Day Two: Peter Whitmer Farm and Hill Cumorah

After a delicious homemade breakfast of banana nut muffins (most amazing ever), peach pecan French toast, eggs, and sausage, Mom and I headed to the Peter Whitmer Log Home in Fayette, NY, where the Church was formally organized on April 6, 1830 in. The log home in which the organization took place has been reconstructed based on models from the time. Church services took place in a beautiful chapel nearby. We were a little late because the GPS unit decided to take us along the scenic route. Hooray! Fortunately, we walked in just in time for the final speaker, who was none other than Ed J. Pinegar. Yes, that guy. You know, the amazing scriptorian/historian/big-ball-of-love-wisdom-and-humor Ed J. Pinegar. Unbelievable. Apparently he’s serving a mission over in Palmyra. He gave the most amazing talk on charity and faith. I could just fill a swimming pool with all the discourses he’s given and swim my way to enlightenment.

After church, we were taken through the Whitmer Visitor’s Center and Whitmer Log Home by a couple of sister missionaries. They shared many stories about the Whitmer family, the three witnesses and the day the Church was organized. The spirit was so strong, especially inside the log home. Upstairs, we saw room a much like the ones in which the remainder of the translation of the golden plates took place.

Mom and I in front of the Whitmer Log Cabin

Room in which the Church was organized on April 6, 1830

On our way back to Palmyra, we stopped for lunch at Blue Ribbon Smokehouse, where Mom and I had chicken and pork smothered with delicious barbecue sauce, coleslaw, French fries, garlic toast, and barbecue baked beans. The sheer volume of food sent us trudging back to Liberty House for a nap. Well-rested and covered with bug spray, we headed to the Hill Cumorah Visitor’s Center, where we sat in a room with a Christus statue similar to the one in Salt Lake, except with a grove of trees behind it. Following a short video about Joseph Smith, Jr.’s search for the truth, we hiked up Hill Cumorah to the Angel Moroni monument. The scenery of the surrounding verdant hills and valleys was spectacular. A black cat with white paws was lounging on the walls of the monument and it took extreme restraint to keep from petting it. I miss my cats!

BBQ at Blue Ribbon Smokehouse

Hill Cumorah

Hill Cumorah Visitor's Center

After hiking back down the hill through a tree-lined path (and the cat followed us down halfway), we stopped for dinner at Brad & Dad’s (a restaurant, not people we know). So-so chicken fingers were chased down by hot fudge sundaes (chocolate almond, Almond Joy, and English toffee for Mom and the same [substituting honey roasted pecan for Almond Joy]) for me. We decided to wash off the bug spray (which was burning our skin…um…) and headed to bed so we could get up early and welcome the day in the Sacred Grove. G’night.