As you study the Doctrine and Covenants in Come, Follow Me this year, you can deepen your understanding by exploring the stories and viewing photos of places where sacred events occurred. This is the fist in a series of articles about key Church history sites.

Many of the events fundamental to the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints occurred in New York and Pennsylvania. The Sacred Grove, Hill Cumorah, Priesthood Restoration Site, Whitmer Farm, and Grandin Building all tell a story of faith, perseverance, and hope. They have been preserved by the Church for visitors to enjoy either in person or virtually.

Sacred Grove

The Sacred Grove in Palmyra, New York, is where Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, visited the young Joseph Smith Jr. in 1820.

sacred-grove

Visits to the Sacred Grove are self-guided, and you will be invited to explore it by missionaries after the tour of the homes on the Smith Family Farm. You may spend as long as you’d like in the Sacred Grove, and there are benches periodically if you’d like to sit down for quiet reflection. The trails throughout the Grove are subject to weather conditions but off-road wheelchairs are available in the Welcome Center.

See the Sacred Grove page for schedule hours and more information, including photos and a 360-degree walkthrough of the sacred grove.

Smith Family Farm and Home

Several founding events in Church history took place on the Smith Family Farm. On September 21, 1823, the angel Moroni first visited Joseph Smith in the family’s small log home. Four years later, Joseph and his wife, Emma, lived in the larger Smith family home with his family when he received the gold plates. The Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon were shown the gold plates while visiting the Smith family farm in the summer of 1829.

smith-family-home

You can tour both homes, see historical artifacts, and learn more about life for the Smith family during this historic period.

Hill Cumorah

Hill Cumorah in Manchester, New York, is the place where Joseph Smith met annually with the angel Moroni from 1823 to 1827 and obtained the gold plates from which the Book of Mormon would be translated.

hill-cumorah

The historic site includes trails to a monument at the top of the hill. A visitors’ center features exhibits and historical artifacts. The Church is also in the process of a reforestation project at the historic location.

See the Hill Cumorah page for schedule hours and the Hill Cumorah Trails and Forest page for photos and a 360-degree walkthrough.

Priesthood Restoration Site

priesthood-restoration- Susquehanna-river

The Priesthood Restoration Site in Oakland Township, Pennsylvania, is where Joseph Smith’s wife Emma grew up and where several significant events occurred. While living here, Joseph Smith and his scribes completed the majority of the translation of the Book of Mormon, the Aaronic Priesthood was restored by John the Baptist, and the first baptisms in modern times were performed.

The Priesthood Restoration Site includes a visitors’ center, Priesthood Restoration Statues, Aaronic Priesthood Restoration Trail, Isaac and Elizabeth Hale Home, Joseph and Emma Smith Home, Aaronic Priesthood Restoration Monument, McKune Cemetery, Priesthood Restoration Baptismal Site, Priesthood Restoration Site Pavilion, and a Priesthood Restoration Site Gathering Place.

See the Priesthood Restoration Site page for schedule hours, photos, maps, and more information.

Whitmer Farm: Church Organization Site

The Whitmer Farm, located near Fayette, New York, is the place where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized on April 6, 1830, and where God gave Joseph Smith revelations to guide His restored Church.

whitmer-farm

A reconstructed log home and a visitors’ center commemorate events associated with the organization of the restored Church of Jesus Christ. The Whitmer Farm Visitors’ Center includes films and interactive displays about the translation of the Book of Mormon and the founding and growth of the Church. You can also see where Joseph and Emma buried their first child, as well as where Emma’s parents are buried.

See the Whitmer Farm: Church Organization Site for schedule hours, photos, and more information.

Grandin Printshop: Book of Mormon Publication Site

The Grandin Printshop in Palmyra, New York, is the place where the first copies of the Book of Mormon were printed and bound in 1829 and 1830.

grandin-printshop
The building now functions as a visitors’ center where missionaries provide tours and share insights into the publication process of the Book of Mormon.

See the Grandin Printshop: Book of Mormon Publication Site page for schedule hours, photos, and a 360-degree walkthrough.

Plan Your Visit to New York and Pennsylvania

Learn more about the Church’s historic sites at history.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

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