Dublin and More-Part 1

      This past week, Elder and I went back to Dublin for another zone conference. I love our zone conferences! For those of you who may never be able to experience one of these conferences, it is totally amazing to stand shoulder to shoulder with the young single adults of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who currently serve as full-time missionaries. These faithful and devoted Children of God are so amazing in their testimonies of Jesus Christ, in their fervent teaching abilities and in their love for their fellowman! It is, today, one of my greatest blessings to be called a friend by each of them and to share this magnificent gospel experience with them. This totally volunteer service given by each and every one of them is truly an example to all!

     About one month ago, I asked our good mission president if he would give Elder Muirhead and I permission to spend two extra days in the Dublin area for our own personal use. He graciously said yes. I quickly went to work and put together a quick agenda for us to see some of Ireland's most treasured sites and artifacts. So, being asked if I would take "lots" of photos (which I did), I have decided to tell each of you about our travels in three separate blogs. Therefore, this is part one.

     On Tuesday of this last week, Elder and I left out flat mid-morning and drove just north of Dublin to County Meath and possibly one of the oldest and finest Irish treasures. Not much is known about this site, due to the entrance of it was discovered just 300 years ago and has only been really studied for the last 60 years. It is called New Grange and is between 5,000-6,000 years old. We first heard about this site from our dear friends, the Petitts, who also served in Ireland years ago. On the day they told us about it and the way the Petitts described this site, has stuck with me all this time and I am certainly glad it did, as it really was as amazing as they said it would be.

     New Grange or Brú na Bóinne in Irish/Gaelic, is a passage tomb used in ancient Ireland by the, then, Neolithic population that live there. These people were Stone Age farmers and built this edifice which measures 279 feet in diameter even before the pyramids were built. 97 large kerbstones surround the diameter, which contains megalithic art work carved right into several of these outside stones. The entrance or passage into the chamber measures 19 feet, ending in a cruciform chamber, and aligns itself with the rising sun during the winter solstice. Because of this alignment, New Grange is now considered an ancient temple site. We also visited another ancient mound site near by called Knowth.

Front entrance to this historic site

The walkway to the visitor center             

     The visitor center was so well designed and gave interesting information, accompanied with original photographs of the discovery and digs. It also had several ancient artifacts on display from the digs. After spending about 45 minutes in the center, we boarded a bus and was driven about 5 km away first to Knowth. Knowth, like New Grange, contains hidden tombs now showing as great mounds of earth with kerbstones used as art work around the diameter of every mound. The Knowth mounds are not passible for the safety of humans, so we were only allows the walk around the mounts and take a staircase up to the top of the largest mound at Knowth. The view was breathtaking. The entrance of the largest Knowth mound has a boarded entrance which appears to may also have been used thousands of years ago during the winter solstice in ancient religious yearly events.

The main mount with a smaller one in front at Knowth

These mounds were so beautiful. I literally took so many pictures.

I love the shapes, forms and angles these mounds take as you walk around them!

A close-up of the mound being supported by the kerbstones below

The mounds just kept coming and coming!

No wonder Ireland calls this a treasure, It truly is!!!

This is the entrance to the largest mound in Knowth, which is gated off due to instability. Notice the large "entrance kerbstone" in front of the entrance. This, too, appears may have been used during the winter solstice also.

A close-up of the entrance kerbstone at Knowth. Notice the stone's etchings and that the stone has been separated with a vertical line carved down the middle, possibly use to time an illuminated winter solstice event. We will never know

I was able to stick my camera lens through a gated off entrance into the largest mound at Knowth to capture this picture inside of it

Here is our small group on top of the largest mound overlooking the Boyne Valley below

     After our stop at Knowth, we boarded the bus and drove to New Grange. Because this site does receive visitors inside, its delicate environment does not let photographs be taken in the chamber. The outside photos except for one are mine. All the inside photos were taken from the internet.

This photo taken from the internet shows how massage the New Grange passive tomb really is

This photo of mine shows how tall the structure is

This photo shows a megalithic etching found on one of the kerbstones that surrounds the base of New Grange

This is what the roof top over the chamber looks like. The heavy rocks have been carefully placed on top of each other, closing in the gap more and more as it grows taller. They also place layers of small stones in-between the large rocks to act as a buffer. Very smart!

     Now let me quote from the New Grange website more about the ingenuity and magic of this site. 

Newgrange is best known for the illumination of its passage and chamber by the winter solstice sun. Above the entrance to the passage at Newgrange there is a opening called a roof-box. This baffling orifice held a great surprise for those who unearthed it. Its purpose is to allow sunlight to penetrate the chamber on the shortest days of the year, around December 21st, the winter solstice. At dawn, from December 19th to 23rd, a narrow beam of light penetrates the roof-box and reaches the floor of the chamber, gradually extending to the rear of the chamber.
As the sun rises higher, the beam widens within the chamber so that the whole room becomes dramatically illuminated. This event lasts for 17 minutes, beginning around 9am. The accuracy of Newgrange as a time-telling device is remarkable when one considers that it was built 500 years before the Great Pyramids and more than 1,000 years before Stonehenge. The intent of the Stone Age farmers who build Newgrange was undoubtedly to mark the beginning of the new year. In addition, it may have served as a powerful symbol of the victory of life over death." 

   

The amazing roof box and the very large entrance stone in front of the passage entrance. This stone was also divided straight dow the middle. Notice that on the left side the spirals swirl downward and on the right side they swirl upward (maybe showing the importance of the sun rising and falling for them). Interesting, huh?

A close-up of the swirl pattern. Very precise

     Pretty cool, huh? Now, I want to try to describe to you a spiritual experience that I had there while inside the tomb standing near the end of the chamber. After our guide pointed out several etchings done by those ancient farmers on the inside, she told us that because the solstice was still months away (it being only September), that she would try to fabricated what must have happened during those solstice times more than 5,000 years ago. 

     She had us line up against each side of the inner walls, leaving the main passage aisle open. She next turned off the lights inside the tomb that modern man installed. I'm telling you, it was as black as it could be. I could not even see my hand almost touching my nose. She said, "Imagine what it must had been like for the few chosen farm leaders inside this cold, dark tomb early on those winter days. Remember, this gathering would happen when the days were short, dark and cold, with the rest of the community waiting outside. They had no calendar, no scientific knowledge. All they had was hope. Hope that the sun would rise again, hope for the lengthening of sunlight, hope that they would be able to plant again and, even more, hope that they and their families might live longer. I'm sure that this community came early on those unsure mornings with that hope in their heart."

     "Then, on one of those short, dark, cold days, in a instant, sunlight appeared in the entrance and continued to lengthen until the light passed through and illuminated the entire chamber. What a moment of true joy they must have felt! Precious celebration for life itself! At that very moment, their feelings changed to being overcome with immense joy, both physically as well as spiritually." As she said those last words, she turned on a modern beam of light, starting at the entrance, which continued in a straight path across my feet until the whole chamber was filled. It was the most beautiful ray of light I have ever seen. It was indescribable.

This is totally what we first saw! Can you see why I (and they) were so overcome?

The chamber getting brighter and brighter!

     At that very moment, I, too, became overcome by the Spirit of God. Images of my Savior, the temple and my family flashed before my eyes. I could not refrain from the gush tears, nor did I want to. In that moment, my spiritual knowledge and testimony was lifted to the next level, literally being born again! Wow!!!

New Grange's most famous artifact. It is a small hand shaped rock that may have been placed on top of a pole, maybe like a scepter. No one will ever know

Talking about old artifacts!!! Hehe!

     The next day, we got to joined our fellow Ireland missionaries again. As soon as we arrived in the parking lot, we were ask to drive to the train station to pick up two last young sisters who would be pulling in shortly. Elder and I got right back inside our car and drove around until we found the station. The sisters were actually later coming in than originally planned, but after we found them, we all return to the chapel for our meetings.

     We actually walked in about an hour late, but safe. We listened to two mission office leaders speak and then listened as the assistants to the president taught. They are both so good at teaching and motivating. After lunch, while still in training, a question was asked if anyone in the audience could relate a story of a recent miracle that they had. This one was super good.

The line up for lunch. I love that the young elders are so courteous and let the young sister get food first.

Feeding the 60!

     One young elder told us that not long ago that he and his companion had a new young male friend on date to be baptized. When the date arrived, the young elders went over to the church to fill up the font. Try as they may, the font would not fill, so they called their bishop. The bishop called for a repairman, but they would be at least two weeks out. Without the bishop telling the young elders that the baptism would have to be rescheduled, the bishop went over to the church to see if he could get the font to fill. When the bishop arrived and went to the font, it was totally filled with water and ready to use. That baptism happened as scheduled that day because of God's miraculous arm!

President and Sister McCrudden closing the meeting with final words of love

     I will end here for now until next week when I will blog again on our most amazing visit to Dublin. As you can see, our first two events, both to New Grange and to Zone Conference, were so spiritual and so very uplifting. Through both of these experiences (and the next parts to come) have only solidified in my heart that God lives and loves all His children in any age. I am so grateful to know Him and to serve Him as one of His missionaries. I marvel when I can see His hand in the lives of His children, whether in 2022 or over 5,000 years ago. He has always been there and continues to stretch forth His hand to all who will come and see, come and hear and come and know. Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of the world. He has applied His loving atonement personally to me often. I don't know where I would be today without His love, concern and His guidance. May God bless you, dear family and friends. I carry each of you in my heart daily as I walk the covenant path in Ireland.