First steps of our journey

Upon our arrival in Palmyra, we headed to the Church of Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ Visitors Center. We were immediately directed into a room with a 12-foot tall, benippled plaster Jesus. Joy, our resident scholar of religious art history, notes that such representations of Jesus are completely foreign to traditional iconography and sculpture.

One of the sisters at the visitors center then presented us with her personal testimony. Sister Carrie looked at the floor while telling us of her great love for Jesus, the current prophet Thomas S. Monson, and Joseph Smith. Clutching the Book of Mormon, Sister Carrie told us that she has had conversations with the lord, and the lord has told her that the Book of Mormon is the truth.

At this point, Hope attempted to call her voice mail in order to record what was said, but instead, the voice mail message was broadcast for the room to hear, followed by stifled laughter from Brother Ashby.

Sister Carrie did deliver a compelling message of personal faith and institutional doctrine. She briefed us on the history of Joseph Smith’s new prophesy, i.e., she told us that Jesus had come to the American Indians and shared with them the word of the Lord. However, the native peoples turned to wickedness (as they are wont to do), and the true teaching was lost.