THANK'S TODD AND ALLYSON FOR VISITING US

Another new film was shown in the temple this week.  Will we ever move beyond movies and live acting?  I love the way The Lord teaches through parables, and yes, I know I am a slow learner.

This song was written by Marie Manwaring Anderson of Shelley, Idaho in 1948.  I first heard it sung when I was about 12 years old.  I got to go to the temple to do baptisms after hearing this song around 1958.  I can't put into words the love I had for this song and its teachings.  I have been so blessed in my life because of Sister Anderson and this beautiful song she wrote.  I remember a copy of this exact sheet music that was kept in the bench of my mothers organ.  Some things take a lifetime to appreciate the significance of events.  I was not blessed to have musical talent in this life.   My life has been blessed because of, this talent Sister Anderson produced, "The Temple By The River".   

Today, Thursday July 17, 2014 I was blessed to be with our second son, Todd, and his family as we walked the temple grounds of the Palmyra Temple.  This is a picture of Todd, Allyson, Tanner and Elizabeth.

 Our little actress Elizabeth is a delight to be around.

ta da!

We went to Lake Ontario this afternoon and played in the water.

Our group at the Moroni Monument on the Hill Cumorah.

 Alvin Smith grave

 The climbing tree by Alvin's grave.

 Oh to be young and agile.

Allyson & I took Elizabeth to the Hill Cumorah Pagent again because Elizabeth was so excited at the production she witnessed last evening.  She begged to go again tonight.  Elizabeth wants to see the trumpets again!  I admire her enthusiasm to watch these live action scenes.

We went to Canada to Niagara Falls...to the Canadian side.

This is Tanner & Elizabeth on the Canadian side of the Falls!

 We rode on the Hornblower Cruise ship and got very, very close to the falls and got very, very wet!

The final evening for us to watch the play!  We almost lost the binoculars, Tanner fell asleep before it was over & Elizabeth is begging to see it again on Saturday night, the last production for the year!  The Hill Cumorah was a success in this family vacation!

We drove to the Peter Whitmer farm.  The Scouts were selling hot dogs and chips and drinks and cookies outside so we all had a little snack at 10:30 AM!  I took this great picture of Grandpa Art with the Artwork of the Savior by Christopher Young.

This is Miriam Works Young's headstone.  She was the first wife of Brigham Young.  She was born June 7, 1806 and died Sept. 8, 1832 in Mendon New York.  She and Brigham had two little girls when she died and left him a widower.

Todd read about chairs made by Brigham Young at Valentown Museum.  There were pots made by Heber C. Kimball also.  The museum had a sign that it is only open on Sunday, but there was a event going on today next to the building so it was open for us to tour.  We were excited to see the tools etc. that once belonged to the prophet Brigham Young.

We all rode in our car for all these events and Todd and family sat together lovingly in the back seat.  We sure enjoyed all our site visits with Todd reading us about each place as we located it.
 

Heber C. Kimball's home in Mendon, New York.  Our Todd is a sleuth...he found tons of homes from the former church members.  He found graves in the Palmyra Cemetery that we did not know were there (Winston Churchill's great-grandparents Ambrose and Clarissa Wilcox Hall, Egbert B. Grandin (publisher of Book of Mormon), Pomeroy Tucker (shop foreman), George Beckwith (Presbyterian pastor of Lucy, Hyrum and Samuel who directed them to be silent about the Book of Mormon), Deacon Henry Jessup (who tried to convince them to renounce the Book of Mormon and come back to Church), John Hurlburd Gilbert (typesetter of the first edition), Pliny Titus Sexton (who owned printer's proof sheets, the Smith press and the northern end of the Hill Cumorah, and Exchange Row including E.B. Grandin Bookstore and Printing Shop), Thomas Lakey who purchased 151 acres from Martin Harris for $3,000 that paid for the 5,000 Book of Mormons), Jesse Townsend (a Reverend thought to have preached a sermon that led Joseph to read James 1:5), Lucy Harris (wife of Martin Harris and 11 of her relatives).  His children love to go in the cemetery's and hunt for graves with him.  They were very successful on their excursions here.  So fun to be with them on a historical adventure...they were so prepared to teach us.

The eight witnesses with Joseph, pointed to by my three witnesses!

 Oh!  Grandma is teaching my poke pet where the footpath is.

The Moroni Monument at the top of the Hill Cumorah.

We, Tanner & Elizabeth love the good stories in the Book of Mormon.  Elizabeth is worried that the good characters in the play will slip and fall tonight because it rained all day...maybe the bad characters will fall instead...oooo.

This is the corner of the Clark Chase farm where Joseph Smith found The Seer stone...As I looked through the trees I can see the auto shop by The Palmyra Inn...the chase is on...run run!

We also found Calvin Stoddard's grave (Sophronia's husband) in Carpenter Cemetery.  Nathan Harris home, he saw the 116 pages (was one of the 5 the Lord told Martin he could show it too).  Lucy Harris home where she moved after Martin left to go to Kirtland.  Lemuel Durfee Sr. Home, he is the man that rented Joseph Smith Sr. the frame house back to them when the landlord died and the new land agent sold it to Russell Stoddard (saw his home too, he was also hired as carpenter to finish the frame house when Alvin died) who tried to move the Smiths off the property.  The site of the Rockwell home (Porter's childhood home), as well as the William Stafford home (the road the Smith farm and Sacred Grove are on are named after him, and his children attended school with the Smith children). Dr. Alexander Mcintyre home, he is the dr. that was out of town when Alvin got sick. Two days later he showed up and tried to help Alvin get some relief from the overdose of calomel that eventually killed him.  Dr. Mcintyre refused to help/lead the band of men who tried to steal the gold plates.  He also warned Joseph of a mob that was coming to harm him.  We saw the Hathaway Brook that is the site of the early baptisms.  We saw the Stafford Schoolhouse where Oliver Cowdery taught (both the original site that has the school district markings on the building and the original building that was moved down the street). Finally it is 9:00 PM on Saturday and the Hill Cumorah play will begin in 15 minutes and the rain is being held at bay as the final play goes on.  Hurrah for Israel!

Thank's Todd and Allyson for the visit and safe travels back to Texas.  We are blessed grandparents to have 5 grandchildren to share in visiting this site while we have been here.