We got off early Friday morning and in our close examination of the map, we realized that we were just a few miles away from Kirtland, OH and Palmyra, NY was just a few miles off the freeway so we decided to go and see these two significant sites of the Restoration of the Church.
We just stopped by the temple in Kirtland since it was 6 in the morning. It was pretty awe inspiring to see the first temple of the Church. It was beautiful and the history behind it is humbling. I honestly don't think that I would have made it if I was a pioneer. I don't know. The times were scary then and they are scary now. Just different kinds of scary. Being persecuted day in and day out and having to cope with the trek out west sounds so stressful to me. I am extremely grateful for their strength and in being so dedicated to bringing the Church to where it is today. Eternally grateful. We drove by the Newel K. Whitney store and the surrounding area and then went on our way.
Our next stop was Palmyra, New York. It was wonderful to see the boyhood home of Joseph Smith and where all the stories I have heard since I was little about Moroni, the golden plates, and the Sacred Grove with my own two eyes. I am so happy that we realized we were so close to these sites because I would have been severely disappointed if we would have passed them by. Who knows when we will ever be back in upstate New York.
There were three boys who slept in this bed and three that slept in one just like it in the same room. And the fact that an angel came 3 times during the night and only Joseph woke up? Amazing.
I bet that never in a million years would Joseph think that he could look outside his home and see this beautiful temple. But then, maybe he knew all along.
The frame home that the Smith family later moved into.
This is the original brick of the fireplace that Joseph Smith hid the golden plates so a mob could not find them.
My favorite part was the Sacred Grove. It was absolutely beautiful. Once you walk in, there is an intense feeling of reverence and you can feel that something special occurred here. I could have stayed in there forever.
This was totally unprompted. I walked behind these two for a few minutes snapping pictures until I got the perfect one. Justin even commented that I had enough and should stop snapping pictures already. I am glad that I took this last one.
We then went to see the Hill Cumorah. There were a million people there since they were getting ready for their annual pagent but it was neat hearing the performers go through their songs as we were walking up the path to see the monument of angel Moroni.
It was such a lovely time. I am so glad that we were able to go see these sites. I have been finishing up the Work and the Glory series, honestly just to say goodbye to those darn Steeds, but it truly has strengthened my testimony of Joseph Smith and I love the church all the more.
We piled into the car again and then headed to our final destination of this part of our trip. Cooperstown!
We dropped Nick off at his bunker and helped him get set up. This is the only time we were allowed in Baseball Village during that week. It was so weird not having Nick with us! We were one of the first ones there so he got a pretty sweet spot in the corner on the bottom bunk. His good buddy Chance got the bunk on the top. They had to bring their own sheets and just had a footlocker at the end of the bunkbeds that we put all of his stuff in and locked it up with his padlock.
We just stopped by the temple in Kirtland since it was 6 in the morning. It was pretty awe inspiring to see the first temple of the Church. It was beautiful and the history behind it is humbling. I honestly don't think that I would have made it if I was a pioneer. I don't know. The times were scary then and they are scary now. Just different kinds of scary. Being persecuted day in and day out and having to cope with the trek out west sounds so stressful to me. I am extremely grateful for their strength and in being so dedicated to bringing the Church to where it is today. Eternally grateful. We drove by the Newel K. Whitney store and the surrounding area and then went on our way.
Our next stop was Palmyra, New York. It was wonderful to see the boyhood home of Joseph Smith and where all the stories I have heard since I was little about Moroni, the golden plates, and the Sacred Grove with my own two eyes. I am so happy that we realized we were so close to these sites because I would have been severely disappointed if we would have passed them by. Who knows when we will ever be back in upstate New York.
There were three boys who slept in this bed and three that slept in one just like it in the same room. And the fact that an angel came 3 times during the night and only Joseph woke up? Amazing.
I bet that never in a million years would Joseph think that he could look outside his home and see this beautiful temple. But then, maybe he knew all along.
The frame home that the Smith family later moved into.
This is the original brick of the fireplace that Joseph Smith hid the golden plates so a mob could not find them.
My favorite part was the Sacred Grove. It was absolutely beautiful. Once you walk in, there is an intense feeling of reverence and you can feel that something special occurred here. I could have stayed in there forever.
This was totally unprompted. I walked behind these two for a few minutes snapping pictures until I got the perfect one. Justin even commented that I had enough and should stop snapping pictures already. I am glad that I took this last one.
We then went to see the Hill Cumorah. There were a million people there since they were getting ready for their annual pagent but it was neat hearing the performers go through their songs as we were walking up the path to see the monument of angel Moroni.
It was such a lovely time. I am so glad that we were able to go see these sites. I have been finishing up the Work and the Glory series, honestly just to say goodbye to those darn Steeds, but it truly has strengthened my testimony of Joseph Smith and I love the church all the more.
We piled into the car again and then headed to our final destination of this part of our trip. Cooperstown!
We dropped Nick off at his bunker and helped him get set up. This is the only time we were allowed in Baseball Village during that week. It was so weird not having Nick with us! We were one of the first ones there so he got a pretty sweet spot in the corner on the bottom bunk. His good buddy Chance got the bunk on the top. They had to bring their own sheets and just had a footlocker at the end of the bunkbeds that we put all of his stuff in and locked it up with his padlock.
We weren't there very long until players from the other teams came around wanting to trade their team pins. Nick was caught up in the fever and was soon off trading his pins off. He got 95 of the 104 teams represented and has over 100 pins total with his umpire pins and others he received while he was in Cooperstown. I'll have to take pictures of the pins he received because they are pretty impressive.
Here is what the Scrapper's pin looked like. Pretty darn sweet.
It looks like he is pretty psyched to be here.
We are too!
2 comments:
Great blogging! Aren't you glad that you take so many pictures....you have such a great photo history!! I'm so glad that you were able to stop by the church history sites. They are really inspirational.
I felt the same way when I went to the Sacred Grove for the first time, I will never forget it- even though I was 11! Looks like you are having a great time!
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