My Palmyra Temple sisters

There’s Marye Burris and Mary Barris, Sis. Wildey and Sis. Smiley,

Sisters Fife and Fink, Patterson, Peterson, and Pitts,

Sisters Clay, Cooper and Fitch.

Sisters from Horseheads and Freedom, Batavia and Endicott,

Hours on the road to get to Palmyra, they sacrifice a lot!

These are the sisters in my sphere, So blessed to know them, I’m so grateful to be here! 

We enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with all the senior missionary couples in the basement of the Hill Cumorah Visitors Center!

A Frenzy of Fall Colors

  Upstate New York is so beautiful! I’m amazed that I didn’t know this from what I heard about it from Wade and my few brief trips here. I’ve been surprised at the great amount of rainfall here, which of course helps maintain the growth of large trees that line the streets and large yards with green trees and grass. The old homes that have been kept, preserved and beautified are some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.  There are villages and towns, not just cities. We live in the “village” of Palmyra. 

Autumn has always been our favorite season. We were married in October and football season is in autumn. We have traditionally taken drives up the canyons of Salt Lake to see the beautiful leaves on all the trees. This year, while not the perfect fall temperatures here in Palmyra, we’ve been blessed to see a frenzy of fall colors of leaves on the trees. It all happened about ten days ago, and is slowly muting as the days go by. So on our off hours from the temple, we drive along the country roads and stop and take pictures as we see some amazing beauty. I’m sure we’ve collectively taken at least 1,000 photos the last few weeks. The  Palmyra Temple, Sacred Grove and Hill Cumorah are accented with the colors of the leaves. It’s all more than enough to “please the eye and gladden the heart”. Makes us love this season more and all of God’s glorious creations.

Just outside the temple doors 

Paths of leaves in the Sacred Grove

View from the temple to the Sacred Grove

  

From a Forest to a Stage to a Forest Again

We have hiked the Hill Cumorah several times since we’ve been here. There is always a special feeling here. Usually we have been alone on the Hill and wander the many trails that wind across and through the trees. The Hill Cumorah was a special place for Wade while he was here as a young missionary. He stayed in what they called the “wind tunnel” (a long tent-like structure) adjacent to the Hill with several other missionaries when he first arrived before he was assigned to his first area. Then during Pageant time, he was at the Hill continuously for two weeks, rehearsing for the Pageant, holding study groups with the elders and sisters, and then proselyting in the great crowds of people who would come to view the Pageant.  He gets quiet and thoughtful when we come here, probably remembering all that happened.  But, then I think we both remember that some very special events occurred here. I think about Joseph coming on that dark night, by himself, at an angel’s command. And then returning four more times each year to receive instruction, and finally to receive the sacred plates. It is a miracle to me. I am in awe and gratitude for all that happened. The Hill is under a reforestation project now with new trees, fields of wildflowers and regrowth  where stages used to fill with Book of Mormon re-enactments. It is a blessing to be here. We will always remember this special time and these special places. 

The actual Hill looks different than it did even 50 years ago. In the early 1800s, it was a forest. Later that century and into the 1900s, many trees were cleared for farmland. And almost every summer from 1937 to 2019, workers built a stage here. As many as 750 performers filled the stage to present a theatrical production that came to be known as the Hill Cumorah Pageant. They united in faith and devotion to share the broad sweep of Book of Mormon history through music, dancing, and the spoken word. Now this area is being reforested with native tree seeds. The young trees might look a bit messy, but over time this part of the hill will become a mature forest again, much like it was in the early 1800s.

Fields of wildflowers where rows and rows of chairs were set up for spectators at the Pageant.

This part of the Hill was where the stages of the Pageant were set. 

The incomparable statue of the Angel Moroni at the summit of the Hill.

Cool Story

Old Stafford Road going between Smith frame home and Sacred Grove

For some years prior to 1996, the Church had made attempts to buy the land just north and west of the Joseph Smith home without success. This was the last remaining piece of the 100-acre Smith Homestead. Owning that property would enable the Church to have Stafford Road moved from in front of the home to behind it. This had become a major safety issue, because tourists walking to and from the Sacred Grove to the frame home had to cross that major road with traffic whizzing by at 60 miles per hour. That property belonged to Ted Bellefontaine, who was not interested in selling. 

 In 1995 Elder Charles Canfield was called as the Site Director. One of his hobbies was hunting and fishing. One of the site couples encouraged him to get acquainted with Ted Bellefontaine, who was known to hunt and fish, since Elder Canfield wanted to meet someone who knew the area and who might want a hunting and fishing companion. So introductions were made. Ted soon complained that the only reason Elder Canfield wanted to meet was to get him to sell his property. Elder Canfield told him he was not after Ted's property, but just wanted to do some hunting and fishing with him. Then shortly after, Elder Canfield was impressed to ask Ted under what conditions he would be willing to sell. Along with naming a price, Ted asked if the Church would be willing to build him a home on some other land he owned up in Nova Scotia. 

After some back and forth negotiations with the Church through Elder Canfield, it was agreed that Ted would sell his property for the price he asked, along with the Church building him a home on some property in the Palmyra area. Ted would live in this home rent- free for the duration of his life and upon his death, the home would revert to the Church. So, the home was built to Ted's specifications right up on the hill exactly where the Palmyra Temple now sits. Just before the home's completion, Ted went up to his Nova Scotia property to do some snowmobiling and was killed in an accident. 

 That was in 1996. So, the new Facilities Management Manager, Ruel Reeder, and his large family were moved into that home. Then, the Palmyra Temple was announced and in late May of 1999, ground was broken just a little south of where the Temple now sits. It was a wet and very cold day. I observed President Hinckley standing, looking out the kitchen window of that home toward the Sacred Grove, warming up with some hot chocolate in his hands, prior to going out for the ground breaking. I think that may have been the moment it was revealed to him that the Temple needed to be right where the house sat, so that patrons could stand inside the Temple and look out at another holy place, the Sacred Grove. Subsequently, this house had to be moved a little down the road to the east. In 2003, it became the Temple President's Home.

—As told by Sis. Ann Black, former Palmyra Temple matron

The Palmyra Temple

We are one of six senior couples called to be temple missionaries. We worked five shifts this past week. A shift is about 5 hours long. We have great members who travel some distance just to be ordinance workers. They are so dedicated and inspire me not to complain at all about the 20-minute drive to our closest temples in Utah.  We've had patrons from as far away as Colombia and Brazil.  The baptistry is always busy, and the laundry, which is manned by the sister missionaries, plus a few dedicated sister ordinance workers, is constantly in use.  It is amazing to me that two washers and a dryer are strong enough to handle all the wet towels and jumpsuits that are used in a typical baptistry session, let alone in a single day.

The Palmyra Temple is small but beautiful. I love looking out the window that overlooks the Grove. Most everyone who comes to the Temple is taken to this transparent window and told the story about Pres. Hinckley specifically commissioning it, allowing patrons the view overlooking the Sacred Grove. It is the  first ever built into an LDS temple. 

Inside the temple, the stained glass windows help create a feeling of being in the Sacred Grove surrounded by beauty and light, as was the Prophet Joseph Smith. Bro.Tom Holdman, creator of the windows, remember when he sought the Lord’s help and inspiration. He said his mind was flooded with an image of all 108 windows of the temple filled with stained glass trees. In all, 12 employees worked full time on the 17,000-piece project. It includes more than 6,800 tiny hand-cut and hand-notched tree leaves. In four months, they were finished. I never tire of looking at these windows as they fill the temple with light and beauty, something all temples do for us when we attend.

Transparent center window 

Transparent center window looks west to the Sacred Grove.

These stained glass windows in the celestial room feature the tree of life in the center panel. 

 

In the foyer of the temple is also a framed stained-glass mural depicting the First Vision. 

I love the temples of the Church. Each one is beautiful in its own way. I love the feeling I get when I am participating in ordinances there. I feel the priesthood power that blesses us as we make covenants. We are so blessed to be here!

LDS missionaries in a former Methodist parsonage

We were met in the parking lot of the Methodist church on Main Street in Palmyra, one of the churches on the Four Corners, by Jeff Flynn, our landlord, where we were introduced to our apartment/home, a renovation of the parsonage behind the church. Jeff and his wife, Linda, who are LDS members, bought the church where they have renovated part of it into a Bed and Breakfast. The Methodists sold it to him about 18 months ago. They completely renovated the parsonage into two apartments, and ours is the largest and most charming. We feel so lucky and blessed to be here. Someone told the Flynn’s that they should paint it because it looks like the house in the movie “Up”. It’s an old home (built sometime in late 1800s). There is original wood floors and moldings. They have furnished and decorated it so well. I feel happy whenever I come inside. 

"Four Corners" with church on each corner - Former Methodist church is upper left

The parsonage is the building in the upper middle with gray roof directly north of the church

 

  

 

Jeff and Linda Flynn, our landlords

Painted, it could look like the house in “Up”  Us ringing the Methodist Church bell  

We spent Saturday shopping (there’s a Costco in Rochester about 30 min away, and a Walmart even closer) and getting things we needed. It’s kind of frustrating knowing that we left everything that we’ve needed to buy here, but it seems to feel okay because we are so happy to be here. 

I’m getting along in a queen bed, which seems like a sacrifice from our Sleep Number, but it’s new so I’ll be okay. We’re so tired every night, it feels great just to get into bed.

Sunday took us to the Palmyra Ward, a large congregation made larger by the many visitors. So many nice people welcomed us. Many of them are also ordinance workers in the temple, so we will see them each week. The temple and chapel are next to each other on Temple Road. 

My favorite photos so far, both taken by Wade: 

Palmyra Temple as seen from Sacred Grove

We spent two hours in the Sacred Grove where we were by ourselves most of the time. It was heavenly. 

Area in the Sacred Grove

2200 miles and a gazillion photos later…we’re here

We’ve been in Palmyra two weeks today. We left Salt Lake early afternoon on Monday, July 25 and made it to Laramie the first night. Next night we stayed in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Construction work on the freeway is going on in each state, some slowdowns, others stop and go. But Wade let me drive and even complimented me on my good driving, which is something coming from a former drivers ed teacher! The car is packed to the top as you can see behind us.

We veered off and drove to Nauvoo, where it was hot in temperature, but warm in spirit. We took a lot of photos, especially of the temple and that beautiful sculpture of Joseph and Hyrum on horseback leaving for Carthage. 

Nauvoo was a quick two hours. Stayed in Burlington, Iowa that night and then then to Ohio where we stayed outside of Cleveland where we took more photos of a beautiful sunset.

We turned out of the parking lot of our hotel the next morning, Friday, July 29, and we were on the exact road we needed to head to Kirtland, where we took more photos of the temple and the Church’s 

impressive Visitors Center. The three sister missionaries were awesome. They were so well-versed in sharing the history of that period. Obviously, it was a photo opportunity.

Drove from Kirtland to Palmyra, arriving about 5:30 pm which would have been much earlier if we hadn’t had so many construction areas to maneuver through. My first introduction to toll roads too. In Ohio we had to pay when we got off or on; New York is electronic and keeps track of you and your license plate number, so all is done online.  Lots of traffic around Buffalo and lots of Bills fans. 

It seemed like we would never get to Palmyra, as we headed past Rochester and then took that Highway 21 off of I-90 to go north. It started to feel familiar when we passed the Hill Cumorah, then Temple Road and finally saw the famous “Four Corners”, the four different denominational churches on each corner of Main Street and Church Street. We’re here! I feel like pinching myself because I can’t believe it!