Our Second Day in New York started at the place Sister Samia most wanted to see, The Sacred Grove. We believe that this is the place where a 14 year old Joseph Smith went to pray about which church of all the churches he should join. In response to this prayer God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ appeared to him and told him that many precious truths had been lost from the earth and that the fullness of the Gospel would be restored in due time through him. This experience started what we call the Restoration and, for him, a difficult life filled with persecution and eventual martyrdom for refusing to deny this experience.
He eventually was entrusted with the golden plates (an ancient record of the prophets and peoples here in the Americas from 600 AD to about 400 BC) that would be translated into the Book of Mormon - another testament of Jesus Christ and a companion to the Bible. I really love the opportunity to spend time in the place where the Smith family lived and where such miraculous events took place. It strengthens my testimony each time I go there. This blog is our family history and I want to write a little bit about how I feel so that my children and (someday:) grandchildren will know how I feel about this place and why it impacts my testimony.
All religion requires a "leap of faith". All Christians, including members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, believe in the teachings and stories of the bible. We all believe that Christ lived as our perfect example, that He died for our sins, and was resurrected. Most religions in general believe that there is some form of authority placed on their priests, ministers, or leaders which allows them to act in the name of God. None of this can be "proven". Most believers would tell you that they don't need physical proof to have an unshakable spiritual belief. In every case of true conversion it is a personal confirmation in one's heart that tells them that what they have asked and prayed about is true.
This is how I feel about the account of the first vision in the sacred grove. I was not there. There will never be "proof" that it happened. But I have prayed and studied throughout my life to know if it is true and I know it is. I cannot deny the answer I have received in my heart. And, if that vision happened, then Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and the Book of Mormon is true and provides even more clarity about the teachings of the Savior.
I have had some very difficult conversations with good and wonderful friends of mine lately. They have repeatedly asked me why I would allow myself to believe something such as this and have asked me to just deny that I believe it to be true. They believe that because we claim to have the fullness of the Gospel that we are somehow being disrespectful to their religion. We are not. There are many faithful disciples of Jesus Christ in all religions. People who are living their lives the way they think God would have them live and serving and loving their fellow man. We believe that there are many truths taught in congregations all over the world. We simply believe that we have the fullness and clarity of the Gospel that existed in the days of Christ. We believe that the Priesthood authority to act in God's name on this earth was lost during the apostasy (or dark ages) and needed to be restored in order for God's church to fully function as it did originally.
It is not always easy to stand up for what you know to be true. Sometimes people (even good friends) tell you that you are naive, unintelligent, or just plain mean for claiming to belong to the only church on the earth with the fullness of the Gospel. They will tell you that people think you are weird and they may even make fun of you behind your back. The funny thing is that if you ask them if they are sure their church is true they probably won't know what to say. I have also never had a friend from one of these conversations be willing to study and pray for an answer themselves.
I never get angry during these conversations, but sometimes after I am alone I have a good cry. It does hurt my feelings when my friends jump from the topic of religious beliefs to personal insults. The happiness of living the gospel will speak for itself. I live my life the way I know I should and try to share the light of Christ. I make mistakes, but I will always stand up for what I know to be true and I cherish the opportunity to celebrate with my friends in their religions.
This is the Smith Cabin they lived in before the house that Alvin built for them.
The Palmyra temple has a clear window so that you can see the Sacred Grove from inside the waiting area.
This is the "Alvin" tree. The Smith family planted it in honor of Alvin after he died.
This tree is about 400 years old. It has 12 branches shooting upward and is named the "Apostle" tree. When it died they cut off any branches that might fall and left the tree in place.
