Week 19, the last Sunday in August
Dear grandchildren, children and friends
Monday was the eclipse. The Temple went well. Grandma wasn't feeling up to going up the Hill, so I let her use my eclipse glasses so she could enjoy it, then I walked up.
Lots of fun with other missionaries on top, then I felt I needed to walk down. There was a couple using a paper plate to watch in the south parking lot. They were afraid I was coming to kick them out, but I told them I was just walking. When I saw they didn't have glasses, I lent them mine and they enjoyed that. I then headed for the Visitors center. The missionaries there only had a piece of paper to watch, so I gave them my glasses which had come initially from Brother Fielding. Later that night we went to PF Changs for dinner with the 6-month temple missionaries and the site missionaries. One of the sisters asked how I could give such spiritual prayers in the Temple and then goof around outside (nothing bad, just joking with people.) Even the Prophet Joseph (who I am not) had a jovial disposition. Being stern all the time is no fun. For anyone. Just keep it appropriate.
Tuesday on my walk up the Hill, I found what appeared to me to be a stone tomahawk head or pick head. You can easily see the spalling from working the stone.
About three quarters of the way to the right you can see a dark line from leather or fiber leaching from the cord that bound it to the handle.
This is a closer view of the dark area.
This where the tip was broken off where the point had been. Many artifacts of this type have been found on the Hill, just as you would expect from the site of at least two major battles.
One criticism of the Book of Mormon is how the Hill Cumorah could have been surrounded by over two million warriors for the last battle. Easily, is the answer. First, remember that "ten thousand" is a unit type, not number of men. Nephi referenced Laban and his "tens of thousands" when arguing with Laman and Lemuel. The term is not found in the Bible, though it does occur in the Essene writings near the time of Christ. The term used for a large body of soldiers in the King James version is "host", which is roughly analogous. It is unlikely in the extreme that anyone counted up ten thousand warriors and said, "Okay, start the next ten thousand." They just got lots of men together. Through losses in fighting, the units got smaller, but were undoubtedly always called "the ten thousand of Gid"etc. As an example, in the US Civil War, a regiment started at one thousand, but, for example, the Twentieth Main at Gettysburg had fewer than four hundred and was down to about two hundred after the battle, but it was still a regiment.
As for the Hill Cumorah, we get up to ten thousand visitors into a small area at the bottom of the Hill and there is room for at least twenty more of those groups around the Hill to the north, south and east and the rest of the west side. It may have been crowded, but it was certainly not impossible. It was the final redoubt, the last stand where the remnants of the Nephite armies came together after the forts at Newark, New York,(two giant circle forts with a protected causeway miles long connecting them) and others had fallen. There are also remnants of fortifications along Temple hill to the south towards the Hill.
The Spirit testifies to me that the Book of Mormon is true, and my observations confirm it. But the Book of Mormon would still be true if I never had come and seen these things.
Wednesday, I helped give a health blessing in the Temple to a sick worker. Followed the Spirit to get the oil. That was good to feel the Spirit in that way.
Thursday we went to Canandaigua to two museums that were homes. Sonnenberg is a massive estate which belonged to the Thompsons who were prominent in the gilded age. They were like the Morgans and Rockefellers. The estate is similar to Huntington Library, but was allowed to fall into disrepair. The other was the Granger Mansion. They were important for selling much of western New York to settlers. Old money by comparison and built sixty years earlier as the family home.
Before we went, the couple who had set it up was looking for an ice chest. I headed out on a walk up Hill Cumorah, not knowing this, but felt I should walk the long way past the wash house. I ran into the brother and was able to get him our chest. Below I will show some pictures with limited description, but I wanted to say a few words about wealth of any kind that is not being used for the Kingdom. You will see one estate, Sonnenberg, of several owned by the Thompsons. They sent a train a week out with milk and other things from the huge farm they kept here to supply them if they were in New York, South Carolina or Maine. They did civic projects that people could see them doing as good works. But. How much better if they had done their good works anonymously? We pay fast offerings and only the bishopric knows, and Our Father in Heaven. Lives are blessed with food and other types of aid. When we contribute to the Perpetual Education Fund, lives are blessed without us receiving credit of the world. The Lord then blesses us openly with many things. So it is our choice, be rewarded by the world or Our Father in Heaven. Eternal joy or fleeting fame. Food for thought.
The entire estate was developed after the Civil War in the boom where immense fortunes were made. This couple never had children, so her entire life was her various estates and entertaining (and doing the occasional good work in public.) Beautiful flower beds, however.
Our group with the docent as we got started.
The green house where they grew things all year.
Lawn tennis and croquet on this beautiful pitch.
Ponds and gardens come into view at every turn and have different aspects. She even varied the types of rocks for the paths to give different feels to those walking. Can anyone say "overkill"?
My lucky charm in the archway.
Pond and house
Here we are on the arched bridge.
Buddist shrine. The intent was that arriving at any point the perspective and possible views would change completely. It does. Even the paving under foot changes quite often to keep the experience changing. This statue was defaced during World War II and up close you can see the markings.
Shinto shrine. To tell the truth, unlike Huntington Library, the place was a hodge podge of styles.
A place to wander around with equally rich friends distracting yourself with changing views.
Including marble Roman fountains
Formal gardens
And the manor house. The family stayed here and the guests stayed in the hotel a few blocks away. the railroad station was modeled on the house, believe it or not.
Gate house
A few views of the house. Grandma can explain more if she would like
The grotto, but the pumps don't work well any more.
We ate at the Granger mansion which was really just a big family home. Very livable.
Much of the glass is original and has slowly melted. Look closely and you can see the glass has ridges in it.
The house is 201 years old
Just a big family estate
Yeah for books
They made their own gas for their gas lamps before the public works were created. this building was detached so if it exploded, the main house would be undamaged.
Wanted to show part of their very large carriage exhibit
And sleighs, of course. It gets snowy here in the winter.
Friday we came two hours early to help a member from our branch do baptisms for the very first time. It was a great experience. Of course, we helped with the other patrons, too.
Saturday we gave the thought in the afternoon prep meeting on 1 Ne 4:6 - "I went forth led by the Spirit, not knowing before hand what the Lord would have me do." Much of our lives are that way and there are no coincidences. The Lord is always there, if only we open our hearts to see what He wants to accomplish. I shared my story of being called to be financial clerk and the Lord telling me before hand. The branch president thought it was just routine, but not to the Lord. Everything is important to Him.
Taught about the importance of the Book of Mormon in Priesthood and we helped our Sunday School class with family search.
Love Grandad
Monday was the eclipse. The Temple went well. Grandma wasn't feeling up to going up the Hill, so I let her use my eclipse glasses so she could enjoy it, then I walked up.
Tuesday on my walk up the Hill, I found what appeared to me to be a stone tomahawk head or pick head. You can easily see the spalling from working the stone.
As for the Hill Cumorah, we get up to ten thousand visitors into a small area at the bottom of the Hill and there is room for at least twenty more of those groups around the Hill to the north, south and east and the rest of the west side. It may have been crowded, but it was certainly not impossible. It was the final redoubt, the last stand where the remnants of the Nephite armies came together after the forts at Newark, New York,(two giant circle forts with a protected causeway miles long connecting them) and others had fallen. There are also remnants of fortifications along Temple hill to the south towards the Hill.
The Spirit testifies to me that the Book of Mormon is true, and my observations confirm it. But the Book of Mormon would still be true if I never had come and seen these things.
Wednesday, I helped give a health blessing in the Temple to a sick worker. Followed the Spirit to get the oil. That was good to feel the Spirit in that way.
Thursday we went to Canandaigua to two museums that were homes. Sonnenberg is a massive estate which belonged to the Thompsons who were prominent in the gilded age. They were like the Morgans and Rockefellers. The estate is similar to Huntington Library, but was allowed to fall into disrepair. The other was the Granger Mansion. They were important for selling much of western New York to settlers. Old money by comparison and built sixty years earlier as the family home.
Before we went, the couple who had set it up was looking for an ice chest. I headed out on a walk up Hill Cumorah, not knowing this, but felt I should walk the long way past the wash house. I ran into the brother and was able to get him our chest. Below I will show some pictures with limited description, but I wanted to say a few words about wealth of any kind that is not being used for the Kingdom. You will see one estate, Sonnenberg, of several owned by the Thompsons. They sent a train a week out with milk and other things from the huge farm they kept here to supply them if they were in New York, South Carolina or Maine. They did civic projects that people could see them doing as good works. But. How much better if they had done their good works anonymously? We pay fast offerings and only the bishopric knows, and Our Father in Heaven. Lives are blessed with food and other types of aid. When we contribute to the Perpetual Education Fund, lives are blessed without us receiving credit of the world. The Lord then blesses us openly with many things. So it is our choice, be rewarded by the world or Our Father in Heaven. Eternal joy or fleeting fame. Food for thought.
The entire estate was developed after the Civil War in the boom where immense fortunes were made. This couple never had children, so her entire life was her various estates and entertaining (and doing the occasional good work in public.) Beautiful flower beds, however.
We ate at the Granger mansion which was really just a big family home. Very livable.
Friday we came two hours early to help a member from our branch do baptisms for the very first time. It was a great experience. Of course, we helped with the other patrons, too.
Saturday we gave the thought in the afternoon prep meeting on 1 Ne 4:6 - "I went forth led by the Spirit, not knowing before hand what the Lord would have me do." Much of our lives are that way and there are no coincidences. The Lord is always there, if only we open our hearts to see what He wants to accomplish. I shared my story of being called to be financial clerk and the Lord telling me before hand. The branch president thought it was just routine, but not to the Lord. Everything is important to Him.
Taught about the importance of the Book of Mormon in Priesthood and we helped our Sunday School class with family search.
Love Grandad
The changing view from every vantage point is actually a specific Japanese style landscape garden. It figures that in this section of the grounds there are oriental Buddhist and Shinto shrines.
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