On to New York

We started our Palmyra exploring at the Hill Cumorah. Here we had an arguement about whether this is the same Hill Cumorah mentioned in the Book of Mormon. It's been a long time since I've been to institute, so who knows?









It took a while to really enjoy the sacred grove. It just wasn't a very spiritual experience with Nora singing "Where is Thumbkin" over and over. It was fine to just walk around and talk about it, but right before we left, John offered to take the kids out and run them around for a while. Kristen and I found our own spots to sit down and spend a couple of minutes of the quiet of the sacred grove.

I learned two really valuable lessons.

1) You can be in one of the most sacred places in the world and completely miss the experience if you can't be still and listen. I think that goes moments in our lives too. There are spiritual experiences that happen daily, but if we aren't QUIET for a little bit, we may walk right out of them, too, without even knowing their significance.

2) Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith in the sacred grove. I knew that before I walked there. I don't know if being in the sacred grove increased my knowledge of that one bit. I don't think you have to make a pilgrimage to New York to know that Joseph Smith was a prophet. But I've been there. And it happened. And I know it. And I know I know it now.







We also went to the Printing Press where the Book of Mormon was printed. This was John's favorite place. It was really interesting to learn about the printing process back then, and all of the little miracles that went along with publishing the Book of Mormon.

Enough Sunday School. Moving right along. . .