The Beginning

This morning we left Ithica New York, looking forward to a day experiencing what life was like in the early days of our church. Our first stop was in Fayette, New York where we visited the David Whitmer Farm. We stood in the small room of the farm house where 58 people witnessed the official organization of the church, climbed the stairs to the little bedroom where Joseph translated the last seven books of the Book of Mormon, and we imagined the excitement that the three witnesses, Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdrey and David Whitmer, must have felt when Joseph showed them the gold plates on this holy ground.

Our next stop was the Smith Family farm in Palmyra, New York. We toured the small log cabin that the Smiths originally moved into after leaving Vermont, looking for more fertile ground for planting. Eleven people lived in this tiny dwelling. It is also in the upstairs room of this home where Joseph was visited by the angel Moroni. We were able to climb the stairs to this room where Joseph would have been sleeping during this visitation from Moroni.

We then walked down to the Smith New England style home that Alvin Smith built for his family. It was much more modern, even with a kitchen sink! It was here that Joseph hid the plates under the fire place hearth and in the barrel of beans, protecting it from mobs of men looking to steal the plates. After four years the Smiths had to move back into their small log cabin, due to a dishonest neighbor.

We then walked through the Sacred Grove, where Joseph knelt to pray, searching for the answer of which church to join. Jesus Christ and God appeared to him instructing him not tojoin any of the churches. Unfortunately while walking through the grove there was a torrential down pour, drenching us all. We were so focused on keeping everyone dry that we forgot to take any pictures. They would have been of us with wet hair, smeared make up and dripping clothes!

We made one last stop, which was at the Grandin Print Shop, where the first 5,000 Books of Mormon were printed. They each sold for $1.50, which was equivalent to two full days of work. We observed the slow process that it took to print each book.

After a pizza dinner, we made our way to the Hill Cummorah Pageant. We mingled with the cast members and then found our seats, just two rows back from the stage. As the lights turned on, illuminating the grand stage, the singers and dancers brought the Book of Mormon to life.

Jonathan leaned over several times, whispering, “This is so cool” and Ezra was mesmerized when Jesus appeared in America, which made every sacrifice to be there worth it!