After Church on Sunday, we drove to Carthage. It's in the opposite direction of Nauvoo, so it seemed like a great Sunday activity since Carthage Jail is the only relevant place to visit. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. We went on the busiest day the missionaries there had ever seen, which was sort of a bummer because we had to split up into two groups, but we got the last 7 tickets they had. We were grateful that they still had some tickets.
I went through with the two older kids first, and everyone else went into the next group. I learned so much. For instance, the Jailer lived at the jail with his family and was not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ. But, when he met Joseph, he knew he was a good man and did everything he could do to protect him. He was also very kind to him. They had heard that people might be coming and didn't want these three men to have to stay in the dungeon, so he gave them his personal room to help keep them safe. But, as the mob of 150-200 people came, there was nothing anyone could do.
As we walked into the room where Joseph and Hyrum were martyred, I could feel the spirit and tried to reflect on that horrific day. I can't imagine the emotions they felt and those that looked to them as fathers, sons, and other family. The heartbreak must have been so severe for the families and church members, too, as they learned of what happened. I felt gratitude like I never had as we walked through that building and on those grounds. It is definitely a sacred place.
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| The original bullet hole |
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| The window Joseph fell from. |
When I asked the kids if they had felt the spirit, they all had. Even Caleb felt the spirit as he entered the room, Joseph was shot. The same theme or thought went through my mind there, and as we explored Nauvoo, "These people sacrificed SO much, and because of them, I am where I am today. I must always remember this and always be grateful for them. Especially my ancestors."
I have quite a few ancestors that came through Nauvoo. Bo had many, too, and we have many others that need their temple work done. It's our turn to get them where they need to be and do the temple work they can't do on the other side...
Monday, we spent the day in Nauvoo.
We walked around a lot of areas and talked with lots of missionaries who informed us of what happened there. It was really cool. One promised us that if we prayed to get a testimony of Joseph Smith while we were there, we'd get it. I thought it was pretty bold but cool that she could testify of that. What better place than there to gain a testimony of Joseph Smith?
We searched through family on familysearch.org, and that's when Nauvoo really come alive for us. We walked places our ancestors walked! How cool is that!? One of my favorite stops was a cemetery. Bo had an ancestor buried in Nauvoo and looked at a pic of the headstone. He wanted to teach the kids about him by his gravestone, but his headstone wasn't in the cemetery we stopped at, and we didn't have time to go to the others and look. Bo decided to take a minute there and teach the kids about him and some others he had learned about. Once again, the sweet spirit testified to us we were visiting the sacred ground. These people gave up everything for the Lord. Once again, our kids were taught by the spirit.
We went on a tour of the Community of Christ's buildings. They own some of the best parts: Joseph and Emma's home, the mansion house, and the red brick store. These were so special to see, but the person giving the guided tour wasn't quite the same as the LDS missionaries. I wish we could have learned a little more about them.
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| The temple was gorgeous! |
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| I loved this statue and what posted below. (next pic) |
At the assembly hall, we were able to look up the names of ancestors we had read about and found out we had some members of the '70s there. Many of them helped build the assembly hall, which helped me feel connected to them.
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| Assembly Hall |
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| I missed the others names. I thought we took pics, but I couldn't find any others. |
Our last stop was the trail of hope. The path the saints took as they left Nauvoo. It started across the street from the assembly hall and ended at the Mississippi River. Along the trail, there were quotes from journals of many pioneers. It was pretty special to feel history come alive through those words. Once again, I pondered the feelings they would have had. It was bitter cold, so cold that the river was frozen over. Not only that, but they also had to leave that beautiful city they had worked so hard to build and walk into uncharted territory. That would have been so scary!
I'm sure they felt every negative emotion out there. But, those faithful pioneers pressed on. They were so strong, and even though they continued through the unimaginable, they knew the truth. They knew the sweet peace of the gospel. They understood the Lord was with them. He was polishing them, preparing them for something much more significant than they could imagine. As he prepared them, they prepared these lands for us. These lands we don't take much thought into today. We live in such a beautiful area that was prepared so well. We are here because of all their hard work and strength to press on. Best of all, we get to enjoy the gospel in our lives today and have peace as well.
I've been thinking quite a bit about nowadays and how much things have changed since then and even in the last 15 years. Things are so different. Sometimes I wish I was born well before the internet or smartphones. Things were so much simpler. But then I think about this. Nobody gets through this life with ease. Even if we believe their life looks much better than ours. Each of us has trials and hardships along the way, and to each of us, they feel like a mountain to climb. We may get breaks from those difficult trials, but we must always be aware of dangers in our paths. It is meant to be this way. The Father knows what we need to become our best selves.
Today, we don't have mobs physically coming into our homes and burning them down or harming us physically as the pioneers did. But, those mobs come in other ways. They enter our homes through the internet and TV and can destroy us spiritually if we aren't always on guard. We aren't kicked out of our cities for our beliefs, nor do we have to cross the harsh planes by cart. Instead, we live in a world of commotion and can't escape the attack of our beliefs from those of the world. Everyone has an opinion, and they want everyone to hear it. It's so easy now too to get it out there and so readily believed. It's in the news, in schools, all over social media, and just recently billboards were posted in Idaho Falls trying to confuse members with websites to visit.
Sounds daunting, doesn't it? It can be, but we need to remember diamonds don't become diamonds overnight. They are only prepared through stress and pressure over time. As we accept our Savior and his grace, His light will fill our lives, and we'll have peace, even amid all this commotion. We will know what to do and how to endure. We'll see the Lord's hand in our lives, and as we get through, we'll be able to look back over time and better see all we have become.
Nauvoo was a great reminder that I'm not here because of me. Yes, I've made the choices I have to have the life I now have. But had those that came before me chosen differently, I might be the one lost. It's my turn to find those who are lost or need a little help along the way.
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