13 September 2013 - Wyoming roads

Yesterday was the "Don Quixote Windmill Tour", including extensive fields of the massive, white, modern, bird choppers.  Nebraska is full of them and I know there are a lot in Wyoming as well, which we will see on the way home.  Today was the "Filtered by Fog Drive".  After a brisk morning walk surrounded by corn fields and WalMart, we again headed home in our reliable Yukon.  A short drive on dry roads and the gray clouds began to gather and get lower and lower.  It was not long before raindrops began to fall and in a brief moment, nature had contributed to cleaning the windshield of a coating of bug bits.  The rain continued for a couple of hours, then slowly eased, getting less and less while at the same time the clouds got closer and closer. Fog began to drift over the road and thicken.  For the rest of our journey in Nebraska, we drove in fog, swirling around the trucks and cars, obscuring the path ahead, allowing glimpses of passing countryside and masking the sun.  Speed was an up and down coaster, cruise control off and on, occasional slippery surfaces, but I did not feel at any time that we were in danger.  (And Mom slept through a lot of it).

We rolled over the Wyoming border and it was like a broom swept away the mists.  The clouds were dark and occasional rain showers pelted the car, but driving was easy and soon the moisture stopped.  We decided to drive on until we reached Laramie and stop there for the evening as it seemed too long to continue on to Rawlins.  On the way over the mountains, we stopped at the Lincoln Memorial, once again.  This time we could enjoy the storm we have passed.

This was part of the storm that has so fiercely battered Colorado, exploding in flash floods, swollen rivers destroying homes and crops.  When we arrived in Laramie, we were told they had been having rain since Monday, 5 days without the sun.  As we finished dinner and left the restaurant, one of the patrons pointed west and asked, "What is that bright shiny thing?"  The sun had appeared as it was setting.  The colors were fantastic and rainbows began to glow.  It became a beautiful site, which we posted on InstaGram.


I did enjoy the storm and had hopes that it bountifully gave water to dry and thirsty Utah. I felt that if it did, it might only saturate the soil and not add to the water storage we need.  I also hoped it helped with the devastating wild fires.   I am so sorry for what it has done to Colorado.

Tomorrow is our day to return home.  We will make the final drive to Salt Lake, having traveled over 6000 miles and we have seen so much of the wonders and beauty created by God, the amazing things done by man and marveled at the magnificent country and continent in which we live.  Mom is ready to be home and I think that she has been stressed more than I wished.  On the other hand, I would love to continue the trip and I feel that there is so much to yet see and experience.  I hope that when I am home I will not become a bear because the trip is over. I have had a wonderful time!

12 September 2013 - York, NE

When we took a walk this morning it was so pleasant that the walk was delight.  We were walking through a suburban neighborhood, single story ramblers with large yards and few fences.  We even nearly stepped on a little frog, perched in the middle of the sidewalk.  We looked about and there was the local LDS ward building, right on the road in front of us.  We could have been walking in Salt Lake except for the stretching fields of corn behind the homes.  The temperature was absolutely perfect and comfortable.

We left Ottumwa this morning and headed for the waiting home.  As we drove along, we so much enjoyed the beautiful heartland of this marvelous Country.  The pavement rolled by under us, smooth and seemingly unending, the sky blue and clear with a few puffy clouds and a strong breeze. It was such a relaxing drive and we were discussing the Book of Mormon. I noted a little sign that mentioned a Dutch settlement and we impulsively decided to pull off for a visit.  We drove into Pella, Iowa.  Believe it or not, it is the home of the Pella Window Company.  Had we known, I should have taken my unused window to them so see if they would take it back!  Further on we entered a delightful little town that we had never known existed.  It was settled by Dutch immigrants and they have tried to keep some of the flavor and traditions of Holland.

They have built a working grain windmill, which still makes flour and is used by local baking stores.  We were fortunate to find one and enjoyed some delicious pastries from their warm ovens.  The structures have been designed to look like buildings in the Netherlands.  They have built a replica village and even added one of the log homes originally built by the first settlers. They even constructed a small canal with a drawbridge.





The city is home to an opera house built about 1900 and now on the national historic register.  The stained glass windows are marvelous.

Notice the shutters on the building to the left of the opera house.  The streets are filled with small shops, antique stores and we did not see one big box store.

Mom was taken with the town and we found a place that sold authentic Delft products and  bought a lovely pitcher to bring home.  As you can see, Ronda really got into the spirit of the place, but found it hard to fill some of the immigrants shoes :)






In the town they have a Klockenspel, a building with bells and chimes which plays several times a day and they have windows open with moving figures.  We happened to be there at just the right time and loved the beautiful music.  In fact, one of the early inhabitants was Wyatt Earp and they portray him in one of the windows and the bells play "Home, Home on the Range".  It was so fun.

 We found this place to be a little-known treasure of a find for us.  We have found similar places all over this country, hidden away and found almost by accident. They have been Swedish, German, Polish, Dutch and Danish.  We have loved them.  In fact, after leaving Pella and heading further west, we noted a sign for Elk Horn, NE, founded by Danes, with an authentic Danish Windmill.

We drove through Elk Horn and visited the windmill and the gift shop. We found some neat little objects and once again enjoyed this delightful town.  It was named Elk Horn because when they arrived, they found many scattered antlers, shed and littering the prairie .  It seems that initially they stopped in this location and then decided to move on. However, it was foggy the next day and when they stopped again for the night, having gone in a circle, they found themselves right back to where they started and so decided they had to stay in that place and it became Elk Horn.

This area is lush and fertile and a wonderful place to grow crops and families. 

They also built a replica of a viking home, partially buried to provide insulation and sod on the roof.  It was a nice little place.

We drove on and elected to spend the night in York, NE.  We have a place just off the freeway and when we asked were to eat, it was recommended that we drive a few miles away and try "Chances R".  We did and I believe that we had perhaps one of the best meals of the whole trip, delicious.  We have found these people to be very friendly, warm and welcoming and we felt we could have been having dinner with a bunch of Saints.  It was great!

11 September 2013 - Temple

Tonight we are staying in Ottumwa, IA, a little town on the Des Moines River.  We decided to attend the Nauvoo Temple this morning.  We arrived about an hour before the session and had the opportunity again to sit in the chapel and consider the blessings we have.  This temple is, like all of those the Church builds, beautiful, but has some special features that are so impressive.  On both sides of the western end of the interior are gorgeous spiral staircases, from the basement to the 5th floor.  As you look both up and down the view is an architectural marvel, with repeated curves, a dark rail and white ballisters.  It is so sweet and leads the eyes upward.  Beautiful stained glass windows, with a colorful star in them, circle the top floor of the building.  The star is an "inverted star", five pointed with a point down.  This is an ancient Christian symbol, reproduced in a clean, attractive fashion. 

We attended an endowment session and again were selected as the witness couple.  There were only a few patrons in the session, I think because the tourist season is waning.  In this temple, the new movie is shown, but you also move from room to room. Each chamber is so artfully decorated and provides added input to the spiritual feeling of the session.  We were so deeply touched by this experience and spent some time in the Celestial Room considering what we experienced and how sweet it was.  We have been truly blessed and our understanding was increased by what we did today.

This was an experience that was so very much worth our time and we feel a deep sense of affection for this magnificent temple.  It is easy to see how the early Saints felt so deeply about what they built, its location and beauty, especially for what the Temple gave to the Saints before they left.

With full and thankful hearts we decided to complete our visit to Old Nauvoo by driving to Carthage and visit the jail.  On the road along the Mississippi, we again were impressed by the size of this spectacular waterway and how much it influences this part of the nation.  Huge barges move  up and down the river and it produces power, food and commerce. It is a marvel to behold.

We left the river to drive east to the city of Carthage.  We took the tour again and were reminded of the events that occurred here so long ago.  Recall that the Prophet and Hyrum were martyred here, John Taylor wounded, yet Willard Richards was surrounded by a hail of bullets and none harmed him, not even a hole in his coat. He only suffered a slight nick on the earlobe.  As we sat in the room where the murder took place, the original door, window frames and much of the original window glass still remain.  In the door is the large, 50 caliber bullet hole, punched through the door, that struck Hyrum, taking his life.

You can see the hole still evident in the door.  After Hyrum fell and John Taylor was struck four times, the Prophet went to the window, was struck twice in the leg and then twice in the chest, falling out of the window to the ground below, landing against the well support.  He was dead before he hit the ground.  As the cowardly mob gathered round, a voice shouted, "The Mormons are coming!", and the evil villains ran in fear.  My testimony of the calling of the Prophet, his greatness and all that he did for the Restoration and for the blessing of the Children of God, was strengthened and my spirit refreshed.  This has been a spiritual, touching day.  Now we will just do the drive home.

10 September 2013 - Nauvoo, IL

I had a great time preparing this blog.  I did it last evening 3 times and my internet connection kept crashing.  I tried to save it but failed, so I will try to repeat yesterday's blog.

We drove through much of mid-Illinois and reveled again in the beauty of the fields and farms, the deep green of the soy beans and acre after acre of corn waiving in the wind.  The weather has become hot and humid.  When we stopped for gas and exited the Yukon, it was like stepping into an oven.  The car AC was very welcome and I shudder to think of driving that long distance with open windows as the only cooling.  We crossed the Mississippi into Iowa near Burlington and traveled south to Fort Madison, crossing back into Illinois and on to the lovely location of Nauvoo.  We arrived early enough to have a good visit. 

Our first stop was to locate Linda Peterson, serving a mission in this historic town.  We found her in the Family Research Center and surprised her with our visit.  She really had not been expecting us and when I sat down next to her, she at first thought it was one of the newly arrived missionaries.  Then a smile broke out on her face and we were recognized.

She was very busy with her assignment and has been loving this experience.   She has now been serving for 6 months and has another year to be there, including the prospect of a very bitter winter on the river.  I think she will do very well and has been uplifted and blessed by this calling.

We made arrangements to meet her again after she completed her assigned shift and together we toured the peaceful and beautiful statue garden at the visitor center.  These statues portray the love and impact of women on families and society.  It has been lovely in the past and is the same today.  The weather has been very dry for some recent weeks, but the Church still keeps it beautiful and green and the bees were buzzing about and the cicadas singing.  We visited Linda's home and met her companion, Sister Brockbank.  We had a great visit and we felt of her spiritual comittment and love for the work.

We have been in Nauvoo before and love the location but decided to spend our time at places that were special to us.  Of course, the first place was the Heber C. Kimball home.  The sisters serving there were delighted to meet a great, great, great grandson of Heber.  Mom made sure that they were able to compare his picture with his descendent, complete with stance and hair.

We also visited the pasture where they keep the magnificent horses used for the historic rides and demonstrations.  These wonderful animals are so well trained, that they will come when just called and they come in trained pairs.  I thought of Lizzie when we saw them and loved to appreciate the beauty that God has created with his unending variety of creatures.

We enjoyed a lunch at the Nauvoo Mercantile store and then took the time to walk around the Nauvoo Temple, a structure that is built to look almost like the original.  As you may recall, after the Saints were forced to leave this city on the river bend, a fire burned the Temple and then  a tornado toppled the walls.  I am convinced that the Lord did not want to leave standing, to be desecrated, an edifice with such a spiritual impact.  When Catherine was serving here, it was only an open, grassy area, sunken in the center, as a remnant of the basement and foundation.  Now it is a place of spiritual peace and beauty, a building that evokes memories and calls to mind the depth of the endowment ceremony and the eternal results of covenants and promises.

Outside of the temple and facing it, are statues of both the Prophet and his brother, Hyrum, astride horses and preparing to ride to Carthage, the last ride they would take.  As they left, they looked back on the city created by the Saints through such hard work and loving effort, and I am sure that tears moistened their eyes as they bid farewell.

We also went to the end of Parley Street, the point of departure for so many of the Saints, in the dead of winter, facing a cold and frozen future in a wilderness.  At one point, the Lord caused the wide river to freeze solid so many could cross, but for many others, it was a dangerous crossing and an uncertain fate.  It is so hard for me to comprehend how much those dedicated members sacrificed for the Kingdom of God, literally giving all they had, in many cases their lives, for the testimony of the Restoration.

To cap the evening, we attended the Nauvoo Rendezvous performance at the old Cultural Hall.  Unfortunately, this evening's cast did not include Linda, but we loved the show.  It was lots of fun, even though it was performed by unprofessional actors.  Especially touching were the portrayals of the impact of the Book of Mormon on so many lives.   It was a full and rewarding day.

9 September 2013 - Freeway, IL, IN, OH

We have now begun the return home in earnest.  A short walk, breakfast and then we hit the road, headed west.  A block from our hotel, we drove down the on-ramp and accelerated onto the freeway.  For the rest of the day it was dodging slow trucks, setting the cruise control, watching out for minions of the law and pointing the Yukon the direction we wanted.

The day started out overcast, gray and cool, but it did not stay that way.  After a few miles, rain began to spatter the windshield and watered us in fits and starts through the rest of Ohio and into Illinois. For Ronda, it was rather boring and she elected to lean back and nap a good part of the way.  For me, I loved the open road, the passing scenery of fertile, well-kept fields of corn and soy beans, lovely farms, large and small and even a blimp floating on the horizon.  About halfway through the drive, the blue sky appeared and the temperature began to rise.  The air was clear and you could see for miles, until we approached the south end of Chicago.  Then the view shortened from either smog or substantial moisture in the air.  Each time we stopped and got out of the car, the day was hotter and hotter. Tonight we are staying in Ottawa, IL, in a place just off the freeway with a view of fields and farms.

The corn is ripening and nearly ready for harvest. Already the roadside stands advertise fresh sweet corn for sale and I have seen a large truck, filled to the brim with ears of corn.  Soybean plants are starting to yellow in the sun and will also soon be ready to be gathered by the machines to make oil, edemami and other products.  Last night for supper, I had a salad with fresh soy beans in it and loved them.



Our plan tomorrow is to proceed west and south to Nauvoo.  It will be the last major Church site stop for this trip and then it will be to just make it home.  I think Mom has had enough driving for this trip and is ready to park for a while. I, on the other hand, am stopping because I have to be at work again in a week.  I could easily keep going and I am loving the journey.  I am sure we will see more corn tomorrow.  It is lovely at this time of year and I find traveling through the vast stretches of this rich and varied country a treat and a reaffirmation of my love for this land, our freedoms and a loving God.

8 September 2013 - Kirtland, OH

Today has been a full day, but a blessing for us and a special treat during our journey.  This morning we attended the Kirtland Ward for all three hours and during Sacrament Meeting, a young couple, who recently moved into the Ward, spoke. They talked about keeping commandments and covenants and were both eloquent and uplifting.  The husband, Bro. Thornock, is a convert to the Church and until 3 years ago, was an officer in the Marines.  He told of attending his last Sacrament Meeting before he deployed to Iraq and it happened that Elder Bednar attended the meeting.  Afterward, when he shook hands with the Apostle, he was asked if he had been endowed.  When he responded in the affirmative, Elder Bednar told him that to be safe, he was "to keep his covenants".  He told of miraculous events that allowed him to return to his family without injury.  Then he was deployed again, this time to Afghanistan.  Once more before he left, when he went to Sacrament Meeting, an Apostle was present, Elder Ballard, who gave him the identical counsel.  During one mission, a bomb went off right by his vehicle. His driver was killed outright, his gunner lost a limb and Br. Thornock was shaken, but able to return to duty in 2 days without problems.  He bore testimony to the fact that as we do our best to be obedient and keep the covenants we make, the Lord has promised us His blessings. I felt the truth of what he said and it confirmed my comittment to the Gospel of Christ.

After the inspirational meetings, we traveled to the Kirtland Visitor Center for a tour of historical sites in Kirtland.  Two sister missionaries led us about and explained things to us. It was neat that one of the missionaries, Sis. Nesland, is from our stake and she was on Trek with me.  They took us to the restored Whitney Store, the "ashery" and the Whitney home.  In spite of all we know about the history of the Church, we gained further knowledge and appreciation for events.

The Newell K. Whitney store was still standing when the Church began restoration. The original floors and walls are still extant.  It has been restored as closely as possible to what it was like in 1831, when Joseph and Emma arrived by sleigh from Harmony, PA.  They lived upstairs for a few months during which time the Church began to grow and revelations were received to further the work. Later they moved to the upstairs rooms of the Whitney home, across the street from the store.  Here was held the School of the Prophets, Section 89 regarding the Word of Wisdom and other important doctrinal instructions were received.  It was also here that are recorded appearances of the Father and the Son to Joseph and others.

This sisters were wonderful and eager to explain the events and their meaning.  They had a sweet feeling about them and indicated how much they love the work and how it has been such a blessing in their lives to be able to serve.  As we spent a few moments in rooms and buildings, hallowed by the events that transpired in them, we felt a reaffirmation of our testimonies of the Restoration.


After visiting the Church's site, we went to the Kirtland Temple, owned and maintained by the Community of Christ.  Here we paid an entrance fee, were treated to a movie of the history and given a tour of the building.  It is a most amazing structure and as we spent time walking through the building, you could see the tremendous effort and sacrifice made by the early Saints to build a temple to the Lord.  We learned that the walls were built of sandstone rocks, cemented together to a thickness of 28".  They still are intact and strong.  The outside of the temple was covered with stucco, which they say  actually had a bluish tint, with a red roof and olive green doors.  They still have samples of the original material.  The finish work was meticulous and demonstrable of great skill for the 19th century.  We were able to see the pulpits and their breastworks, how the veils were lowered and the pews arranged. There is still a peaceful feeling there, even though it was desecrated after the Saints were expelled.  Now it is a valuable, historical structure and sometimes even used by our Church.  On Oct. 11th, Elder Ballard will hold a fireside there for the youth of the Kirtland Stake.

Did you know that the building was built without any blueprints?  The Prophet, Sidney Rigdon and Martin Harris saw the building in a vision and could see how it should be constructed, the rooms arranged, the pulpits structured and all the details.  They then instructed the Saints in building it and afterwards, Sidney stated that it looked exactly as they saw it in vision.  Truly a marvelous Temple and the site of incredible visions and revelations.  We know of 5 locations where the Father and the Son appeared to the Prophet; the Sacred Grove, the Whitney store, the Kirtland Temple, the Isaac Morley farm and the John Johnson home.

We visited the Isaac Morley farm and were able to learn more about this remarkable man.  Like Newell Whitney, he sacrificed all he had for the Kingdom, selling a prosperous farm, offering a place for the Prophet, moving from location to location as persecution raged and finally ending in Manti, Utah.  Even now, in memoriam to him, his temple apron is framed and hanging in the Manti Temple.  He built a schoolhouse on his farm and the 4th General Conference of the Church was held there.  It was also on this farm, on a secluded hillside, that another visitation or theophany was received.

In a sense, this location is another Sacred Grove, a place of divine revelation, personally given by the Godhead for the blessing of the Saints and those who were obedient enough to receive it.





As the day waned, we rushed to the last place to visit the John Johnson Home.  The Prophet and Emma lived here for over a year and during that time it was the Headquarters of the Church.  The prophet preached sermons from the front steps, received further revelations and this was the fifth place where the Father and Son appeared.  It was here that a mob tore the prophet from his bed, beat, tarred and feathered him and tried to force poison down his throat. In the process they broke a tooth and he is reported to have spoken with a slight whistle from then on due to the injury.  That brutal attack aggravated the illness of the twins they had and one of them died as a result.

This home was one of the nicest in the area at the time, filled with bright colors, spacious and comfortable.  The farm was rich and prosperous, the life good.  Again, the Johnson's sacrificed it all for the Kingdom. 

The time in Kirtland was the longest that the Saints would spend together in one place until they reached the Valley of the Great Salt Lake.  It was here that a large portion of D&C revelations were received, the Bible translation done, the Keys for the Dispensation received, the Church strengthened and the Father and Son made manifest.  For all of us, visiting Kirtland should be on the list of things to do to build faith, increase understanding and most of all, to feel of the rich Spirit present in this beautiful garden spot in Ohio.  It has been a great day.

7 September 2013 - Whitmer Farm, Fayette, NY

Mom wanted me to make mention of the fact that we drove through a small Mennonite settlement yesterday, complete with horses, buggies and wagons, long dresses and long beards.  It was set in the gentle hills of the Mohawk River Valley and very peaceful.  We stopped at a roadside stand and bought some homemade maple syrup and two small pies, enough for each of us to have a piece, both of blueberry and strawberry/rhubarb.  We so much enjoyed the area, and the well-kept farms, even with the washing blowing in the breeze to dry.

At the Grandin Print Shop in Palmyra, we were reminded of the miracles that went into the publishing of the Book of Mormon. Egbert Grandin had always wanted his own printing business and so he obtained the latest in printing presses and set up shop.  Joseph approached him about doing the printing but was rebuffed.  After finding only one other printer willing to do the job, he asked Grandin again, who agreed, due to the large order and the financial gain from it.  Most orders in those days were for 200-500 volumes and this was for 5000 copies.  It took 7 months to print and bind, a record time due to the new press, remembering that each sheet had to be hand printed.  Each sheet had 32 pages of the book on it and had to be printed on both sides, folded, bound and cut.  All of the right factors came together to produce the book and Grandin abandoned his enterprise after only 6 years.  It was a miracle that he had all in place to produce the vital work. His store today still has the original flooring on which the Prophet, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris walked.

Today waves of rain washed us west on our way to Kirtland.  But before leaving the Palmyra area, we had to make a trip to the Whitmer Farm, located in Fayette, NY.  It is now a lovely site,  prepared by the Church to give one a sense of what happened there.  We were the only visitors at the time and so got our own personal tour from Bro. and Sis. Yearsley. (He taught in the same department at Ricks College as Marie Parkinson and knows the Parkinsons well).   The original log cabin is long gone but the Church reconstructed it on the original foundations, using hand hewn logs and period furniture to restore it as closely as possible to the original.

The Whitmer Farm consisted of about 100 acres in the days of Joseph and was a prosperous operation, and Peter Whitmer was a well-respected member of the community.  Today the Church owns about 400 acres and leases most of the surrounding land for farming, leaving the site set in the midst of smooth grass and trees.  Period type fences have been erected around the cabin.

Now it is a very peaceful location, surrounded by fields and woods and home to a variety of wildlife, deer, turkeys, foxes, racoons, etc.  Bro. Yearsley loves to enjoy the rich abundance of life in the area. 




As you will recall, it was in the Whitmer Home, on April 6, 1830, that the Church was organized.  The interior of this cabin is made to look like it did then, with chairs, fireplace, tables, etc.  It is amazing to think that anywhere from 40-70 people attended. I am sure that many of them must have been outside peering in through the rippled glass windows for the room is too small to hold them all.

 It was in the cabin that Joseph and Oliver were set apart as the First Elders of the Church.  It was in the surrounding woods that Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer were shown the gold plates by the angel and heard the voice of God Himself, commanding them to bear testimony of the truth of that revealed work, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.



Baptisms took place on that day in nearby streams, including the Prophets parents.  In the loft of the cabin, where people slept, the Prophet and Oliver completed much of the translation of the plates and in the cabin, three General Conferences were held and 27 revelations found in the Doctrine and Covenants received.

This location is another of the places blessed to be the site of miraculous events associated with the Restoration.  We felt of the peace here and recognized that wherever the Spirit is present, peace abides and your sense or reverence increases.



We are now in Mentor, OH, a short distance from Kirtland.  Tomorrow we plan to attend meetings in the local ward and spend some time in the Kirtland location, see the Kirtland Temple and in general, enjoy another important location in the history of the Church.  I am now wishing that I had given us 5 weeks for this trip, because there is so much to see and do.  I am loving it!

6 September 2013 - Palmyra, NY

Last evening as we headed for our lodging in Saratoga Springs, we were able to travel to Queensbury, NY, and visit with Kirk and Bonnie Huffaker and their family.  They have a lovely home on a secluded street with little traffic.  The home has a large, lush back yard with grass reaching up to a wooded hill behind the home.  Bonnie fixed a delicious  spaghetti dinner for us and we had a great visit with them.  We love them and we wish they were not so far away, but he has a great dental practice in Glenns Falls and they love the area.  Ronda put a picture of them on Instagram.

This morning we explored a little of Saratoga Springs, the home of the oldest thoroughbred race track in the country.  The town was founded as a resort location due to numerous mineral springs, thought to have healing properties.  The first white man to see and use them was in 1797 and the town has flourished since.  It is charming and bustling and we enjoyed it. We went for a walk in the brisk and bright morning air and found a park, situated around one of the springs.  In it was a stone engraved with an Indian prayer, given at the anniversary of the towns founding.  As half of the pictures I took today have disappeared into a black hole somewhere, I cannot show my picture, but I can give you the words, which we thought inspiring, uttered by Tom Whitecloud:

"Oh, Father, whose voice I hear in the winds and whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me. I am a man before you, one of your many children.  I am small and weak.  I need your strength and wisdom.  Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.  Make my hands respect the things you have made, my ears sharp to hear your voice.  Make me wise so that I may know the things you have taught my people, the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock. I seek strength, Father, not to be superior to my brothers, but to be able to fight my greatest enemy, myself.  Make me ever ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eye, so that when my life fades as the fading sunset,  my spirit may come to you without shame."

We motored on to Palmyra and went right to the Hill Cumorah.  The visitor center is new since we last visited there and it is, as usual with the Church. an elegant presentation about the Book of Mormon, the Prophet and the Church. We were impressed with the interactive learning resources and were touched by the Spirit we felt there.  I think Mom sent some pictures on InstaGram.  I had some great pictures of the monument, but again, they have vanished.  Bummer!

We drove to the old Smith Family Farm and the Sacred Grove.  It was later in the day and we found ourselves alone and undisturbed in the Grove. It was a place of peace and serenity and it was easy to imagine the holy events that transpired there.

The only sounds were the soft crunching of our feet, a muted rustling of leaves and the distant calls of the birds.  I think that all of the trees that were witness to the First Vision have long since gone, but the quiet majesty of this forest location promotes a sense of worship and reverence.  I was reminded, however, that it is not the place, but the divine happening that is most important.  To know that the Father and the Son called the boy Prophet and opened this dispensation is a fact that I treasure and in which I rejoice.

The old log home in which the Angel Moroni appeared to Joseph and started him on his eventful journey still stands, a testimony to the humble circumstances of the young man's life.   Nearby stands the frame home, built by Alvin Smith, and in which the family was able to live for only 4 short years.  The area is one of happy times, farming success and also poverty and the commencement of persecution, that would hound Joseph and Hyrum until their martyrdom.

Financial reverses caused the Smiths to lose ownership of this home and the farm and be reduced to renters.  They were forced to return to live in the cramped log home, the parents and eight children, until 1830.




As we concluded our visit to this site of so many important events, we visited the site of the publication of the Book of Mormon, the Grandin Print Shop and the newly erected Palmyra Temple.  We have been touched and uplifted by this visit and a reminder of all the blessings that have come to the Saints over the years.

This has been a lovely day and reaffirmed our testimonies of the truth of the Restoration of the Gospel and the strength of our belief.  We plan to go further on our trek to Gospel sites tomorrow.

05 September 2013 - Sharon, VT

One of our purposes on this trip is to make an effort to visit Church History sites and photograph them for our record.  Leaving Concord, our first stop was to visit Sharon, VT, the birthplace of the Prophet Joseph Smith, in 1805.  On our way there, we made a side trip to Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH.  The doctor who founded the medical school there, in 1797, was Dr. Nathan Smith, (no relation to the Prophet).  He was the surgeon who operated on the infected leg of young Joseph, saving his life, and avoiding an amputation.  The original medical school buildings are long gone, but some of the early structures still stand.  We learned about them from the staffer at the school information kiosk. He and I were surprised that we are both friends with the same person, one of the students who was with me at Columbia, who happened to be his fraternity brother.  He wanted me to remember him to my friend and mention that I talked to John "Bear" Everett.  Small world.

Note the year listed on the top of the building, identifying when the building was built.  Due to a lack of elevators in that era, no buildings were higher than 3 stories, a decent stair hike.  Only a couple of the old buildings this age still stand on campus.

Running beside the campus is the beautiful, smoothly flowing Connecticut River, the boundary between New Hampshire and Vermont.  It is the site for the school's rowing team and is a lovely stretch of water.  It served as an avenue of commerce for a couple of centuries and justified the founding of Hanover, on it shore, in the late 1700's.

From Hanover it is but a short, beautiful, tree-lined drive to Sharon.  The road parallels the White river until you turn to climb the rolling, green hills to the birthplace.  In the days of Joseph Smith, we were told that only 20% of Vermont was forested, the rest had been cleared over the years by settlers. Now it has been reforested and is just the opposite percent.  The soil is shallow and even now, trees cannot sink roots deeply.  Farming is tough on the sloping hillsides and rocks grow in the ground probably as well as crops.  There are so many rocks here that the are used for walls and fences, foundations and buildings.  In days gone by, they even used large, flat stones as bridges, one of which still stands near the Church site.

This stone bridge spans a small creek along the turnpike road from Vermont to Boston, which ran near the Smith home.  It must have taken a lot of effort to build such a bridge and wheel ruts are still visible in the stones.




In about 1905, the Church bought 400 acres of Vermont hills and woods, including the birthplace of the Prophet.  Here they erected a monument to this great man, an obelisk of granite, a foot in height for every year of the Prophet's life.  It is a magnificent and fitting tribute, well maintained by the Church.  The grounds are landscaped and lovely, with the woods encircling the location like a natural, regal, crown.  We were blessed with a private tour of the surrounding homesteads, just foundation ruins, that were occupied by the Solomon Mack family.  He was the father of Lucy Mack Smith. These grounds seemed hallowed by the memories and the impact of one momentous life, that shaped a destiny for the sons and daughters of God.

4 September 2013 - Concord, NH

 Of course, the most beautiful day of all, while we have been in Bar Harbor, comes when we have to leave.  It was a wonderfully beautiful morning.  The sun is bright, the sea blue, a gentle breeze is blowing, scattered clouds scud along and it is dry.  In fact, as we looked over the harbor, lobster cage floats and the lobster boats seemed to be bobbing gaily about, sea birds dashed to and fro, dipping into the water and generally cavorting.  I think the lovely day happened because a large cruise ship docked during the night and the town authorities decided to turn on the sun in their behalf.  We felt a little cheated by it all, but truly enjoyed our visit in this lovely little town and we would be happy to return and enjoy its beauty and charm and the surrounding area another time.

We thought a ship of this size seemed out of place among the small yachts and fishing craft scattered about the docking area.  Indeed, even the larger yachts seemed to be dwarfed by this large vessel.  It was an interesting sight.




Leaving this attractive location, we headed north toward Bangor, Maine and then south down the coast, toward Portsmouth, NH, right on the border.  Once more the roads were lined with the wonderful forests that I have so much enjoyed in the entire northeast.  With frequent downpours, a humid location and ocean nearby, these green hills are about as thick as could be imagined and they grow wherever the soil is not blocked by stone.  The local granite is so massive and beautiful, when used to build bridges and homes, it seems just the natural thing to have plopped in the middle of the woods.

As we hurried on the freeway, we decided that we had not had enough of this gorgeous coast, so we pulled off to pay a visit to Cape Elizabeth, site of one of the important lighthouses along the shore. It is a location call Two Lights, because there are two lighthouses in basically the same spot.  It is an amazing location, wild and rough, but awesome for its magnificence.

This wonderful light, built over a hundred years ago, warns against dangerous shoals and a headland that juts out into a sea, dangerous to the unwary.  It was also so interesting to see the rocks in this area.  Up close they look like massive petrified logs, scattered along the shore with waves beating against them unceasingly.  I loved this location as well. I asked a man who was there, who was born in Maine and lived there all the time, what kind of stone this was.  He actually did not know but thought it was a form of slate.  I must agree with him, but its composition and form was unique in my experience and fascinating in its resemblance to the striations of wood. 

We could have spent another long time sitting on these monoliths and enjoying the crashing surf.  We heard a boat horn, watched herring gulls and listened to the sound of the ocean.  But, time began to press.  However, nearby was another "Lobster Shack" and I prevailed on Ronda to join me in one last lobster roll before we headed for the interior and left the coast behind.  We were able to eat looking right out on this spectacular location and deeply appreciating the opportunity we have had to visit here.  It has been on my list of things to do and it needed my visit because "my IQ demanded it".

It has been a gift and a tender mercy to be able to travel with Mom.  Who knew 18 years ago that the Lord would be so kind and generous to us and prolong both her years and mine.  We are grateful and recognize the hand of the Lord in all we do and have.  We will continue to be thankful as we head toward Vermont and points west.

3 September 2013 - Acadia National Park

Right now it is dark outside, rain is falling and lightning flashes illuminate the ocean followed by booming rumbles of thunder.  We were promised thunderstorms today, but they courteously waited until we had completed our activities before marching in to lights and drums.  We checked off another one of the items on my "bucket list" today when we visited Acadia National Park.  Once again I am so delighted to have purchased my lifetime pass to the parks. Show the pass and with a smile your are in, no hassle, no cost.  We stopped at the Park visitor center and purchased a CD auto tour of the park. We followed the instructions and had a marvelous exposure to this gift given to the USA.  It was initially protected by John D. Rockefeller who then gifted it to the country. It has since been expanded to about 47,000 acres of beauty.  It is the second most visited NP in the country, after Yellowstone.  When we started our tour, it seemed as if we might be visited by rain again, but we had none and the experience was a marvel and a wonder.  I have now seen the Maine coast as I imagined it and its awesome grandeur is indeed beyond adequate description.  The coast sweeps along with granite cliffs of gray and pink, harbors, rocks and forested shores.  This area was carved by ancient glaciers and rock moraines, scooped out valley lakes and boulder erratics (isolated large boulders deposited by the glaciers) decorate the gently rolling hills.

The coast is a wall of solid granite, with the waves painting murals of spray as they crash into the rigid barriers.  Stopping points along the road allow you to climb over the rocks and roots to get to the edges and feel the mist and hear the rushing waves beat against the stone. 

Fog in soft cottony billows floated into and out of the harbors, hiding and then revealing the coastal margins and forest ramparts marching to the edge of the sea.  We found a place to sit on the leveled pink granite and I could have spent hours feeling the soul refreshing awesome power of the sea in combat with the outcroppings barring its movement.  The fog obscured the horizon, but we could hear the spectral moan of hidden fog horns and the cathedral clang of the bells rocking on the warning buoys.  Lobster boats, with their seagull fan club swirling behind, motored about dropping lobster pots, attached to color-coded floats, each waiting for a lobster invasion and to be snatched from the sea floor when the boats return.

We visited one spot where the granite had fissured with the pounding of the ocean, creating a crevasse with a hollow cavity in the end.  When the tide is high or the ocean fierce with storm, the waves plunge into the narrow space between vertical walls and explode a boom of compressed air and water in a towering spray and vibrating thunder rumble.  When we arrived, the tide was slowly coming in, the sea soft and we called it a "gurgle hole".  But it still stirred the senses.  We enjoyed the chance to share this experience together.

Following the guided tour we drove up a snaking road to the top of Mount Cadillac, the highest point on the east coast, at about 3000 feet. Its windswept top, free of trees, with exposed and weathered smooth stone outcroppings, offers a view of all the surrounding park and ocean, except when fogged in, as it was when we arrived. The air felt good and the breeze fresh, but we started back down the road.  A short way down, we received a tender mercy when the fog lifted, the sun's brilliance shone and we were gifted with the view we sought.  We looked down on Bar Harbor, with a tall ship in full sail leaving the harbor, fog banks nestled on the islands and the vista grand.  It made the whole mountain experience a wonder.

We finished our excursion by traveling to the southern-most tip of the area, Bass Harbor.  It is here that a light house warns ships of the rocky shoals and dangerous headland.  If you travel east from this point, you do not encounter land until you reach France, 3200 miles away and to the south, Venezuela, 2500 miles distant. The lighthouse is functional and still sheds its rotating, red warning light and offshore the warning bell still clangs, rocking to and fro.  As we arrived the fog drifted in again, emphasizing the eerie majesty of the ever-reliable sentinel.

Tomorrow we will leave this magical and wondrous place to begin our return.  As a climax to the visit, I was able to sit with Mom, at the waterfront, and have a classical Maine lobster dinner, with delicious, creamy, thick clam chowder, tasty cornbread, new, young corn on the cob, roasted slices of red Maine potatoes and a pile of sweet lobster meat, dipped in melted butter.  We topped the meal with freshly made wild blueberry pie a'la mode.  It was a fitting conclusion for this leg of the adventure.