Destination: New York City, NY
Sites Visited: None, we experienced 'the world' today, in NYC.
Quote from HTM (Heritage Tours Manual):
"Conscience warns us not to sink our cleats too deeply into mortal turf - which is dangerously artificial!"
~Elder Neal A. Maxwell
So just like it says, today we went to NYC. It was.... Interesting.
Up to that point, I was on almost a constant spiritual high, other than the few times where the adversary was working against me, like I talked about before. We went to site after site, feeling the spirit so strong, and talking only about the church and how amazing it is... I was SO happy. Genuinely, truly, deeply happy. I was full of so much joy all the time... And then we go to NYC, and the mood of the trip went to the other end of the spectrum. It completely changed... My happiness was covered, it felt as if someone had snatched it away from me, and replaced it with that fake happiness that most of the world seems to be familiar with... Bottom line, I didn't like it. I hated the feeling I had while I was there...
Everyone seems to just love NY so much and talk about it like it's the greatest thing in the world, but I don't like it... I'm not into big cities. I admit it was fun to shop around and see the M&M's store and stuff, but just being there with SO many people and so many things going on felt wrong... I felt so... small. So unimportant. Like if I disappeared, nobody would notice, and nobody would care. I hated the feeling I had when I was there.
When we stepped back on that bus and went to a church site or bore our testimonies, we had the best feeling... I went from low to high in an instant... I felt safe, I felt comforted, I felt protected, but not in a little kid sort of way. It was amazing, the spirit we created on that bus every day... Nothing could stop us from bringing the spirit.
Nothing on this earth is stronger than the gospel of Jesus Christ.
***********************************************************************************
From my journal:
"We just sang 'Oh Happy Day' and it was awesome! I thought to myself, WHY is it a happy day? I instantly thought of Joseph Smith. He is the reason we live in happy days. he restored the true gospel to this earth and brought so much joy to our lives! Oh happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away! Oh happy day when the gospel is in our lives and brings us pure happiness!"
You know, people all over the world are constantly debating religion and arguing about it and some religions worship Christ's death and all that... You know why I love this church? Because it's simple. It brings happiness. Oh happy day, when Jesus died for me and was resurrected and washed away my sins so I may live with him again. What could be more humbling than that? What reason do we have to not be happy? Everyone deserves to be happy. If everyone would just stop arguing and debating and thinking so hard about it all, they would see the plainness and simplicity of the gospel. Be a good person, serve others, and try to be Christlike, and you will find pure happiness, guaranteed. That's it.
It makes me so happy! I wish we'd sing songs like that in our church, haha, because even though it's loud, it brings the spirit. At least it does to me, haha.
I don't know, i'm just kind of rambling, I do that a lot if you haven't noticed :3 So sorry if this last whole section didn't make any sense to anyone, haha. This blog is kind of my own journal anyway, it's just a bonus if other people read it.
Oh happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Day 8: Monday, June 13
Destination: Sharon, VT
Sites Visited: Joseph Smith's Birth Place
Today I had a different experience than you're probably expecting... I mean, I don't know what you're expecting to hear me say about Joseph's Birth place. I guess you're hoping it's something about how my testimony of him was strengthened and how much I care about him and such, but something else was on my mind that day as we visited the site and talked about him...
A few things i'll write about for today:
-A quote by a kid in our group
-The kind of man I want to marry
-A letter to Joseph Smith
Alright, the quote, to start off. A kid in my group when bearing his testimony said something like, "Never has a generation fallen so hard. When we fall, we fall hard. But never has a generation come back so well. We pick ourselves up and move higher than the rest. We are strong and pure..." (Sorry if that's wrong, but that's as close as I remember... Forgive me!)
I thought that was very profound... It's so true. Our generation is the strongest... But we can also be the most beaten upon. Satan works hardest on God's strongest soldiers. Our generation has been saved for thousands of years to come to the earth at this time... We were saved for this time because God trusts us to make the world a better place, and add light to the darkness. We were sent to change the dark to the light... It's our duty, our job, our purpose.
We are strong. We are courageous... Sometimes we fall, but we are able to get back up. It's our duty to get back up and stand for what is right and true. We were chosen for this... God is putting this in our hands. He trusts us. Let's be strong. Let's stand up for the righteous things in this world... Let's stand together, as the army of Helaman. Just like the song... Just like the medley... We can do this. "You cannot fail if you choose to follow the Savior." ~Thomas S. Monson. We cannot fail with the Lord on our side. Good ALWAYS defeats evil. Always.
************************************************************************************
As we learned about Joseph Smith more and more, I kept thinking about the kind of man I want to marry... I am so amazed by Joseph and the man he was. I loved the way he treated Emma... He was so sweet to her. I want to marry a man like that. And then I realized, all the guys I went on this tour with are just as amazing! I gained so much respect for them. I want a guy who has decided on his own to be converted and decided on his own that he wants to serve a mission and share the gospel.
I wrote a lot more about the kind of guy I want, but that's more personal so I'll keep it in my journal...
I know if I work very hard to be the best person I can be in God's eyes, i'll hopefully deserve a man like Joseph. Or at least I hope to be that worthy for a man like that. :)
It also reminded me of this quote:
"A Book of Mormon that's falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't."
I want a guy with scriptures like that... Marked to death, like mine... Mine are falling apart haha...
************************************************************************************
In our manual, we were asked to write a letter to Joseph Smith. This is mine:
Dear Joseph,
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of you is all that you willingly sacrificed for the church... I wish I could thank you an endless number of times. I want to thank you, personally, for the influence you've had on MY life. Without you, I would have NOTHING. Literally. I would be a really bad person... I wouldn't have the strength to follow any sort of standard or law. I would not have any desire for any foundation in my life... I would not have any inspiration or motivation to be a good person. Because of you, I am strong, I am willing to sacrifice things for the gospel like you did, and I want to be a little better every day. Because of you, billions of people have better lives... Because of you... Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Your lovely wife Emma has inspired me personally, as a woman. Please let her know that she is my ultimate example. I am probably going to name one of my daughters after her... Send her my love and my thanks for all she endured.
Love always,
Marci
Sites Visited: Joseph Smith's Birth Place
Today I had a different experience than you're probably expecting... I mean, I don't know what you're expecting to hear me say about Joseph's Birth place. I guess you're hoping it's something about how my testimony of him was strengthened and how much I care about him and such, but something else was on my mind that day as we visited the site and talked about him...
A few things i'll write about for today:
-A quote by a kid in our group
-The kind of man I want to marry
-A letter to Joseph Smith
Alright, the quote, to start off. A kid in my group when bearing his testimony said something like, "Never has a generation fallen so hard. When we fall, we fall hard. But never has a generation come back so well. We pick ourselves up and move higher than the rest. We are strong and pure..." (Sorry if that's wrong, but that's as close as I remember... Forgive me!)
I thought that was very profound... It's so true. Our generation is the strongest... But we can also be the most beaten upon. Satan works hardest on God's strongest soldiers. Our generation has been saved for thousands of years to come to the earth at this time... We were saved for this time because God trusts us to make the world a better place, and add light to the darkness. We were sent to change the dark to the light... It's our duty, our job, our purpose.
We are strong. We are courageous... Sometimes we fall, but we are able to get back up. It's our duty to get back up and stand for what is right and true. We were chosen for this... God is putting this in our hands. He trusts us. Let's be strong. Let's stand up for the righteous things in this world... Let's stand together, as the army of Helaman. Just like the song... Just like the medley... We can do this. "You cannot fail if you choose to follow the Savior." ~Thomas S. Monson. We cannot fail with the Lord on our side. Good ALWAYS defeats evil. Always.
************************************************************************************
As we learned about Joseph Smith more and more, I kept thinking about the kind of man I want to marry... I am so amazed by Joseph and the man he was. I loved the way he treated Emma... He was so sweet to her. I want to marry a man like that. And then I realized, all the guys I went on this tour with are just as amazing! I gained so much respect for them. I want a guy who has decided on his own to be converted and decided on his own that he wants to serve a mission and share the gospel.
I wrote a lot more about the kind of guy I want, but that's more personal so I'll keep it in my journal...
I know if I work very hard to be the best person I can be in God's eyes, i'll hopefully deserve a man like Joseph. Or at least I hope to be that worthy for a man like that. :)
It also reminded me of this quote:
"A Book of Mormon that's falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't."
I want a guy with scriptures like that... Marked to death, like mine... Mine are falling apart haha...
************************************************************************************
In our manual, we were asked to write a letter to Joseph Smith. This is mine:
Dear Joseph,
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of you is all that you willingly sacrificed for the church... I wish I could thank you an endless number of times. I want to thank you, personally, for the influence you've had on MY life. Without you, I would have NOTHING. Literally. I would be a really bad person... I wouldn't have the strength to follow any sort of standard or law. I would not have any desire for any foundation in my life... I would not have any inspiration or motivation to be a good person. Because of you, I am strong, I am willing to sacrifice things for the gospel like you did, and I want to be a little better every day. Because of you, billions of people have better lives... Because of you... Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Your lovely wife Emma has inspired me personally, as a woman. Please let her know that she is my ultimate example. I am probably going to name one of my daughters after her... Send her my love and my thanks for all she endured.
Love always,
Marci
 |
| This a monument built for Joseph Smith where he was born. I don't remember how old Joseph was when he died, but that's how many feet tall it is. And it's always pointing towards God, just like Joseph :) I thought that was cool. |
 |
| Cool picture I took of it :3 |
 |
| Close up... |
 |
| The house wasn't actually there, so this is a mini replica. |
 |
| I thought it was cute! It was so small ^_^ |
 |
| The only thing left of the house was this front door step. |
 |
| Plaque on the doorstep... |
 |
| This was... somewhere on the property... Don't remember where. |
 |
| This was a painting in the Visitor Center, I thought it was sweet :) Emma and Joseph |
 |
| Another sweet painting :) |
 |
| This made me cry.... If I counted right, they had 5 children die as infants. That's so terrible... |
 |
| I thought this was sweet :) |
 |
| This was also in the Visitor's Center, I thought it was cool so I thought i'd throw it in here :) |
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Day 7: Sunday, June 12
Destination: Palmyra, NY
Sites Visited Today: Sacred Grove, Joseph Smith's Home, Hill Cumorah
Quote in HTM: "The First Vision is the very foundation of this church, and it is my conviction that each member of this church performs his duty in direct ratio to his personal testimony and faith in the first vision." ~Robert L. Simpson
Ah the Sacred Grove, I have been waiting to share my experience from this site...
I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to sing for everyone before we entered the grove. We had a small meeting before we went in, to bring the spirit. I had prepared 5 or so songs before the trip, and one of them went along with this perfectly, so Brother E. let me sing it. It's called 'He Hears Me' by Hilary Weeks. Here are the lyrics:
Here I am again, down on my knees
And with every pleading word, Thy comfort I seek
Though the words are slow to come,
My thoughts are racing by
Peace fills the room, Thy spirit is nigh
He hears me
When I'm crying in the night
He hears me
When my soul longs to fight
Till the morning will come
And the light of the dawn reassures...
He hears me
Any hour, wherever I may be
In the silence of an empty room, or on a crowded street
Whether offering thanks, or in urgency I pray
I never go unnoticed, I'm never led astray
(chorus)
Any whisper of the soul
No matter how old
Father hears the call
He hears me
When I'm crying in the night
He hears me
When my soul longs to fight
Till the morning will come
And the light of the dawn reassures...
He hears me
I thought the lyrics were appropriate, because it talks about how he hears our prayers, and he heard Joseph's prayer. I think I did alright, and people told me it brought the spirit, so I was very happy to be able to do that :)
After that, we were sent into the Grove, to think and ponder for about an hour.
I didn't take any pictures in the Sacred Grove, even though they said it was fine, and mostly everyone did. I just didn't feel right doing that, because they told us it was an Outside Temple. It definitely felt like a temple...
It had just rained, so everything was very wet... I was going to find a spot on the ground to sit on, but I was wearing a white skirt, so you can see how that wouldn't really work out, haha. They had benches every so often on the trails, but of course they were all filled, there being 100 kids on this tour. So I sat by a friend for a while, and she left to walk around, so I had it to myself.
So far i've been going into detail or paraphrasing what i've written in my journal, because it was either a lot or not enough detail... But I think for this experience, i'm going to quote from my journal word for word... Because what I learned and realized and felt there was so incredible to me. I realized my worth... I felt the full and complete meaning of "The worth of souls is great in the sight of God." I felt the full meaning of the fact that I am a daughter of God...
Here is what I wrote in my journal:
"I have just read my patriarchal blessing. I know I am a daughter of God. He literally does know ME, very VERY personally... Better than I even know myself.
I am his soldier. His instrument. I personally was put on this earth to bless the lives of others and serve them. He really needs me in his plan... He needs me to be confident and strong for others... That's my job. He gave me the trial of struggling with confidence so that I may overcome it and be stronger and help others do the same.
I must, I WILL stay true to this gospel and this truth or the remainder of eternity. I will not falter from it. I will not fail to stay close to this church. I will not.
(here comes the best part, this is the most confident i've ever felt, haha..)
I... I am a beautiful, blessed, talented, virtuous, lovely daughter of God. I stand as an example to all women out there. I must stay clean and righteous in order to fulfill all i'm supposed to do. I must work to improve myself constantly.
I must find a worthy, strong, happy, independent son of God as my eternal companion. He will be independently strong in the church. H will be lean and kind and sweet and loving and thoughtful. H will fulfill everything on my list (hopefully).
He will be compatible with me and bring me joy.
He will be a constant worthy holder of the priesthood. He will be an amazing father and husband. He will never speak to me in a rude, unforgiving, shallow tone. He will work with me to fix problems in a calm and kind way. He will treat me like the daughter of God that I am. I am a princess, a daughter of GOD. He will know that all the time, and treat me as so. I will try my best to treat him as a worthy son of God should be treated.
This grove... These woods... It truly is an outdoor temple. God protects this place... He watches over it... His spirit is always here. It never left, since the day Joseph prayed here.
(Then I wrote this kind of... poem..? It's more of me rambling on about angels... I usually write poems in this format, and they are usually MUCH better than this one (http://mouse1414.blogspot.com/), but I guess it doesn't really matter. Here it is):
"Father, send me an angel
to guide and watch over me
father, I need an angel
to remind me of my worth
my importance
my purpose in this world.
I know you're there
I know you'll send one...
for you never let me down.
I need an angel
to help me know
that I am beautiful,
confident..
happy.
Send me an angel
with a beautiful smile
that could light up
the darkest room.
Send me an angel
with a sweet, soft voice
that could calm
a storm...
that could calm
a child...
Father,
send me an angel
that will inspire me
and lift me up
so that I may do the same for others.
Father
I need an angel
to help me along
for I can not always
make it alone
Send me an angel to be
my example
Because sometimes
I need a little reminder
of how to be an example to others.
Sometimes I forget
that I was sent here
as a soldier of God
as a mother and daughter
of Zion.
Father
send me an angel
to guide me home
and comfort me
when faint and weary
I need an angel
to make me stronger.
Father...
I am an angel
aren't I?
I have comforted those
in need.
I have helped others back home
I have made some of your children strong
Father,
I hope you are proud.
I hope I can be
one of your strongest angels
to lead others
back to you."
I want to find someone who'll be my angel... I am an angel sometimes... but I need an angel to guide me and give me confidence. Physically, I mean... I know Christ is my angel, Savior, and redeemer. But I want someone on earth with me, physically, to help me along the way.
I am destined to be someones angel."
**************************************************************************************
After the Sacred Grove and Joseph Smith's Homes, we went and paid a visit to Alvin Smith's Grave. He was the oldest of the Smith children, and Joseph's idol. So as you can imagine, it was very hard on Joseph when he died. It was really emotional, because I pictures one of my brothers dying, and I started to cry... My brother who is a senior this year is a great example to me, and he's one of my best friends, so I can't imagine losing him...
**************************************************************************************
We sing 3 songs every day, and parts of the lyrics really hit me strong.... This is what I thought of today as we sang:
"I really like the lyrics to 2 of the songs we sing every day, '...And remembering those who were trying, and living and dying to guide us on home..' 'And how far did they go driven by visions of what I would be?'
Our ancestors, Joseph Smith, and all those who helped organize the church and were a part of it in the beginning, prepared for us. they improved and strengthened themselves so that WE could have the church and be strong.
Now we need to do the same for our children, not born yet. We need to prepare ourselves and the church for them and be strong. We need to be the best people we can be, because who we are not only affects us, but everyone we interact with. Others are benefited by our good actions. Our children are above watching us learn and grow. We need to be strong for THEM. 'Remember the children who look to you to keep tomorrow free.'
**************************************************************************************
Then we had a sharing time in the hotel, where we could share our experiences of today's activities. These are just some notes I jotted down in my notebook so I wouldn't forget what to say when I got up to the front...
"In the sacred grove, I had the opportunity to read my patriarchal blessing. It felt like God spoke to me like he did with Joseph. He told me what my purpose was... He told me why I was here. He told me how important I was in his plan...
I may not always have the cutest clothes, or all the time in the world to get ready in the morning... I may not always have the best self confidence... But I will always have the knowledge that I am a daughter of God. I will always have the peace and comfort of the gospel in my life, and I will ALWAYS have the Savior by my side to lift me up.
**************************************************************************************
This post, this day was the first of my 4 favorite spiritual experiences on this trip. I hope it has strengthened your testimony, even a little :) Or I at least hope it made you smile. I hope you felt some of the spirit I felt during these experiences. :)
Sites Visited Today: Sacred Grove, Joseph Smith's Home, Hill Cumorah
Quote in HTM: "The First Vision is the very foundation of this church, and it is my conviction that each member of this church performs his duty in direct ratio to his personal testimony and faith in the first vision." ~Robert L. Simpson
Ah the Sacred Grove, I have been waiting to share my experience from this site...
I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to sing for everyone before we entered the grove. We had a small meeting before we went in, to bring the spirit. I had prepared 5 or so songs before the trip, and one of them went along with this perfectly, so Brother E. let me sing it. It's called 'He Hears Me' by Hilary Weeks. Here are the lyrics:
Here I am again, down on my knees
And with every pleading word, Thy comfort I seek
Though the words are slow to come,
My thoughts are racing by
Peace fills the room, Thy spirit is nigh
He hears me
When I'm crying in the night
He hears me
When my soul longs to fight
Till the morning will come
And the light of the dawn reassures...
He hears me
Any hour, wherever I may be
In the silence of an empty room, or on a crowded street
Whether offering thanks, or in urgency I pray
I never go unnoticed, I'm never led astray
(chorus)
Any whisper of the soul
No matter how old
Father hears the call
He hears me
When I'm crying in the night
He hears me
When my soul longs to fight
Till the morning will come
And the light of the dawn reassures...
He hears me
I thought the lyrics were appropriate, because it talks about how he hears our prayers, and he heard Joseph's prayer. I think I did alright, and people told me it brought the spirit, so I was very happy to be able to do that :)
After that, we were sent into the Grove, to think and ponder for about an hour.
I didn't take any pictures in the Sacred Grove, even though they said it was fine, and mostly everyone did. I just didn't feel right doing that, because they told us it was an Outside Temple. It definitely felt like a temple...
It had just rained, so everything was very wet... I was going to find a spot on the ground to sit on, but I was wearing a white skirt, so you can see how that wouldn't really work out, haha. They had benches every so often on the trails, but of course they were all filled, there being 100 kids on this tour. So I sat by a friend for a while, and she left to walk around, so I had it to myself.
So far i've been going into detail or paraphrasing what i've written in my journal, because it was either a lot or not enough detail... But I think for this experience, i'm going to quote from my journal word for word... Because what I learned and realized and felt there was so incredible to me. I realized my worth... I felt the full and complete meaning of "The worth of souls is great in the sight of God." I felt the full meaning of the fact that I am a daughter of God...
Here is what I wrote in my journal:
"I have just read my patriarchal blessing. I know I am a daughter of God. He literally does know ME, very VERY personally... Better than I even know myself.
I am his soldier. His instrument. I personally was put on this earth to bless the lives of others and serve them. He really needs me in his plan... He needs me to be confident and strong for others... That's my job. He gave me the trial of struggling with confidence so that I may overcome it and be stronger and help others do the same.
I must, I WILL stay true to this gospel and this truth or the remainder of eternity. I will not falter from it. I will not fail to stay close to this church. I will not.
(here comes the best part, this is the most confident i've ever felt, haha..)
I... I am a beautiful, blessed, talented, virtuous, lovely daughter of God. I stand as an example to all women out there. I must stay clean and righteous in order to fulfill all i'm supposed to do. I must work to improve myself constantly.
I must find a worthy, strong, happy, independent son of God as my eternal companion. He will be independently strong in the church. H will be lean and kind and sweet and loving and thoughtful. H will fulfill everything on my list (hopefully).
He will be compatible with me and bring me joy.
He will be a constant worthy holder of the priesthood. He will be an amazing father and husband. He will never speak to me in a rude, unforgiving, shallow tone. He will work with me to fix problems in a calm and kind way. He will treat me like the daughter of God that I am. I am a princess, a daughter of GOD. He will know that all the time, and treat me as so. I will try my best to treat him as a worthy son of God should be treated.
This grove... These woods... It truly is an outdoor temple. God protects this place... He watches over it... His spirit is always here. It never left, since the day Joseph prayed here.
(Then I wrote this kind of... poem..? It's more of me rambling on about angels... I usually write poems in this format, and they are usually MUCH better than this one (http://mouse1414.blogspot.com/), but I guess it doesn't really matter. Here it is):
"Father, send me an angel
to guide and watch over me
father, I need an angel
to remind me of my worth
my importance
my purpose in this world.
I know you're there
I know you'll send one...
for you never let me down.
I need an angel
to help me know
that I am beautiful,
confident..
happy.
Send me an angel
with a beautiful smile
that could light up
the darkest room.
Send me an angel
with a sweet, soft voice
that could calm
a storm...
that could calm
a child...
Father,
send me an angel
that will inspire me
and lift me up
so that I may do the same for others.
Father
I need an angel
to help me along
for I can not always
make it alone
Send me an angel to be
my example
Because sometimes
I need a little reminder
of how to be an example to others.
Sometimes I forget
that I was sent here
as a soldier of God
as a mother and daughter
of Zion.
Father
send me an angel
to guide me home
and comfort me
when faint and weary
I need an angel
to make me stronger.
Father...
I am an angel
aren't I?
I have comforted those
in need.
I have helped others back home
I have made some of your children strong
Father,
I hope you are proud.
I hope I can be
one of your strongest angels
to lead others
back to you."
I want to find someone who'll be my angel... I am an angel sometimes... but I need an angel to guide me and give me confidence. Physically, I mean... I know Christ is my angel, Savior, and redeemer. But I want someone on earth with me, physically, to help me along the way.
I am destined to be someones angel."
**************************************************************************************
After the Sacred Grove and Joseph Smith's Homes, we went and paid a visit to Alvin Smith's Grave. He was the oldest of the Smith children, and Joseph's idol. So as you can imagine, it was very hard on Joseph when he died. It was really emotional, because I pictures one of my brothers dying, and I started to cry... My brother who is a senior this year is a great example to me, and he's one of my best friends, so I can't imagine losing him...
**************************************************************************************
We sing 3 songs every day, and parts of the lyrics really hit me strong.... This is what I thought of today as we sang:
"I really like the lyrics to 2 of the songs we sing every day, '...And remembering those who were trying, and living and dying to guide us on home..' 'And how far did they go driven by visions of what I would be?'
Our ancestors, Joseph Smith, and all those who helped organize the church and were a part of it in the beginning, prepared for us. they improved and strengthened themselves so that WE could have the church and be strong.
Now we need to do the same for our children, not born yet. We need to prepare ourselves and the church for them and be strong. We need to be the best people we can be, because who we are not only affects us, but everyone we interact with. Others are benefited by our good actions. Our children are above watching us learn and grow. We need to be strong for THEM. 'Remember the children who look to you to keep tomorrow free.'
**************************************************************************************
Then we had a sharing time in the hotel, where we could share our experiences of today's activities. These are just some notes I jotted down in my notebook so I wouldn't forget what to say when I got up to the front...
"In the sacred grove, I had the opportunity to read my patriarchal blessing. It felt like God spoke to me like he did with Joseph. He told me what my purpose was... He told me why I was here. He told me how important I was in his plan...
I may not always have the cutest clothes, or all the time in the world to get ready in the morning... I may not always have the best self confidence... But I will always have the knowledge that I am a daughter of God. I will always have the peace and comfort of the gospel in my life, and I will ALWAYS have the Savior by my side to lift me up.
**************************************************************************************
This post, this day was the first of my 4 favorite spiritual experiences on this trip. I hope it has strengthened your testimony, even a little :) Or I at least hope it made you smile. I hope you felt some of the spirit I felt during these experiences. :)
 |
| This is one of the houses Joseph Smith lived in. The Sacred Grove is in the background :) |
 |
| Alvin (Joseph's oldest brother) built this house, but died before he could finish it. Read it about it below :) |
 |
| This tree was planted by the Smith boys! It's amazing! Joseph Smith himself touched this tree. |
 |
| Here's Alvin's grave. This is a re-done grave, the original was mounted on the back. See picture of original below. :) |
 |
| Here's a thing talkin about Hill Cumorah. It talks about it better than I would have haha... |
 |
| This was on top of Hill Cumorah. |
 |
| Hill Cumorah! (Looking down on it from the top.) Trust me, it's way bigger and steeper than it looks! |
 |
| Here's the Hill Cumorah Monument/Statue from a different point of view. |
Friday, July 29, 2011
Day 6: Saturday, June 11
Destination: Palmyra, NY Sites Visited: Niagara falls (woo!) and the Peter Whitmer Farm Niagara Falls was awesome, as you can probably imagine :) This is a spiritual experience blog, so i'm not gonna write about going to the falls, even though I don't really have much to say about it anyway, haha. I took about a thousand pictures though! After wards we visited the Peter Whitmer Farm. This is where the church was organized... It all began from this very spot, on April 6, 1830. (I find that a funny coincidence.. April 6 is Jesus' Birthday..) In my HTM for today's sites there was a paper about this farm. It basically listed all the events that happened in this very house. They are as follows: -The translation of the BM was completed. -Three witnesses received their witness of the plates. -Official organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on April 6, 1830. -The first sacrament was blessed and passed in this Dispensation. -The first Priesthood ordinations were performed including Joseph Smith Jr. and Oliver Cowdery ordained as First and Second Elders of the Church. -20 sections of D&C were received. -The first 3 General Conferences were held. This home has so much history to it! It's amazing. We gathered on the grass next to the house under this big tree, all 100 of us. We talked about how from this one spot, from this one little home, the Gospel and this Church has spread throughout the earth. We have almost 14 million members today... It's incredible. Just to think of how far this church has come blows my mind... Missionaries preach every day and convert people every day. One of the main leaders, who was talking to us, pointed his hand out and slowly moved it across the whole group, pointing to us all. As he pointed to us, he wanted us to say the mission of someone related to us, or someone close to us, or even our own mission we may have been called to. As they crossed me I said, "England, Coventry Mission" because that's where both of my parents served. I heard about every major country as he pointed at everyone in the group... It was so incredible, to sit there and realize how far this church has gone... We sat right where it began, and we said where it had continued to move to. It's been all over the world, and it's continuing. I can't wait to see how many members we have in 5 or ten years... I just want to see how far it goes. It's already gone so incredibly far... This Gospel has reached places that Joseph Smith had probably never even known about or heard of. I just can't wrap my mind around that... The spirit was so strong with our group. We've known each other less than a week, and we already have the ability to quickly bring the spirit so strongly into a meeting together... "If this were the work of man, it would fail. But it is not the work of man, it is the work of God, and God does not fail." This church is true... The spirit we felt there and bore witness of was so real and strong, there's no way we could have denied it. And it only multiplied throughout the trip.  |
| Here's the Peter Whitmer Farm, where many historic things happened. This is where the church began, where it was organized, on April 6, 1830. |
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| This was next to the above house ^ We all gathered here after and talked about how much the church has grown and how far it has gone from this one spot. |
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| Here's the top half of what was written on the visitor's center next to the house. It was small writing so I split it into 2 pictures. |
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| Bottom half... |
Day 5: Friday, June 10
Destination: Buffalo, NY
Sites Visited: Kirtland Temple, Whitney Store, Morley Farm
It was weird going to the Kirtland Temple. It's the only temple built by our church that isn't owned by our church (correct me if i'm wrong...). It's owned by the RLDS church...
It was weird being there, because the spirit wasn't there... It didn't even feel like a temple. When we went there, a tour guide showed us a movie and gave us a tour and talked about the history of it and such, and I just felt weird the whole time. I didn't feel remotely the same feelings that I feel in a temple owned by our church.
It made me sad to know that one of our own temples wasn't even owned by us. The saints worked for so many years and sacrificed so much to build that temple, and now we don't even own it.
Overall, it just felt weird.
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I have written in my journal of page of 'Things to Write About' and then I never wrote about them, haha. One of the bullet points was "Piano/Gospel Analogy" and then it has D&C 1:30 written next to it. If anybody knows what that means, please comment and tell me! Maybe it was talked about in a fireside or something..? But the scripture was good, so here it is:
"30: And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of the obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually-
31: For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;
32: Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven."
~D&C 1:30-32
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The Morley Farm was really cool :) We took like a 1 or 2 minute walk up this hill into some woods to find a small clearing. That's one of the 3 or 4 places that Heavenly Father has appeared on the earth since the church was restored. I could feel the spirit really strong there. We had about 5 minutes of silence where we just stood there and felt the spirit and thought to ourselves. I don't remember what I thought about... I think I decided to pray about a problem I was going through. I figured that was a good time since I had felt God's presence so strongly, and I knew he was there to listen when I needed him. We weren't there for very long because we had to move on to the next thing, so that's all that really happened there.
Sites Visited: Kirtland Temple, Whitney Store, Morley Farm
It was weird going to the Kirtland Temple. It's the only temple built by our church that isn't owned by our church (correct me if i'm wrong...). It's owned by the RLDS church...
It was weird being there, because the spirit wasn't there... It didn't even feel like a temple. When we went there, a tour guide showed us a movie and gave us a tour and talked about the history of it and such, and I just felt weird the whole time. I didn't feel remotely the same feelings that I feel in a temple owned by our church.
It made me sad to know that one of our own temples wasn't even owned by us. The saints worked for so many years and sacrificed so much to build that temple, and now we don't even own it.
Overall, it just felt weird.
************************************************************************************
I have written in my journal of page of 'Things to Write About' and then I never wrote about them, haha. One of the bullet points was "Piano/Gospel Analogy" and then it has D&C 1:30 written next to it. If anybody knows what that means, please comment and tell me! Maybe it was talked about in a fireside or something..? But the scripture was good, so here it is:
"30: And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of the obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually-
31: For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;
32: Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven."
~D&C 1:30-32
************************************************************************************
The Morley Farm was really cool :) We took like a 1 or 2 minute walk up this hill into some woods to find a small clearing. That's one of the 3 or 4 places that Heavenly Father has appeared on the earth since the church was restored. I could feel the spirit really strong there. We had about 5 minutes of silence where we just stood there and felt the spirit and thought to ourselves. I don't remember what I thought about... I think I decided to pray about a problem I was going through. I figured that was a good time since I had felt God's presence so strongly, and I knew he was there to listen when I needed him. We weren't there for very long because we had to move on to the next thing, so that's all that really happened there.
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| Painting in the Visitors Center of the Kirtland Temple |
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| This is a scripture that was next the painting above. D&C 88:119 |
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| This was another painting in the Visitor's Center of Kirtland. Beautiful :) |
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| Kirtland Temple |
Day 4: Thursday, June 9
Destination: Kirtland, OH
Sites Visited: The John Johnson Home
Sites Visited: The John Johnson Home
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| Joseph Smith stood on this front door step and spoke to the members the morning after he was tarred and feathered. |
Today was mostly a travel day, as were the first 2 days. As far as I remember we only visited one site today, and then we had a fireside type thing. We visited the John Johnson Farm, which is where a few big events happened; Joseph Smith was tarred and feathered, God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ appeared in the upstairs room (I think this was the house that happened in..? Correct me if i'm wrong.), and the day after Joseph was tarred and feathered, he preached on the front door step.
There was a point on the trip where I couldn't feel the spirit, and I keep forgetting that this happened... It was the strongest i've ever felt Satan in my life... This tour is the most spiritual and amazing experience i've ever had, so naturally, Satan tried to ruin it for me. There were maybe 5 sites on the trip where I could not feel the spirit, so I didn't write anything in my journal about them. The Johnson Farm was one of them, unfortunately... It was so discouraging. We stood where God stood... People came out of the home crying, and I couldn't feel anything. It was hard... But for the most part, I felt the spirit about 90% of the trip.
But anyways, like I said, we stood where Heavenly Father stood. I want to go back there someday and try to feel more than I felt that day...
After we came out of the house, we sat in a group in front of the doorstep and pictured Joseph Smith standing there, speaking to all of us. Brother E. talked to us for a bit, and then we all stood close together and sang the medley, 'We'll Bring the World His Truth'. We kind of sang it to Joseph Smith. It was as if we were talking to him and promising him to bring the world his truth. It was really amazing... The spirit was really strong. It was the only time I had felt it that day, because I was really trying SO hard to feel it. I looked around, and the same kid I saw crying at Winter Quarters was sobbing again here, and I wanted to go over and put my arm around him again, but I didn't because it would have been awkward to walk over in front of everyone in the middle of the song... Plus we're technically not supposed to do that on HT o.O
He was feeling the spirit SO strong that he could hardly stand... I have NEVER in my life seen someone so filled with the spirit before. I have never seen someone so grateful for something that someone else sacrificed for them... I gained SO much respect for this guy in just 2 days. It's really incredible to be with so many kids who are so filled with the spirit. I loved being surrounded by them... I never wanted the tour to end, I just wanted to always be with these kids. It was the first time I had felt like I had more than one TRUE friend in a long time. It was so amazing...
So back to what I was saying about how Satan was trying to ruin my trip...
I did learn something very valuable with the experience of having Satan try to bring me down... Within a few days, I was back up again, feeling the spirit stronger than ever, and having those experiences I wanted to have.
What I learned: NOTHING ON THIS EARTH IS STRONGER THAN THIS GOSPEL. No matter WHAT tries to bring it down or stop it from progressing, it will continue to be stronger and fill the earth. We CANNOT lose if we have the Lord on our side. We CANNOT lose with this Gospel in our lives.
Having the spirit in my life easily pushes away Satan. He may find his way in once in a while like he did on the trip for a few days, but when I invite the spirit into my heart again, he's gone in a heartbeat. Nothing on this earth is stronger than this Gospel, or truer than this Church.
I am so happy to be a part of this church... I love it more than ANYTHING in the world.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Day 3: Wednesday, June 8
Destination: Elkhart, IN
Today was mostly a travel day/catch up on reading day. I don't have much written in my journal, so sorry, this is a short post. Just for entertainment purposes, here's a picture of a funny shirt I saw at the 'Largest Truck-stop in the World'! :)
Sites visited: None, as far as I can remember.
Quote from HTM (Heritage Tours Manual): "Spirituality is not acquired suddenly. It is the consequence of a succession of right choices. It is the harvest of a righteous life." ~Elder Dallin H. Oaks
Today was mostly a travel day/catch up on reading day. I don't have much written in my journal, so sorry, this is a short post. Just for entertainment purposes, here's a picture of a funny shirt I saw at the 'Largest Truck-stop in the World'! :)
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