Beautiful...Nauvoo

Destination: Nauvoo, Illinois

With a few simple entries, the Navi is set, and we're off! All is going quite well until we reach the city of Oquawka. Yes, there is a city by that name in Illinois. I think about fifty people live there, one of which works at the only gas station in town. We enter such gas station in search of a map, due to the fact that our navigation system has been taking us in circles for the past hour leading us by way of every road in the area back to the same road that is CLOSED! We inquire about a map and are told that the road is closed (like we didn't know...why do you think we're asking for a map!) and the truck that brings them their maps can't get there.

So we start back on our way with no map, no navi, and no idea where we are. Luckily we found the only map in town... As Mark Twain wrote: "The Mississippi River will always have its own way; no engineering skills can persuade it to do otherwise."

The Arrival

We arrived just minutes before the two bus loads of youth. After downing a slice of pizza, we were all free to explore the city. I think all of us discovered Annies Frozen Custard and The Fudge Shoppe. Annies Frozen Custard stayed open as long as people kept coming in. I think our group kept it open until midnight all three nights we were in town. We tried vanilla with strawberries, vanilla with raspberries, and vanilla with hot fudge. The last night there we had heard the flavor of the day was lemon and that we needed to try it with raspberries. By the time we made it to Annies the lemon was GONE! I'm still upset.

Which way to Carthage?

We followed the two bus loads as they made their way through the back roads to Carthage. Good thing we didn't try to get there on our own. If you ever want to try it, here's the directions: Take a left at the first corn field...a right at the next corn field...then go down the road a piece to another corn field...a few more twists and turns through some more...yes... corn fields that look amazingly the same as the last corn fields. When you see a clearing and a building, you have arrived at your destination next to yet another....corn field.

Carthage

Our visit to Carthage Jail would prove to be an emotional start to our trip. No description could tell what I felt there. Gratitude. Such an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the man who left the beautiful city of Nauvoo on June 24, 1844 with his loyal brother Hyrum to answer to charges against him for "riot." As this man, the Prophet Joseph Smith, glanced back at Nauvoo and the Mississippi River he said, "This is the lovliest place and the best people under the heavens, little do they know the trials that await them."

"Calm As A Summer's Morning"

"I am going like a lamb to the slaughter but I am calm as a summer's morning. I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men. I shall die innocent, and it shall yet be said of me-he was murdered in cold blood."

These words became a reality. On June 27, 1844, the Prophet Joseph and his Brother Hyrum were martyred. Hearing the story again in the place where it happened was an experience I will always remember and will forever be grateful for this man, this prophet of God...Joseph Smith

"High Hopes and Riverboats"

This was a musical production performed by LDS missionaries depicting true stories from histories and journals of those who originally lived in Historic Nauvoo. My ears perked up when I heard "the whittlin and whistlin brigade". I've read stories about them in my own family history. This was a group of young men (yes, very young) who would intimidate suspicious characters who came into Nauvoo by taking out their pocket knives and whittlin sticks and begin whittling and whistling as they got closer and closer to the person of interest. I guess it was a very successful way of protecting their community without violence. Pretty cool to think our ancestors were part of this infamous group of young men. It sounds like something Grandpa R. would do, doesn't it?

The Nauvoo Visitors Center

The missionaries sang to us before we went in to see the movie "Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration", and "Remembering Nauvoo".

Sunset by the Mississippi

Later in the evening, we watched a live show at the Pavilion on the River called "Sunset by the Mississippi. The performers included the young missionaries as well as the senior missionaries. It was great family entertainment! The senior missionaries stole the show!

The Temple

The temple sits prominently on a hill in the center of town. It is a near duplicate of the original temple exterior. Even the temple window glass, made in France and Germany, is the same type of glass made in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Everything done inside and outside the temple was duplicated as near as possible to the original temple.

The youth were able to perform baptisms for those who died without having the opportunity to embrace the Savior's gospel. It was great to see their enthusiasm to perform this act of service. What a blessing it is to know that we are able to give this opportunity of choice to accept this ordinance to our ancestors who didn't have the opportunity here on earth.

I felt like a temple worker for the day. It was great!

Historic Nauvoo

After the temple, we were free to walk around Historic Nauvoo where we were able to go inside some of the restored homes and shops along Main Street. We didn't have time to see it all, but we were able to see:

• How bricks are made (and got a souvenir brick)
• How a newspaper was done (very tedious, hard work)
• How they baked bread and cookies (tasted a ginger bread cookie)
• The house where John Taylor lived and the toy horse he went back, in disguise, to Nauvoo to get for his little child who was sad it had been left behind.
• How guns were made at the Browning house.
• The House where Joseph and Emma lived.
• The burial place of Emma, Joseph, and Hyrum.
• Parley Street where the saints walked down to the Mississippi River to cross and leave their beautiful Nauvoo behind.

The Pageant

Last but least, we attended the Nauvoo Pageant. With the words, "When you're here, we're here," an actor representing Parley P. Pratt welcomes audiences to the Nauvoo Pageant. The pageant depicts the settling of Nauvoo in the mid-1800's, and commemorates the building of the original Nauvoo Temple. It is a celebration!

At the end of the pageant when the lights are lit on the temple, and you hear the voice of President Hinckley saying how the Nauvoo Temple and the Salt Lake Temple are built facing one another just like bookends with so much history in between, a hush comes over the audience in reverence and respect for those who left such a wonderful legacy for us.

When you visit Nauvoo, they are there!