We departed on the night of March 7th, not leaving home until about 7:30 which was much later than we had hoped. We drove until early in the morning hours, finally pulling over in Glenwood Springs, finding a Marriott for a few hours of sleep. (few!) The next morning we continued on through Denver to Omaha - finally by nightfall - to get out and see the sculpture of the great migration. They are awesome and we spent an hour walking around them in the dark. That night we pushed on to land finally in Nauvoo in a little home just up the street from the temple. It was perfect to have a home so we had a kitchen, and could do meals in a common place, have a time to gather and discuss, read scriptures together, and plan the next day's journey. We stayed there for two nights, loving the time and experiences there!
We particularly loved the ride through the trees on the wagon. I cried most of the way. The wangler Elders told stories of people, one of the first being Samuel Smith. He served a short mission, placing only three Book of Mormon's and returning feeling a complete failure. Both of them turned out to be significant conversions - one was Brigham Young, and I forget the other. It was powerful. Then they pulled up the hill to a well that was built modern day but dedicated to the memory of King Follett who had been crushed on that very day - March 9th while digging a well for the Saints in Nauvoo to have clean water. As they said - on this very day - realizing that it was the anniversary of that day, the Spirit witnessed to me that angels were near, watching over my family and guiding us along our way! I am so grateful for tender mercies of the Lord!
That night we went to the Nauvoo temple. We hoped to get to go in, and it was made possible and then miracles happened! We had just a few our own family names, and I thought we would have the girls do them, and we would go to initiatories, but when we got there, the workers encouraged all of us to dress to do baptisms! So we did.
We loved Nauvoo, and there were several testimonies to me that our Heavenly Father is in charge of the details!
We pulled out of Nauvoo headed to Carthage Jail
We particularly loved the ride through the trees on the wagon. I cried most of the way. The wangler Elders told stories of people, one of the first being Samuel Smith. He served a short mission, placing only three Book of Mormon's and returning feeling a complete failure. Both of them turned out to be significant conversions - one was Brigham Young, and I forget the other. It was powerful. Then they pulled up the hill to a well that was built modern day but dedicated to the memory of King Follett who had been crushed on that very day - March 9th while digging a well for the Saints in Nauvoo to have clean water. As they said - on this very day - realizing that it was the anniversary of that day, the Spirit witnessed to me that angels were near, watching over my family and guiding us along our way! I am so grateful for tender mercies of the Lord!
That night we went to the Nauvoo temple. We hoped to get to go in, and it was made possible and then miracles happened! We had just a few our own family names, and I thought we would have the girls do them, and we would go to initiatories, but when we got there, the workers encouraged all of us to dress to do baptisms! So we did.
We loved Nauvoo, and there were several testimonies to me that our Heavenly Father is in charge of the details!
We pulled out of Nauvoo headed to Carthage Jail