Memorial Weekend in Nauvoo

We had a great time in Nauvoo for Memorial weekend. We met Blair and Kendra's family and Nana and Papa and enjoyed the weekend together. Nauvoo is such a beautiful place with so much history. Early Latter Day Saints built up this city from a swamp and in its prime it was the largest city in Illinois. The Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were martyred in Carthage and the early Latter Day Saints were later driven from their homes. Their faith in Jesus Christ never wavered. All of the sites and shows are free to the public and we learned so much. Click here for more information.

The kids playing stick pull.

We learned how a blacksmith makes horseshoes and wagon wheels and we all got a prairie diamond (ring made from a horseshoe nail) and a miniature horseshoe. We also learned how to make bricks in the brickyard and got to take one home.

Beautiful sunset on the Mississippi we walked out to after doing a session in the temple.

Carthage Jail

This is the actual door that was stormed into by the mob, you can see the bullet hole that killed Hyrum. This was one of our favorite places to see. The spirit is so strong there and the last thing the Prophet wished he could do was to see his family one more time and to be with and teach the Saints.

Blair and Kendra, Britton and Cal

Nana and Papa

Cooper, Brittion, Lydia, Lincoln, Cal and Kyler

Family Living Center

Here we learned how they made bread in a bussell oven, candles, rope, and barrels. A barrel maker is called a Cooper. Cooper liked that. :)

The Trail of Hope

This is Parley Street where all the saints lined up to cross the Mississippi to make their way west. The street is lined with markers with excerpts from journals describing the events.

This is the view of the temple from the Trail of Hope. I can't even imagine what pain and sorrow they felt as they watched their beloved temple burn to the ground at the hands of a mob. What an amazing blessing it is to see it rebuilt. As we were walking back Cooper stopped here and looked at the temple and said, "Look mom there is the temple with the wise man on the top." I said, "Yes Cooper, that is the temple and actually, that is Angel Moroni." "Oh, you have to be a wise man to go inside?" I then explained that all who are worthy can enter the temple after you've received a recommend. Cooper then asked,"How do I get those keys?" The innocence of children is so humbling. He doesn't even fully understand the magnitude and meaning of the temple and yet he knows that he wants to go inside.

Leaving Nauvoo we saw a turtle in the middle of the road and had to get a closer look.