7.25.2008

palmyra, new york

Brooke was one of over 1300 applicants for the 2008 Hill Cumorah Pageant. Only 603 were chosen and she was one of them! What an amazing experience for her. She spent 2 1/2 weeks there in Palmyra, New York (I spent four incredible days there with her).


Brooke - the "Nephite Battle Banner Carrier". Many people kept commenting on her hair, saying how beautiful it was. Funny that it was a wig and no one could tell! She also earned a lot of nick-names from fellow cast members due to her lovely hat, "Hershey Kiss, Cone Head, Dunce, Shark Fin, etc, etc."



Brooke and her new friend McCall (er, I should say "Lamanite Warrior Dancer", and who is really a blonde). The cast members would go out into the audience 2 hours before the show each night and share scriptures from the Book of Mormon and answer questions. Their first several days at the Hill, they were trained by the missionaries on how to best teach the gospel to the people coming to see the pageant.



Armed with her banner and ready for the night's performance.


Giving an autograph to a cute little boy!


Here I am standing on top of the Hill Cumorah looking down. The red close to the bottom is the top of the stage and all 9000 green chairs are at the bottom facing the stage.


Now I am at the bottom looking at the hill. The cast members set up all 9000 chairs, AND took them down after the last performance!



Smith family farm
The Smith log home - where the family lived when Joseph experienced the First Vision and visits from the Angel Moroni.



The Smith family frame home that Joseph's oldest brother Alvin built (partially, before he died). They lived here for 4 1/2 years before they lost the house and had to move back to the tiny log house - all 13 of them!



This is so amazing to me - I couldn't stop staring at it! This is Oliver Cowdery's actual hand writing of when he was transcribing the Book of Mormon (this page is from 1 Nephi 3). This is at the E.B. Grandin Print Shop, where the first 5000 copies of the Book of Mormon were printed.



Peter Whitmer farm house, where the church was organized.



The Sacred Grove





















9 comments:

Lauralee said...

OH MY GOSH! How cool!

Karen said...

Is there no end to Brooke's talents? Way to go Brooke :)

That had to have been an awesome spiritual experience being around so much church history. I was surprised that the first picture of the grove is exactly like the artwork.

aftonicole said...

I love how it was AMERICAN IDOL MADNESS then lovely, Sacred Grove...hehe loved it all the pictures were gorgeous and so was your daughter's fake hair!

Callisto said...

Nice! Glad I could see some photos of Brooke's adventure.

Kris said...

I'm sorry Brooke has had such a boring, uneventful summer. I want to be her! The pictures were (as usual) amazing. The Sacred Grove is such a special place. When we went it was November and drizzling and no one else was there. So cool!

me and the boys said...

You could publish those pictures of the Sacred Grove--they are beautiful! What a neat thing for Brooke to do, and for you to see.

Edna said...

I loved your pictures! It's been ten years since we were there and the pictures made me remember those special feelings as I realized the impact of time and the hallowed ground I walked on. I found your site through Whim, my daughter.

Julie V. said...

How breathtaking the sacred grove is...

Kelly said...

Maryanne, why do your posts regularly make me cry? I loved your pictures from Palmyra and the things you shared at your enrichment night. Thank you.