Kirtland Impressions (Sealing Power)

The Kirtland Temple was one of the places I was very excited to see mainly because of the understanding I have gained over the years of its importance in the restoration of the gospel to the earth in the latter-days.  When the Lord commanded His Church and its members to "go to the Ohio" the specific reasoning He gave for the exodus was so He could "give unto [them] my law; and there [they] shall be endowed with power from on high" (D&C 38:32, emphasis added).  Reading this verse now, we might make the mistake of equating the word "endowed" in this context with the endowment ceremony which takes place in the temples today.  It is important to remember, however, that the Kirtland Temple was not like the other temples completed after its dedication.  In a sense, the temple at Kirtland could be thought of as an "Elias" temple; a forerunner paving the way for what was to come like John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus Christ (see Matthew 17:11-13).  The reason the Kirtland Temple needed to be built and dedicated as a temple instead of just a meetinghouse was because of the priesthood keys needing to be conferred upon the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery; the "endowment" promised by the Savior.

When the angel Moroni visited Joseph Smith in the family's log cabin in Palmyra on the night of September 21, 1823, the first verses of scripture he quoted to the 17-year-old young man were "part of the third chapter of Malachi; and . . . the fourth or last chapter of the same prophesy," but as he listened to the quotations, Joseph noticed the first, fifth and sixth verses were quoted by Moroni "with a little variation from the way it reads in our Bibles" (JS-H 1:36).  The fifth verse was quoted: "Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord" (JS-H 1:38, emphasis added).  Nearly six years later on May 15, 1829, the Aaronic Priesthood was restored by John the Baptist upon the heads of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery (see D&C 13).  Weeks later, Peter, James and John appeared to return the Melchizedek Priesthood authority to the earth (see D&C 27:12).  With the priesthood bestowed once again upon mortal men, the Church of God could be organized and offer its followers the ordinances of baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the administration of the sacrament (to name a few).  Nevertheless, Moroni had specifically designated Elijah as the one to reveal the Priesthood; Elijah still had not come.  With the priesthood restored, what was Elijah to reveal?

The Kirtland Temple was dedicated Sunday, March 27, 1836.  One week later, Easter Sunday, April 3, 1836 (also Passover weekend when faithful Jews had opened their doors to invite Elijah into their homes to join their celebration), Elijah appeared in the House of the Lord to Joseph and Oliver and announced: "The keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this you may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors" (D&C 110:16 , emphasis added).  Of the six times the word "key" or "keys" is used in the New Testament, only once is it used by the Savior to denote priesthood authority.  After Peter boldly affirmed that Jesus was "the Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus told His chief Apostle that his answer had been revealed to him by "my Father" and then declared: "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven" (Matthew 16:16-17, 19, emphasis added).  On the Mount of Transfiguration, Elijah appeared to Peter, James and John and bestowed the priesthood key of sealing upon them.  In the Kirtland Temple, Elijah restored this same key to Joseph and Oliver.  Until Elijah unlocked this priesthood key, all the ordinances performed in the Church to that point could be considered conditional.  President Boyd K. Packer, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has written: "No authorization transcends [the sealing power] in value.  That power gives substance and eternal permanence to all ordinances performed with proper authority for both the living and the dead" (Preparing to Enter the Holy Temple, [2002], 28, emphasis added).  Elder David A. Bednar affirmed: "This sacred sealing authority is essential for priesthood ordinances to be valid and binding both on earth and in heaven" (Ensign, Nov. 2011, 24, emphasis added).  This was the endowment the Lord had promised to His Saints when He commanded them to leave New York and establish themselves in Ohio.  To "endow" is to grant a gift.  By sending Elijah with the key of sealing, the possibility of extending ordinances to the dead as well as the living were unlocked and the hearts of the children could now turn to their fathers in a way that had not been contemplated for centuries.

As I sat in the pews of the Kirtland Temple and looked up at the rostrum of the Melchizedek Priesthood, I couldn't help but wonder what it must have been like to be in the congregation for the dedication.  Moreover, I also considered what it might have been like to be there a week later when the "veil" in front of the pulpit was dropped by Joseph and Oliver and then to have them announce that they had seen Jesus, Moses, Elias and Elijah and explain what  priesthood keys those ancient prophets had restored (click here for Truman Madsen's video of Jesus' appearance).  The Kirtland Temple was built in order for these prophets to come and bring their precious priesthood keys--the most important of those being the sealing key.  Because of what happened in this temple, my wife and my sons are sealed to me and I to them not just for the duration of our mortal lives, but for eternity if we are faithful.  I marveled at the fact that the gospel ordinances I have participated in: baptism, confirmation and gift of the Holy Ghost, priesthood ordination, temple ordinances and others are permanently connected to me because of the sealing key bestowed on that April day.  Also, all four of us are able to offer these same ordinances to people who have not received them (members of our family or not); if accepted, they too, can have those ordinances connected to them as though they participated in them themselves.  I am so grateful for the blessings of the temple.  I am very thankful to live in a day when these sacred, beautiful buildings cover the earth.  I mentioned in an earlier post that Ben and Isaac and I have had our picture taken touching the temple since they were very young.  I was updating family pictures on my desk at work with pictures taken on this trip and came across possibly the earliest picture of the three of us touching the Los Angeles Temple.

This tradition started after I read a story about two young boys pulling their younger brother in a wagon to the Salt Lake Temple so the smaller boy could touch the temple.  That story effected me deeply.  To have the temple became more then just a concept; to introduce a tactile component to these sacred buildings in teaching my sons about their importance appealed to me.  Our videos of 13 years ago show Ben excited to, "Touch it; temple," when we visited the Palmyra Temple.  He enjoyed that moment so much he asked to go back two more times before we departed.  The picture I have now of the three us touching the Kirtland Temple means so much to me because of the love I have for my sons and meaning this tradition continues to hold for me.

The Great 2013 Vacation: Kirtland

Kirtland, Ohio was 70 miles from the KOA at Erie, but church services didn't begin until 10 o'clock.  Once I learned there was a ward in Kirtland, I felt we had plenty of time to break camp, shower, eat breakfast and make it to the services.  Luckily, we were pretty efficient that morning and I was correct in my time assessment.  We arrived at the chapel and were able to change into our Sunday clothes in the restrooms.  Interestingly, here in the town where the first modern temple was erected, the topic for the Sacrament meeting talks was temple work.  The first sister who spoke had recently gone through the temple for her first time.  Having served as the temple preparation class instructor for the last seven years, I was extremely interested in her talk.  She expressed the struggles she had experienced to become worthy of a recommend and the gratitude she felt while going through the endowment session for the first time.  After a musical interlude with a sister playing a medley of hymns on the piano, the concluding speakers were couple who had been recently sealed.  I very much enjoyed listening to the insights of all the speakers.  When the meeting was over, several ward members introduced themselves and directed us to our next classes.

When the meetings had ended and we had changed back into casual clothes, we sat in the car eating lunch.  One of the members we had met earlier came over and started talking to us.  During our conversation, he asked if we had plans to visit the John Johnson home.  I had thought that all the Ohio sites where in Kirtland, so I had not made plans to leave the area.  The Johnson home is located in Hiram, Ohio, 40 miles south of Kirtland.  I was reminded that 16 sections of the Doctrine and Covenants were received there, including section 76 which discusses the degrees of glory.  At first, I was intrigued by the opportunity, but as I looked at the time, considered what we wanted to see in town and talked it over with Jennifer, I decided to keep to our itinerary.

At the Historic Kirtland Visitors' Center, a sister companionship became our tour guides (unfortunately, I cannot remember their names).  We asked when the final tour of the Kirtland temple would take place.  They told us 4:30 and assured us they would have us out in time to make it.  First, we watched video presentation which focused on Newel K. and Elizabeth Ann Whitney.  They were members of Sidney Rigdon's congregation and heard the gospel preached by Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer, Jr., Ziba Peterson and Parley P. Pratt as the four missionaries stopped in Kirtland on their way to Independence, Missouri to preach to the Lamanites.  She wanted to be baptized almost immediately upon hearing the message.  When he asked her to wait for him (Newel had made up his mind yet), she politely, yet firmly told him, "No."  Since much of what can be seen in "historic" Kirtland are buildings owned by the Whitney's, this focus seemed deliberate as well as informative.  After the video, we visited the Whitney Store, the Whitney home and ashery and the John Johnson Inn.  Of all of these places, I enjoyed the store the most because of the spiritual history behind it.  In one of the upstairs rooms of the store, the school of the prophets was held.  This is were Joseph would teach the brethren concerning their priesthood duties.  The Lectures on Faith were presented here.  Because of the smoking and tobacco spitting going on during the meetings, Emma's complaints to Joseph about having to clean up afterward served as a catalyst for receiving the Word of Wisdom (section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants).  In an adjoining room, Joseph's work on the inspired translation of the Bible took place and several other Doctrine and Covenants sections were received in the store.  I was also interested to learn that after Newel K. Whitney was ordained as the second bishop of Kirtland (to replace Edward Partridge who moved to Missouri), his store became the first bishop's storehouse of the Church.

 

In front of the store (I think my eyes are closed :))

Inside the store--the ledger had purchases from people who lived in Kirtland at the time

School of the Prophets room



Whitney home

 

The other place I found interesting was the Ashery.  People would sell the ashes from their fireplace to the ashery.  Here the ashes would be converted into lye and made into soap, or the ashes would be turned into pot ash or pearl ash.  I don't recall what pot ash was good for, but pearl ash (which was pot ash heated at very high temperatures to burn out the impurities) was sold to make ceramic dishes and glass.  The ashery was one of the major contributors in helping to finance the building of the temple.  We had a very nice time on our tour.  The sisters were very patient with us, answered all our questions and made sure we were able to make it to the temple on time for our tour there.

 

Ben & Isaac ready to work at the Ashery

 

A three minute drive from the historic Kirtland sites brought us to the parking lot of the visitor's center of the Kirtland Temple.  The temple is owned and operated by the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).  A $3 per person donation was charged for us to enter (used to help preserve the building).  A 20-something young woman (again, I have forgotten her name) was our guide.  Before the tour, we were specifically asked not to take pictures inside the building, but I found  this video that offers a view of some of what is inside the temple.  I will admit to being bummed by that request, but I honored it.  We watched a 10 to 15 minute video presentation talking about the Kirtland temple and the Community of Christ.  At the end of the video, a curtain opened up in front of us to uncover a picture window that showed the temple--it was a nice touch.

Once inside the temple, we were told that the walls were so thick that when the doors were shut, no sound from the outside could be heard by the congregation, even when the bell in the top tower is rung, it cannot be heard inside the temple.  We were taken to the top floor and shown rooms used for schools.  The room on the west side of the third floor was Joseph Smith's office and was also used for the school of the prophets.  A book written in Hebrew was passed around the group taking the tour as we were told that those attending the school learned Hebrew and Greek.  On a marked page, the word "Nauvoo" meaning "beautiful" was underlined.  We were taken to the first floor and had the opportunity to sit in one of the box pews.  The pews were designed in such a way so that one could face either end of the building.  On the east end of the building were the rostrum for the Aaronic Priesthood presidencies and on the west end was the same for the Melchizedek Priesthood.  It was pointed out to us how a curtain (or veil) could be dropped in front of the Melchizedek Priesthood rostrum and how curtains could partition off the pews.  The tour was informative and our guide did a good job (more so then 30 years earlier when my father would deliberately hold us back and describe in detail much more than the tour guide had said--it got to the point where other tour member would stay behind to listen to him before continuing on), but as we talked about it afterward, we all felt that the missing component was the Spirit.  The Sister missionaries had given us plenty of good information as well, but they had also borne their testimony of the things that had happened in the places we visited.  Their testimonies had made our visit with them much more spiritually personal.

 

          

 

 

Kirtland Temple view and us after the tour

 

From Kirtland, we traveled to a KOA outside of Toledo for our stopping point of the day.  After passing through Cleveland, I had my only close encounter with a state trooper.  One pulled in behind me as we traveled through a road construction area.  I had been talking to Isaac (Jen and Ben were asleep) about Nauvoo.  When I did a mirror check, there he was (quite slick, didn't see it happen)  After the construction ended and the road opened to three lanes again, I moved over to let the trooper pass but he decided to pull in behind me again.  I don't know what was suspicious about a family of four driving down an Ohio highway other than the California plates.  I guess he seemed to think I was on the verge of doing something criminal at any moment (or maybe he thought we were drug runners, who knows).  I calmly set the cruise control to exactly 70 (the posted speed limit) and continued my conversation with Isaac (the other two woke up and joined in not long afterward).  The trooper followed us for a good 10 miles (at least, it seemed that way) before finally deciding we weren't worth the trouble and zoomed away--I considered waving, but thought better of it.  This was the only time we arrived at the KOA in daylight before the office had closed.

Palmyra Impressions (Faith into Action)

This was my third time visiting Palmyra.  My first time was back in 1983 (30 years ago) as a 16-year-old teenager (the same age as Ben is now); the second time was 13 years ago.  With the intervening years, I can't recall what my feelings were 30 years ago.  Since I do know that my testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel was still 3 years away, I suspect visiting Palmyra helped me in my belief, but I cannot say for certain how other than visiting the sites made the accounts I had heard up to that time in my life more real.  Seventeen years later visiting as a young father with an entirely different perspective on the gospel message, I came to Palmyra thinking my visit would offer me some huge confirming epiphany.  We spent two days visiting the various sites and I kept waiting for it . . . but nothing came.  For roughly 30 minutes after leaving the Whitmer farmhouse on our drive back to Ringwood, Jennifer and I finally broke the contemplative silence in the car (the boys had promptly fallen asleep in the back seat) and began to talk about our experience.  It wasn't long before I realized she, as a convert of about 5 1/2 years, had been expecting much the same thing as I had.  We hadn't communicated this to each other, but in our own way, we had expected the heavens to open and angelic trumpets to sound a flourish offering us an overwhelming spiritual confirmation that everything we had seen in Palmyra was undeniably true.  The more we talked about it, however, the more we realized what we had felt instead of the "bells and whistles" was a quiet, calm, peaceful reassurance to our testimonies backing up what we had already come to spiritually believe.  What I was reminded that day is what the prophet Elijah was taught: the Spirit does not sound like "strong wind" or "an earthquake" or "a fire," but speaks in "a still, small voice" (1 Kings 19:11-12).

On this visit, I was struck by how the Lord had prepared the Palmyra area and the people in it to receive the restoration and help it to progress.  Over the last several years, my personal definition of the word coincidence has changed.  To me, a coincidence is when I arrive home from work and while preparing to open my front door a car backfires at the exact moment I'm sliding my key into the lock.  That, and other similar circumstances are "coincidences."  But when water is leaking into the kitchen and master bathroom of my home and I have a plumber cutting holes into the walls and telling me I have a slab leak that will cost thousands of dollars I don't have to repair and my home owner's insurance sends their repair team to check it out and the man who comes to my door turns out to be a high councilman in an adjoining stake who fixes the actual problem (a pipe leak just slightly below the concrete), repairs the damage done by the previous plumber and charges us only the amount of the deductible charged by the insurance; that is not a fortuitous happenstance or a coincidence, it is a blessing bestowed upon me and my family by a loving Father in Heaven: a tender mercy.  On the morning Bishop Meservy and I were to be released from the bishopric in our ward, he asked me a penetrating question: "What surprised you the most as you served as a counselor?"  I had to contemplate my answer for a few moments as I considered my 1 1/2 of service in that capacity.  My response: "I was surprised to learn how much the Lord really is involved in our lives."  I saw this everywhere we went in Palmyra (frankly, I saw it throughout our Church history tour).

I was reminded of the examples of people who lived in the area for years (such as Martin Harris) or came to the area at a crucial time (Oliver Cowdery).  Of all the places to set up a print shop with the latest version of printer that could churn out pages at a faster rate, E. B. Grandin choose Palmyra and his shop was in business when the Book of Mormon was ready for printing and publication.  Grandin's personal reasons probably made sense to him at the time (why do it otherwise), but I find the timing extremely interesting.  I also considered the circumstances that brought the Smith family to settle in an area only a few miles from where Moroni had hidden the gold plates roughly 1400 years earlier.  These are just a few "coincidences;" there are so many more.  When stacked up together, I see the Lord's hand in preparing to bring the gospel "out of obscurity and out of darkness" (D&C 1:30).  Someone may feel to contradict my conclusions and make whatever claim they might (and that is their right), but such a contradiction does not shake me from my own feelings--that God had the right people in the right place at the right time.  In no way did He take agency from His children as the time of the restoration approached, but His guidance was there and was followed (imperfectly, but followed) by those who became involved in the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth.  If we truly, sincerely, honestly look for His hand in our lives, we will find it; He is there because we are His children and we matter to Him.

The other impression I had was how important it is to put our faith into action.  Back in May, I was asked to give a talk on receiving personal revelation.  The approach I ended up taking was to use the First Vision as a pattern to follow to gain personal revelation.  Yes, there are more ways than this, but many times, the pattern Joseph used in his quest for truth (reading and pondering the scriptures and being obedient to God's commandments) interlinks with all other approaches.  The final piece of the pattern I discussed is to ask in faith with the intent to do.  To quote from that talk:

* * *

Faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel (see Articles of Faith 1:4), and faith is “the principle of action in all intelligent beings” (Lectures on Faith [1985], 1:9).  If you have been consistently reading and pondering the scriptures and doing all that you can to be obedient to the Lord’s commandments, you will not only use your faith to ask, but to do whatever is required of you. . . . Joseph was prepared to act upon the answer he received from his prayer: “My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right,” he wrote, “that I might know which to join” (JS-H 1:18).  Elder Bednar explained: “Joseph’s questions focused not just on what he needed to know but also on what was to be done!  His prayer was not simply, ‘Which church is right?’ His question was, ‘Which church should I join?’ Joseph went to the grove to ask in faith, and he was determined to act” (Ensign, May, 2008, 94-95, emphasis in original).  In this context, can you see why James also taught “faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (2:17)?  Faith is not a passive principle, it is “the moving cause of all action” (Lectures on Faith [1985], 1:10).

* * *

Sometimes I think we as Church members (and when I say "we," I definitely include myself) overlook this aspect of the First Vision.  Joseph didn't just want to know what church was "right," but he was prepared to join himself to that entity.  In other words, he wasn't just asking to satisfy his curiosity: "Oh, the Presbyterians are right and not the Methodists?  Thanks for the head's up."  He planned to take the information he sought and do something with it!  He had been leaning toward the Methodists (see JS-H 1:8), but the implication of his statement is he was prepared to join whatever church God directed him to join, regardless of which denomination it was.  Having faith is a great thing, but having faith and doing nothing with it isn't great in the sight of God (see James 2:14-20).  If we use our faith as a catalyst for action, then our faith truly becomes a power we can use to show our Father in Heaven our devotion to Him and our desire to follow Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Being mortal and struggling with our carnal natures, we will make mistakes along the way just as Joseph did.  If we repent, however, and do not allow those mistakes to consume us, we will continue to move toward Father and He will bless us for our efforts.

This pattern is very relevant to us living in this day and age.  With so many voices clamoring for our attention; with so much information (true, not so true, and completely distorted) at our fingertips; with Satan raging "in the hearts of the children of men" and stirring "them up to anger against that which is good" (2 Nephi 28:20), we need to have solid footing on the rock of Christ and use the pattern of the First Vision as a way to combat the constant assault we are under (for a great video example click here).  I noticed this principle at work time and again as we visited the different sites in Palmyra.  The culmination of the efforts of those first 10 years in the New York and Pennsylvania areas was the organization of the Church in the Peter Whitmer Sr. farmhouse on April 6, 1830.

The Great 2013 Vacation: Palmyra (Day 2)

A lot to cover for this day's entry, so I better jump right in.  The first place we visited on day 2 was the Sacred Grove--the place where Joseph Smith received his First Vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ.  As we approached the area (which also has the recreated log cabin where the Smith's first lived when they moved to the area and the frame house they moved into later), I began noticing differences from our previous visit.  A visitor's center with a parking lot had been built north of the log cabin.  I remembered a makeshift gravel parking lot next to the cabin, but it was no longer there--the road had been realigned.  Tours had not started, so we decided to go into the grove first and quickly discovered access to the grove from the parking lot (another new wrinkle).  Several markers reviewing the Smith family's life on the farm as well as other markers discussing how the First Vision and the showing of the gold plates (from which the Book of Mormon was translated) by Joseph to the eight witnesses occurred in the grove lined the path.  As we entered the grove, the walking trail leading from the center was narrow and covered with a crushed, red gravel which gave way to a packed dirt path that was a bit wider.  Benches were interspersed throughout the grove, but the larger "gathering" areas (for lack of a better descriptive word) had disappeared.  We read the markers and talked about them.  Eventually, each of us had quiet moment to reflect, the only sound was our shoes crunching on the path.  After a while, we found a place to sit and take some pictures.  I was very impressed with the care that has been taken with the grove.  The caretakers have tried diligently to preserve the "pristine" feel while allowing visitors to walk through the area and reflect on the significance of this place.  The spirit I felt was calm, peaceful and reassuring.

Sacred Grove Entrance



Sacred Grove

After walking along most of the trails inside the grove, we exited using the path leading to the Smith Family frame house and found this area to be completely altered as well.  The crushed gravel returned.  A bathroom facility, built on the outside to look as though it belong in the 1800's, was located about 100 feet outside the grove entrance/exit.  An old style fence (put together in a way one could picture Smith's building it) lined the left and right sides of the path.  More signs explained the way the family cleared the land and used it.  One of the signs talked about an apple orchard planted not far from where the frame house was built.  As I looked toward the house, barn, and cooper's shop some 200 yards or so from where we stood, I noticed another fenced off area with apple trees.  Again, I was very impressed with the care and eye for detail exhibited in giving the land an authentic feel--I could picture the family leaving their log cabin or frame house to work in the fields and care for their farm.

Smith Family Farm

Smith Family Log Cabin

Smith Family Frame Home

Barn

Cooper's Shed

Having spent about an hour or so in the Sacred Grove, we walked back to the visitor's center to be taken on tour through the Smith Family log cabin and frame house.  The cabin was pretty much as I remembered it from our previous visit.  After the foundation was unearthed, the cabin was rebuilt.  Written records were used to recreate the home as accurately as possible.  It was a modest place for a family of their size to live in while they cleared and cultivated the land and built their farm.  It was here Joseph returned after receiving his vision of the Father and the Son and it was here, in the upstairs bedroom, where Moroni appeared nearly 3 1/2 years later.

The frame house was the place I was very interested to see.  On our last visit, it wasn't open to the public as it was being remodeled to restore it back to its original form.  In the yard was a huge tree which may have been the "Alvin tree" planted in memory of Alvin after his death.  One aspect pointed out to us when we entered the home was that some of the rooms had oil cloth rugs on the floor.  Lucy Mack Smith would make these and sell them as a way to help supplement the family's income.  This was where the Smith's were living when Moroni entrusted the golden plates to Joseph to translate.  There were several places in the house where he hid them: in the bed of his younger sisters while they were underneath the covers pretending to be asleep, under the bricks of the fireplace hearth in the living room, in a box belonging to Hyrum and in the cooper's shed.  I very much enjoyed being able to enter the frame home this time and to get a feel for what everyday life may have been like for the family (we were all impressed with the soapstone sink in the kitchen--it looked as though it should have been rough, but we all found it to be smooth to the touch).  After looking at the barn (which was actually a barn built by Brigham Young's father--it had been moved to Palmyra to double as the Smith barn) and the cooper's shed, it was time to move on to the Hill Cumorah.

 

At the visitor's center at Cumorah, we met the second sister missionary who made an impression on us: Sister West from Idaho.  She greeted us as we walked into the visitor's center, asked us some questions and brought us into the room where the statue of Jesus was located.  One of the best pictures of the four us was taken by her.  After playing the recording of the words of Jesus taken from the Bible and the Book of Mormon, she asked if we had time to see a video.  We did, so she lead us into a small "theater" and showed us a movie about families based on the principles taught in the Proclamation on the Family.  When the movie ended, she came back into the theater and asked us how we felt about what we had seen.  For me, the combination of listening to the words of Christ while contemplating the statue and seeing the movie really struck me.  My family means so much to me and I love my wife and sons very much.  They have helped me to become a better husband and father, and I hope I have helped them in return.  When we base our lives on the teachings of Jesus and try our best to follow His example our family relationships become even better.  Seeing that statue, with the arms outstretched, reminded me that Jesus wants to lift us up--to draw us into His embrace, but he cannot do it unless we make the effort to come to Him.  She asked us if there were any names that came to mind who she could call and share a message.  At that moment, no names came to mind, but she told us we were a great family and had a good spirit about us.  "I think," she began and then stopped, "no, I know there is someone out there for you to share the gospel with."  In light of the calling I received about a week after we returned home--ward mission leader--I can't help but wonder if this was what she meant.

Moroni Statue @ the top of the Hill Cumorah

After parting from her, we looked at other presentations throughout the visitor's center and then went outside to climb the Hill Cumorah to see the statue of Moroni at the top.  This was the second thing we were able to do this trip that we had not 13 years earlier.  By the time we visited Palmyra back then, the Hill Cumorah Pageant was only a week away--missed it by that much.  Because the stage was built and electrical wires and such were on the path leading to the statue, the path was blocked and we couldn't get close to it.  This time we were able to take a close look at statue and take pictures.  Later, when we returned to the bottom of the hill, Ben and Isaac wanted to "recreate" a moment from our original trip when I had Isaac strapped to my back in a carrier while I chased Ben around on the grass.  Luckily, they didn't want me to strap Isaac to my back again, but they wanted me to chase them until I caught them.  I learned 2 things from this exercise: 1) my boys are a lot faster than they were 13 years ago (obviously); and 2) once I finally did catch them both (and I did), I was done.

                 

Our next stop was to find the old town cemetery and locate Alvin Smith's grave site.  His original stone marker has been replaced with a more modern marker, but this marker incorporates the original headstone in the back.  We then walked to the corner of Main and (appropriately enough) Church Street where an Episcopal, Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian church stands on each corner.  None of these churches were built at the time Joseph Smith lived in Palmyra (although the plaque on the Presbyterian church says it was erected in 1832), but if these buildings stand where former church buildings once stood, I could imagine the confusion Joseph felt as the various congregants spilled into the street after Sunday services and began heated debates over various points of doctrine and beliefs (See JS-H 1:5-6).  From there, we drove down Main Street a short distance and visited the E. B. Grandin Print Shop where the Book of Mormon was first published.  It was fun being reminded of how the Book of Mormon was printed and the painstaking effort of the printers back in that day.  I think about how the type setters had to set up each printed line backwards and how I probably would have screwed up that process.

Palmyra Temple

The final stop of our Palmyra stop was a trip to the temple.  Ben wanted to recreate his "Hi, Moroni, we're going to have lunch now" moment.  I gave him a signal when I started the video camera . . . and he immediately flubbed his line and had to try again.  We slowly walked along the sidewalk, taking in the peaceful feeling surrounding that sacred edifice.  When we reached the place where the capstone is located, I asked the boys if they would like to bear their testimonies as a way to update their prior visit.  It was happy to find them willing to do so and gratified to hear what they had to say.  It was a great experience to return again to Palmyra and to be uplifted and strengthened in my own testimony as to the events that took place in this relatively obscure area of upstate New York. 



As I mentioned earlier, Niagara Falls was the final "mystery place" of our vacation.  It didn't take too long for everyone to figure out where we were headed (the road signs gave it away).  I was the only person of the four of us who had been to the falls--visiting a little over 30 years ago as a teenager.  When we finally arrived, I was quickly reminded of how massive and powerful they are.  We spent a couple of hours there.  We didn't have time to take the tours down to the base of the falls or to ride a ferry, but the perspectives we saw were good enough.  Seeing this natural wonder caused Ben to rethink the other waterfalls he has seen during his 16 years.  He told me the falls he used to think were big would now be classified as "decent sized."  Isaac liked the power of them.  Jennifer thought they were beautiful.  Another two hours of driving from Niagara got us back into Pennsylvania and our second rendezvous with Steak 'n Shake.  We were greeted by statues of Elvis and the Blues Brothers and had another good meal and yummy shakes.  It was dark when we arrived at the Erie KOA.  We put up our tent for the first time in five nights and crashed.

The Great 2013 Vacation: Palmyra (Day 1)

As I prepare to chronicle week 2 of our vacation, I find myself contemplating an added approach.  Up until now, I've given a blow by blow account of the highlights of each day with some general observations.  However, I recall saying in my introductory post that I wanted to also give an account of what this vacation meant to me.  During this second week, I had some thoughts that I would also like to share.  Based on this desire, I will continue to give an account of our daily activities, but I will then follow up with a supplementary "impressions" post which will detail what each of the church history stops taught me (you, the reader, can decide on whether or not to read one, both or neither).

Before leaving New Jersey, Jennifer wanted to visit the grave site of her Grandmother Rockwell and a friend of the family who was called "Aunt" Helen even though she wasn't blood related.  Helen Shaw lived to be 105 and died on the same day my nephew Joseph was born.  There was a "circle of life" kind of symmetry to it as we learned about her passing and then his birth a few hours later.  The George Washington Memorial Cemetery was located only about six or seven miles from the Best Western.  After loading up the car and checking out of the hotel, we found the cemetery after a bit of extra driving (the map seemed to confuse another cemetery with the one we were looking for) and stopped at the office to get directions (the grave sites turned out to be not far from one another).  It didn't take too long to find both sites.  Jennifer asked for her picture to be taken with both markers and asked for a little private time.  Having completed the last goal of her stay in NJ, Jen was ready with the rest of us to begin the second half of our trip.

      

                   Aunt Helen & Uncle Harry                              Grandma Rockwell



One of my main goals in planning was to make sure we were always moving forward.  I didn't really want to backtrack to visit any of the Church sites we wanted to see.  To this end, I realized that we needed to first stop at the Peter Whitmer, Sr. farmhouse (where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was formally organized) and then travel on to Palmyra.  I guess you could say we were putting the end of the New York chapter of Church history in front of the beginning, but I didn't think this was a bad thing.  Sometimes looking at an event out of sequence can offer a different perspective.  I have to admit to being a little bummed by the map directions.  Thirteen years ago after visiting the Whitmer farmhouse, our route back to Ringwood had taken us past one of the Finger Lakes.  I was excited to return and see this area again.  There is a lot of beautiful country to be seen in New York state.  Sometimes I wonder if people think the state of New York is nothing more than an extension of New York City.  But I was a bit disappointed to find that our route took us between the two largest Finger Lakes in such a way that we didn't get to see either one.  There was a moment, however, when we could see green farmlands stretching out below us for miles--it was quite an amazing view.

Since we did more driving on rural roads with slower speed limits, it took us longer to get to the farmhouse then I had anticipated.  A week before we left on our trip, Jennifer had made an appointment with the Palmyra Temple for the 7:30 endowment session.  As we pulled into the parking lot of the farmhouse, I realized this would be our only Church history stop for the day.  We entered the visitor's center and met a senior missionary couple who turned us over to Sister Vasquez from Spain to be our tour guide.  I have previously mentioned how we watched the videos I took of our New Jersey trip 13 years ago before leaving on this trip.  The basic information offered by Sister Vasquez was generally the same as we heard before, but I am always fascinated how two people can teach the same material in completely different ways.  Don't get me wrong, it's not that the Elder who took us through the visitor's center didn't do a good job, but there was something about Sister Vasquez that made us all seem to pay closer attention.  She had such a nice, simple testimony of the organization of the church.  Her emphasis on the similarities in the church organization in the time of Christ to the restoration to what we enjoy today stood out to all of us.  When she talked about the priesthood, she asked Ben and Isaac how they felt to be holders of this sacred power and helped to focus them on the authority they held.  As she took us through the farmhouse, she asked us to think about what it was like for those original church members of 1830 and how we are similar to them today.  It was a very nice experience.

Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood



 Jen & Sister Vasquez approach the farmhouse

 A different view of us standing in front of the farmhouse.

After leaving the Whitmer farmhouse, we drove the remaining 30 miles to the Palmyra Inn (located about a half mile from the temple and a mile from Smith log and frame homes and the Sacred Grove) and checked in.  The room was quite nice--king sized bed for Jennifer and me, two double beds for Ben and Isaac (the nicest room we stayed in on our trip).  We decided to try our luck at Subway again (a much better experience--good staff who listened to us and prepared our subs correctly) and ate our dinner back in the room.  By the time we finished, Jennifer and I needed to get ready for our temple session.  The two women at the front desk had mentioned a walking path to the temple that began on the north side of the inn.  At first, I thought it might be fun to walk, but by the time we were finished dressing, driving was the better option time-wise.

As we pulled into the parking lot and got our first look at the temple after thirteen years, a flood of memories rushed into my mind.  I pictured 3-year-old Ben excitedly running up the steps, waving his hand at the golden statue on the pinnacle of the temple, "Hi, Moroni!  We're going to eat lunch now!"  Ben pushing 10-month-old Isaac in his stroller and pointing out Moroni to his little brother; then moving the stroller closer and exclaiming, "Where did Moroni go?" as the walls of the temple hid the statue from his perspective.  As we walked toward the doors with their stained glass motif of the trees of the Sacred Grove, I saw the capstone on the southeast corner of the building proclaiming: Erected 2000 and pictured Ben touching that stone while trying very hard to say what was on his mind at that moment and only intermittently saying: "Jesus Christ . . . Joseph Smith . . . church."  With all of these good memories, we entered the temple to participate in the sacred ordinances that take place inside.  What I will mention about the Palmyra Temple is I was surprised by how small it is.  I think I really understood the size difference between it and the Redlands Temple when Jennifer and I entered the Celestial Room (the room symbolizing the place where Father in Heaven dwells) and found it to be half the size of what I am used to.  Even so, a spirit of peace, warmth and love filled the room and I quickly forgot about the size difference.

It was nearly 10 o'clock when we returned to the Inn to find Ben and Isaac watching a Batman movie.  I needed to go back to the car to get something from the trunk.  As I walked into the parking lot, I heard a sound I hadn't noticed earlier.  It was a sound I had never heard before--a thrumming noise as if someone had hooked the hind legs of thousands of crickets to an electric amplifier.  I can't think of another way to properly describe it, but I stood next to the car listening for a minute or two because I was so fascinated by it.  Returning to the Inn, I asked the same front desk workers about the sound.  They told me it was the cicadas.  After seventeen years of hibernation, they had hatched and were making the noise I had heard.  I guess if we had made this trip some other year, I wouldn't have heard this amazing sound.

The Great 2013 Vacation: Jennifer's New Jersey Family

As I mentioned in the beginning, the main reason for this trip was to visit with Jennifer's New Jersey family.  When the plan morphed from a two week stay in NJ to what I am now chronicling, the trip became two parts.  Week one would culminate with the visit to NJ and week two became an opportunity for us to follow the original Saints from upstate New York to Nauvoo, Illinois.  For a brief time I toyed with the idea of trying to make it to Winter Quarters, Nebraska, but the logistics of such an addition didn't add up within the timetable.  We had to complete our trek in time to be back for Jennifer's commitment to the Victorville Stake's Girl's Camp (maybe I can sneak that destination in another time).  Personally, I think we were able to have a very nice visit with Jennifer's Aunt Ann and Uncle Ernie and their family.  Although the time was condensed, I think Jennifer enjoyed the opportunity to visit with everyone.  Also, this portion of the trip gave Ben and Isaac a chance to truly meet the people they had seen in videos taken 13 years ago when they were too young to remember.

Of course, how could our visit really begin without me forgetting to make a map of how to get to Aunt Ann and Uncle Ernie's home.  Before we left I had printed a good 20 or so maps directing us to every place imaginable; yet, I forgot one of the most important stops on our journey.  Sheesh!  There are times I wonder if I'd forget my head if it wasn't securely attached to my neck.  On Tuesday (June 18th), my map gaff was overcome when one of Jen's cousins was able to give us the directions we needed.  Actually, to my surprise as we came closer to Ringwood, the area began to look more and more familiar.  By the time we reached the final couple of turns, I pretty much remembered how to get to the house without help.  It is interesting the effects time has on a person.  In one sense, thirteen years seems like such a long time, but in another, it doesn't.  We had watched our videos from 13 years ago just weeks before we embarked on this adventure and were reminded of how we all looked at that time.  When we walked through the door and met Aunt Ann and Uncle Ernie, we were all the same people, but we were different.  It became clear that the intervening years had slowed them down and made certain physical activities more difficult for them.  Watching them as we gathered around the dining room table to talk, I was reminded of something President Gordon B. Hinckley said after being sustained as the 15th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: "Sister Hinckley and I are learning that the so-called golden years are laced with lead" (Ensign, May 1995, 70).

We had a nice initial visit with the two of them, talking about our adventures and catching up with family news.  Aunt Ann then told us that she wanted to take us out for lunch.  Uncle Ernie decided not to come with us.  She took us to a place called Prime.  The food was very good and we also got to meet one of Jennifer's second cousins, Derek.  He was probably five or six the last time we visited.  During lunch, he told Ben and Isaac that he wanted to take them fishing later on and they liked the idea.  A driving tour was planned after lunch.  Aunt Ann would direct us to the two houses Jennifer lived in when she was a resident of Ringwood (she was five when her parents came to California).

Afterward, she also took us to the three beaches of Erskine Lake (Little, Main and Upper--I think they're called).  At each of these stops, Jen and the boys would get out of the car to take pictures and look around while I stayed with Aunt Ann and we talked.  It was fun to hear her stories about when she was a teenager and would come to Ringwood for the summer.  It was nice getting to know her better and I think the feeling the mutual.  We left the lake and saw a few other places around town before returning to her house.

Not long afterward, a light rain began to fall, but this did not deter the three intrepid fishermen!  Derek came up from his bedroom with a fishing pole and tackle box and hot dogs for bait and he, Ben and Isaac left to walk the quarter mile back to the Little Beach area to catch fish: mostly Sunfish, also called Sunnies.  Both boys caught several and released them back into the water.  When the mighty anglers were finished, we stayed a little while longer and then returned to the hotel with plans to come back on Thursday.

The first place Jennifer wanted to visit on Thursday morning was Ringwood Manor.  I don't want to turn this into a history of the Manor (if your interested, click here), but apparently Robert Erskine, whom the lake is named after, was a map maker for George Washington and managed several iron making plantations that helped the cause of the Patriots during the Revolutionary War.  Over the years, the manor has been designated a historical landmark and people can take tours through the mansion.  Also, the grounds have many hiking and mountain bike trails that can be used by the public.  One of the best pictures of Ben from our original trip was taken on these grounds.  I remembered I had a copy of it at work and scanned it to post here.  We walked around the grounds and took some pictures.  Ben and Isaac tried unsuccessfully to chase some geese.

After about thirty minutes we drove over to the home of Marilyn and Elaine Wighardt for a visit.  Jennifer's mom and Marilyn have been friends at least since they were in grade school (at least, I'm pretty sure that's what I heard).  Jennifer thought it would be nice if we paid them a visit while we were in the area and they were very excited to see us.  We were posed for pictures in a couple of places outside and then we sat at the dining room table and talked and ate some light pastries.  About fifteen later, Marilyn and Elaine's sister Kathy arrived.  There were times when three different conversations were going on at once (someone talking to Jen, someone talking to me, someone talking to Ben and Isaac).  It was like one of those plays where several characters are talking at the same time, but if you listen close enough you can follow the thread of each conversation.  After an hour or so, it was time to return to Aunt Ann and Uncle Ernie's house.  We said our good-byes and drove the short distance to their home.

 

Most of Jennifer's cousins were scheduled to come to the house at around 5 o'clock.  Because of prior commitments, Kevin (who is closest in age to Jennifer) and his wife Dayle and their three children came to the house at around noon and stayed for an hour or so.  We talked about our trip and Jennifer mentioned the "mystery places" I had added to the journey.  When Kevin learned we would be heading to Palmyra he asked if we would be going to Niagara Falls.  While Jen said she didn't think that was part of the plan, I leaned back in my seat so she couldn't see me, looked at Kevin, put my finger to my lips and gave a slight nod.  This was, in fact, my final "mystery place" of the trip.  He caught my intent because he dropped the subject and moved on to other topics.

During this time, Derek took Ben and Isaac back to Little Beach to do some more fishing.  This time, the plan was to take a boat onto the lake and try their luck on the water.  A little while after Kevin and his family left, I decided to walk down to the lake and see how the mighty fishermen were doing.  When I arrived at the lake shore, the three fishermen were still in the boat.  Not long afterward, however, Derek rowed them to shore.  While Ben helped Derek with the boat, Isaac told me they hadn't been able to catch anything.  They had better luck on the shore, however, and were able to catch and release five Sunnies each before returning to the house.  These are pictures of their first catches.

The remainder of the afternoon was taken up by the arrival of the other cousins: Glenn, Steve, Karen (with her husband Rich and daughter Alyssa), and Lynn (Derek's mom).  A little later, Derek's older brother Kyle arrived with his girlfriend and very frisky dog.  We ate pizza and talked.  I had a very nice time and I know Jennifer was very happy to see everyone who was able to make it.  After a few hours, we took pictures and the party broke up.  Finally, it was time for us to go back to the hotel.  We said our good-byes to Aunt Ann and Uncle Ernie, made sure we were leaving with everything we came with, and left Ringwood.  It was sad to have to go, but I am glad we were able to spend some time with Jennifer's New Jersey family.  As the day came to a close and we got into bed, the first week of our journey ended.  Now came the return trip home by way of Church history sites.