Joseph Smith Sr., his wife Lucy Mack Smith, and their eight children moved to Palmyra, New York, in 1816. After a few years in Palmyra, Joseph Sr. bought 100 acres of wooded land. He and his sons cleared the land, prepared the soil for cultivation, and planted crops.

Map of the Smith Farm:

We stay Thursday Night in Rochester, New York. We caught the 9:00 a.m session at the Palmyra Temple. It was very... Well, what does one say about the temple... Fun seems wrong. Jon and I were the witness couple for the first time since when we were dating. The temple is built on part of the original 100 acres that the Smith family owned. It over looks the Sacred Grove. BEAUTIFUL!

The Palmyra New York Temple:

Entering the Sacred Grove:
Jon pushed my dad on a beefed up wheel chair.
Sacred Grove:

During the 1820s, upstate New York experienced a period of religious revivals. Joseph Smith Jr., a 14-year-old boy, lived in Palmyra, where he attended the services of various religions. He searched the Bible to discover religious truth. While searching the New Testament, he read, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1:5). Joseph was inspired to ask God the questions that had been troubling him. One morning in the spring of 1820, he went to the woods near his home, found a secluded place, and knelt down to pray. While praying, a miraculous event occurred, which Joseph later described: "I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. . . . When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other–This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" (Joseph Smith–History 1:16-17). These two personages, God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, instructed Joseph not to join any of the churches then established, but instead to wait for further direction in the restoration of Christ's Church. The Sacred Grove was so peaceful!If you look close, you can see the original stone fence that was on the border on the Smith Farm. My mom and dad enjoying the Spirit of the Grove.
The Smith family built a small log home on their property and lived there for a number of years. They then decided to build a larger and more comfortable home.Smith's Barn:Father and sons worked side by side to produce a quaint frame home, which they moved into late in 1825. Having lost title to their farm, they moved back into the log home in the spring of 1829, where they lived until late 1830, when they moved from the area.

Jon standing outside the Frame House next to a garden that the Couple Missionaries are growing. Smith Cooper Shed, where barrels would be made:Old fashioned beehives on the Smith Farm:Smith Farm: