred Grove to windows that allowed you to see the real thing.

The next morning we stopped at Hill Cumorah Visitors Center on the way out of town. This is probably the nicest visitors center I have ever been to (yes, including Salt Lake)! I wish we had all day to stay and do all the interactive displays they had there. Kids would love it. When you walk in there is a huge display of President Monson called "Our Living Prophet Today" (?) or something close to that. Later D & I both expressed that it still seemed weird not to have Pres. Hinckley there. Later when we talked to Andrew about his experiences there, he said the same thing. Another cool thing about this Visitor's Center is that it is the only one with a Christus that does not have the universe behind it. Instead it has the Sacred Grove. So Cool! Unfortunately, the pageant was over but that gives us excuse to go back.

Well, after playing to long in the Visitor's Center we had to drive up to the Hill Cumorah monument (what a shame). Another interesting fact: The only place where you see the Angel Moroni holding something beside the heralding trumpet. He is holding the plates.


What a fun adventure. I'm so glad we went. But we needed to hurry off to our next day of big adventure - Niagara Falls!!