K & H Price Family: Day 7

The afternoon before, we left Niagra Falls and drove to Palmyra. The nearest camping spot we could find was about 20 miles south of Palmyra. It was a nice RV park in some beautiful countryside. The yards all blend together with no fences to separate them. So much green: grass, trees, rolling hills. We went straight to the RV park instead of driving through Palmyra that night. We learned later this day that the night before the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was in Palmyra performing. They had gotten separated and arrived in 3 different groups. The last group came about 9 p.m. If we would have turned and gone through Palmyra, we probably would have seen them. Too bad!

Our first stop was down in Fayette, where the Peter Whitmer log house and Visitor Center were, and where the church was organized. The log house is a replica and was much bigger than we anticipated. It would have been a little crowded on that Tuesday, April 6, in 1830 but we could picture all those people crammed in the house. We learned some great stories about the Whitmer family and some of their experiences they had because of their faith and support of Joseph Smith. The visitor center had wonderful artwork about the organization & restoration of the church. The Fayette chapel is part of the Visitor Center and was dedicated back on April 6, 1980.

The Fayette Chapel & Visitor Center (built in 1980 but styled like the 1830s)

Whitmer Farm (it is a 2 story house - sleeping quarters on second floor for the children)

Inside the log house. (there is a bedroom off to the other side)

Palmyra was filled with many wonderful sights. We learned that the original Smith farm was over 100 acres and included the Hill Cumorah, the now Palmyra temple & Palmyra ward building, the Smith farm and the Sacred Grove. We stopped at the Visitor Center first and then went up to the Hill Cumorah monument behind the V.C. The view from the top of the hill is magnificent and the hill is totally covered with trees & bushes. There are really only rolling hills in the area, but Cumorah definitely falls into the category of a hill. They were setting up for the pageant which is on the grassy side of the hill.

The monument on top of Hill Cumorah

Picnic area at the top of the Hill.

You can see where they are setting up for the pageant, and a partial view of the surroundings.

About a mile down the road we turned to find the Palmyra Temple. The temple grounds are beautiful and spacious yet the temple is small. There are stained glass windows on all sides of the temple that depict the first vision. From the Smith house you can see the temple spire. The trees might possibly have been cut out just enoush so this amazing view can be seen from the Smith property.

Palmyra Temple

not a very good shot of the stained glass windows

We then visited the Smith cabin, where Joseph was visited by Angel Moroni in the upstairs room. What a special spot. Testimonies were shared during our tour of the Book of Mormon. This cabin seemed very small with low ceilings. Hard to believe that so many people lived and/or stayed in this cabin.

Smith cabin in Palmyra

Upstairs bedroom (3 people would sleep in those beds)

The Smiths later moved to the frame house, which Alvin had started, and they finished after his death. The house was 85% authentic. Joseph (and Emma) would have lived here at the time that Joseph got the plates. We saw the fireplace hearth where bricks were removed to hide the plates; a type of box that Joseph would have hid the plates in and heard stories of the plates being hidden in wooden barrels that the Smiths (Hyrum or Joseph Sr would have made).

The Smith frame house in Palmyra

This is the view of the temple from the Smith property

There is a barn on the property that actually belonged to Brigham Young's father.

The Sacred Grove is part of the Smith property. It is a large heavily wooded grove of trees. There are many different trails you can walk on. There are benches all along the paths so sit and ponder. It is very quiet and serene and peaceful. Sometimes sunlight would be peeking through the trees. The farther we walked back it became even more peaceful - you can hear the birds chirping and the wind rustling in the leaves. We wondered exactly where Joseph prayed and could picture it might have been several places in the grove, but a quiet assurance that God and Jesus appeared to Joseph was definitely present. It is sacred site, like a temple site, you don't want to leave, and when you walk out you feel as if you are exiting a sacred place.