We drove into the town of Palmyra and took a tour of the Printing Shop, where the members of the Church printed the Book of Mormon. As we were guided on the tour, the information given to us by the missionaries was a testimony builder of the reality of the Lord’s hand in the printing of the Book of Mormon. Many events happened that allowed the Prophet to secure the finances and the means to have the book printed. Martin Harris was one of the stalwart members who helped in providing financing of the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon is truly a book of scripture and is another witness that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. On the title page of the Book of Mormon, a statement is made that says, “And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations—“

As you read the Book of Mormon, it provides you with spiritual direction, to overcome the challenges of life. The book is scripture and supports the teachings found in the Holy Bible. It tells the history of the people who lived here in the Americas, during the time that Christ walked the streets in Holy Lands.

We ventured to the site of the Palmyra Temple and it sits upon the hill overlooking the Smith’s homestead and the Sacred Grove. It is a beautiful temple and we wanted to go inside but our time was limited with the Hill Cumorah Pageant starting this evening.

We walked to the home of Alvin Smith, the brother of Joseph Smith. Here is where the Book of Mormon plates were hidden in the bricks of the fireplace.

We walked through the log cabin of Joseph Smith, Sr., where the Prophet Joseph had his visit with the Angel Moroni. The home was a small cabin and its simplicity taught us the importance of ‘keeping things simple’. We felt the spirit of the home and the love that the parents of the Prophet Joseph had for their children.

We hope to highlight the memories that we enjoyed, as we traveled northwest to the area of Palmyra and upper New York.

One of my favorite places to visit was the ‘Sacred Grove’ where Joseph Smith had his ‘First Vision’ and saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. It was there; the prophet Joseph learned about the other churches and learned that supreme beings had bodies of flesh and bones.

The spirit of the Sacred Grove was unique as we felt the significance of this hallowed ground and the event that transpired in the spring of 1820. Each of us, who have testimonies of the truthfulness of the restored gospel, has had our ‘own’ experience of the ‘First Vision’.

As we strolled through the shady forest, there was a peaceful feeling especially as we sat down on a bench and listened for the spirit. I felt the prompting of the spirit as it bore witness of the truthfulness of the vision that Joseph had and his call to restore The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in these latter days.

A few of us got up early Saturday morning and went to do temple sealings for the dead at the Manhattan Temple. We made our way to the temple via the subway and that was interesting.

We finally arrived in downtown Manhattan and located the temple. It is beautiful and unique, as the temple is on the 2nd floor of the building. We went in the temple and did sealings and the sealer was originally from Ogden, Utah, and was transferred to Manhattan for his vocation.

There is great strength in a family that loves to travel together and enjoy the memories created. During the year of 2008, our extended family had many wonderful memories and will always be remembered for the time that we spent together. We have enjoyed participating in different activities with our children and grandchildren and those activities have created memories which should linger in our hearts and minds for years to come.

Cheryl and I had contemplated of going to New York to visit the sites of the early events, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This was prompted by the lessons in our Priesthood and Relief Society instruction, on the Prophet Joseph Smith.

When we announced to our children that we were planning a trip to upper New York, they all immediately responded tht they wanted to go. Of course, they said that as long as we are traveling to the state of New York, we should visit the exciting cities of Manhattan, Brooklyn and New York. We certainly should see the famous sites and taste the delicious food at the famous places to eat.

It was a grand experience to arrive in New York City on July 4th, in time to see the many exhibits and booths near the pier on the Hudson River. Later that evening, we watched the many beautiful displays of fireworks, with the Statue of Liberty in the background. It truly helped us to appreciate the wonderful freedoms we enjoy and the blessing it is to live in America.