Bus Trip to Palmyra, NY

So I have to admit that I have been slacking on keeping my blog updated and my mom has finally convinced me that it is time that I update everyone on my life back east.....

Last Saturday (July 19) I went on a bus trip to the Hill Cumorah pageant and church sites in Palmyra. There were about 50 young single adults that went and we all met at the stake center at 7:30 Saturday morning.  We ended up leaving the church around 8:00 and drove straight to Hill Cumorah, I was so excited to finally get there because the bus ride was so hot! We arrived to Hill Cumorah around 1:00 and ate lunch and a few of us stayed at Hill Cumorah for the first two hours while the others went to the other sites. We toured the visitors center, hung out in the visitors center because it was very cold and it felt really nice ha ha, and then we went to the top of the hill and took some pictures.

 Two friends from institute and I at the top of the hill

Me and Ryan's mission president's daughter, in the visitors center (its a small world after all!!)

After Hill Cumorah we got on the bus at 4:00 and went to the Sacred Grove, Joseph Smith farm and log house. It was so amazing to walk through the Sacred Grove, it was so beautiful and peaceful. We didn't have time to tour the Smith Log house or the visitors center because the line was so long, but we did get to walk through the Smith Frame home and see where the plates were hidden when the mobs came. 

Palmyra Temple (Picture taken from the Smith Log house area)

Friends from institute and I in the Sacred Grove

The plates were hidden under these bricks

After touring that area we got back on the bus and went to downtown Palmyra and toured the Grandin Building where the Book of Mormon was published. I can't believe how much work it was to print the Book of Mormon and put it together! It is such a long process and I can't imagine doing it 5,000 times! Yikes, thats a lot! But the Lord knew that it needed to be done and I am so thankful for it. It has truly brought so much happiness to the world. 

So after downtown Palmyra we were back on the bus again and headed back to Hill Cumorah and waited for the pageant to start at 9:00. The pageant was awesome! And I couldn't believe all the people there! It was crazy, and I saw a couple of kids that I went to high school with there so that was cool! The pageant got over around 10:30 and we left around 11:30 and drove straight back to New Jersey. We didn't get back the church until 5:00 Sunday morning, so I came home and slept for 4 hours and then I was up again and went to church at 10:00. Oh boy was I tired! But I lasted all of church, yay for me! ha ha.  

Holly and I waiting for the pageant to start

Hill Cumorah pageant