Part Deux- “I knew it and I knew that God knew it…”
Next up on our world tour was Palmyra, New York/Church History sights. After staying the night in Newark, NY (not NJ) we cruised into Palmyra at about 9:30 or so in the morning. Earlier we’d received a hot tip about eating at the Chill and Grill in Palmyra. But first as we arrived in the town we saw the Book of Mormon Publishing house, which is where we would get our first dose of Hermanas. I had already been to the Book of Mormon house in Nauvoo so I was a little skeptical. Just as they were about to start our tour, in walks a very large crew of Pageant ground’s crew, making out tour quite full.
They walked us into the building and you could immediately tell it was a special place. Not only could you feel the spirit but there was further miracles explored. We saw the bookstore where every book was white and paperback except 2- the Biblia and the newly finished Book of Mormon which sold for $1.24 which was a chunk of change back then! This was somehow very cool, and I thought of the sacrifice it must have been to buy one, especially when not too many people could read. I call your attention to the story of Parley P. Pratt and his experience with that old 1830 edition.
Anyway I’d have to say that among the church history sites, I would rank the Publishing house first or tied with the sacred grove. It took almost 3 years to publish the first edition of 5,000 copies, and they couldn’t just produce 1 sample. The miracle of the Book of Mormon should not be taken lightly. We also saw where they printed them on huge sheets which they later folded into 8 sections (pages) and then they had to tie it together. My HP would disagree, but printing was a huge job. Huge. So what I’m saying is read your BOM everyday!
Afterwards, we went up to “4 church corner” perhaps the corner that started it all, in his words “ 5 Some time in the second year after our removal to Manchester, there was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion. It commenced with the Methodists, but soon became general among all the sects in that region of country. Indeed, the whole district of country seemed affected by it, and great multitudes united themselves to the different religious parties, which created no small stir and division amongst the people, some crying, “aLo, here!” and others, “Lo, there!” Some were contending for the Methodist faith, some for the Presbyterian, and some for the Baptist.
6 For, notwithstanding the great alove which the converts to these different faiths expressed at the time of their conversion, and the great zeal manifested by the respective clergy, who were active in getting up and promoting this extraordinary scene of religious feeling, in order to have everybody converted, as they were pleased to call it, let them join what sect they pleased; yet when the converts began to file off, some to one party and some to another, it was seen that the seemingly good feelings of both the priests and the converts were more bpretended than real; for a scene of great confusion and bad feeling ensued—priest contending against priest, and convert against convert; so that all their good feelings one for another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words and a contest about opinions.”
Then we headed up to visit old Alvin’s Grave. It was hard to find because the cemetery had a weird layout but eventually Stanley got his picture taken with it.
Afterwards, it was on to the Joseph Smith farm and the sacred grove. Ponder this for a moment- they showed us the house where Moroni came to visit Joseph to tell him about the plates. They always show Joseph in his bed asleep and shielding his eyes at the Angel- Alone. However it is almost impossible that Joseph was alone as his 4 brothers were also in the room. Never thought of that. Always assumed he was alone. But that almost makes it even cooler. The house was tiny- hard to believe 11 people lived there, but as the guy at the barn said, “everything they did was hard back then.” Some of the tour was overcome with the fact that they were in the same room where Moroni once stood. Chilling.
Returning to the narrative… “14 So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the awoods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a bbeautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to cpray dvocally.”
As we moved between various Hermanas, soon it was time for the main event- the Sacred Grove. Joseph was getting a little cranky but even he had a certain degree of excitement. In the end the serenity of the grove would allow him to sleep in the shady woodlands. To summarize the grove- there are only a handful of places on the entire earth where we know Jesus has personally visited- even fewer has the father visited. And even fewer where they both visited at the same time. We know for a fact that this is one of those places. And the spirit manifests this truth throughout. Cool, shady, well preserved and spiritual the Grove was everything it was supposed to be. The power of the place in undeniable, despite the fact that I had never seen it I was able to tell the people of Paraguay about it and the miracle that happened there, and so great is the power they believed me. It’s much better seeing it for yourself.
I don’t really need to return to the scriptures here because you should know it by now…but let’s just say- wow. Incredible. Afterwards we crossed the street and went and took some more Stanley fotos at the temple. Joseph was feeling free so whilst his diaper was shed he made the most of it and pooped on the temple grounds. Right in the grass. Now that’s freedom. It was also a nice place to rest because we still had a long evening before us.
After that, we headed the 2 miles to the Hill Cumorah where the plates were found and where the pageant would be performed. The Hill Cumorah monument was cool but not overly spectacular. Maybe I was just tired by then. Then more Hermanas at the visitor center as we watched the restoration video.
After that we were outside “proselyting” with the cast who turned out to be our cousins. So we hung out with them and I even got to touch Wes’s Mullet. That was probably more special that touching the plates! Soon it was time for the show. The show was good, but I thought some parts of it were kinda hokey. Don’t get me wrong the message was cool and the savior parts were quite spiritual but some of the dialogue was unintentionally funny. King Noah: “NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNYYYYYYYYESSSS!” I still give it like 8 stars out of 10 but I guess Annie and Diana loved it so much they wanted to see it again (see part IV Post Script)
Though it was past midnight our church history experience was not over. (We went home and slept) but then it was on to the Peter Whitmer farm, site of the translation of the plates and the site of the world’s first sacrament meeting. Did you know that on 04/06/1830 Joseph and Oliver were baptized for a second time as a symbol of their entrance in to the kingdom? Neither did I but a friendly Hermana told us that, and was blown away that I would speak Spanish with her, especially after seeing her placa. Again the farm was cool, but I think by this time I was reaching overload on church history. I’m not like anti-spiritual or anything it was just a little much in such a short time. Which I suppose could be the theme of our whole trip.
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