Trip to New York --Part 1

When my daughter Athena started talking about going to New York after her daughter

Jenni returned from her mission there, I was really excited. The closer it came to going, the more frightened and hesitant I was. I had had knee replacement rebuild surgery four months before, and I was still having problems. I tore my rotator cuff in my left shoulder a week before. I had injured my left lower back and it was really bothering me. How could I at 75 years old do NYC?

THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2019: PLANE

Jenni & Emma on the plane

Our plane in Salt Lake City was delayed due to the abnormally hot New York City, which was enduring a heatwave. They felt if they delayed it until it arrived in New York it would be cooler, and the plane wouldn’t be so heavy.

A funny thing happened going through security. Suddenly my carry-on bag starting buzzing! We looked all through my bag, and finally, I discovered my electronic toothbrush in its plastic bag had been hit just right and turned on. I was glad when we found it and turned it off.

Example of going through security

The flight was smooth except for some thunderstorms which bumped us around. At one time I looked out my window and saw thunderclouds from above—it was really spooky.

NEWARK

We took the AirTran to the land transportation site where we rented a car and went to our hotel in Newark. James was determined to eat dinner at restaurants that were not available in Utah, so we just ordered in pizza.

FRIDAY, JULY 19TH, 2019: OAKLAND TOWNSHIP & PALMYRA

First thing in the morning we drove to Oakland Township and the Priesthood Restoration Site. (164 miles, 2 hours 35 minutes)

HARMONY—SUSQUEHANNA RIVER

Athena & Dirk by the Susquehanna River

It is on a narrow strip of land in Harmony, Pennsylvania where Joseph Smith and his wife Emma lived on property belonging to Emma’s brother Jesse, and South of the land where Emma’s parents lived. It was there in Harmony in 1828, while Joseph and Oliver Cowdry were translating the Book of Mormon, that they came upon a passage that described baptism. It was on May 15, 1829 that they went to the Northern wooded part of the Hale farm and prayed about baptism.

The following information is from “Where Was the Priesthood Restored,” by Mark L. Staker and Curtis Ashton:

“Historical accounts show that Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery had been praying in the woods, ‘aside from the abodes of men,’ when John the Baptist appeared to them. (See Oliver Cowdery, “Dear Brother,” Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate, vol. 1, no. 1 (Oct. 1834), 15; see also Joseph Smith—History 1:68.)The most likely wooded area on Joseph’s farm was on the north side of the property, where the sugar maples grew. Because of heavy boat traffic on the river and the lack of tree cover on the plowed part of the land, any other part of the farm might not have given the men the seclusion they sought as they asked the Lord about the authority to baptize.( For a more detailed presentation of this argument, see Staker, “Where was the Aaronic Priesthood Restored?” 142–59.)

“Oliver Cowdery described the answer they received to their prayer. ‘The voice of the

Redeemer spake peace to us,’ he recalled, ‘while the veil was parted and the angel of God came down clothed with glory, and delivered the anxiously looked for message.’ ( Joseph Smith—History 1:71, note; Oliver Cowdery, “Dear Brother,” 15.) The angel introduced himself and conferred the Aaronic Priesthood, explaining that it holds ‘the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins.’ (Doctrine and Covenants 13:1.) He then commanded the two men to ‘go and be baptized.’( Joseph Smith—History 1:70) They made their way to the flooded Susquehanna River, choosing a moment when the heavy boat traffic would least disturb them as they followed the angel’s instructions. After baptizing each other, they ordained each other to the Aaronic Priesthood. These ordinations may have taken place on the banks of the flooded river or back inside the house.”

Susquehanna River

It was very humbling to stand on the banks of the Susquehanna River where Joseph was baptized. It was interesting that while we were there, a family from Jenni’s mission brought their daughter to be baptized at the same spot, and then confirmed in the Restoration Site building. It made it more real somehow to see a baptism there.

We were all dressed in Sunday clothes for the baptism, but I laughed at Jenni’s fancy high heels that she wore in that dusty, dirty riverbank.

Jenni & her high heels

PRIESTHOOD RESTORATION SITE

After the baptism, we explored the Priesthood Restoration Site, where Joseph Smith received the Melchizadek Priesthood, and the house Emma and Joseph were living in during this time. No one knows the exact day or place that Peter, James, and John conferred the Melchizadek Priesthood on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdry, but it was after May 15, 1829, in the Harmony, Pennsylvania area. It was also here in Harmony that Emma and Joseph lost their first child. 

From there we drove to Palmyra, New York - (142 miles, 2 hours 32 minutes).

PALMYRA, NEW YORK  

Before going to the Hill Cumorah Visitors Center, we stopped by the Book of Mormon Publication Site in downtown Palmyra. It was interesting to see the publication process and the sacrifices made by members of the Church to see the Book of Mormon published.

THE SACRED GROVE

Sacred Grove

From there we went to the Sacred Grove, and the home of Joseph Smith when he was a boy. It was here in their Palmyra home when Joseph Smith was 15 years old that he had the First Vision found in Joseph Smith—History 1:15–20.

"On the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring" of 1820, young Joseph went into these woods to pray, to a place where he "had previously designed to go." Here, God the Father and His resurrected Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith to commence the Restoration of the gospel in the latter days.

First Vision

The Hill Cumorah is a beautifully peaceful place where I truly felt the spirit of the Lord testify that it was here Joseph Smith’s first vision occurred. No one knows exactly where in the 10-acre wood area that it happened, but it is truly a sacred place. Later in the evening, after the pageant, we came back to see the fireflies alight in the grove.

I visited the farmhouse where on the night of September 21, 1823, the angel, Moroni, appeared to Joseph Smith and told him about the golden plates that were buried in a stone box a few miles from Joseph’s home. Joseph said that the same angel visited him various times over the course of the next six years. It was so interesting

Replica of Joseph Smith's bedroom

to see the location of the bed where Joseph had been when the angel Moroni had visited him.  Like those around Paul and Alma and the sons of Mosiah, when they had their visions, no one around them could hear or see the vision. Even though Joseph Smith shared his room with his brothers, only he saw the angel Moroni.

HILL CUMORAH & PALMYRA PAGEANT

At the foot of the Hill Cumorah, where Joseph retrieved the gold plates that contained the writings of the ancient prophets, which he translated and which became the Book of Mormon, we watched a pageant of the history of those ancient people. Before the show, the actors in costume wandered among the audience, and it was fun to imagine they were not actors, but ancient Nephites and Lamanites.

The Palmyra Temple

SATURDAY, JULY 20TH, 2019: PALMYRA TEMPLE & HILL CUMORAH

Early the next morning, we went to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Palmyra

and did family names. It is a small temple and you must make a reservation to attend. It was another sacred and special event on our tour.

After the temple we visited the top of the Hill Cumorah (others walked, I went by car).

Leave Palmyra and go to Auburn (42.7 miles - 50 minutes).

Family at the Palmyra Temple