Dad cooking dinner at our campsite in Nauvoo's State Park. It was hot! Poor Dad. He kept apologizing to us about the campsite. Since he suffered just as much as we did, we felt no need to further punish him.
Jaye and I doing what we do best.
A Sun Stone, one of the original pieces of the temple.
One of our horses was named Chuck.
Woo-hoo! Here we go!
They took us right by the temple.
And here we have the Mississippi River, right where the Saints crossed when the persecution got too intense. See all those floating plants out there? Those are American Lotuses. I couldn't get a great picture of them because I was on the wrong side of the wagon. For this same reason I couldn't get a good picture of the snapping turtles sun-bathing on the logs.
And now we get to some of the cool shops and businesses that we visited. This is obviously the blacksmith shop. This missionary made a miniature horseshoe while he talked to us. Each of the places we visited had a missionary there to explain or demonstrate some skill or aspect of the Saints' lives, and then tie it in to the Gospel and how their everyday lives reflected their testimony of the Gospel.
Oo, the brickyard was one of my favorite places. This missionary explained that when the Saints got here, they realized that despite the fact that the area was all swamp and forest, they couldn't use the wood to build because it rotted from the inside out. So Joseph Smith sent 150 men to Wisconsen to float timber down the Mississippi. They cut down enough trees to lash together and stack a raft as big as a football field, but it still wasn't enough. This is why so many of the houses were made of red brick; the clay soil was perfect for brick-making.
The coolest part was that we got to go back and watch them actually make the Nauvoo bricks they now give to visitors.
Here's a young elder learning how to make the bricks.
Did you know that these glass bottles told people that you could find an apothecary inside? I thought that was kind of cool.
Here's the general store.
Dad ran back to the store after we left, just to take a picture of this little wooden box. It's called a Bee Box, and it's truly ingenious. You use it like so: Open up one side of the box and put a flower inside. Wait patiently until a bee decided to buzz in for a closer look. Close the lid and carry the bee home. Turn the box over and pour a little bit of flower into it. Close the lid, remove the divider, and gently shake. Step outside and release the indignant and slightly befudled white bee and follow the now-slow-moving insect back to its hive. Build a small fire under the hive, wait until the worker bees all swarm around the queen bee to protect her, and then quickly fill your honey jar. Put out the fire, and remove yourself from the premises. Seriously, how cool is that? Dad and I both wonder who in the world thought of this elaborate scheme to begin with. Seriously, who thought of that?
This was their Cultural Hall. They not only held meetings in here, but they used it as an opera house and a theater. Brigham Young and Joseph Smith even acted in some of the productions! How cool is that?
The Cultural Hall is three stories tall, and now the second story is filled with artifacts that have been recreated, or are original to the time-period. They had a room full of quilts, but I had to post this picture for Celeste because I thought it was so cool. This quilt was made by a woman who lived in Nauvoo, and it traveled in her handcart all the way to Salt Lake with her daughter. How crazy is that? This quilt is over one hundred years old!
This wreathe-thing is made out of human hair. Not sure how I feel about that.
Okay, one of the funnest moments of the day. The top floor of the Cultural Hall is a ballroom. This is the original floor: several prophets, including Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, danced on this floor with their respective wives. Apparently they had music and dancing often. Anyway, we all decided to enjoy the spirit of the place by dancing a little bit ourselves.
So there was another group touring the building at the same time as us, and there was a guy named Barthalomew from Syracuse, Utah with them. He and his family were apparently in the pageant. What a fun person! He found joy and value in just about everything, and his personality was infectious. He's the one who started us all dancing, and after he'd danced with his daughter, he came over and asked me to dance, and then Mom. Embarassing? Sure. Fun? You bet.
I wish I was that cool.
The Gunsmith Shop was super cool, and I took a bunch of pictures for Bridger because I thought he'd enjoy them, but unfortunately, I don't have room to post them all here. Basically, the gunsmith who lived here was named Browning. Sound familiar? Well, he and his son are still giants in the world of guns. Browning Jr. invented the first repeating rifle, and he also invented a new way of rifling the barrel to increase accuracy. He and his son did a ton of other cool stuff, but I don't have time to write it all here. One of the most amazing things about them? Despite how rich they were, they were also totally faithful. They were one of the first families to follow Brigham Young's instructions, and when they couldn't find a buyer for their house, they abandoned it and left.
View of the temple from behind the Gunsmith Shop.
Here's the Pioneer Memorial. It sits right where the road meets the river, where the Saints crossed the frozen ice and left Nauvoo. Inside the building is inscribed the names of all the pioneers (that we know of) who died between Nauvoo and Salt Lake.
Statue depicting Joseph showing Brigham Young the way. The scroll Brigham carries reads, "Great Basin, Route to the Rockies".
This is Vinson Knight's home, one of our ancestors. He died in Nauvoo and his wife, Martha, went on to marry Joseph Smith and then Heber C. Kimball. She survived the journey West.
Mom and I especially liked it here. This was Sarah Granger Kimball's home. She really was quite the lady. She met her husband, Hyrum, in Kirtland. He was a successful businessman and a non-member. They got married and moved to Nauvoo, where she became one of the first members of the Relief Society. A fun story that we all enjoyed told how she tricked her husband into paying tithing and giving the largest single cash donation to the temple (as a woman in those days she had no income of her own and since her husband was a non-member, he did not pay tithing and, therefore, neither did she. Apparently this bothered her a little, and she was always looking for ways to help with the building of the temple, with or without tithing.). After their first child was born, they sat upstairs admiring him when Sarah asked Hyrum, "How much is your son worth?" Hyrum had no immediate answer for this, so Sarah pressed him. "Is he worth $1,000?" "I suppose so," her husband replied. "And wouldn't half of that be mine?" she asked. When Hyrum told Joseph Smith this story, Joseph laughed and then said, "Well, she's right. So now you have two choices; either give me your son, or pay me the $500." Hyrum paid the $500 and eventually joined the church.
Ok, coolest thing. We stopped to get gas on Thursday afternoon before we left for Carthage, and across the street this random band of bagpipers started playing and marching down the street. Jaye and I have both decided that before we die, we have to learn how to play the bagpipes.
Carthage Jail. You know, it was kind of crazy. The group we were in had a lot of little kids in it, and as soon as we entered the jail, the babies and toddlers started freaking out and crying. It may have been nothing, but sometimes I think that children pick up on a lot of things that we adults miss. They knew exactly what had happened there.
This is where prisoners were normally kept, but Joseph and his companions were given the upstairs rooms, the jailor and his family's own quarters, for their safety. Maybe the jailor didn't think the mob would look beyond the obvious place?... but this room did end up playing a role, because this is where John Taylor was hidden from the mob (under the straw pallet) after he'd been wounded and Hyrum and Joseph were killed.
Don't worry, I'm sure they've changed the straw since then.
This is where they waited. This is where over 200 men attacked and killed the prophet and his brother. After the sister missionary recounted some of the events, she played a recording and we listened to "A Poor Wayfairing Man of Grief", the song Joseph Smith requested as they waited to die.
This is the original door. When they heard the mob coming, they all rushed to the door to hold it. A shot was first fired at the lock (you can still see the hole) and then another shot was fired through the door. That is the shot that struck Hyrum Smith in the head, killing him almost instantly. After that they gained entrance to the room, shot John Taylor, and killed Joseph Smith.
The upper story window is the one that Joseph jumped out of. He'd already been shot once inside, and as he rushed to the window, he was hit again by someone standing outside.
Statue of Joseph and Hyrum outside of and facing the Nauvoo Temple. They were killed before the building could be completed.
Gorgeous, isn't it? It's the exact replica of the original on the outside. I took this right after we came out of the temple.
The only thing that could have made this moment better, is if my whole family could have been there.
We did it! Jaye and I each had fifteen names, and each one of them was from the Isle of Man (British Isles) and they were all from the sixteen and seventeen hundreds. How cool is that?!
Jaye and Mom enjoying a post-temple high at the restaurant that I can't remember the name of.
Dad and I doing the same. (I love how I always wait until people's mouths are full before suddenly taking a picture...not planned, I swear. Just luck.)
At this point my camera started going on the fritz, so some of the pictures might be a tad dark and blurry. No worries. Anyway, every night before the pageant they hold a big country fair. There's a live band, dancing, games, food, and other fun things. When we got there they were right in the middle of this amazing square dance that looked so fun even I wanted to join in.
So, remember those random bagpipers at the gas station? Surprise! They're back! Apparently they escort the flag onto the stage at the beginning of the pageant. It was actually a really powerful beginning to a very powerful performance.
Let the pageant begin! (And I've already got goose bumps.)
Since my camera decided to break, Dad became our only photographer; unfortunately, he often got so caught up in the performance that he forgot to take pictures. This meant that at periodic intervals I would reach over (often at Mom's request) and smack Dad to remind him of his duty. (What? I tried asking him, but he was so caught up in things that he didn't hear me. I made a judgment call. You weren't there.) This scene is toward the end of the play. They had the real temple lit up in the background to start with, but as soon as the pageant started they turned off the lights. Right when they get to the point where they reenact the completion of the temple, however, ...
Boom. There it is again. I'm telling you, I wailed like an infant. Seriously, how could you not cry after the day we'd had?
Look! It's Jamie! And she's wearing a pink dress! Seriously, it was such a huge blessing to see her there.
Ah, the morning take-down routine. Farewell, Nauvoo!
The rest stop between Nauvoo and Winter Quarters. Isma, throw your hands in the air!
Welcome to Winter Quarters, Nebraska! I feel like I should know that missionary. Hmmmm....
Jaye, playing with the furniture again.
After Sister Hawkes showed us around the Visitor's Center a little bit, she took us downstairs and showed us an exhibit they're currently showing. I don't remember the lady's name, but she sculpted all of these amazing statues, and I just had to show you a couple of my favorites. Sister Hawkes said that the artist is from Montana, and that she was an opera singer before one day she just kind of started sculpting and thought, "Huh. I'm pretty good at this." I mean, who does that?
This was the main piece. It depicts Lazarus rising from the tomb. Powerful, right?
The Winter Quarters Temple.
The statue that stands in the center of the little cemetary. Most of the original grave markers are gone, since they were wooden, so it's a little strange to see such a seemingly-empty cemetary.
Our very last camp.
That's right, you kill those spiders, Dad! You know, I think that broom got more action killing bugs than it did sweeping dirt.
Rise and shine! We're on our way home!
This is what happens when I don't sleep on roadtrips. I take pictures. You, me, it doesn't matter. Then I start to get bored and bug the other passengers. Trust me; Mom and Dad liked me asleep.
Mom and Dad busted out the Suzie Q's for our last lunch on the road. Did you know that Jaye doesn't like Suzie Q's? I love the fact that Jaye doesn't like Suzie Q's. Did I mention that I gained weight on this trip?
And here we all are, back again. (In this picture we hadn't actually left yet, but it's supposed to be symbolic.)
Well, that's it for me. I'm going to try my darndest to get at least one or two other people to add their two cents, but that may or may not happen. Don't hold your breath! (Or do, and let me know how that goes.)
Kisses, toodles, cheerio, tut-tut, and all that.
We love you all!
