PETER WHITMER FARM AND CHURCH ORGANIZATIONAL SITE VIRTUAL TOUR: Part II

The Whitmer Farm Visitors' Center Art Gallery is one of our favorite parts of this site.  William Whitaker of the Art Department at Brigham Young University was commissioned to paint pictures depicting the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for the first Ensign magazine.  They appeared in that magazine in January 1971.  These original pieces of art are now on display at the Peter Whitmer Farm Visitors' Center.

On the morning of Tuesday, April 6, 1830, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery met in an upstairs room to prepare for the important events of the day.  This drawing shows them in the same room where they had completed the translation of the Book of Mormon the year before.

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Joseph Smith, Sr., the Prophet's father was among those who took part in the events of the day.  He was the first to hear and believe his son's account of the visit of the Angel Moroni.

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There were between 40 and 60 guests at the organizational meeting, some coming as far as 100 miles away.  Many of the women of the Smith and Whitmer families, the wives, daughters, and daughter-in-law were present.

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One of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, Martin Harris, sold part of his farm to pay for the publication of the book.  He came from Palmyra to attend the meeting.

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Additional chairs were brought into the main room of the Whitmer home to accommodate the growing crowd as preparations for the meeting were completed.  (It seems the Priesthood still put up and take down chairs today!)

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Joseph Smith, 24 years of age, presided over the meeting.  At his side was Oliver Cowdery, who had shared many of Joseph's greatest spiritual experiences.

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The meeting opened with solemn prayer.  The room was crowded with the Prophet's family and friends.  We no longer kneel in prayer in our public meetings, but we kneel in personal and family prayer and often in council meetings.

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Establishing the principle of common consent, the six official participants voted to organize the Church and to sustain Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery as presiding officers.  In addition to Joseph and Oliver were Joseph's brothers, Hyrum and Samuel Smith, David Whitmer and Peter Whitmer, Jr.

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Joseph ordained Oliver to be an Elder in the Church of Christ (as it was initially called); then Oliver ordained Joseph to the same office.

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As it was in Christian meetings in New Testament times, the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was part of this first meeting of the restored Church.

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Several people who had been previously baptized were confirmed members of the Church.  Joseph and Oliver also ordained a number of men to offices in the Priesthood.

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Some time that day, baptisms by immersion were performed nearby. Although Joseph and Oliver had been previously baptized, they repeated the ordinance to signify they were now members of the official church.

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Several other people who had attended the meeting later applied for baptism and were received into the Church.  Those receiving baptism were Martin Harris, Joseph Smith, Sr., his wife Lucy Mack Smith and others.

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The Prophet's father, baptized on the day of the organization, was later confirmed a member of the Church and given the gift of the Holy Ghost.

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The Church organization chart here re-emphasizes the same organization, principles, and ordinances as the Church when organized by Christ during His ministry.  Jesus Christ is still at the head of the Church, and now Thomas S. Monson is the current prophet today, with the same responsibilities as Peter had during Christ's day.

We hope you enjoyed this beautiful art gallery as much as we do.  Next we will go out to the recreated farm home of the Whitmers.

PETER WHITMER FARM AND CHURCH ORGANIZATION SITE VITRUAL TOUR: Part I

Welcome to the Whitmer Farm Visitors' Center.  This is one of the 4 Sites where we serve here in New York.  It is not right in Palmyra, but is in Fayette, New York, about 27 miles southeast of Palmyra.  We are happy to have you here on tour today!

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This is the beautiful Fayette Ward Chapel and Whitmer Farm Visitors' Center. It was completed and dedicated on April 6, 1980 on the 150th anniversary of the organization the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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This foyer and the rest of the building are built in Greek Revivalist architecture reminiscent of a house of worship at the time the Church was organized in 1830.

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Three men were allowed to witness the plates from which the ancient records were translated and to see Moroni, an angel and ancient prophet that gave the plates to Joseph Smith.  They also heard the voice of the Lord saying, "These plates have been revealed by the power of God.  The translation of them which you have seen is correct, and I command you to bear record of what you now see and hear."  These three men, Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris, and David Whitmer testified of this event for the remainder of their lives.  Later, in Palmyra, 8 more witnesses saw the plates.

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Peter Whitmer, Sr. and his wife Mary moved to Fayette, New York in 1805 and by 1819 they had built a small log home on their farm of 100 acres.  Peter and his sons were highly respected in the community, each holding elected or appointed positions.  The Whitmers were a hardworking family who followed convictions based upon deep religious feelings and were a great help to Joseph Smith.

Peter Whitmer, Sr.

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The map below helps understand the relationship of events leading to the organization of the Church.  Joseph and his wife, Emma,  left Palmyra and went to Harmony, Pennsylvania so Joseph could translate.  Oliver Cowdery came to Palmyra to teach school and while boarding with the Smith family learned of Joseph Smith and his vision.  Oliver received his own witness of the truthfulness of these events and went to Harmony to meet Joseph Smith.  He became his scribe and was the scribe for most of the translation of the Book of Mormon.  They eventually came to the Whitmer Farm here in Fayette, to finish the translation.

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The chart below establishes the need for a restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  From Adam's day and always, God has shown his love for us by calling prophets.  At times, through the ages, people chose to ignore the prophets and lived in spiritual darkness or apostasy.  Each time the Lord again called a new prophet to restore His Gospel.  This was the role of Joseph Smith in our day.

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When Jesus Christ lived on the earth he established His church in a pattern with apostles, a prophet and head of the church, Peter, Seventies, and important ordinances, offices, and attributes of the Lord's Church, such as continuing revelation.  The chart below illustrates that organization.

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These illuminates of the First Vision and Joseph Smith receiving the gold plates are based upon stained glass windows in chapels in Brigham City, Utah and Santa Monica, California. These events are endpoints of the great apostasy, but beginnings of the Dispensation of the fullness of Times.

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This bronze sculpture, "The Moment After," depicts the moment after Peter, James, and John restored the Melchizedek Priesthood to Joseph Smith.  Oliver Cowdery kneels behind Joseph.  This interpretation in bronze was done by Trevor Southey in 1980.

The bronze sculpture sits on top of a time capsule with items placed in it on April 6, 1980.  The capsule will be opened on April 6, 2030, the 200 anniversary of the organization of the Church. Some items in the time capsule include the dedicatory prayer of the three buildings on the Whitmer farm, copies of talks given that day, a souvenir program, copies of Church magazines and auxiliary handbooks, photos taken at the events of the conference and more.

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Here once again we have the same pattern of the Church that Jesus Christ established while he was on the earth.  With the restoration of the Gospel, the pattern is exactly the same, only the people are different (Joseph Smith is the prophet instead of Peter, etc.).

We hope you have enjoyed this part of the tour of the Peter Whitmer Farm and Visitors' Center.  Next we will visit the Whitmer Farm Art Gallery.  We are so thankful for the miraculous events that took place at this Sacred Site and testify that they are true.

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For those who might be interested, here are scriptures from the Bible supporting the Church Organization Charts at the Peter Whitmer Farm in Fayette:

Apostles: Matt 10:2; Mark 6:30; Luke 6:13; Acts 1:2, 26

Seventy: Luke 10:1, 17

Lay Priesthood: Matt 4:19, Mark 1:17

Continuous Revelation: Matt 4:4; Prov 29:18; Matt 16:17-18; John 16:13; James 1:5

Growing Scripture: The Synoptic Gospels and Acts 50-60+AD; The Epistles 50-65AD

Members Called Saints: Rom 1:7; 15:25-31; 1 Cor 1:2; 2 Cor 8:4; Eph 1:1, 15, 18; Phil 1:1

Baptism by immersion: Matt 3:6, 16; Mark 1:5, 10: Acts 8:37-39; John 3:23; Rom 6:1-6,

Gift of Holy Ghost: Matt 3:11; John 3:5; 7:39; Acts 1:5; 2:4; 8:15; 19:2; 1 Cor 6:19; Heb 6:4

Eternal Marriage: Eccl 3:14; Matt 16:19; 18;18; Mark 10:0; 1 Cor 11:11; Eph 5:31

Spiritual Gifts: Luke 1:16; Acts 1:8; 2:17; 7:55; 11:17; 1 Cor 11:11; Eph 5:31

Sacrament: Matt 26:26-27; John 6:54; Acts 20;7; 1 Cor 11:26

Blessing of Children: Mark 10:16

THE BOOK OF MORMON HISTORIC PUBLICATION SITE VIRTUAL TOUR - THE BINDARY

Once all of the printing of The Book of Mormon was completed the next step was to bind the pages and add a cover.  This was done in the bindery.  The first job in the binding process was to fold the signatures (a set of 16 pages on one sheet).  This was done using a bone knife and folding the sheets 3 times. 

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Next, all 37 signatures were collated, to complete one book.  Several of these "books" were placed in the standing book press and left overnight.  The pressure compacted the folds that had been made by hand.

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At this point the signatures were ready to be sewn together.  With a needle and thread, the binder carefully stitched through the center of the folded signature and back out again.  This was repeated for each signature and the signatures were stitched to each other too.

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When the sewing was complete a thin layer of glue was brushed across the spine.  This is also the point at which the blank end sheets were added.

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Then the book was trimmed.  All three unsewn edges were trimmed to open up the pages.

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The next to last step was attaching the cover. First the binder cut a piece of leather just larger than the book. 

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After spreading glue onto the entire piece of leather, the hide was carefully wrapped around the boards and the blank end  pages of the book were glued to the boards. As a final step, another end paper was glued to the board, covering up the uneven edges of the leather.

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Now the newly made volume needed a name.  A piece of gold leaf wast tacked down on the spine of the book.  Then embossing dies were heated on the stove, one for each letter, and pressed one-by-one into the gold leaf.  When the title was completed the excess gold leaf was brushed away and the volume was complete.

The process of printing and binding the Book of Mormon is interesting and miraculous, but the real miracle is the message of Jesus Christ contained within the book.  Many artists have been touched by this message and have painted some of the stories from the book.  In the art gallery, here on the second floor, we can see original works of several artists, along with a photographic reproduction.

These original paintings of C. C. A. Christensen depict events told about in the Book of Mormon.  Christensen was a Danish convert artist that immigrated to Utah after he joined the Mormon religion.  He lived from 1831-1912. 

The Prophet Lehi Preaches to the People of Jerusalem:
Lehi was a prophet in Jerusalem around 600 BC. Here he calls repentance to the people of Jerusalem.  God then inspired Lehi to take his family and leave Jerusalem before it was destroyed because of wickedness.

Below right: Nephi Prepares for the Journey to the Promised Land:
With divine inspiration, Nephi constructed a ship for the journey to the new land, the Americas.  His family took seeds, livestock, and other provisions for their new life.  Essential among their possessions were the scriptures, engraved on brass plates.

Below left: Father Lehi Blesses His Posterity:
Shortly after arriving in the new land, Lehi pronounced blessings upon his descendants.

Below: Nephi's Vision of Christ's Earthly Ministry:  Lehi's son, Nephi, received a vision of God's plan of salvation.  Christ's birth, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection were central events of this eternal plan.

Below: Baptisms in the Waters of Mormon:  Nephits organized a church and taught the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Converts to the church were baptized by immersion as a sign of their acceptance of Christ's atonement and willingness to live by His teachings.  The artist for this painting is Arnold Friberg and here in the art gallery we have a photographic print of the original oil painting.

Below: Christ's Ministry in the Promised Land - John Scott:
This is an original acrylic on canvas.
Christ taught His gospel among the people of the America.  They all became converted and lived together in complete peace, unity, and righteousness for nearly two centuries.  He came shortly after His resurrection and blessed the children, healed the sick, and established His Church.

Below: Both paintings are original and were created by artist Tom Lovell in 1968

Left: Mormon Abridges the Record of the Nephites

Following two centuries of righteousness after Christ's ministry among the Nephites, they turned completely to wickedness and were destroyed by civil war.  The prophet Mormon obeyed a commandment from God to abridge the records of their thousand-year history in the Promised Land.

Right:  Moroni Buries the Golden Plates

Mormon's son Moroni finished the Nephite record and buried it consistent with Mormon's instructions.  According to prophecy, record would be the means of restoring to earth in the last days Christ's gospel and God's covenants of salvation.

This concludes our tour of the Book of Mormon Historic Publication Site.  We hope you enjoyed your tour.  To receive your free copy of the Book of Mormon call the phone number listed on this blog or go 

     to mormon.org.  We  promise you this book will bless your lives.

FLOWERS, FILMS, FOXES, AND A STORM!

Spring in New York has been exciting and beautiful.  Two weeks ago we had a variety of experiences we want to share with you.

FLOWERS

There is a park in Rochester, Highland Park, that contains 120 acres and over a 1,000 varieties of lilacs.  We went there one evening after we visited people we are working with in Rochester and enjoyed strolling among the lilacs.  The aroma was heavenly and the flowers stunning!

We enjoyed a short drive along Lake Ontario looking at the apple trees as they were in blossom.  There are miles and miles of apple orchards here in New York, home of Seneca Apple Juice.

In the Sacred Grove plants are beginning to be lush and green!  For a short window of time we enjoyed the Trilliums in bloom too.

FOXES

The foxes aren't so little anymore and are venturing farther and farther from their den (PVC Pipe under the road).  They are still calm around the visitors and have added a nice addition to our tours of the Smith Farm.  We expect they will outgrow their home and be moving on soon, but we have enjoyed watching them grow.  See them as babies.

FILMS

Richard Turley is head of the Historical Department for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He has been traveling throughout the United States making a documentary of the historical sites, including the ones here in Palmyra where we serve.  They were filming at the Smith Farm while we were working there.  It was fun to watch - such patience - filming the same short scene over and over again until it was just right!

The next day they were filming at the Book of Mormon Historical Publication Site and we were assigned to work there that day, so we got to watch again.  The camera was amazing!  Besides a very large lens and a monitor with prompts, it could be controlled by remote, making complex shots seem easy.

The director watched each scene filmed on a monitor and could guide the production from a distance.  I was able to talk to the director's wife for a while.  Steven and I also visited with Richard Turley.  The entire crew worked long hours and with great patience.  One scene at the Whitmer Farm had to be shot 49 times.

This was the big semi truck that transported all of the equipment needed to make the documentary.  See our red PT in the parking lot too?

STORMS

. . . and we thought they only happened in the winter! 

We had a big wind storm on Saturday. A tree blew over on the road to the top of Hill Cumorah and that part of the Hill Cumorah Visitors' Center had to be closed. Then the power went out at Hill Cumorah and the entire site was closed. The Sacred Grove was also closed due to danger of falling branches with the high winds (gusts were from 45 - 60 miles per hour).

That is how our mid May went: Flowers, Foxes, Films and Storms.  Of course we continued to give tours and meet lots of wonderful people too!