I walked today where Joseph walked . . .

While in New York, the birthplace of our church, we took the opportunity to visit as many historical sites as we could.  It was an amazing experience, and the spirit was so strong at all of these sacred places.

The Joseph Smith Sr. Home

This replica of Joseph's house in Palmyra, New York was built on the original foundation.  Joseph Smith Jr. was just 14 years old when he left this house one spring morning and walked to the grove of trees to pray.

Outside the home

All of us inside the home

There was a sister or senior missionary at each location to tell us about it and answer any questions.  They were super nice, and would always ask the kids' names.  Since Lucy shares the same name as the prophet Joseph's mother, she was always a favorite.  

Lucy chatting with the sister missionary

The Smith Farm

Joseph's family cleared this land behind their home so that they could grow crops.  The fence has been rebuilt just as it was back then.

From the Smith farm you can see the Palmyra, NY temple through the trees, and from the temple you can see the Sacred Grove, located just behind the Smith farm.

Joseph's older brother Alvin built this home in Manchester, NY.  After he died the Smith family moved to this home.  It's funny, I have read about this move, but didn't realize that it was just up the road, maybe two or three city blocks, from their home in Palmyra.

Grandma and Stetson walking up to the front door

 It was, and still is for some people, a custom to plant a tree in honor of someone that has died.  This is the very tree that was planted in honor of Joseph's brother Alvin.  I would say it has aged very well!

Some of my family by the tree

 This is the back of the Smith family's barn.  They stored their crops in here, as well as all their farming and woodworking tools.  The shelter on the right has real beehives under it, a replica of the beehives the Smith family had.

Stetson inside the barn admiring all the neat tools

 The Sacred Grove

No one knows the exact spot that Joseph knelt to pray when he had the first vision and God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ appeared, but we do know that it was somewhere in this grove of trees.  How fitting for them to come to such a beautiful spot.  The spirit is so strong here, and there is no doubt in my mind that Joseph saw what he said he saw and heard what he said he heard here.

Last minute instructions before entering the Sacred Grove

 There are many different paths you can take through the Sacred Grove, and Kenny's parents were kind enough to take Lucy on a shorter path to give Kenny and I some time alone as we took the longer path.

I love this picture of Lucy walking hand in hand with Grandma and Grandpa Black through the Sacred Grove

 There are benches set up throughout the grove where you can rest, ponder, and just enjoy the amazing spirit that is there.

Stetson with Mom and Dad in the Sacred Grove

 Before entering the Sacred Grove, we were instructed to take only pictures and leave only footprints, this just means that they don't want people taking plants and trees from the grove home as souvenirs.  Lucy entertained herself while in the grove by playing in the dirt, and it looks like she took a little of it home with her . . . I'm not sure if that counts as taking more than pictures or not. 

Cute Lucy, covered in dirt from the Sacred Grove

The Hill Cumorah

The angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith and told him about the Gold Plates and gave him instruction.  After a certain period of time Joseph was led to this hill where the plates were buried.  He took the Gold Plates, as instructed by the angel Moroni, and translated them into what we now know as the Book of Mormon.  Again, no one knows the exact spot that the plates were buried, but we do know that it was on this hill.  The trees have been cleared and a stage has been set up for the Hill Cumorah pageant, which we were able to see twice.  The pageant tells some of the stories from the Book of Mormon, and shows how the Book of Mormon came to be - it is amazing!

Before the pageant started;
you can see some members of the cast in the audience talking to  people

The first night we sat on the lawn behind where the chairs were set up.  This was nice because the kids could run around while we enjoyed the pageant.  I was actually surprised though, once it started both my kids were sitting on the blanket, watching intently.  Eventually Stetson came and sat by me and asked lots of questions about what was going on.  It was a great opportunity for him to see and learn these stories from the Book of Mormon.

Waiting for the pageant to start

The second night we sat on the chairs close to the stage.  It was nice to be able to see the characters and what they were doing a little more clearly.

Stetson and Lucy in front of the stage before the pageant

At the beginning of the pageant, the characters carry flags up through the isles of the audience and onto the stage.  It was neat to have them right there, it kind of made me feel like I was a part of the show.

The flags being carried to open the pageant

We were also able to walk up the hill to the monument that has been erected in honor of the sacred event that took place on this hill.

On our way up the hill

At the top of the hill looking down

The monument, with the angel Moroni at the top

The four sides of the monument show the angel Moroni appearing to Joseph, Joseph receiving the plates, the three witnesses being shown the plates, and the their testimony.

Standing by the monument

Coming down from the monument

The Publication of the Book of Mormon
This building was built around the original printing shop where the Book of Mormon was first published.  The first floor was where the prophet met with the owner of the printing shop to arrange the publication.  We proceeded up to the third floor where a sister missionary demonstrated how the printing was done, and then down on the second floor we were able to see how the book was bound together.  Stetson had the opportunity to help with one of the demonstrations, and received a page just like the original pages from the Book of Mormon.

Outside the building

An original Book of Mormon next to a copy of the Bible from the same time period

Standing outside the original building

The Peter Whitmer home

It was in this home that the church was organized.  The prophet also lived here for a time and did some translation of the Book of Mormon in the upper rooms of this home.

Outside the home

Inside the home, the room where the church was organized

The Josiah Stowell home

Joseph Smith and his father came to Harmony, Pennsylvania to work for Josiah Stowell in his silver mine.  During that time they lived with him here in his home.  Josiah was a good and faithful friend to the prophet. 

This life-size statue of the prophet Joseph Smith stands outside the Josiah Stowell home.

Joseph Knight, Sr. home

Home of the Colesville branch

Joseph Knight, Sr. was an early convert to the church, and was called to be the president of the group of saints in this area.  They were called the Colesville branch, and they met here in his home.  These saints were faithful to the end, coming all the way to the Salt Lake valley.

This statue of the prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum was just recently erected outside the Joseph Knight, Sr. home.

Hyrum stood by Joseph, even in death

By this time Stetson was tired of looking at old houses, so he and his cousin Logan went exploring by this pond behind the Joseph Knight, Sr. home. They came back with a cute little story: the two of them were walking down toward the pond when Stetson dropped his new CTR bracelet.  Logan just knew there was poison ivy down there, so he didn't want to go down to help Stetson retrieve the bracelet.  But Stetson was brave, he found a big stick and climbed down until he could reach the bracelet with the end of the stick, he hooked the bracelet and got it back.  The boys kept talking about how "brave" Stetson had been - too cute!

Stetson by the pond (with the bracelet safely on his wrist)

Joseph and Emma Smith Home in Harmony, Pennsylvania

They have just recently found the the foundation of the home that Joseph and Emma lived in during the time that the priesthood was restored here on the banks of the Susquehanna River.  The church plans to build a replica of the home on the original foundation. 

The white posts are the corners of the foundation

If this tree was alive back then, it would have been right in their backyard.  It looks pretty old, so maybe it was there then; either way, the kids had fun playing on and around it.

Stetson, always climbing on something

The Restoration of the Priesthood Monument

Several yards away from the foundation of the Smith home, the monument has been erected in honor of the restoration of the priesthood that took place here on the banks of the Susquehanna River.  I thought it was fitting to get a picture of my boys by this monument.  I'm so grateful for a husband who is worthy to hold this priesthood to bless us and be an example for our son, who will someday hold this same priesthood.

Like father, like son

Several yards away from the monument is a little cemetery where Joseph and Emma's first child, Alvin, is buried.  This headstone was built around the original headstone in honor of him. 

Not far from Alvin's grave are the headstones of Emma Hale's parents.  They were against the marriage of Joseph and Emma, and that is why Joseph and Emma eloped.  They never joined the church, but were willing to help Joseph and Emma out quite a bit before they left the area.  They died after the saints had left this area, so Emma was probably not aware of their passing until some time later.

Can you think of a more beautiful spot for the priesthood to be restored?  I was grateful we were able to walk down to the river and feel the spirit that is there.

On the banks of the Susquehanna River

The Susquehanna River

When we got the river Stetson and Logan just walked right in.

Wading in the Susquehanna River

Luckily, Lucy was happy to just stand on the edge and throw rocks in.  Soon everyone got in on the fun and Kenny was teaching Stetson how to skip rocks (there were a lot of good skipping rocks around there).

Kirtland, Ohio

We made the drive to Kirtland to see some of the sites there.  It took us about 4 hours, quite a bit faster than when the early saints were making that trip!

This is the original Newel K. Whitney store where the prophet walked in, shook brother Whitney's hand and said, "you have prayed me here, what do you want me to do?"  The Whitney's welcomed them with open arms and were very instrumental in forwarding the work here in in Kirtland.  They were even willing to move on with the saints and leave their successful store behind.

Outside the N.K. Whitney & Co. store
(Stetson is on the bench)

Inside the store they had lots of stuff from that time period that could possibly have been in the store.  Stetson was particularly interested in this checkers game.

Notice the sign, ha ha!

Across the street was the Whitney's home.  It was a beautiful home, and very practical.  Sister Whitney fed lots and lots of people in this home, the Whitney's were very generous.

I bet the fire hydrant wasn't there back then, ha ha!

This is the saw mill that was used during that time.  There is a little river running beside it that runs the huge water wheel that powers the saw to cut the wood.  This was great technology for them, as they were able to cut wood much faster using this method.

Of course the kids were more interested in finding white "crystal" rocks

Next to the saw mill is this ashery.  I missed the presentation on this because Lucy was throwing a royal fit outside.  I did get a chance to look around inside though, and it is pretty cool!  Again, technology that helped the saints in building their homes and sustaining life here in Kirtland.

Lucy, on the pout and ready to throw a fit!

The Kirtland Temple

If you ever visit Kirtland, I would recommend visiting the temple first, and then the LDS sites.  The temple is currently owned by the Community of Christ church, and as they have taken very good care of the temple, the spirit is just not there.  I was amazed how even my young children were able to notice the difference.  We were able to tour the temple, but it was super hot and humid and the air conditioners were not currently working.  By the time we got to the upper rooms in the temple we were all dripping sweat.  I had to carry Stetson up that last flight of stairs, so I was pretty wiped out by the time we got up there.  It was neat to see the temple though, and I look forward to the day when we will know more of the "spiritual" history of it.

The Kirtland Temple

Our hot, tired family outside the front door of the Kirtland temple after the tour.

It made for a long day, but we really enjoyed our time in Kirtland.

This whole tour was a lot of fun, and we all learned a lot.  I think it helped me to gain a greater appreciation for the early saints and what they went through and were able to accomplish.  I know that none of it would have been possible without the hand of the Lord.  This IS His church, and He still leads it today.  I'm so grateful for this knowledge in my life!