Church History - Day Three

Day three began early so we could enjoy the Sacred Grove to ourselves (all 50 of us). The bus driver Dan and his wife Jessica sang a beautiful traditional hymn for us, which is remarkable because they are non-members. We spent some time wandering the peaceful trails through the grove. Later, when the visitor center opened, we toured the Joseph Smith log home and the frame home they built later.



Just North of the Smith farm, we visited the Grandin Print Shop in Palmyra, NY, where the first printing of the Book of Mormon occured. It is a three story structure, and the Church has managed build a vistor center around it while maintaining the historic exterior appearance.

The Palmra Temple is visible from the Smith farm, and reportedly contains a clear glass window so the farm can be viewed from the temple. We traveled to the temple grounds and posed for a group photo in front before mingling about the grounds. It is fairly recent and has some beautiful stain glass windows.

The Hlll Cumorah, where the Gold Plates were revealed, is nearby and the bus dropped us off near the top. We had a brief program at the top where a large statue of Moroni is placed, and then walked down the trail to the visitor center.

Dinner was a Chinese buffet at Vestal, NY, and we headed to the hotel in nearby Johnson City, arriving late, ready for bed.