Smithsonians: Rolling Down the Hill

We left abut 6:00 this morning from Joseph Smith's birthplace in Vermont. I'm usually the morning driver, but I was too nervous to drive out of this place. Lots of winding roads. Mike said it was the prettiest drive of the trip, and his favorite part to drive. We missed it because the kids were asleep and I was working on catching up on the blog, with a little bit of sleep in-between.

Preston & Maysen checking out our map

Our first stop today was the spot of Squire Tarble's home in Bambridge, which is now called Afton. This is where Joseph and Emma Smith were married. It is now a fairgrounds, but there is a sign there. It's quite funny. It says this sign was placed by the New York Education Department. It also said Joseph married EMILY Hale. Whoops. It also says they were married 'in this house'. The house is no longer there, but it was there back in 1927 when the sign was put up.

Next we headed to Josiah Stowell's house. Joseph Smith was working for Josiah Stowell when he met Emma. Josiah Stowell was a great friend to the prophet. His house isn't owned by the church, but it has been bought and restored by members of the church. The owners just started having docents live there. Older couples that will stay there for about three weeks. They take people on tours through this house and Joseph Knight Sr.'s home.

Maysen, Preston, Stockton, Jorja

A mallet that was found in the rafters

View from the back porch

The kids favorite part of this stop was the frogs they were able to catch. We did a catch and release with these frogs. The kids loved it.

Preston

Jorja

Maysen

Maysen & Jorja

Stockton

Stockton & Jorja

Jorja

After awhile I noticed that Mike and my dad were clear down the road. They had walked down to see where the early Saints would dam up the road so they could do baptisms.

Well in front of the house

Jorja still thrilled about the frogs

Preston

Our plan was to go to Harmony next. The church is working on a visitor center there that is going to be awesome. They are also making pathways, kind of like the Sacred Grove so we will be able to walk through the grove of trees where John the Baptist gave Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery the Aaronic Priesthood before they went and were baptized in the Susquehanna River. We knew the visitor's center wasn't open, but we were hoping we could at least walk down to the Susquehanna River. The people at the Stowell house said that they were there a few days ago and we wouldn't be able to go and see anything. They said there are construction signs all over that say, "Construction Zone. Keep out! Including members." Haha! Guess we won't be able to go and do that. Too bad. So, we skipped Harmony and headed to the Peter Whitmer Sr farm in Fayette. Joseph Smith finished translating the Book of Mormon here, in the upper room on a desk like this.

The church was organized in this room. The first sacrament passed in this dispensation.

Stephanie, Preston, Mike, Maysen, Stockton, Jorja

And my dad

Outside of Peter Whitmer Sr's house

We then headed to Manchester to Joseph Smith's farm. We decided to come back tomorrow before the visitor center is open to walk through the Sacred Grove in the morning. There weren't too many people tonight, so we were tempted to do it now but decided to keep with our original plan. We toured the log house where the angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith. When I came here with my family 26 years ago this house wasn't here. We could see the foundation, but that was it. I like it better the way it is now. Much easier to visualize and a lot cooler.

Jorja, Mike, Dad

Preston

Preston, Jorja, Stockton, Mike, Maysen, Stephanie

Maysen & Dad

Jorja

Here is the back of Joseph Smith's log house. He would have gone out doors like this on his way to the Sacred Grove.

Jorja, Mike, Preston, Stockton, Maysen, Stephanie

Mike, Dad, Stockton, Jorja

walking to Joseph Smith's frame house

You can see the tip of the Palmyra Temple on the way

Joseph Smith was living at the frame house when he actually received the plates and brought them home. Here is a replica of a box that he hid the plates in. It was Alvin's school box and then Hyrum used it for a tool box.

Preston is sitting on the stones where the plates were hidden underneath. He thought that was pretty cool. When we told him what was hidden under there he said, "I know. That's why I'm sitting here."

Look! A cabin bench is next to the fireplace!

Preston, Stockton, Jorja

My dad said that he was told that back in this time period, windows were taxed. That is why one window goes between two different rooms.

He was also told mirrors were taxed, unless there was a painting in them.

This tree was probably planted after Alvin died. Not sure if that is true, but I'll pretend it is.

Joseph Smith's frame house

Joseph Smith also hid the plates in the cooper barn. He had them in a box with a lock that he had made just to hold the plate. They were hidden under the floorboards. He started feeling uneasy about their safety, so he took the plates out of the box and hid the empty box under the floorboards. He hid the plates up in the rafters. That night people broke into the cooper shop and ransacked it. They found the empty box and smashed it open. They never found the plates that were right above their heads. It is strange how Joseph Smith was persecuted for talking about things he was experiencing. If people were after the gold plates, does that mean they believed him? If they believed him, how could they try to destroy something so sacred? Weird.

Cooper Shop