Palmyra, New York

Palmyra has such a different feeling than Niagara. We felt like we were in the middle of no where and then all of a sudden you would see that familiar blue sign saying “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Visitors Center” and know all was well with your phone maps after all. First we saved seats for the pageant and toured the Hill Cumorah Visitors Center, walked on the same floors as the Prophet Joseph Smith at the Grandin Building, checked into our lovely 200 year old bed and breakfast (The Yorkshire Inn), got dinner and ice cream at Gooney’s and then headed back to see the Hill Cumorah Pageant. The pageant was truly wonderful. We liked meeting and hearing from cast members before the show and the amazing special effects. I’m so sad 2020 will be its last year and grateful we were able to come this year. Of course it is very obvious many people had the same idea and it is rumored there were record numbers of people visiting Palmyra this week. I believe it from what I saw at the Grandin Building and the huge mass of people trying to leave the pageant together!

 The last day of our Western New York trip we said good bye to our wonderful hosts at the Yorkshire Inn and visited the Whitmer Farm, Smith Farm and Sacred Grove before making our way back to Buffalo to fly home. I am glad our hostess had me ask another guest about going to the Whitmer Farm because I was thinking of skipping it and I loved it. I truly felt David Whitmer did indeed see the Gold Plates and I am truly blessed to have the Book of Mormon in my life. Later something about walking through the trees at the Sacred Grove made me feel I was indeed in a place God and His Son, Jesus Christ, had been. I wish I had planned more time for the Church historical sites and less time in Niagara Falls but that’s what I get for being a first timer. I am glad we came!