Cradle of the Restoration Part 2 - The Joseph Smith Farm (Log Home)



Joseph Smith Farm

The second historical site that is of significance to the Church is the family farm of Joseph Smith Sr.  Here is where Joseph Smith Jr. spent most of his childhood.  It was on the property of this farm that the Restoration of Christ's Church through the Prophet Joseph Smith began to unfold.  The Farm is located at 843 Stafford Road Palmyra, New York.  Here on the farm is where the Sacred Grove resides, the Smith Log Home, and the Smith Frame Home.  Many significant events of the Restoration occurred on this 100 acre property.

Log Home of Smith Family

 Log Home

In 1818 the Smith family moved into the Log Home on their property, one of the first structures to be built on the farm.  The entire family lived in this small home which consisted of Joseph Smith Senior, his wife Lucy Mack Smith, and their eight children which included Hyrum and Joseph Junior.  It was here on the night of September 21st, 1823, Joseph Smith Junior was awoken that night by a spectacular vision.



Upstairs Bedroom of Log Home

Vision of Angel Moroni

It had been 3 years after Joseph Smith's first vision and he hadn't received any guidance, revelation, or direction on what to do since that day.  That night Joseph decided to pray to God to repent of his mistakes and see what God wanted him to do next.  While he was praying, a bright light filled the room, getting brighter and brighter till he says "until the room was brighter than at noonday".  A personage came to his bedside, standing in the air, dressed in a white robe with the "most exquisite whiteness.  It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen;"

The Angel Moroni appearing to Joseph Smith

In Joseph Smith Jr's own words, he says "He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people.  He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang.  He also said that the fullness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants;"

The Angel Moroni delivered this message three separate times that night, and once more the following morning while Joseph Smith Jr started working in the fields that day.  Each and every time, the Angel Moroni delivered the same message, adding on it with new insights from Biblical scripture and further counsel and direction.  From their Joseph Smith Jr. went to the directed place at the Hill Cumorah near his father's farm, and uncovered the gold plates which Moroni told him of that night.  The story of the Hill Cumorah and plates will be told later.

Many years have passed since this vision occurred, and many events have followed since this all happened.  Because of Joseph Smith, we now have the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, which was translated by Joseph Smith through the power of God from the gold plates.  It's a far fetched story, believe me, but I've come to know it's true.  I've taken Moroni's challenge to read and pray about the Book of Mormon, and you know what?  I've received an answer from God that it is true.  The book has blessed my life so much I can't even describe.  I hope all of you take a chance to read the Book of Mormon sincerely, that you might come closer to the Savior and be healed by Him through His words which are in it.  I know it all to be true.

Joseph Smith Farm : 843 Stafford Road
Palmyra, New York 14522