Aaronic Priesthood Restoration Site

The priesthood of God was restored to the earth near Harmony (now Oakland township), Pennsylvania, in 1829. Joseph and Emma Smith had moved here in December 1827 to escape persecution. Here Joseph began translating the plates that had been delivered to him by the angel Moroni.

Joseph and Emma moved from Harmony in August 1830. The home they lived in burned down in 1919. From 1947 to 1959, the Church acquired the land where Joseph and Emma lived and about 6 acres of riverfront property where the Aaronic Priesthood was restored.

Peter Whitmer Farm

The Peter Whitmer Farm visitors center is in the beautiful Fayette LDS chapel. This chapel was built in 1980 for the 150 years commemoration of the restoration of the LDS Church.

Members of the Whitmer family did much to further the budding Church. They took in the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. and his wife Emma for a period of time and allowed Joseph and Oliver Cowdery to work on the translation of the Book of Mormon in their home. Joseph also received revelations comprising 20 sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, and some of the first priesthood ordinances were performed in or near this home. The Church was organised on April 6th 1830 in the Whitmer home.

Mary Whitmer had to work hard to maintain the household during the early days of the church. She was shown the plates of the Book of Mormon by a holy angel, whom she always called Brother Nephi. (She undoubtedly refers to Moroni, the angel who had the plates in charge.) Her account is as follows."It was at the time, she said, when the translation was going on at the house of the elder Peter Whitmer, her husband. Joseph Smith with his wife and Oliver Cowdery, whom David Whitmer a short time previous had brought up from Harmony, Pennsylvania, were all boarding with the Whitmers, and my grandmother in having so many extra persons to care for, besides her own large household, was often overloaded with work to such an extent that she felt it to be quite a burden."One evening, when (after having done her usual day's work in the house) she went to the barn to milk the cows, she met a stranger carrying something on his back that looked like a knapsack. At first she was a little afraid of him, but when he spoke to her in a kind, friendly tone and began to explain to her the nature of the work which was going on in her house, she was filled with inexpressible joy and satisfaction. He then untied his knapsack and showed her a bundle of plates, which in size and appearance corresponded with the description subsequently given by the witnesses to the Book of Mormon. This strange person turned the leaves of the book of plates over, leaf after leaf, and also showed her the engravings upon them; after which he told her to be patient and faithful in bearing her burden a little longer, promising that if she would do so, she should be blessed; and her reward would be sure, if she proved faithful to the end. The personage then suddenly vanished with the plates, and where he went, she could not tell. "

From that moment Mary was enabled to perform her household duties with comparative ease, and she felt no more inclination to murmur because her lot was hard. She was a strong believer in the Book of Mormon until the day of her death."

Palmyra Temple

The Palmyra Temple was Dedicated on April 6th 2002 and is the smallest of the mini Temples. I was fortunate to be given a tour of the Temple as I arrived a little early. The artwork and glasswork is breathtaking!

Hill Cumorah

In A.D. 421, Moroni, the last survivor of a great civilization that had inhabited the Americas since about 600 B.C., buried in this hill a set of gold plates on which was recorded the history of his people. In 1827, Moroni returned as an angel and delivered the plates to Joseph Smith, who translated them and published them as the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

After a tour of the visitors center I climbed the hill. This was no meant feat as, although this was a small hill, the terrain was steep!!!! I am glad that the sun was not too hot for this occasion!

As the crow flies the Sacred Grove is three miles from The Hill Cumorah and Joseph Smith walked this route several times before he was allowed to collect the Gold Plates and take them home to translate.

Smith Family Farm

Joseph Smith Sr., his wife Lucy Mack Smith, and their eight children moved to Palmyra, New York, in 1816. After a few years in Palmyra, Joseph Sr. bought 100 acres of wooded land. He and his sons cleared the land, prepared the soil for cultivation, and planted crops as the land was more fertile than in New York.
The family built a small log home on their property and lived there for a number of years. They then decided to build a larger and more comfortable home. Father and sons worked side by side to produce a quaint frame home, which they moved into late in 1825. Having lost title to their farm, they moved back into the log home in the spring of 1829, where they lived until late 1830, when they moved from the area.

The room below is where the Angel Moroni first appeared to Joseph Smith as a boy. The three boys shared 2 beds and the girls had a bed each.

The Frame house was lived in my the Smiths for three years before they had to move back into the log cabin for financial reasons.

This chest is a replica of the chest used to house the Gold Plates. The original is with a descendant of Hyrum Smith, Josephs brother.

The Gold Plates were hidden underneath this hearth during one occasion when a mob came to find them. They were not successful in their quest to find and destroy the plates.

The Gold Plates were also hidden in the loft of the cooper shed. The Mob ripped up the floor but did not look above for any further possible hiding place.

The Sacred Grove

In the Spring of 1820, following concerns about the conflicts between the various religious sects at that time, Joseph Smith went into a grove of trees to ask God the Father which of the churches he could join. The answer came directly from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ during the First Vision and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was restored to the earth.
The Sacred Grove is a special place and I felt privileged to have been able to walk upon this hallowed ground.

The Grandin Printing Press

The Book Of Mormon was first printed at the E.B. Grandin Printing House in Palmyra.

The order was for 5000 copies of the Book of Mormon which, back in the day, was a rather tall order.

Before printing became a high throughout process, every letter had to be placed in a chase and many chase's made up a printing block.

Once assembled the blocks were inked and printed and proof read before any further coppies were made. The books were then hand stitched, glued, trimmed and leather bound ready for sale in the bookstore. It took 18 months to print and bind the 5000 books in the first edition print. Quite a remarkable beginning for such an important book.