A Night At The Museum

Early July brings about the annual Hill Cumorah Pageant. The Hill Cumorah Pageant brings about a whole lot of extra work.

We call this post " a Night at the Museum" because it details a bit of our work (outside of the bathrooms that we needed to clean) One thing that is kind of neat is the ability to clean and get behind the "barriers" where the regular visitors can't get. Here Sister Parkerson is standing in the "bindery" where the Book of Mormon was most probably bound together.

Here is a copy of the original printers manuscript which the Book of Mormon was set in type by.

Elder Parkerson was standing next to the printing press that was exactly the same type of standing press that the Book of Mormon was printed on. It would have been the latest invention and was the most advanced printing press in the country. It was shipped on the Erie Canal which has just recently been completed.

Geoff is standing next to a display case which holds one of the original 5000 copies of the "Book of Mormon". A volume like this one sold at an antique book auction in New Hampshire a few years ago for over $40,000. While the antique books are of great value the words which they contain are priceless!

Elder Parkerson at E. B. Grandin's old desk. This is the room that Joseph Smith the Prophet of the Restoration, Martin Harris, and E. B. Grandin would have been sitting in when they signed that contract, Martin putting up 150 acres of his farm where we are living, to cover the cost of printing the first 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon.

Sister Parkerson behind the counter of the bookstore section of Mr. Grandin's printing establishment. Behind are replicas of old paper back/bound books which were the most common of the day. Paper back books were far more afforable. The Book of Mormon was to be bound in pigskin leather. It would sell for $1.25 or about 3 days wages of that day. It was a book of great worth. It is today.


There was and is a special "Spirit" in that building as one works and cleans there. Although E.B was not converted by the book, one of the workers in the bindery was. As one learns of the history that took place and the miracles of the creation of the Book of Mormon from its translation to the completion of the first edition, its coming forth was truly miraculous.

Late June - Early July

Still catching up. Sister Parkerson ( I strongly Suspect) had something major to do with a marathon effort to have me receive 60 birthday cards for my 60th birthday. It was almost a complete success.. I actually got 58 birthday cards. Oh how I wouldn't mind being 58 again or better still 48! I have told some that I feel like a 30 year old mind trapped in a 60 year old body. I feel like a healthy strong construction worker in an old house that is starting to fall down around me.....

Well we have this assignment for the rest of the summer to keep the lawns mowed at the old farm house which the church owns adjacent to the HCVC. I am getting a little proficient at running one of these zero turn lawnmowers. So like Tom Sawyer I figured its time to share the fun. I had a bit of a job convincing her to get on it. Actually I had the wisdom and foresight to actually have her drive it around for a little bit before showing her how to activate
the mower deck...........

She now loves to drive it and I almost have to fight her to get my turn....

Sister Parkerson and Sister Huffacker were going to have a 2,500psi squirt gun fight but decided it would be more fun to pressure wash the outside of the Palmyra Temple.

They really enjoy working together. They really are like a couple of sisters.

They spent the whole day washing just one side of the temple.

They both took turns holding this stool down!

We both ( of course she's the one taking the pictures as usual) had an assignment to install lawn edging around the flower beds in front to the Hill Cumorah Visitors Center ( HCVC) so that the dirt wouldn't run all over the sidewalk.

After a good workout the zero turn mowers need to have the blades sharpened. We have this really neat mineature lift that can be used to put heavy stuff up over your head for working on it.

Sisters Huffacker and Parkerson enjoy gardening, planting, watering and tending the beautiful gardens around the Smith Farm, the Yellow Mills Farm house, and our garden behind the Harris House. They also work on some plantings around the Harris House, the Temple, and other areas.

Tomato plants at the Yellow Mills Farm where the Huffackers live.

This is the farm garden near the Joseph Smith Log Home on the Smith Farm property. We all worked on planting it with plants that the Huffackers started in February. Almost every visitor stop and admires these gardens.

Every missionary that you can talk to will tell you that theirs is the best mission in the whole church. Well they are all wrong. Sister Parkerson and I have the best mission in the whole church.