The Hill Cumourah Pageant

Here are a few pictures from our family trip to Palmyra this summer.  We went up Friday night, pitched a tent in the dark and spent Saturday and Sunday visiting church history sites and playing.  When we woke up Saturday morning, we realized there was a lake at the campsite and canoes and kayaks we could use.  I hadn't really realized this so only about half of us had swimming suits.  Regardless, we jumped in fully dressed.  The lake was very rocky and the missionaries that ran the park urged us all to wear our shoes in as well so we wouldn't cut our feet.  So most of us had soggy shoes too.  After the kayaking, we cooked our lunch over a fire in searing heat and put on dry clothes. 

We headed out to see the church history sites and ran into Jay and Janece Woods from Basin City at the sacred grove.  After the sites, we grabbed a picnic dinner and went to the hill cumourah pageant.  Surprizingly, Justin's cousins were in the pageant and we had a nice little visit with them and got to see them perform.  It was really good.  After the pageant, it was another late night getting to the tent in the dark and falling right to sleep.  It rained during the night, but our tent kept us relatively dry with only a few leaks.  It dried up just long enough for us to make breakfast in the morning and then the rain began to fall again.  It was really discouraging to try and get all the kids showered and dressed in their church clothes with all of the dirty mud and rain.  I was about ready just to give up and stay in the tent until the rain stopped.  There was thunder and lightening and it was really pouring.  A few minutes in the rain would completely drench us.  Justin found some plastic to use as an umbrella and escorted us all to the van.  I was pretty self concious going to church as we were all a little dirty and smelly and I had accidentally left my church shoes at home and had to wear my stinky, drippy tennis shoes from the lake the day before.  By the time we were all in the car, we were about 20 minutes late for church.  I was feeling pretty embarrassed, but as we walked into the chapel, my feelings completely changed.  The chapel was brimming and the curtains had been opened spilling out into the gym.  IT looked like stake conference there were so many people.  Some were dressed perfectly for Sunday, and others like me, were wearing tennis shoes, or shorts or jeans.  It was really a beautiful sight to see so many people reagardless of their circumstances or dress gathering to worship Jesus Christ.  It really humbled me and reminded me that the Lord looketh on the heart and not at our outward appearance and that he wants us to come to Him even if we aren't perfect.  IT was really the most spiritual part of my weekend. 

After church we went to the David Whitmer farm and saw the Steele's from Mt. Home ID.  THey were volunteering there for 2 weeks.  It was great to talk with them about all the people from our old ward in ID.  after that we struck camp and headed back home.  It was a great weekend.