Hill Cumorah, Chill and Grill, Smith Farm, Sacred Grove, Gary, Peter Whitmer Farm

I have been to Palmyra twice before...both during the Hill Cumorah pageant which I loved.  But the pageant is no more and a fun thing about being there when it’s not the pageant is that it was usually just Gabby and I and perhaps one other family/group on most of the tours.   At the Hill Cumorah one of the senior missionaries gave us tips on other things to see and do. And it was nice to have a more personal tour.  I love the  

Cumorah visitor center and felt overwhelmed to see copies of the Book of Mormon in so many languages...many that I had never even heard of and that I didn’t know where they were spoken.  The Lord loves His children and wants them to hear the gospel in their language and manner of understanding!!

 After the Hill Cumorah we got lunch at the Chill and Grill.  Their kiddie size cone is 3 scoops so we each ordered a burger and then a kiddie size cone to share.  When the owner brought our food he said not to be angry but he threw in a free order of fries!  So generous (but more food than we could finish!!)

We had just a little time to kill after lunch so we went to a little park in Palmyra.

The Erie Canal was quite important in this region.

Then we headed to the Smith Family Farm and the Sacred Grove. I love hearing the stories of Joseph hiding the plates and how they were protected.  For example once a mob came to the home and he hid the plates in between his sisters in bed.  The mob searched the home but didn’t disturb his sisters who pretended to sleep.  There’s no doubt in my mind that this is God’s work.

Also I learned this time that the recreated homes are built on the original foundation.  And if you read in Joseph Smith History, Joseph mentions that his family moved from Palmyra to Manchester…the fence separating their original home and the bigger home they built a few years later runs right along the line separating Palmyra and Manchester.

The original family farm is small and it's incredible to picture Moroni appearing to Joseph in this tiny bedroom with his brothers asleep in the same room.  But I have learned that our circumstances don't deter God if we are willing to follow Him and do His work.

The original foundation of the cabin.

You can see the Palmyra Temple from the family farm.  

The second home was larger and accomodated the family better.  There's a tree outside the second home that was likely planted about the time that Alvin died.  Perhaps--though we don't know for sure--the tree was planted as a memorial for Alvin.

Finally that evening we headed to the Peter Whitmer farm.  We got to the area a bit early and I saw a sign for a historical home so I pulled over to see it.

Peter Whitmer farm I was Gabby’s favorite historic site.