I served in New York and had the amazing opportunity to teach at the church historical sites, one being the Sacred Grove. 

This picture was taken in the summer time, and more specifically - Pageant time! Every summer the church holds a pageant called “The Hill Cumorah Pageant” and it attracts thousands of people to the sites every summer. The pageant is held on the Hill Cumorah, itself, and is a play that tells the story of the Book of Mormon. 

The pageant is a very unique opportunity for the missionaries who serve there, because instead of teaching one on one, you teach crowds of people at a time. For this reason, our site director gave us this motto: “Teach the Multitude, Reach the One.” 

With this spirit in my heart, I often felt like the Savior as I would lead a group over to a grassy area and kneel with them on the ground and teach them the gospel through parables, or stories from church history! It was an experience unlike any other. 

On one particular day, I was teaching a group of people outside of Joseph Smith’s first home and a little girl caught my attention. She seemed so intrigued by everything I had to say, and I knew that although she was only a child, she was my “One.”

After I had finished speaking with the group, the girl and her mother made their way towards me. After brief introductions, her mother proceeded to tell me that this girl was IN LOVE with sister missionaries, so much so that she, as a 5 year old, has started to live the missionary schedule (waking up, exercising, and studying the scriptures, etc.)! When I offered to let her try on my tag, she couldn’t stop beaming. It was the sweetest thing. 

Sister Murdock served in the New York Rochester Mission