New York & Vermont

This past week I was able to go with the Jenny Phillips Choir to some great and sacred places. We were able to sing in probably every single church history site including the Sacred Grove where Joseph was visited by our Heavenly Father and His Son. It was really amazing to see these historic places, but it was more amazing to feel of the incredible Spirit that resides in places where prophets have walked.

We first had a fireside in Vermont at the birth place of Joseph Smith. We were a little (a lot) tired because of our red-eye flight from Salt Lake, but we were able to see the monument there and hear the story of how it took them months to get that monument in that exact place. Off to the side of the monument stood what was left of Joseph Smith's home where he grew up and he experienced that story that most of us are familiar with about his leg surgery.

We visited the E.B. Grandin building where the first Book of Mormon was published and printed. 5,000 copies were made in a little over 6 months

which was an amazing feat considering the incredible labor and time that went in to having such a large book printed and leather bound.

We visited the sight where Alvin Smith, Joseph Smith's brother, was buried.

We were able to go to the Palmyra Temple, which stands minutes away from the Sacred Grove.

Pres. Hinckley requested a window that over looks the Sacred Grove within the Palmyra Temple. This is it and they said that when Sister Hinckley saw the window inside the temple she sat down next to it and looked out over the Sacred Grove and said to Pres. Hinckley "Well, who needs to go any further, I could sit here all day!"

Afterward, guess who we ran into and sang for... that's right DONNY OSMOND! I really wasn't that excited, but everyone was pretty funny about it:)

We got to see the Hill Cumorah Pageant. Unbelievable. For my first pageant ever, I think it was pretty awesome.

Sunday, after church, we visited the Sacred Grove. We walked in and decided to sing Joseph Smith's First Prayer. The Spirit was thick and I was humbled to be in such a sacred place, a place where a prayer was answered and the Restoration of the truthfulness of the gospel began.

I love these people.

Needless to say, it was an amazing trip and I hope to go there again soon! It made me miss my mission to some degree. Life was so simple on the mission. You had one goal, bring people unto Christ. Now, with work and life shifting things up, it is hard to focus on that one goal, but this trip reminded me that life is still as simple as it was on the mission. If we still focus on coming unto Christ in humility, work and all that other stuff harmonize with that primary goal and thus life gets a little simpler, not easier, but simpler.

Take what you want from this post, but anyone up for a trip to Palmyra? Let's go!