Those Old People Sure Can Dance

Of course a good soak in a front porch tub is the proper way to start a day in Nauvoo.

A wagon tour of Nauvoo is a good way to wake up in the morning. The Sister dressed in pioneer garb in the back wears a Britney Spears head set and narrates the sites as the horses clop along. The seats are padded and comfy and the jokes are corny and cute.

You can also take a carriage ride that is a smaller conveyance pulled by the same big Belgian horses. Our missionary guides were a cowboy from Nephi Utah and a great storyteller from Nibley Utah. I wonder if they ever let sister missionaries drive the carriages or the wagons. I think I might want to be the first.

In the print shop there are occasional glimpses of the 21st century - like a sister with extravagant hair reading her iPad.  You go girl!

Nauvoo was a very different church site from Kirtland. In Kirtland there was an emphasis on the revelations received there. In Nauvoo there is more emphasis on daily life and history there - with analogies at each site relating to daily life.

My favorite story was about John Taylor.  When the family was forced to take only the necessities, his little boy was heartbroken about leaving the rocking horse his dad had made him behind. They crossed the river and camped. The next morning when he woke, the boy found his father gone, he didn't return all day. Late at night the boy saw his dad riding in on a horse and in the dim light he saw what he was carrying - the rocking horse. This story touched me because Mark made a rocking horse for Rachael when she was a year old and it endures as a very well loved steed. Last Christmas he made two more for each family of grandkids.

Brigham Young's home has a large "council" room. One of the great miracles of the latter day church is the way the church survived the death of Joseph Smith. The twelve had been prepared and the Lord made sure that people recognized the mantle of the Prophet being conferred on Brigham Young.

Our day in Nauvoo ended with a production put on by the Senior missionaries. It was funny and delightfully amateurish. If you serve in Nauvoo you are obliged to be a performer. You receive the gift of tongues to memorize your lines and the gift of courage to pull it off.

The City Beautiful

We pulled into Nauvoo at 8:30 pm. The temple drew us in. There were several people about and the air was balmy. I don't need to tell you that the temple is beautiful.

I appreciate that temple sites are always so artistically lit. This statue of Joseph and Hyrum on their way to Carthage is between the Temple and the river down the hill in the distance. Of all the sculptures I have seen on this trip - this is my favorite.

We are staying at Nauvoo Log Cabins in the "Nixon" cabin. Each one is authentic, reconstructed on this site from somewhere else. There is a history of the builder and occupants. Mark and I are upstairs in a large room with two bunks and a queen bed. Where are all our kids when we need them? This is a fun place for families to stay.

In fact, across from us was the LaDuke family. Alicia Brimhall LaDuke is originally from Snowflake. Our families have been friends for many years. It was great to see her and her cute family.

The Mississippi River at the end of Parley Street

We attended the Nauvoo ward today. The Bishop's name is Joe Smith. It is probably confusing for nonmembers.

Hyrum, Joseph and Emma, along with Joseph's parents and others are buried in this site owned by The Community of Christ (formerly Reorganized Church).

There was a large group at the gravesite, all the women in long dresses. One family stayed behind and we visited with them for quite a while. They are the Bishop family from Independence, MO. They belong to a church that broke off from the Community of Christ several years ago. As Brother Bishop said, "They left us." It is called "The Restoration Branch". They believe that the Community of Christ became worldly and lost their way. It was fun to talk to this friendly family who revere the Book of Mormon just like we do.

At church we ran into old friends Dot and Boyd Williams.  The Williams daughter Jody was our son Max's first piano teacher. We love this great family. They are here in Nauvoo serving a temple mission. They invited us to their apartment where we visited and ate warm apple crisp. Seeing people we know has been an unexpected gift of the journey.