Palmyra, New York

The last leg of our Pinehurst, NC / Niagara Falls trip was to visit Palmyra, New York. Since being baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1989, I have longed to visit the sacred historic sights of the Restoration. There are not words to relay the deep feelings and impressions of my heart of this profound experience. I will only say at this time that my testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith increased a thousand fold! How I love that great Prophet and I am so grateful for his sacrifice in restoring the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ back to the Earth ending the long period of darkness.

The first stop in Palmyra was the Hill Cumorah and the visitor center there.






This is a statue of the "First Vision" in the visitor center on the Smith Family Farm.


This is the "Frame Home" of the Smith family. This home is 85-95% original. In November of 1822, Alvin, the oldest son of Joesph Smith, Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith began construction of this home for his future family and for the comfort of his parents in their advancing years. On November 19, 1823 Alvin unexpectedly dies at the young age of 26 years. At the time of his death the home is not complete. In the fall of 1825 the Smith family moves into the Frame Home although the interior is largely unfinished. They finish the home and in December with only one payment left they lose ownership of the farm.
This is the kitchen of the Frame Home.

This is a bedroom in the Frame Home.

This is a bedroom/birthing room where Joseph Smith, Jr. youngest sister Lucy was born July 18, 1821. The wall on the far side is the original whitewash.

Dave and me standing in the kitchen of the Frame Home.



The Smith Family moves from Norwich, Vermont, to Palmyra, New York with their six sons and two daughters. They build this Log Home in 1818-1819.
This is the kitchen in the Log Home (The Log Home is reconstructed by hand and dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley on March 27, 1998).
This is one of two bedrooms upstairs in the Log Home where the sons and daughters of Joseph and Lucy slept. This is where the Angel Moroni visited Joseph, Jr. three times on the night of September 21, 1823.


This is one of my favorite pictures. It is taken just outside the Log Home looking towards the Sacred Grove.

I love this picture also. It is the trial leading into the Sacred Grove. The next three pictures are taken inside the Sacred Grove. We spent about two hours in the peaceful and beautiful grove of trees. Once again the Spirit that is felt cannot be described with words.






This historic building was constructed in 1823 upon the completion of the Erie Canal. It is here that E.B. Grandin directed the printing of the 5,000 copies of the first edition of the Book of Mormon. Typesetting from the printer's manuscript began in August 1829, and the project was completed in March 1830.

This is the printing press. I have a new appreciation for the painstaking process of the translation and printing of the sacred record called the Book of Mormon. I think that no truer words were said than that of John Taylor, "that the Book of Mormon...cost the best blood of the nineteenth century..." D&C 135:6




These three pictures are of the Palmyra Temple. The temple is built on the original Smith Farm. It was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley on April 6, 2000. Dave and I attended the 6pm session just before heading back to our hotel at the airport in Buffalo. We had to leave the next morning, Oct. 25, to head back to Salt Lake.



This is my testimony, that "Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it...He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord's anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood"--D&C 135:3

"SHALL WE NOT GO ON IN SO GREAT A CAUSE"

Niagara Falls

Dave and I decided that as long as we are "back East" we would take a little side trip to our Pinehurst, NC vacation. We flew out of Raleigh/Durham Airport at 6:20am on October 23, 2008. We flew to Buffalo, New York. I have always wanted to see Niagara Falls! WOW, WHAT A SIGHT! I have always heard the term, "takes your breath away"--I never really knew what that meant until standing by the "thundering waters" of the Niagara Falls. The day before we were there it was snowing and temps in the 40's, however the day we were there it was absolutely beautiful weather--Sunny, blue sky's, temps in the high 50's. The leaves were brilliant fall colors! We stayed in the Hilton (Ontario, Canada) on the 27th floor with our room over looking the "Horseshoe Falls". You can see our hotel in the background of the picture just below.



This is looking up the Niagara River. Dave is standing in the park overlooking the Niagara River just before it spills over the falls.


Of course we had to take a ride on the "Maid of the Mist". WHO NAMED IT THAT? It should be called "Maid of the Hurricane". There is no "mist" about it. You get soaked! When they take you into the "Horseshoe Falls" you really do feel as if you are in a hurricane. The wind power that the falls make is truly amazing!





These two pictures are my favorite of the American Falls. BEAUTIFUL! AMAZING!

Pinehurst, North Carolina

In September 2008, Dave and his team won the Utah Section of the PGA McGladrey Best Ball Championship. That qualified them to play in the National PGA McGladrey Tournament in Pinehurst, North Carolina. The tournament was held October 20-22, 2008. I got to go with Dave and it was a trip of a lifetime. We had so much fun! The weather was beautiful, the golf courses fantastic!

This is the hotel that Dave and I stayed in. As you can see it is called "The Holly Inn". It was the very first hotel in Pinehurst and was build in 1895. It was beautiful, very charming!





This is one of the most beautiful golf courses that I have ever seen.




This is the clubhouse at Pinehurst #2. Below is the famous logo "Putter Boy".



This bag piper was playing during the awards ceremony outside the Pinehurst Clubhouse.


Pictured here is Tim Freiss, Dave, statue of Payne Stewart, Craig Newbold (striking a pose), and Russ Newman.


Here is the team walking down the fairway of the famous #2 course at Pinehurst.


This is after their 3rd and final round. Their team took a very respectable 9th place. We were all very happy with this finish! They played great!