The Sacred Grove in Palmyra, New York, is the site where Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, visited young Joseph Smith Jr. in 1820. That visit, often called the First Vision, began events that restored the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth.
The Sacred Grove was part of the farmland originally owned by the Smith family, and today it is a healthy and peaceful forest that is open to the public year-round. Winding paths provide many places for visitors to contemplate the event that occurred here.

On a spring day in 1820, 14-year-old Joseph Smith went alone to this grove of trees and prayed. He was confused about the claims of different religions in the area, and he wanted to know which church he should join. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ came in answer to his prayer. Their answer changed his life, and it continues to change the lives of millions of people throughout the world. To learn more about the events that brought Joseph Smith to pray in the Sacred Grove, click or tap here .

Several founding events for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took place on the Smith Family Farm. Here, God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ visited the 14-year-old Joseph Smith—an experience now called the First Vision. On September 21, 1823, the angel Moroni first visited Joseph Smith in the family’s small log home. Four years later, Joseph and his wife, Emma, lived in the larger Smith family home with his family when he received the golden plates on the Hill Cumorah. Eight individuals, now known as the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, were shown the golden plates while visiting the Smith Family Farm in the summer of 1829.
Sacred Grove
Sacred Grove trail
Group Reservations
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Schedule
Hours
Monday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM–5:00 PM
Closures
  • Thursday, November 28, 2024 - Friday, November 29, 2024
  • Tuesday, December 24, 2024 - Wednesday, December 25, 2024
  • Wednesday, January 01, 2025

Schedule

Hours
Monday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM–5:00 PM
Closures
  • Thursday, November 28, 2024 - Friday, November 29, 2024
  • Tuesday, December 24, 2024 - Wednesday, December 25, 2024
  • Wednesday, January 01, 2025

Physical address
843 Stafford Road
Palmyra, New York 14522
USA

Physical address

843 Stafford Road
Palmyra, New York 14522
USA

Contact

Contact


Last Updated On May 01, 2023