Sunday, May 30, 2010

Historic and Spirit Filled Nauvoo Day 1

This is day one which was Saturday, May 22nd. We arrived after 2 pm and checking into our motel room which felt great with the powerful air conditioning. We got something to eat and then proceeded straight to the temple which you could not miss as you drove into town. You take this sweeping right turn and up in your face to the left is this very large and impressive temple. It is up on the hill overlooking the residential area of town which was down near the Mississippi river.

We missed the last wagon ride which takes you you through town and identifies the scenic spots and houses which the prominent leaders lived and the primary location of the businesses. Most all have been renovated and includes time appropriate furnishings. We went and visited some of the sites which included the Smith family residence they first lived in, the grave sites of Joseph, Hyrum, Emma, Luch Mack, and Joseph Smith Sr. John loved the Family Living Center and then went back and ate at the Hotel Nauvoo and got ready for church on Sunday.
This is the Smith Family burial site where Joseph, Hyrum, and Emma along with many other family members were buried, including Lucy Mack and Joseph Smith Sr. The remains of Hyrum, Joseph, and Emma are a few yards away in an above ground marble tomb which is owned by the Community of Christ, which was formerely the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This monument to Joseph and Brigham Young is near the end of the road referred to as the Trail of Hope as the saints were driven out of Nauvoo in early February during driving snow storm which froze the river but did allow the saints to cross more easily. This represents Joseph instructing Brigham on the eventual trek west and their route.

John outside the Family Living Center where they did demonstrations of how the saints during that period made candles, rope, baked bread, sewed clothing, made barrels, and made pots from clay. John saw a nearby store and wondered why they just didn't buy them like everyone else does today.


This is the monument just below the temple of Joseph and Hyrum before their fateful trip to Carthage to turn themselves in to authorities to answer charges of disturbing the peace. They were guaranteed safety by Governor Ford and had the charges modified so they could hold them. This moment depicts the last time they would see Nauvoo, and stopped just below the temple knowing that they would never return.



This is the outside of the front entrance of the temple. What a beautiful and inspriring ediface even by today's standards.




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