We visited Palmyra, New York the first weekend of April. Our visit coincided with General Conference for our church, so we were able to watch some of the broadcasts from the place where it all began. I have always wanted to visit the Sacred Grove. The Sacred Grove is special to my religion because it is the place where the Prophet, Joseph Smith Jr., kneeled down to pray in the hopes of finding our which church he should join. I was struck by the serenity and sacredness of this forest of trees. As I walked the trails of this sacred place, I thought about my time as a missionary in Germany. I remembered the many times I shared this special story with the people I taught. I remembered my mission companion, Sister Kristy Casperson, and the strong testimony she had of the Restoration of the gospel. Kristy passed away in 2006, but I think of her often. This day was no exception. I also thought of my dad, who, as a young boy in post war Germany, heard the Joseph Smith story for the first time and joined the church. As I thought about all of the wonderful things that have come into my life because of this beautiful grove and the brave young man who knelt in prayer, I felt a depth of gratitude for the Prophet, Joseph Smith.
We also visited the Grandin printing press, where the first copy of the Book of Mormon was printed. Additionally, we visited Hill Cumorah and other important historical sites to our church. We were so glad that we took the time to visit this important town and felt strengthened. One of the best things about the trip was just being together as a family and taking one last road trip before graduation. We will miss this part of the country when we leave!
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