What a wonderful time we have had in the Palmyra, New York area the past couple of days.  I have always wanted to come here and it's very fulfilling to be here.  I'll tell some of our stories through pictures on this post.  We feel very blessed to be able to be here and are having a wonderful time.   

On Saturday, July 12th, we attended the Hill Cumorah Pageant.  Nearly 850 volunteers spend an intense week preparing to put on this annual spectacle.  The show was magnificent.  The Hill Cumorah is a very steep, high hill lending itself to plenty of room to showcase the pageant.  The spectacle depicted 10 major stories from the Book of Mormon, including Christ's visit to the Americas, and concluded with Moroni visiting Joseph Smith to show him where the Book of Mormon plates were buried.  My favorite scene was seeing Christ descend to visit the Nephites and see the people's wonder at seeing Him.  Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life was also spectacular.  Also memorable was that Rebecca and Michaila Riedler, friends of ours from our Rolling Valley Ward in Virginia, performed in the pageant, and saved us great seats for the show.  The picture is a Pre-pageant shot with Lehi and Sam.

Speaking with the pageant performers was tremendous.  For instance, we met a young woman in her twenties who had traveled from the UK to be in the pageant.  She is a convert of 5 years whose family is part Muslim.  She experienced significant opposition in joining the church.  She expressed such a vibrant testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel.    

From left to right: courtier; Wicked King Noah; his Chief Priest Amulon; Hill Cumorah pageant crowd member

The church was organized on the Peter Whitmer farm, Fayette, NY

The cabin room where approx. 50 people gathered to organize the Church of Jesus Christ on April 6, 1830

Whitmer log cabin home

Top of Hill Cumorah - Angel Moroni monument

Angel Moroni

E.B. Grandin Printing Press, Palmyra, NY.  It was fascinating and uplifting to visit this printing press where the Book of Mormon was originally published.  The printing press is located in the village of Palmyra, NY, a beautiful little hamlet in upstate New York.  At the printing press, approx. 10 people spent 7 months printing the first copies of the Book of Mormon.  The large "pages" seen here include sets of 16 individual pages that were printed, cut, stitched together, and bound to produce the first Books of Mormon.  The time and effort required to print books in that day were monumental.  The original books sold for $1.50, two days wages during that period. 

Showing how the books were stitched.

Mr. E.B. Grandin, owner of the printing press.  Passed away at the tender age of 39.

The Sacred Grove.  We enjoyed an amazing walk in the Sacred Grove right before dusk.  It was very quiet and peaceful.  You could hear the beautiful birds singing.  The mosquitoes were also active.  There were very few people in the grove.  A sweet, peaceful feeling enveloped each of us as we pondered the amazing events that took place here nearly 200 years ago.    

The Sacred Grove has a unique, sweet spirit to it that is beautiful to experience.