NAUVOO

We left Winter Quarters and drove toward Nauvoo.  We kept saying we weren't going to drive after dark, but it seemed life every night we were driving after dark.  This night was no exception.  We were driving to Keokuk with is 10 miles south of Nauvoo so we could cross the river.  While we were driving we looked across the river and we could see the  Temple in the dark.  It was a thrill to see it for the first time even if it was across the river.  When we came around the bend in Nauvoo, we saw the Temple.  It looked beautiful with all of the lights on it.

On February 11 and 12, we stayed at the Nauvoo Hotel.  It was a quaint little hotel.  The rooms were small, but decorated very nice.  We were the only ones staying there along with Elder and Sister Huff who we met at the MTC.  The owner left the keys for us in a basket by the front door.  There were only two places to eat in town.  I guess the town pretty much shuts down during January and February.

The morning after we arrived in Nauvoo, we went to the Temple.  It is a beautiful temple and we felt the spirit there.  After the session, the Temple President took us on a tour of the temple.  It was wonderful.  We saw the baptismal font, the Priesthood room and the spiral staircase and the rectangular staircase as well as the offices and bride room.  We felt very blessed to have this experience.

 Family History note.
Henry Mower Sr. and Mary Amick received their endowment on December 31, 1845 in the Nauvoo Temple.  Mary Amick died and was buried in Council Bluff,  Iowa

This Statue of Joseph and Hyrum is across the street from the front door of the temple. The Mississippi River is in the background.  The top picture was taken just as we left the temple and the one at the left was taken just at sunset the same day.

Preaching from the pulpit of the Seventy House

We went on a tour of the Seventy Building.  It is the first MTC because that is where the early missionaries received their training before they left Nauvoo to preach the Gospel.  We were able to look up and see if any of our ancestors were Seventies in Nauvoo.  I fount out that Henry Mower Sr., George Tucker and Otis Lysander Terry were all on the register.  I was able to sign a book that said I had ancestors that were Seventies.

Seventy House

The Red Brick Store where the Relief Society was organized

The Brigham Young Home

Pioneer Cemetery

We looked on the records and found out that George Tucker,
my GGG Grandfather, owned this piece of land.
We also found that Otis Lysander Terry, my GGG Grandfather, owned land in Nauvoo.  

Joseph and Emma Smith 

Trail of  Hope down Parley's Street where the Saints walked as they left Nauvoo.  This is their view of the Temple as they left Nauvoo.

The edge of the Mississippi River where the Trail of Hope Ends.