We left our mission on Sunday, July 31st. It was very bittersweet, but we were ready to head home to family. Our first stop was six hours north to Palmyra. We hiked the Hill Cumorah, and went downtown so I could see the Grandin Publishing House. We toured the Smith family homes and walked through the Sacred Grove. There are five trails you can walk on. You are not shown an actual spot, because no one knows where that is. It was at dusk, very quiet, we were by ourselves, very beautiful. Monday morning we attended the Palmyra temple. It has a big picture window, looking out toward the Sacred Grove.
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Hill Cumorah - this memorial, a visitor's center,
and a huge hill where the pageant is produced.
The pageant had just finished, so it was peaceful
and quiet.
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| Grandin Publishing |
We found out the Sacred Grove visitor's center was open
until 9:00 pm. We had a lovely tour of the Smith Family's
homes on the100 acre farm they were purchasing. Their first
cabin is a replica on the original foundation. So small.
The grove is behind the cabin.
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This is the home Alvin Smith built for his family, one that Joseph Sr
and Lucy could spend their final years and be taken care of. Most
of the home is original. There was so much history here. For
example, we were shown the different places the family hid
the plates when mobs burst into the home and searched for
themselves. As we know, they were not able to keep the home.
Lucy Smith's feelings were so tender, sad about leaving it. The
whole family had to move back into the little Smith family cabin,
with Hyrum and his family.
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