The week started with a visit from Carson and Kathy Bench. They moved to Minnesota after we came here and we had a great time renewing friendship and seeing the sights. We made a trip to Carthage and enjoyed the tour and the story told there. We found a Mexican restaurant for lunch and headed back to Nauvoo for more places to visit and see.
They brought us delicious Haralson baking and Regent eating apples from Minnesota.
A selfie with Carson photo bombing us.
At the temple.
Carson thought it was funny he was drinking wine in Nauvoo.
We had a great week in the temple. Patrons were in the baptistry on Monday and then throughout the week in the rest of the temple as we followed our lines. Saturday we were guides for a wedding and discovered the family used to live in St. David, and knew Grandma and Grandpa Brown. Bob was pretty excited about that and enjoyed visiting with them. We also learned Nelson taught the bride's cousins seminary in Tucson.
Fall is in the air and the leaves are turning. The trees span across the hills and landscape scattering a profusion of color.
Leaves, pine cones, acorns, and buckeyes.
Five new missionary couples came in yesterday and we hosted the Lassen's from Seattle, WA. They are excited to be here and were happy to learn all we showed them in helping them get ready for their training, which begins on Sunday.
The back of our apartment building. We are on the second floor.
We had a missionary meeting with George and Susan Eastan Black Durant. She talked about the first vision and Joseph's early life. Father Smith was always trying to eek out a living with farming. The land was unforgiving and very difficult and he moved from place to place in hopes of finding a better place. He went to Palmyra by himself to see what he could do for a living there. He was good at divining rods in locating water to dig wells and hired out frequently to do just that. He also opened a cake and beer shop to supplement his income. Now the beer was root beer and he did very well at the two enterprises. When things were looking up he hired Caleb Howard and a wagon to go bring his family to Palmyra. Caleb tried to steal the wagon in Utica, NY, but Lucy figured out what he was up to and chased him down, getting the wagon back.
The Smith family was very religious, yet divided on which church to join. Lucy had purchased a bench in the Presbyterian church and thus, that is where she attended. Joseph liked the Methodist church and it was the Reverend George Lane who preached the scripture, James 1:5, that intrigued young Joseph and put the wheels in motion for his desire to "ask of God." The first vision was not written down for public consumption until about 1838 and then was taught by the missionaries as instituted by John Taylor, in 1880.
In 1907, Apostle George Albert Smith and his wife Lucy, traveled to Palmyra to approach the owner of the Smith family farm about purchasing it. Lucy sewed $16,000 in cash into the hem of her skirt for the journey. When they approached the owner to ask to buy the property, he said it was not for sale. With no mention of a price they convinced him to at least think about it overnight. The next day he said he would sell it for $16,000 and the transaction was made. Lucy then sold it to the church for $1.00.
Susie Swing's house on Knight Street.
We had sunshine and very pleasant temps all week. Sunday we woke up to cloudy skies, cool weather, and rain. It is amazing how quickly it changes around here. We had a safe trip to Washington Branch where the Primary Program was Sacrament Meeting. The children did a great job. Then, in primary, the leaders did a fun craft with them, had a snack for them, and they played trashcan basketball with a wad of paper for the ball. A kid would be asked a question and if they got it right they got to stand at a line and throw the paper wad. If they made it they moved back and continued to throw it until they missed. They were all excited to see how far they could throw it.
Temple Fact: I was reading the conference talk by Elder D Todd Christofferson , "The Living Bread Which Came Down from Heaven," and reflected on his counsel to seek holiness in living to have ever present the spirit and to become more like our Savior. Holiness to the Lord, inscribed on temples remind us to seek after holiness when we enter. The early saints used and inscribed that phrase on various articles and such as a reminder where they should have their focus. Now, this gave way to me wondering if there is a Holy of Holies in the Nauvoo Temple. I do not know if there is one in the rebuilt temple, but there was one in the original temple.
Brigham Young's office was located in the southeast corner of the attic and opened directly into the Celestial Room. He had an alter constructed in the room and the room came to be know as the "Holy of Holies." The alter was dedicated 7 January 1846 and that very day it was used for the first time as four individuals and their wives were sealed.
This is a picture of the southeast corner of the temple.
Southwest corner
Northwest Corner
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