A Perfect Day in Palmyra!

Yesterday Josh and I were able to go to Palmyra all day. It's Josh's Spring Break so we were able to take the day off of doing homework. We drove there in the morning and went to the 11:00 session. It is the most beautiful drive on the way up. We drive right by the Fingerlakes in New York. The houses are right on the lake. I have never seen anything like it. They literally have garages on the water and pull their boats right up into it. It is so cool! After the session we were able to go to the Sacred Grove, the Smith Log Home, the Frame Home, and the Hill Cumorah. We had both been there before but it was so different this time. The spirit was so strong at all of those places. And it was such a different experience being in the temple that is like right in the Sacred Grove where God and Jesus Christ appeared. Also when we went to the Sacred Grove it was kind of a cold day so no one else was there. We went in and sat on a bench and we were the only two people there! It was so powerful. Last time we went to the Grove it was in the Summer so it was very green. This time it was just sticks, no leaves or anything. When we were talking to the missionaries there about it they were telling us about how this is how it looked when Joseph Smith went into the grove. It was early Spring so there probably wasn't a lot of leaves, if any, on the trees. They said if anything maybe buds on the trees. I had never

thought of it that way. Whenever I think of the First Vision I always picture green, full trees. So it was a different way to look at it. Each time I go there the spirit testifies of the truthfulness of the gospel and Joseph Smith. It was so much stronger this time and its amazing how you can feel the spirit so strong in a field of trees. It was such a great day! I am so glad we have the opportunity to live out here so close to all of these awesome church history sites and visit them often!

The first picture is the temple. Next is the ACTUAL BRICKS that Joseph Smith hid the plates under when a mob was coming! The one with the fireplace is the fireplace the Joseph leaned against after the First Vision. The next ones are the sacred grove. The monument is the Hill Cumorah. The one with Josh and the beds is where Angel Moroni appeared to Joseph. Its also where him and his 5 brothers slept. That's right 6 boys in those two tiny beds! I couldn't believe it!

We had such a great time! The church is true!! That's all I have to say about that!!! :)