Road Trip Day 4 - Palmyra, NY

The main reason we headed on this road trip was to visit my parents where they are serving a mission for our church at the LDS temple in Palmyra, New York. Palmyra is the site of the First Vision where Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. It is one of the most sacred sites to members of my faith. My parents were working in the temple all day so we were on our own while we waited for them.

Baylie had not been feeling well for a few days and had severe pain in her ears, especially the right one. We figured she got swimmers ear from the river at Zions. Thursday morning we let her sleep in and she didn't wake up until 10:30. We took her to Urgent Care and sure enough, she had a pretty bad infection. Because of some insurance confusion, it took us a while to get her prescription so we didn't have a lot of time for site seeing.

We did make it to the Peter Whitmer farm in Fayette, NY. Because of persecution, Joseph Smith could not finish translating the plates in Harmony. The Whitmers allowed Joseph and Oliver to finish the translation while staying with them. The Whitmers became important figures in early LDS Church history. There are no records of what the home looked like so a period-style home was built on the foundation of the original home. 

Meeting house built here.

That night we went to see the Hill Cumorah Pageant where scenes from the Book of Mormon are reenacted. The golden plates given to Joseph Smith were found in this same hill.

They have a tent where you can dress up like people in the Book of Mormon. Jalen loved his costume.

My mom and dad also got in on the act.

I love these two people more than I can express. Today (Friday) they have been married 52 years. They have loved me more than anyone else in my life and their support for me and belief in me have been unwavering. I am especially grateful for the testimony they instilled in me as a young child. They taught me to love God and to love my country. Pretty much everything I do right is because of them. (Probably some of what I do wrong too...) 

Jalen loved Grandad's hat.

More pictures with characters from the pageant.

I couldn't really get good pictures of the pageant, but here are a couple.

It has been another long, but marvelous day. I am so happy to be with my parents.