LAND OF THE RESTORATION

Land of the Restoration

Finally finished the May blog after deleting it and having to do it all over.  It may be a bit confusing.

Saturday, May 2^nd, Dad and I went to the Smith Home site and took the tour.  Sister Erickson was amazing in keeping everyone, including children, interested and enjoying her presentation.

Log house on Stafford Road in Palmyra where the Joseph Smith Sr family lived.

The new home was in Manchester which is practically across the road.

Lucy loved this home but they were cheated out of it after only 3 years.

bedroom and kitchen

notice how they hung clothes especially kitchen towels

 dining and parlor

Lucy was proud of her hand painted oil cloth rugs

pantry

Lucy was very proud of this cement sink with a drain

kitchen garden

barn

 cooper's shop 

planing bench to make shingles

bee hives

along the fence

Sunday we were in Niagara Falls for church and after attended Karen’s baptism.  We love convert baptisms. 

She is wonderful and was so excited to have that ordinance given to her. Her son will e baptized next week.  When we got home we had a practice at the church because we are in a double quartet for home evening tomorrow.  We are singing “Joseph Smith's First Prayer”  What a great place to perform it.

Monday we were able to go to FHE at President Black’s home because it was raining so we couldn’t go to the Grove.  Richard Robins, Robin Bayles’ husband, gave a presentation about the Prophet Joseph.  We thought we knew the story but he made it so exciting and taught about Joseph’s heritage.  We read together some of the story in the D&C.  We had never felt like we did then.  It was a different meaning and was so powerful.  He was great.

Wednesday, the 6^th, we went to Susquehanna, PA with the Seamons  to tour where Joseph and Emma lived while Oliver Cowdrey helped with 70% of the translation of the Book of Mormon.  It was a very Spiritual experience to learn about this event, and the restoration of the Priesthood of God.  We were right where it happened and felt that beauty and Spirit.  This place is so filled with the history of the Prophet Joseph.  We got a little lost getting there but everything is so beautiful that we never mind.  We left at 9 AM and returned at 8 PM.  What a way to spend a day.  We love this area of our country.  It is filed with the spirit of the Restoration.

John the Baptist restoring the Aaronic Priesthood

Peter, James and John restoring the Melchizedek Priesthood

 To get there we had to go in a tunnel to get under the highway.

and out

The old Hale home where Joseph and Emma lived.

Emma loved this home.

70% of the translation was done in this home

Joseph and Emma lost their first child, a son here.

 The meadows were filled with daisies

 Joseph owned some land

Ruth and me

 The Hale home where Emma grew up

 Joseph hid the plates in the fireplace

 pantry  Mr. Hale made part of his living as a hunter.

The kind of well used at this time.

We hiked back to the parking lot and drove to the bank of the Susquehanna River where the baptism took place.

                                    

                                    

 Of course Dad had his bottle.

Everywhere you look this country is beautiful.

June 8^th we had a double shift and then went to dinner with the Mills.  We had a great and fun time.  Elaine is a friend of Aunt Karen.

The 9^th after doing our shift, we walked to the end of Stafford Road, which is now gravel.  On our way back we took in the Grove again.  That place makes all worries go away and you feel so renewed on leaving.  We love to go there.  It is definitely a Sacred place and we KNOW that Joseph saw our Father there.  It is true.  Anyone who has a doubt needs to go there and they will know the truth of the restored gospel for sure and will try harder to keep the commandments.

June 10th is a special day because it's Lily's 13th birthday.  She is now a teenager which makes us really feel old.  She is a girl who knows what she wants and how to get it.  She has a strong testimony of the restored gospel of our Savior, Jesus Christ and does the things she knows she should do to follow the teachings of Christ.  She loves the children and can make any child happy when they are sad.  She loves Jonny and Simon.  She loves to give Granddad a hard time in jest and he loves it.  Her smile just melts one's heart.  We love her so much and know she will be a great example to her friends when choices are to be made.  She is a true supporter of her siblings and is always at their activities.  We just wish she would wear BYU blue instead of Utah State Blue.

Sunday, Karen was confirmed a member and is doing so well.  Her son is to be baptized in a few weeks.

Monday, the temple 12 monthers went on a trip to Lockport and a boat ride through the locks on the Erie Canal.  What an experience.  I had watched big boats go through the Panama Canal but this was actually seeing the process first hand, only on a very small scale.  It allowed many people and  Saints to travel much easier.  It was hot but so interesting.

 waiting for lock to open

 some of the gang

                                                 

 great day

homes along the way

both nations

We're always up for food.  Lock 34

We were so surprised when we got home and found our land lady and her husband had shampooed all our carpets, bought a new area rug for our dining area, put a new ceiling fan in our bedroom, bought us a new microwave and many other little things.  Yes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

It's amazing what a few improvements do to ones outlook on things.  It's so much more like a home.

The Taylors came again and put a large  American flag on our house and an umbrella to go on our patio table.

June 15^th, Tiff and family got here at midnight.  We were so excited to have them.

Tiff’s family went to the Hill Cumorah while we served in the temple and then we all gathered and visited the Whitmer Farm.  We love the movie there and the wonderful Spirit.  It is all so true. We were hungry so we went to Souders, the Mennonite market for some treats.  It was a great day.  Some time during their visit we went to Chill and Grill for hamburgers and ice cream.  A half kiddie is larger than a huge cone at Macys. 

 Don't know when we did this but we went to the cemetery where Alvin, Joseph's brother is buried.

June 17^th was Fathers’ Day so we attended the Palmyra Ward.  It was so crowded with all the visitors in this area.  After church we went to the Grove. 

It’s always the right time to go no matter when it is.  We found a very quiet place and Clara played “Oh how lovely was the morning” on her violin.  It was such a Spiritual moment.  Of course there were tears in many eyes.  After that Dave read from Joseph’s account of the vision.  Every time we go in that sacred place our testimonies grow.  Dave and Tiffani have done such a wonderful job of teaching the principles of the restored gospel in the hearts of their children.  They didn’t want to leave and expressed their feelings in such a strong way.  Cameron went a little pace away from us to be alone and feel it even better. We were there as long as they wanted.  There was such an inspiration and assurance in all of us.  We need each other and our testimonies to handle what lies ahead.  We are so grateful for our children and the goal centered people they are in teaching their children the way back to our Father.

When we got back home, Clara played the uke and Lauryn joined in with a homemade song about their dad and put granddad in it too.  It was really good.  More tears.  That evening Tiff took Dave to the Rochester airport and rented a minivan so we could all be in the same car.  We stayed home and played chicken-foot with the girls. 

The next day Tiff insisted on going to Syracuse to see the campus. 

That meant the football dome.  We then went to Pennsylvania and the site of the restoration of the priesthood.  Another testimony builder.  Everyone, especially the kids, were so impressed and so touched by the Spirit they felt there.  It has been recently improved and is so good.

We found a place to eat and headed for Cornell University.  We loved that campus and the stadium.  No one seemed to care that we were there and the kids ran races and played on the field.  It had a very small home-town feeling.  We found another restaurant and headed for Palmyra.  We arrived at 10:30.  So tired.

The next morning we got up early and left the twins asleep so we could be first for Cameron to be baptized by Granddad.  What a special time for both of them. 

They let Cameron do 11 names.  We were honored to share in that experience.  Cameron said “thank you” so many times.  When we got home the twins were still sound asleep. 

Clara made a breakfast of fried potatoes, bacon and eggs; Lauryn made a strawberry and chocolate breakfast dessert.

We got ready and drove to Watkins Glen.  Wow, what a place.  It was so much more that we had expected.  We hiked straight up over a mile and saw 19 beautiful falls. Of course the twins put their heads in every falls they could reach. 

The hike down was much easier but we were all out for more fun.  On our way home we saw 3 or more Amish wagons pulled by horses right in town and even on the highway.  We saw many Amish farms.

June 20^th the kids wanted to go one last time to the Grove before they had to leave for the Kirtland Temple.  I bawled the whole time so see and feel what the kids were feeling.  Again, Cameron found a place where he could just soak it all in.  We were not hurried and the Spirit was so strong.  Just before leaving the Grove, Tiffani pulled her children around her and bore such a powerful and loving testimony of this wonderful restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Ours just keeps growing as we learn and feel.  More tears.

We went to Muddy Water for lunch.  It’s in Palmyra along the Erie Canal.  It was such an empty feeling when they left.

June 23^rd, Del called after our shift to say he was at the Best Western Hotel, right here in Palmyra.  We drove right over.  What a joy it was to see him.  He had come on a bus from Kingman, AZ with 52 seminary students from his stake.  We hugged and hugged.  All the adults said we looked just alike.  I counted that as a compliment. 

Del and I visited while Dad answered questions at a table of girls.  They felt so comfortable with him and talked for over an hour.  Their questions showed much knowledge of the gospel and were very tender and sincere.

 The next day I got this email from one of the leaders: We had a short testimony meeting on the bus this morning. I'd like to express to you & your husband how grateful I am for your presence with those sweet girls last night. Many of them bore testimony and mentioned your husband. To me it was definitely a tender mercy for them. You know how challenged our youth are in these days. Our Heavenly Father and our Savior is mindful of each of us and last night you were placed where you needed to be to help His daughters. Thank you.

Sunday in Niagara, Jennie Harris and Karen’s son and another youth were confirmed and given the Gift of the Holy Ghost. 

We love being in the Niagara Ward.  They are trying so hard to follow the Prophet and living the commandments.  They are great examples of ministering.

Today was our Monday Pday.  We love doing things with the other temple missionaries.  We went again to Watkins Glen.  It is such a beautiful place.  It seems like all we do is play as we record on our blog but the rest of the week we are so busy in the temple.  This area of the US is so beautiful and we enjoy this short time together as missionaries.  It is a break for us and a time to get to know each other better.  They are all such wonderful people and good friends now.

 Dad and Brother Flint with both hands in their pockets waiting for the light.

The men

After the 4,000 plus steps we ate at a lovely harbor on Seneca Lake overlooking the water. 

Pictures can never show how beautiful this country is in the summer. We then traveled home by way of Seneca Lake.  We are never more than an hour or two from Palmyra.  The lake is so beautiful and we stopped in Ithaca to see more falls.  We just looked at the overlook at Taghannnock Falls

and then hiked a short way to Seneca Falls, which we could see from the road.

 Max & Ruth Seamon, Mark & Marie Barber, Dave & Elaine Mills (Malad) Us and Marlin & Jeri Hill

                                       Pictures can never capture the beauty of this country.  

Seneca Falls

The next day we served from 7:30 AM to 10:00 PM in the temple.  We love it.
Thursday some of the Lyman Bayles families came.  They did a fast tour of the sites and then met us for dinner and we just had so much fun.  It was great to be with his family and spend one on one time.  Brandon got there first so we got some great extra time with Jan and the little one.  there was Allison and kids, Misty and kids, and Brandon, Jan and son.

We feel like we just got here and are not anxious for next spring.  This place has changed our lives and we just want to serve others more.  It is glorious to know for a fact that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is true and we can all live with our Father forever if we but keep our covenants and strive will all our hearts to follow Him as guided by our living and true prophet.  He is here to guide us for what is coming  What joy and peace.