Two of the buildings of the museum complex were former ho tels (not hotels). That would be places that were rented by the hour - and not necessarily for the whole night. I did not know that the canal we see today is much bigger than the ditch originally dug in Joseph's day. The current wide canal was dug by steam shovel at a later time as it tried in vain to compete with the encroaching rail road system. The upstate area is literally covered in railroads that connect most every town. They, of course, lost out to the road system and rubber-tired trucking of today.
Back to the ho tels. They once fronted the older, smaller original canal. The one general mercantile was built in the 1820's and it is likely that Joseph Smith and members of his family passed through as they went about their day to day business. There was even some old hand-painted linoleum that Lucy Smith may have hand painted back in the day, before leaving the Palmyra area. It was amazing to see something so old, still in original condition.
In that tour, I was able to get a flavor for the rougher elements brought in by the canal. The world of drinking, prostitution, profanity and base things. I have to wonder after those wicked and adulterous people (Matthew 12: 38-39) who rejected Joseph's message of the restitution of all things. I could not help but notice the presence of the four churches prominently on the corners of the main streets in the town. Churches that could have embraced the message of messengers from heaven bringing about the restoration of all of the Priesthood keys as the last, great harvest began. Now - today, we have the preparation for the great event where all those keys will be returned to the Ancient of Days and then given to Shiloh in preparation for the return of Him whose right it is to rule forever in the House of Israel; the God of the Millennial world.
I could not help but think of those that Joseph met in Kirtland who were gathered in true humility and supplication - wanting to live Consecration, but looking for a true Prophet of God to lead them when Joseph arrived. They were imperfect - but embraced the truth when they saw it. The feeling of Ohio was so much better than what was experienced in Palmyra.
I marveled over the smells of both Buffalo and of Cumorah. There was a peculiar stench that I have not smelled it before or since in our travels east. At first I thought it was the humidity or something like that. It was not. I told my daughter who also noticed it that it was the smell of death that will come upon the area shortly. The stench will be so great from the unburied bodies of millions who will die there that it will afflict the area for years and make it uninhabitable until it is gone. These millions will die there just as before in the Jaredite and Nephite civilizations as they struggled in their last great battles of extinction. Just as the Nephite wars were wars of race and religion of a fallen people, so shall these next wars be. The Book of Mormon was written for US - the people of today, as much as it was written as a history of the people of that day. Just as the people of this nation sought to extinguish the remnant of the former inhabitants through germ warfare (smallpox-ridden blankets and starvation), so shall the spiritually anemic descendants of the aggressors fall. The descendants shall be swept from sea to sea until only a remnant remain.
2 Nephi 30:8-10
8 And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall commence his work among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth.
9 And with righteousness shall the Lord God judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
10 For the time speedily cometh that the Lord God shall cause a great division among the people, and the wicked will he destroy; and he will spare his people, yea, even if it so be that he must destroy the wicked by fire.
We (the people of this nation) have lost our moral high ground. For having done so, we (the Gentiles on this land), will be replaced by the remnant of Manasseh and from the terrible and mighty that will come from the North.
The irony of it all, is almost too much.
So, what began in Palmyra will come full circle. Over time, the area will become fruited and will blossom once again - but what it will pass through in the interim will be gut wrenching.
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