Hill Cumorah Pageant

Last weekend I had the wonderful opportunity of going up to Palmyra, NY with my family to see my brother in the Hill Cumorah Pageant. We left early Saturday morning to begin the 5 hour drive. On our way we stopped at Watkin's Glen state park to have a little picnic and hike. Watkin's Glen is a gorge that has been cut by a river running through it. It is a sweet place to go and provides a great workout (there are like a bajillion stairs).

{in a cave :-o}

We arrived in Palmyra mid-afternoon and went straight to the Sacred Grove. It is sweet and lovely and breathtaking.  The feeling that I feel there is unlike anything else I've ever experienced.

"So it was with me. I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling against me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared i do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation." -Joseph Smith History 1:25

{giving the grove some love}

From there we went to see the Palmyra temple.

We headed over to the Hill Cumorah to get our seats and take a look around there.

{the stage}

Daniel and I had the great idea of walking up to the top of the hill. Yeah, so, it's super steep. Hello workout. But it was totally worth the view. 

{my brother the Nephite warrior :)}

{show's about to start}

{Christ's visit to the Nephites}

After the show we helped stack the 8,000 or so chairs and then got on the road for our journey home.

It was a weekend well spent :)

If you would like to learn a little more about Joseph Smith's first vision and the significance of the Hill Cumorah this is a great video to watch: The Restoration.