Week #33, 24 - 30 July 2017

 It was another busy temple week for us.  Our shifts were busy with the baptistry filled constantly on Monday with families and group.  There was a group of Young Women from Tempe, AZ, who was nice to talk to.  We attended sessions Monday, Wednesday, and Friday when off shift and I attended  an extra one on Tuesday.  We are working through our family file cards and enjoying the blessings of service.

We had a treat with watching Ian Mattson on Tuesday while his parents went to a session in the temple.  They are from our stake at home.  Ian is 7 years old, has been to Nauvoo before, and knew just what he wanted to see again.  We rode the Oxen pulled wagon, tasted delicious bread, and got a gingerbread cookie.  He was expert at making a rope and was excited to walk away from the blacksmith shop with a small horseshoe and a prairie diamond.  He got hungry so we stopped at Peter's Place, newly opened at the east end of town, and he enjoyed a corndog while we had hamburgers.  The fries were great and we had sweet corn nuggets for the first time.  They were pretty tasty. 

Robert, Mindi, Ian Mattson, Barbara and Bob at the Nauvoo Temple.

Other than our hours in the temple, we did laundry, cleaned the apartment, shopped, and went to our weekly scanning project.  I also had a class with Sister Swing.  The weather was humid, hot and muggy for a good share of the week and then come Saturday, it started to cool.  Sunday morning was a pleasant 60º.  

These beautiful flowers adorn the front of the William Weeks Home.  He was the architecture of the original Nauvoo Temple.  It is located on Young Street by the mail room.

We enjoyed our drive to and from Washington Branch today Sunday.  We were barged on the way so we turned around and drove up the east side of the Mississippi and crossed over at Burlington.  We were about five minutes later than usual.  Sister McBride (They are the missionaries we ride with to church.) was the concluding speaker in Sacrament Meeting and gave a great talk on the blessings of "gathering" our ancestors into our families by providing temple ordinances for them.

Sister Overy, the Primary President, had a surplus of vegetables from her garden and offered them to anyone who would like to take some home.  I was delighted to take fresh tomatoes and squash.  We enjoyed grilled zucchini and sliced tomatoes/cottage cheese with our meal.  That was a real treat for us.

We concluded our Sunday evening with Elder and Sister Beck coming over for cinnamon rolls and a round of rummy.  They had not played it before and we had a great time teaching them.  Sister Beck did really well the first part of the game but I came out the winner.  We enjoyed the time together and sharing experiences.  

Temple Fact:  When the Saints first arrived in Nauvoo, there was not a designated spot for a temple.  In fact, one was not found until 1840 with the addition of the Daniel Wells property on the bluff, at the geographical center of an expanded Nauvoo and with a commanding view of the river.  The street that runs in front of the temple is Wells Street.

Week #32, 17 - 23 July 2017

They call it hot here, but we call it muggy.  Oh my, it almost broke 100º!  But, the humidity was sticky.  We were happy to stay in most of the time.  We had rain in the early morning on Saturday with clouds lingering throughout the day.  By the time we got out of the temple at 7:30 p.m., most of them were gone but our glasses fogged up.  We couldn't see a thing.

We enjoyed our trip and time in Washington Branch today.  Dad taught the High Priest lesson and I was at the piano in Primary.  Sister Lingard played "Sing or Dare" with the children.  When one was picked they could choose a song card or a dare card.  One of the dare cards was choose a silly hat for your teacher to wear.  Brother Brigance was a good sport and donned the pink head band with giggles coming from the children.

It was an ancestor temple week for us.  It all started with Isabel, Pearson, and Nelson coming in Monday morning to do baptisms and confirmations.  They were then off to Arkansas and home.

We were in the Arrival Center on Tuesday where we assisted baptism groups and families coming and going.  We stayed busy the whole time and enjoyed being there.

 Back in the temple for Wednesday - Saturday, we participated in more ordinances for ancestors.  We did initiatory, endowments, and sealings.  It was neat to do the work and know "someone" is happy.  Our sifts were busy as well with more patrons in the temple with pageant going on.  It is fun to see patrons in this time for their first time and see their wonder and awe of being here.  It reminded me of when we were here for the first time several years ago.  It really is inspiring to consider this is where the early saints lived and where the prophet and apostles walked,  and taught, and served.  It is the spirit of Nauvoo.

So that was our week.  When we were not in the temple we were at home, scanning at Brother Shurts', me at Sister Swing's for a lesson, or doing laundry, cleaning, family history, and other tasks around the house.

Beautiful Temple Ground Flowers

Temple Fact: As the time neared for the Saints to leave Nauvoo, there was a hurried atmosphere in town as the members of the Quorum of the Anointed finished preparing the temple for the giving of the endowment under the direction of Brigham Young.    Joseph Smith had charged him to "take this in hand and organize and systematize all these ceremonies."    Brigham Young was actively engaged in the Temple from the last week of November through the second week of December 1845 in preparing the various rooms for administering endowments.  The Saints willingly gave of their substance as needed.  Heber C Kimball records, 29 November 1845:  "At 10 in the morning I met the brethren at the Temple in the attic story to lay down the carpets in the sealing rooms, as it was set apart for that purpose......  We had carpet in plenty to lay down in all the rooms.  The carpet was lent by different ones for the present."

Week #31, 10 - 16 July 2017

We started pageant this week and that meant going in at 6 a.m. on the early shift and noon on the afternoon/evening shift.  Getting up at 4 a.m. took me three days to actually get up when the alarm went off!  We took naps in the afternoon to catch up.  We were at the Arrival Center on Tuesday and enjoyed welcoming patrons, giving directions, offering assistance, and sharing the gospel.  A tour bus was in on Wednesday filled the 10 a.m. session.  I was on the register in clothing the hour before to help issue clothing and enjoyed being busy the whole time.

We had two storms during the week with one setting off the sirens notifying people to seek shelter.  The thunder cracked, the lightening flashed, and the rain came down cancelling the pageant rehearsal Monday night.  Wednesday night the second storm stopped the British Pageant.  Many left but after the weather they started up with skipping a lot of it to end close to time.

Early morning at the Arrival Center offered a lovely picture of the temple in the aftermath of the rainstorm.

We continue to enjoy the weekly emails from other family missionaries, Jay in Brazil and Tanner in the Oakland area speaking Spanish.  They are having great experiences in sharing the gospel, giving service, and strengthening their testimonies.

 Jay

 Tanner

It was memory lane for me this week.  A high school classmate had called me the first of May to invite me to a 50 year reunion of sorts.  At our alma mater, Antelope High School, they have begun inviting the class of 50 years ago to lead the graduates in during the ceremony.  They don gold robes and caps and walk in together as the "Golden Grads."  I was excited to receive pictures and learn of everyone's lives to date.

Rick Kelland, Sharon Grover Taylor, Laura Bibby, Burt Galindo, Carvin Short, and George Moore.

Kathy Clark Farar and Michael Farar

Ronnie Beck

When we were at the Arrival Center on Tuesday, a woman came in to see if could schedule a time for her two granddaughters to do baptisms.  After I replied to her question she asked where I was from.  When I said Arizona.  She asked:  "Are you Barbara?"  She then said her name, Geri Pratt (now Nelson) and we had a fun reunion.  In 1965 she and I were state officers in Future Homemakers of America (FHA) and traveled with the other officers to the national convention in Philadelphia, PA.  That was a very long time ago.  Her family lived in Bob's stake then and he knows her older sister and she is Rod Nelson's sister-in-law.

Barbara & Geri

Come Wednesday, we began getting ready for Nelson's family to come.  We cleaned, did laundry, shopped, and planned menus.  Thursday morning we got haircuts and took care of any last minute tasks.  Thursday was busy with our afternoon/evening temple shift and such.

We were off to the temple Friday morning and then joined Nelson's family at Sonic in Keokuk when they came in the afternoon.  The early mornings do offer different photo opps.

Nelson's family has been on vacation for two weeks already and even stopped at Lake McDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park in Montana.  That is where Bob and I met in 1967, and they had a fun time.  They told the clerk Bob had worked there in 1967 and they rolled out the red carpet giving them all kinds of memorabilia to bring to us.  Nelson even sent us a post card announcing their soon arrival.

We did many things with the family, some we have already done and some for the first time with them.

The British Pageant

We ate dinner at the Hotel Nauvoo.  They were offering complimentary carriage rides with your meal.  We climbed aboard and had a ride around the block.

 We enjoyed the carriage, wagon, and oxen wagon rides.  Isabel liked getting friendly with Dan.

We also went to Sunset By The Mississippi, which was full of song, dance, jokes, slapstick, and plenty of audience participation.  What a grand time it was.

The Nauvoo Pageant

 "Here comes the ox cart, oh how slow. . . . ."  Isabel, Pearson, Barbara, Jack, Nelson, Julie. 

A stop at Carthage was memorable to think of being in the very room where the Prophet was when his life ended.  The jail was constructed of rock and hand-hewn logs in the 1830's.  The jail and surrounding property were sold to the church in 1903 and the church restored the building in 1939.  The jail, gardens, and monuments stand as a tribute to the lives of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, who sealed their testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ with their lives.

Stone Arch Bridge built in 1839, used to drain the water off the flats in Nauvoo.

At our apartment.

Waiting for the pageant.

Guess where.

 Waiting for the other pageant.

A carriage ride around the block.

Week #30, 3 - 9 July 2017

Our week began with Jeanna's family here for a visit.  They arrived late Monday evening and we met them at the hotel in Keokuk.  We visited, they settled in, and we went home.  We began our Nauvoo experience together Tuesday morning with us meeting them at the hotel.  Bob took us on a slight detour from our destination to watch a barge load into the lock and then depart.  They seemed to enjoy watching it from the observation bridge and see the expanse of the river.  The weather was a bit humid and warm so we were all to get back into the cars once the barge began its exit and out into the river.

We headed to Carthage with Jeremiah riding with us.  He was happy to be here and  gave us the low down on scout camp and the merit badges he earned.  We arrived at Carthage with few cars in the parking lot.  As we walked up the walkway a group of Young Performing Missionaries were coming our way from the jail.  I asked them if they were going to sing to us.  They replied they were and gathered and presented us with a most delightful tender concert of Primary songs about the beauties of the earth, the love of our Heavenly Father, and the blessing of the gospel.  The setting of shaded grounds, birds singing, and a light breeze was the perfect stage.  Our hearts were touched as they shared a gospel message through the beauty of music.

We watched the video of Elder Jeffery R Holland bearing strong witness that Joseph Smith was a prophet and the gospel is true and then took the tour of the jail.  Standing by the window where the prophet fell.  Grandpa, Grandma, Jeremiah, Hal, Hanna, and Jeanna.

The south side or front entrance of Carthage Jail.

From Carthage we headed to Nauvoo and enjoyed the ride.  We had lunch at our apartment and then headed out to visit the sites.  Elder Hill told us about making bricks and even took us into their workroom to see just how the bricks are made.  He was impressed with Jeremiah's height and said he would be his agent when the time comes.  We were impressed with Elder Hill.  He is full of energy and excited to share what he knows with others.

We stopped at Pioneer Pastimes to see Sister Queensberry.  She is a site missionary and a delightful woman as well.  She was excited to meet more grandchildren and get them involved in the various 

games.

 

At the Family Living Center Elder Searle guided Jeremiah and Hanna in the art of rope making.  They had a fun time with Grandpa checking to see if they were doing it right.  We watched the bread making demonstration and got a chunk of bread.  Yum!  We also stopped at the Scovil Bakery for a gingerbread cookie.

We took a tour of the Heber C Kimball home.  All enjoyed it and Jeanna and the kids signed the descendent's book.

We headed up back at the apartment for supper and then a drive out to the Nauvoo Old Burial Grounds.  We enjoyed the time there and watched a thunder storm roll by.  We showed them other places in the the town and then drove down Parley Street to the Mississippi River.  Some enjoyed skipping rocks, or tried to skip rocks, and others enjoyed the scene and thought of the pioneers crossing here so long ago.

Wednesday was our temple day with them coming in at 10 a.m.  We arranged to be there as well to join in.  The kids did baptisms with their dad doing the baptizing and Jeanna helping with the towels. Grandpa was a witness.  It was a grand time to be together in the temple doing ordinances for ancestors.

We met up with the family at the apartment when we got off at 1 p.m. and had a quiet afternoon.  We adults then went to the four o'clock session while the kids enjoyed more time at Pioneer Pastimes.  We had a great session and time together in the temple.

We picked up the kids and went to the Hotel Nauvoo to enjoy their buffet.  Everyone filled their plates with what they wanted and we shared experiences of the day.

It was then off to the Cultural Hall for a stirring rendition of Rendezvous In Old Nauvoo.  The family enjoyed the performance, the acting, and the music.  It was a great way to end a great day.

Thursday came and we finished up with things to do together.  We headed to the Visitor's Center to go on the rides.  Grandpa surprised us all, especially Hanna by asking her if she wanted to drive.  Well, as any almost sixteen year old teenager would say: "Yes!"  We loaded up with Grandpa as the navigator and off we went.  Grandpa was not shy to give her directions and instructions the whole distance of about a mile or so.

 The Carriage Ride took us north of town and Jeremiah got to see the property of King Follett, after whom he is named.

The Oxen Cart ride was fun.  We have not gone on it yet so it was a new experience for us.  The kids enjoyed riding up front and learning how to direct oxen with word commands.  We've got the old with the new:  Riding in a cart pulled by oxen with Grandpa reading his cell phone.

Ready for the Wagon Ride.

At lunch time we drove to Lomax, IL and had Juicy Lucy's at Jenni's.  They enjoyed the different way to make a hamburger and then we headed back to Nauvoo.  Bob and I were in the temple for our shift and they were off on their own catching sites they had missed and watched Sunset By The Mississippi.  We came together at the apartment after shift, visited and said good-byes.  They headed for the hotel with their visit over.

Our week in the temple was busy.  On Monday there were twenty different families that came through the baptistry so we were on our toes the whole time.  Friday was our long day.  When we got home we rested and did things in the apartment such as laundry, etc.  Saturday we were at the Arrival Center and enjoyed the duties there of assisting patrons as they came in and out going to and from the temple.

A bicycle group showed up to shower before going to the temple.  They had biked a hundred miles plus from Iowa City, IA.  They left at 5 a.m. and got to Nauvoo at 3 p.m.  Garrick Jones asked where we were from and when we said Yuma he started talking to the others and mentioned Howard.  I said we know Howard Sorenson and first met him in Iowa City where our son-in-law was in dental school.  Garrick asked our son-in-law’s name and when we said Thor Thorson, he said he knew him when they were in the same ward for a of couple of years.  He also knew John Kempton, our home ward bishop.   

From Home:  Nelson's family is on vacation as well this week.  We love this picture of them at the Salt Lake Temple.  Nelson, Julie, Isabel, Pearson, and Jack.

Tyler's family is on vacation as well.  They are at Bob's cabin and enjoying the beach and Disneyland.  They celebrated Marissa's and Tyler's birthdays and were having a great time.

Temple Fact: The most easily recognizable feature of the Nauvoo Temple is the sunstone.  There are thirty of them around the outside of the temple depicting the sun rising just above the clouds symbolizing the restoration of the gospel.  One of the original limestone sunstones reside in the Smithsonian's Museum of American History.  It was purchased from the Historical Society of Quincy and Adams Counties for $100,000 in 1989.

Richard Ahlborn, curator in the museum's division of community life said:  "It's one of the largest expenditures this museum ever made.  It is a central symbol of the heroic effort by the Mormon pioneers in their movement from upstate New York to Utah to maintain their belief system."

Week #29, 26 June - 2 July 2017

June is gone and we are moving on!  It is hard to believe we are at our half way mark.  It has been quite the experience thus far.  We are learning a lot and serve in many different ways.  The temple remains our focus and the peace we feel when serving there in.

The baptistry on Monday was busy with eleven families coming in.  It is always such a neat experience working with them and see the joy they feel as they serve in the temple.  It is a first experience for some and we try to make it special for them.  We attended a session after shift on Wednesday.  It was nice to go as a patron and provide the ordinance for deceased ancestors.

The Campbell's from our Washington Branch began as temple workers yesterday.  It was fun seeing them in the temple and are happy they are coming.  We caught up on their experience today at church and they are both thrilled to be serving.

The week was good with a record day on Tuesday of remembering church history and feeling the spirit.  The day, the 27th,  marked the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

We went to the Old Nauvoo Burial Grounds.  I didn’t know what to expect but what I saw and felt was special.     

         

        

The trail from the parking lot led down a path through thick trees and high forest growth.

The trees blocked the sun and the area was very quiet other than the sounds of birds and insects.

We crossed water and could see a round building off to the left.   The path took us that way and we stepped up into the building to discover it was a kiosk with the names of many of those buried in the cemetery on the walls.  Bob located some of his ancestor’s names.

David Fox joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New York with various family members in 1842.   Those so inclined like David, left their home in New York to join with the Saints in Nauvoo, IL. This included David's wife, Caroline Lisk Fox, and all their children. It was a long arduous journey. They arrived at the time of the martydom of the prophet Joseph Smith. Other family members that went on the journey were his oldest sister, Caroline Fox and younger brother, Jesse W. Fox Sr. The environment of Nauvoo, sweltering heat, muggy and mosquitos, brought on the death of several of the younger children then Caroline and a few months later David Williams Fox died.  The older children were looked after by others and eventually all made it out the Salt Lake Valley.  Even though his son, David, age 8 months is the only one listed on this board, David Williams Fox is also buried in this cemetery.

William A Green joined the church in 1840 and died in Nauvoo in 1845.  He is the father of Ann Alice Gheen, wife of Heber C Kimball our line comes through.

We then went through to steps going up to a hill.  When we climbed up the steps and out into the grounds, a feeling of peace and sacredness came over me.

I stood there taking in the sight and feeling the wonder of it all.

 There on top of the hill was sunlight shining down onto headstones.  I walked on up the grassy rise and checked them out.  Other headstones were scattered in various directions.

 I stood there gazing heavenward at the tall, tall trees reaching up and making shade here and there in patches.  The grounds were edged all around with thick forest growth and trees.  The sun was bright and the temp was cool with a gentle breeze blowing.  In the distance I could hear the woodpecker sound and an occasional coo of a dove.  Birds were chirping and singing back and forth to each other across the trees and thick foliage.  Now and then there was the sound of snapping twigs, the rustle of the tall grass and growth caught by the breeze, and the buzz of flies and other insects.

 It was as though others were there surrounding their resting place and grateful we had come to honor them.  I walked up to the statue of the little family of four depicting them having just buried a child.  What a feeling of reverence was there.  The Prophet Joseph Smith said:  “Where a man is buried is sacred to me.”  I could not agree more.  Our time spent there was filled with reverence, peace, and tenderness for the lives that lay below the surface and the suffering of their families left to continue life without them.  I could only stand and be still in thought of them and their sacrifice.  It really was an amazing experience.

 At noon, we attended the memorial service at the Smith Family Cemetery where lies the bodies of Joseph, Hyrum, and Emma Smith.  The program was put on by the Community of Christ Church and the LDS church.  It was a nice program of readings, music, and an opportunity to write a note to one of the three deceased.  I have never thought about what I would say to any of them if I were to meet them.  What do you think you would say?

We then attended the memorial at Carthage Jail at 5 p.m., put on by the church.  Lots of people were there filling the grounds almost to over flowing.  It lasted one half hour and was stirring with the readings and music.  The Nauvoo Brass Band and the YPM Choir performed and really brought the spirit.  Their rendition of "Praise to the Man," at the end of the program properly concluded all that had been said.  

The brothers started with the first verse and their deep, clear voices rang with reverence and resolve for the prophet.  When the sisters joined them their voices blended and complimented one another in such a stirring way it was as if angels were singing.  The closing prayer was said and a feeling of awe and reverence pervaded the grounds.  People were slow to get up and as they did so they were quiet, drinking in the sweet peace of the spirit.  

We made a trip to Burlington and while we waited for an appointment we drove down Snake Alley.  It literally is an alley with a road zig zagging like a snake down the hill.  You can only go down.  Grandpa had to be very careful with making the turns.  It was crazy.

 Looking up from the exit you can see the grassy knolls but only the white curb of the road itself.

Saturday night we sat out on the grass across from the temple and watched fireworks go off across the river in Montrose.  It was a very nice evening and the Nauvoo Community Brass Band played a half hour concert of patriotic music which was very delightful.  The fireworks were quite aways off, but the large ones were okay.  The twenty minute finale was the best part with constant fireworks the whole time. We are having quite the experiences here in Nauvoo.  Us, Sister & Elder McBride, and Sister & Elder Peterson.

We finished Sunday with Church, Break the Fast, and "Our Story Goes On."  Break the Fast was at our house.  We served meatloaf, baked potatoes, and sweet potatoes.  Other brought rolls, dessert, and fresh fruit.  The food was good and we had a great time visiting and getting to know one another.  The three couples are all six month missionaries.  Left to Right:  Elder & Sister Brown from the Denver Temple, Us, Elder and Sister Beer from the Chicago Temple, and Elder and Sister Anderson from the Payson, UT Temple.

 

"Our Story Goes On" is a live production held on the pageant outdoor stage.  We were delighted with the Bagpipe Band and galic dancer and singers.  I happened to be sitting right where they exited the stage and got some great pictures.  The play was done by the core pageant cast and was great.  They can really sing.

Temple Fact:  We attended a fireside by R Lane Wright.  He wrote the book, Testament In Stone.  He gives quite a bit of insight to a lot of the symbolism in temples.  From his book:  "Few  people are aware that, just like the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City sits to the west of the Temple, Joseph and the Saints had planned to erect a Tabernacle in Nauvoo.  Heber C Kimball recorded:  'The Twelve were present, together with some of the Bishops and the architect of the Temple and several other brethren.  These brethren counseled together about building a tabernacle, constructed of canvas, in Nauvoo.'  Elder Orson Hyde actually went east and purchased the canvas.  The shape and size foreshadowed the Tabernacle that would eventually be built in Salt Lake City.  If this Tabernacle had been completed, it would have been located on the bluff  to the west of the temple.  (This is where we were sitting to watch the fireworks.)  The exodus from Nauvoo prevented the construction of the Nauvoo Tabernacle, but the canvas found great use on the wagons of the Saints as they trekked west."