Today was a long but great day. We took a field trip with the Temple Missionaries to Harmony, Pennsylvania. It felt good to be in a car and to see the beautiful scenery all around us; but after 3 hours, we were ready to get out! Why the field trip? We visited the sites of the Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood.
The Church is building a Visitor's Center and replicas of important homes in the area in regards to Church History. The above map shows the layout. A major highway had to be moved (lots of red tape!) in order for this to take place.
This is a rendering of what the new Chapel and the Harmony Visitor's Center will look like when competed- in the next 60 days.
A front view of this beautiful building which is under construction. Pennsylvania Blue Stone is excavated from quarries in the area to cover the exterior.
This rendering is of Joseph and Emma Smith's home.
This is what it looks like today. Coming along very well.
A short distance down the road is the home of Isaac Hales (Emma's father). Not only did Joseph and Emma live in these homes, but a very significant event in Church History happened in them.
This is the construction of the Isaac Hales home today.
Yes, it was in these two homes that much of the Book of Mormon was translated...plus many revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants were received in the Harmony area.
We were in luck. A few days before, these two statues had been delivered to the Visitors Center and they were being mounted on their pedestals and were about to be set.....(cement was going to be poured inside of them to make them solid). These were cast from the Priesthood statues from Temple Square in Salt Lake City.
John the Baptist restoring the Aaronic Priesthood on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.
May 15, 1829.
A few months later in the area...Peter, James and John appear to Joseph and Oliver to confer the Melchizedek Priesthood on them.
We were also able to gather at the banks of the Susquehanna River where Joseph Smith baptized Oliver then Oliver baptized Joseph into the Restored Church...The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
A group of photo of all the senior missionaries who were with us this day. A wonderful group of people.
As we listened to a good brother recount some of the happenings of this area, it was a wonderful feeling to look out on this river and ponder the events that happened here.
It was a great day. The Harmony Visitors Center is scheduled to be opened the middle of September. We would love to return when it is finished....but we have assignments elsewhere. Our lives have been so blessed by the restoration of Priesthood authority. What a great gift from our Heavenly Father. The Church is true...and we are thrilled to be members of it!
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