DESTRUCTION OF THE EASTERN SEABOARD

I had a chance to go to a polymeric coating conference in 1996 in Boston for some research I was doing for a small Pharmaceutical company I worked for in SLC. Because it was over a week, I was able to take my wife and leave our new baby with g-ma.

In the evenings, we were able to explore the city of Boston, Plymouth, Salem and on the last weekend, we were able to make a quick run out to Fort Erie and Niagara Falls, CA where I spent 3 1/2 years of my early life. I really wanted to see those childhood areas that I used to romp in when I was a kid, before I expected to pass from this life (an entirely other blog topic). We were able to see the country side, visit antique shops, go to the Sacred Grove, Hill Cumorah and see alot of great country side. I really love upstate NY - except for one thing. I felt a pall hanging over that part of the country - a palpable feeling I could not shake. The feeling was especially acute around Rochester. Something I could not describe - even today. The only other thing that was close - but radically different - was a vivid experience that I will share in another post about the most wicked city (I haven't been to Amsterdamned, so I can't speak authoritatively on that) in the world - Rio de Janiero.

I got the following off of ldsfreedomforums.com and thought it was good enough to share:

114. Nevertheless, let the bishop go unto the city of New York, also to the city of Albany, and also to the city of Boston, and warn the people of those cities with the sound of the gospel, with a loud voice, of the desolation and utter abolishment which await them if they do reject these things.
(Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 vols., introduction and notes by B. H. Roberts [Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1932-1951], 1: 294.)

"'Now, my young friends, I wish you to remember these scenes you are witnessing during the visit of President Young and his brethren. Yea, my young friends, treasure up the teachings and sayings of these prophets and apostles as precious treasure while they are living men, and do not wait until they are dead. A few days and President Young and his brethren, the prophets and apostles and Brothers Benson and Maughan, will be in the spirit world. You should never forget this visitation. You are to become men and women, fathers and mothers; yea, the day will come, after your fathers, and these prophets and apostles are dead, you will have the privilege of going into the towers of a glorious Temple built unto the name of the Most High (pointing in the direction of the bench), east of us upon the Logan bench; and while you stand in the towers of the Temple and your eyes survey this glorious valley filled with cities and villages, occupied by tens of thousands of Latter-day Saints, you will then call to mind this visitation of President Young and his company. You will say: That was in the days when Presidents Benson and Maughan presided over us; that was before New York was destroyed by an earthquake; it was before Boston was swept into the sea, by the sea heaving itself beyond its bounds; it was before Albany was destroyed by fire; yea, at that time you will remember the scenes of this day. Treasure them up and forget them not. President Young followed and said: `What Brother Woodruff has said is revelation and will be fulfilled'.fn Deseret News, Vol. 33, page 678.
(N. B. Lundwall, Temples of the Most High [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1993], 97 - 98.)