The Smith Farm

After we went to the Hill Cumorah, we went to the Smith Family Farm, where Joseph Smith's family lived at the time he had his vision in the sacred grove, received years of instruction from an angel, and finally retrieved the plates of brass at the Hill Cumorah.

It was so interesting to hear of the circumstances that Heavenly Father put into place so that Joseph's family came to this specific area at this specific time.  They had lived in Vermont previous to New York and had struggles with their farm there, I believe, so moved right here.  Right where Joseph needed to be.

I just about fell over when I went inside and realized that ten people lived in this teeny, tiny little cabin.  Holy cow.  And I thought our house was small!!!

They didn't have a living room area.  This was their living room.  If they wanted to lounge, they had to go to their bedrooms.  Which were teeny.

Ben's head brushed the rafters in most spots:

Joseph and his brothers were as tall as Ben, so it wasn't comfortable for them, either!

This cabin is a replica - the original wasn't still standing when the church bought this land in the early 1900's.  But they found the original foundation and built this right where Joseph's home stood.  They wanted to make it as authentic as possible, so they even used the same tools that were used at that time to make it.  You can see that from the rough-hewn ceiling beams:

Looking out the back door:

 Ben took this beautiful still life of the tableware that sits on the table.  Isn't he talented???:

Joseph's bedroom was upstairs.  He shared a room with his 5 brothers - three of those dudes had to sleep in one bed this size:

I never realized that Joseph didn't have his own room. When he received visitations from an angel, he wasn't alone in his room.  My family and I were discussing it a lot.  Either Heavenly Father caused his brothers to sleep reeeeally deeply, or Joseph had these visions in a dream, I think.

Then we walked around the farm and saw some of the other buildings.  The Smiths kind of did all kinds of work.  They made barrels for water.  They farmed.  They worked really, really hard.  Maybe Joseph's brothers slept so soundly because they were so dead tired from all the work they had to do all the time. :)

Another nice composition by Ben:

Then you walk this path that leads you to the frame house that Alvin Smith, Joseph's older brother, built for he and his fiance.  As you walk the path, you can see the Palmyra Temple:

President Hinckley had the trees right there cut down so you could see the Sacred Grove from the temple and vice versa.

Me and Beads (isn't she pretty?  And skinny?):

This is the frame house Alvin was building for he and his future wife:

The house is still 85% original.

Unfortunately, Alvin passed away before he was married, so the Smith family took up residence here when Joseph was 18 or so, I believe.  At this time, he had the plates, and the family was constantly hiding them around the home. At one time, it was hidden under the bricks in the fireplace.  At another, in the floorboards of one of the workshops.  And then in the rafters of the workshop.  Once, when a mob broke in, it was hidden between Joseph's two sisters in their bed.  Just amazing.  The things that family went through...

I wanted to re-create the scene where Joseph was trying to climb the fence and fell down because he was so tired from staying up all night talking to an angel and receiving knowledge and instruction from him.  I'm kind of irreverant sometimes.  Ben says it just looks like I'm peeing on the fence:

 Walking on the path toward the Sacred Grove: