Waterloo, NY and Palmyra, NY

During the Labor day weekend, before we visited Niagara Falls, we stopped by Palmyra, NY to see some Church history sites. I have been before, Trent has not, but it has been over 10 years since I visited, that it felt almost all new. We attended Church in Rochester (where we stayed because it was more neutral to both Palmyra and Niagara) and then headed over to Waterloo, NY to see Peter Whitmer's home.

I didn't know there was a Church building here as well. Thought it was just an old restored home and visitors center. In the picture below, you walk in the doors to the left of the main section of the building and enter a hallway. Once inside, if you turn to the doors to your right (the section with the steeple on top) it's the actual Chapel (2nd picture below) where they hold meetings every Sunday. If you turn to your left, you go through the doors into the Visitors Center. After checking out the pictures and sculptures of what occurred in that area, you walk back outside and down the path to a small old home. The place where Christ's restored Church was officially organized with six people in attendance. The members of the Rochester ward said that most people who visit Palmyra don't usually get down here because it's about an extra 45 minute drive from Palmyra. If you want to google map it: 1451 Aunkst Road, Waterloo, NY 13165
http://www.lds.org/locations/peter-whitmer-log-home?lang=eng#d

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, " Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and a handful of others gathered together to organize The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. By all accounts it was a simple but spiritual meeting. Joseph records that following the sacrament, “the Holy Ghost was poured out upon us to a very great degree—some prophesied, whilst we all praised the Lord, and rejoiced exceedingly.”¹

The events of this day went unnoticed by the world; they were not accompanied by headlines or heralds. Nevertheless, how the heavens must have rejoiced and glorified God—for on that day, the Church of Jesus Christ returned to earth!"  (http://www.lds.org/liahona/2010/04/a-great-work-of-god?lang=eng)

Joseph Smith knew that the small handful of six would not remain that way. He prophesied, “The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done” (History of the Church, 4:540).

I liked this place, and was so mad that we didn't attend Church here. How cool would it have been to go to Church in the same area as where the original six organized it.


Inside the Visitors Center, we had a few kids who were smilin' pretty for the camera.

Joseph Smith's Dad

Trent might have been the most stylin' chap at the Rochester ward...he forgot his Church shoes so he was sporting his Nike Free's.

Niagara Falls is on that river between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, you can see Palmyra on the map and the Peter Whitmer home is near the Fayette mark. We spanned a good portion of New York over the course of two days.

Rough looking dudes. But did important work. And saw some really cool stuff.

Once outside, this is the path that takes you to the Peter Whitmer home where a very small group prayed, sang and raised their hand to sustain the first Prophet of this last time period.

It was such a beautiful day. A little warm, but in the shade couldn't have been more perfect.

Only Joseph Smith really knew what was about to happen on that 6th day of April in 1830. From 6 members to 14,441,346 by 2012.

Upstairs. Small home. Only 2 bedrooms upstairs and 1 downstairs. The missionary giving us the tour said that Peter's wife was having a particular difficult day...besides running her own home and eight children, she had help provide for the Prophet, his wife and Oliver Cowdery while they were translating the gold plates. She was out milking the cow early one morning and was very discouraged that day. She saw a stranger with a knapsack and was afraid at first, but he spoke in a friendly tone and told her that the work she was doing inside her home was immensely important. Then he opened his sack and showed her the gold plates and turned over the leaves and showed her the engravings. After that, she did not murmur and felt able to do her work without so much burden. Pretty neat.

3 times a day, feed 13 people.

After the tour, we loaded the car and drove to Palmyra to see the building where the Book of Mormon was published. Grandin building. Kids really liked this place. 3rd floor was the press, 2nd floor the bindery and ground floor the bookstore. And had a bunch of hands on stuff for the kids.

3rd floor press

Missionary said that the Uppercase letters were on top and the Lowercase letters were on bottom...and that's how they got their names. Tall letters in the upper cases; small letters in the lower cases...makes sense. Before uppercase they were called majuscule. Lowercase letters were called minuscule. So glad it changed.

Such labor intensive work compared to how books are made now.

Once the book pages were dried, they put them on the pulley thing here and sent them to the 2nd floor to be bound.

The missionary gave us a sheet to fold just like they did in the bindery floor.

After you fold it, they pressed it down.

Stitch the pages together.

They you grabbed your brush to slab the glue on the binding.

Here they would slice all the pages to be even....cause not all foldings are equal. Put the book inbetween this press and slide the blade across.

Stamp the title in gold foil.

Put the leather cover on and use those giant scissors to cut the excess. (Scissors were tied shut).

First edition.

Couple scenes from the Book of Mormon

Order your copy here.