June 27 - 5:16 PM A very special day

We were able to get the day off from our temple shifts on Saturday.  We felt very blessed to have this wish granted to us.  We started the day on a small tour bus.  We went on the Martyrdom Trail, as much as is still able to be driven on.  It was a wonderful three hour experience.  We started at the last home that Joseph Smith lived in.  This is the door where he said good-bye to his wife Emma, who was four months pregnant, their four children, and his mother Lucy Mack Smith.  He asked Emma, "Will you raise my boys to follow after me?"  He asked her this question three times before rode away.

This unpaved road is the last of the original Carthage trail.  What was the old road across the prairie is now private corn and soybean fields.

This picture is out of order, but it is a picture of the original canal that the saints dug to drain the swamp out of Nauvoo.  It is still in use today for drainage.  The reason it is not any deeper is the limestone rock is about six feet down from the surface. 

After we went to Carthage, our bus driver got us back to Nauvoo for the 12:00 noon commemoration at the grave sites.  This event was sponsored by the Community of Christ as they still own the property where the Red Brick Store is at, and the grave sites are close to that area. Our YPM's, Young Performing Missionaries sang two songs, there were a couple of short talks and readings.  The Nauvoo Brass Band, which is also YPM's performed.  Such dedication from these young missionaries.

During the short commemoration ceremony, a rose was placed on each grave marker.  One for Joseph, one for Hyrum and one for Emma.  A member of the Community of Christ placed one, then one was placed by Nauvoo Restoration Society and one by the Bishop of the Nauvoo 3rd Ward. 

This is a picture of Lacklan Mackay.  He is the director of the Community of Christ in this area.  It is interesting that 24 years ago we met him in Kirtland Ohio.  He was directing the tours at the Kirtland Temple when we went there.  It was late in the day and he still took us on a private tour of the temple.  He was very helpful and kind.  I am surprised that today he isn't a member of the LDS Church.  He had such a testimony of Joseph Smith and the restoration.  It was good to see him again.   

After the presentation at the burial plot we drove back to Carthage for the LDS Commemoration at 5:00 in the evening.  We had expected about 1500 to attend, but the weather has been so wet, if we would have had that many, they would not have been able to get on the grounds.  The grass area was closed as it is too soggy.  They had set up chairs all along the walkways.  We were there about two hours early - but we wanted to have a good seat.  We did.   

The program was short, a good reading and mention of the death of the Prophet and Hyrum.  Then as close to 5:17 as they could, the program stopped and silently two riderless horses were led into the court yard.  To say that this was a special, breathless moment would be an understatement.  It was very emotional. 

After the horses were led out, the YPM's sang a version of "Hail to the Prophet - Ascended to Heaven"

As Joseph Smith left Nauvoo on his way to Carthage on horseback, he stopped near the temple, and paused as he looked over the city and spoke these last words. 

"This is the loveliest place and the best people under the heavens;  little do they know the trials that await them."



Week of June 14th - 20th

One of the temple missionaries here finally captured a picture of the storms here.  Didn't this turn out so great.  We were coming off our shift Saturday evening and we could hear the storm and it was blowing so hard it was actually raining sideways.  It did stop after a few hours.

So, a couple of highlights from this week.  We had Bro. and Sis. Enaba came here to visit the temple from Tokyo.  They wanted to see the Nauvoo Temple.  Same with a three-some from Scotland, they wanted to see the Temple.  Seems when the spirit of Nauvoo gets into one, they will come no matter the cost.  It is a tremendous draw this city of Nauvoo.  Some are so drawn to see where the ordinances of the temple really began.  Right here.

On Thursday when we went in for our shift, about 1:45 - the temple had already completed 1738 ordinances, of which 1400 + were from the baptistery.  One group that was here this week was the Ogden 22nd Ward YSA on a Church History Tour.  They had been on the bus for 18 hours when they arrived in Nauvoo.  Great dedication.  120 wonderful young adults.  They literally took over the baptistery and the sealing rooms.  So good.  Then we had a youth conference from Lexington Kentucky.  Again so reverent and so kind.  One of the goals they had was to do a service project here in Nauvoo.  The city fathers said let them go through the public campgrounds, clean the trails, cut brush, haul debris to a dump truck etc.  The city estimated that it would take the 120 youth about three to four hours to complete this huge project.  That is close to 400 service hours.  Well,   drum roll - they had it done in 1.5 hours and done well.  They sang and worked so well together, very well organized.  The best part was so many happy faces.  'When we're helping we're happy as the song says.'

One of the site missionaries was telling us of this incident.  She looked up the street and saw about 5-6 youth walking to one side of the street, then pausing and walking back to the other side of the street.  They did this several times.  She asked them (after a few minutes), what were you doing?  They replied: "On the LDS side of the street you can feel the Spirit, on the other side of the street you cannot".  We were impressed that these youth could feel the Spirit, but more impressed they could tell when it wasn't there.  I assume this happened where the Church owned property is on one side of the highway and the public city owned campground is on the other side of the street.

No I don't know...............

No - I do not know why the blog is publishing the way it is, and no I cannot seem to get it fixed.  Sorry for the funny spacing etc.  ??????????????

couple of thoughts June 16th

This weather in Nauvoo is something to experience.  For the last two weeks or so, we have had so much rain that I am surprised the ground can keep absorbing the moisture.

Almost every morning and evening it rains - hard, very hard.

And to keep it interesting - we have thunder and lightening too.

Now we have all experienced the lightening bolts that most of you

have, but in addition to that we have what I would call 'day' lightening.

The whole apartment lights up like someone put a flood light in here,

but there is not a sound - just flashes of light.  Lots of it.  The other

night it went on from about 10:00 to around 3:00 AM.

The curtains or nothing could keep the light out.

Next thought - We are finding out why we were called to Nauvoo.  And it is not even Pageant time yet. 

The Temple Baptistery is full, packed from morning to night.

Maximum plus for patrons.  Tomorrow the Baptistery starts at 4:00 am.  We have had two youth conferences here in the last week.  Each with over 100 youth.

Today is the first day that the Endowment Sessions have been

so full.  We can seat 48, then we bring in chairs.  We did bring in

chairs today for two sessions.  The other sessions were almost full too.

We had a YSA Ward from Ogden Utah here that had over 120 YSA.

What a fine group of people.  So wholesome and kind.

I was asked to officiate a special session today at noon.

It was scheduled for the BYU Ballroom Dancers. 
They just arrived in town for two weeks of shows here, and they wanted to attend

the Nauvoo Temple today to start their experience here.

Isn't that so special that they would start with work in the Temple.

When the morning was over, I went down to the basement break room

to pick up the snack that we didn't have time to eat.  It was 2:30 and as

I was the only one left downstairs, I thought I would short cut through the

Baptistery to get to the stairs to get upstairs. 

As I entered the room - I could faintly hear people singing - small choir or ?  I stopped and tried harder to listen, but the singing stopped.  I think I intruded their space.  They were singing

with joy for the restored temple ordinance of the Baptistery. 

Whoever they were.  Bless their hearts.

Our June 8th "P" Day trip.

We went to Iowa to tour the town of Kalona.  Home of the Amish and

Mennonite communities.  What a delightful and beautifully clean

 little town it is.  So perfect in many ways.

We started our day at the Visitors Center. 

The town has built a large, well displayed part of their history,

from many of the quilts that they are so famous for

to several antique displays of their way of life.

 Under these hand made quilts were several displays

of old Singer sewing machines. 

This one on the left is from 1917 -

it is the 'old tredle' power type. 

 This is the old 1800's church they first met in.

It is still used for a school house sometimes today.

 This washing machine was powered by moving the

handle back and forth to create agitation.

 Here is one of the first 'gas powered' washing machines.

 This is an individual two quart canning jar canner.

Each jar had its own small container over it rather

than seven quarts in a pan like we use today.

 This is the old telephone operators control center.

Patty's sister Diann used to work at ACS [Alaska Communication System],

 on a switchboard just like this one.  My mother worked on one like this

at Sears Roebuck in Bremerton too.

 This is an Amish telephone booth.

The Amish do not have telephones.  But these Solar Powered

Cell Phone Booths are checked once a day by a certain

person, who writes down messages from other family

members then delivers the messages by foot or by a horse

drawn carriage to the families.  They also do not have

electricity, hence the solar power!

 Monday was laundry day.  All the houses had laundry

hanging on the lines.  Notice how clean and well done

their gardens are.

 This is one of the Mennonite barns.

Every place we looked was so well kept and manicured.

We learned some differences between the Mennonites and the Amish such as:

one allows the use of tractors and farm equipment just as you would see anywhere.

The other order requires the rubber tires to be removed and to

use only steel wheels. 

The groups all get along well and are so respectful of each other.

We saw several horse drawn carriages traveling along the highway.

The horses had a beautiful trot.

We ate dinner at a Mennonite home - family style.

All 14 of us at one long and large table. 

The meal was so delicious, everything made from

scratch by one elderly grandma, and served by her teenage

grand-daughter.  What a great day.



Shall the Youth of Zion Falter? No....

Last night on the way out of the temple - about 10:15 PM, there were about a dozen or more teen-agers sitting on the Temple steps reading their Book of Mormon.  We thanked them for being in the Temple today and they were saying "thank you" to us.  The Baptistery had opened at 6:00 AM this morning and the last session for the baptistery was 11:00 PM.  That is a lot of youth and a lot of ordinances being started today.

As we went out to the parking garage we could see other individual teen-agers sitting under the temple lights also reading their Book of Mormon.  We stopped and talked with two of the girls.  They are from the graduating class of Lone Peak High School and American Fork High School.  This was their graduation outing rather than having a party.  The name of the tour is 'Inspiration'.  There were 109 of their group in the Baptistery today and the balance will go tomorrow morning.  It is a combined Church History Tour with some other selected sites.They had been in Adam-ondi-Adam and Independence yesterday and today in Nauvoo.  They are heading for Kirtland next, then to New York, Boston and Niagara Falls. 

They have a goal to read the BofM before their trip is over.  The one girl told us how much her testimony had increased from reading the BofM and seeing these sights that seem to speak to her spirit. 

She talked of the people they had met and giving out BofM's on the rest stops and restaurants.  She was now thinking of serving a mission because of the way this trip has touched her heart. 

It is so refreshing to see this many teen-agers doing and choosing the right. 

Great isn't it.

Scattered thoughts

 This a good dog, watching the passers-by in the back

of a pickup truck on the streets of Nauvoo.

She is content to just watch the tourists.

Isn't this a great little log house.  Built for a museum

but not occupied yet.  It looks so charming I told

Patty we should buy it and move here.  She said okay.

 It comes with a new - not used out-house.

I think this will work just fine.

This town of Nauvoo has no shortage of flowers.

These Peonies are all over the 'flats', and also they

are in many other places.  The rain is very hard on them as

they get full of water and lean over like these.

But - they are such a beautiful flower. 

This picture of the Lucy Mack Smith Home was taken

this afternoon.  The bikes in front are from a local Bed and

Breakfast.  I thought it was an interesting picture.

New Subject

Patty and I were guides for a wedding in the temple this morning.  As we waited for them to show up at the appointed time - the front door to the temple opens and in walks this beautiful woman, dressed so respectively.  Behind her is a very handsome man - dressed in Navy Officer Whites. 

He is a Lt. Commander in the Navy. 

Both of them are here in Nauvoo for their wedding day. 

She is 35 and he is 43.  They both are having their first wedding, yes at that age, first wedding. 

She was from SLC and he was from San Diego CA.

What a treat it was for us to be their guides today. 

Kind of cute how they enter on the first floor, then up to the second floor for clothing, then to the third floor for the veil ceremony, then to the fifth floor for the sealing, then back to the second floor to get dressed in street clothes, then down to the first floor to exit.  All on the grand circular stairway.  First floor to the Second floor is 31-steps alone.  That's a lot of steps counting five floors.

It was such a special day for all.  She was very emotional and actually - so was he.  There they stood as a model or symbol of what this church stands for.  True and virtue dressed in white.  Both of them.

Thank you Lord for letting us be here to witness this today.