Historic Nauvoo

DAY 3!

Today was an exciting day. We woke up and headed straight for Nauvoo. The drive was only a few hours so we were able to get there with plenty of time left in the day.  But before actually getting to Nauvoo, we were able to see something incredible. We crossed the Mississippi River! This is my first time seeing it and I never realized just how big of a river it actually is. I am beginning to realize that what we call rivers in Arizona are really just small streams. I felt like I was at a really big lake that I couldn’t see where the sides ended.

To cross the river we had to cross over a huge bridge that looked a little old and rickety. We started to climb the bridge and we hear a hard metal screeching noise. We see a gates closing up ahead to block us from going across the bridge. Then the middle of the bridge began to turn. We tried to figure out what was going on, until we saw the barge coming. We came to the conclusion that the bridge needed to turn to let the barge through. It took about 20 minutes for the barge to pass, which felt like forever. 

Then we got to Illinois!!!

We had made an appointment at the Nauvoo Temple to go through a session and we thought that we were going to be late because of the bridge. Luckily, we made it to the temple with just a few minutes to spare. This was one of our favorite parts of Nauvoo, being able to go inside of the temple. It is incredible. Inside is so beautiful and very different from other temples. The spirit that is in that temple is amazing.  It sits on a hill in the middle of the city so that it can be seen everywhere and it can always be remembered. 

After the temple we went down the hill to Historic Nauvoo. We were able to see a bagpipe group play, recitation of a part of the King Follet Discourse, the visitor’s center, and all of the old historic buildings and houses. As we walked down the road, I could almost imagine what it would have been like to be in Nauvoo with the saints. 

The next adventure was driving to Carthage, about a half an hour drive. We got there about a half an hour before they closed, so we quickly got put into a tour group. We were able to go into Carthage Jail. First we went up to the top floor to the dungeon room. There was no light or fresh air that could get into it. Also there was a cell with cuffs on the floor that it looked as if people got put into. Then we went into the bedroom where we could see the bed that Joseph Smith slept on, the window that he fell out of as he was shot,  and the holes in the door from the bullets. The tour guide shared the story with us, and as he was, I could picture everything happening right there in front of me. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and did a great work in bringing Christ’s church back on the earth.

After Carthage, we decided to go back to Nauvoo. When we got there, there were games in a big field going on. There was everything from dancing, to sack races, to making little crafts for the kids. We didn’t do too much here, but it was fun just to see everything that was going on.  Then we went to the road that led to the river. There is a trail on the side of the road that has plaques on it going down to the river. It is the same road that the Saints took when they were leaving Nauvoo and crossing the Mississippi River. The plaques contained quotes from different pioneer’s journals. They were the actual words of the pioneers as they were leaving Nauvoo and continuing their journey. It was very inspiring to read their own words, to see their faith through this time. I am so glad that my ancestors did that for me. They are great examples to me of faith, hope, and hard work. 

After the walk to the river, we walked to the pageant, and decided that we were tired and should start our 2 hour drive to where we were staying tonight. I would have liked to watch it, but I knew that we needed to get going. It was a fun day being able to see Nauvoo, especially going into the temple.