Nauvoo

The day after Sam's graduation Sam and I sent our girls home with his brother's and sisters so my parents could watch them (thank you mom and dad!) and then we went to Nauvoo with Sam's parents.  It really is  a beautiful part of the country, and it was fun to imagine the city in full swing with so many saints living there at the time. At the time it was the second largest city in Illinois second only to Chicago.

Our first morning there we headed straight for the temple to do a session.  It was so gorgeous inside and out. It really took my breath away walking into each endowment room.

Statues of Joseph and Hyrum on their way to Carthage Jail.

We were able to visit Carthage on our way out of town.  It was a really touching place.  I was afraid of going there thinking that all I would feel was the hurt and pain that happened there, but there was a sweet spirit that filled my heart as I stood in the room he was shot and looked out the window that he fell out of.  And the though came to my mind, "He sealed his testimony with his blood."  There is no doubt in my mind that he knew what was going to happen to him eventually and he was more than willing to let that happen because he could never deny the truth.  It gives me courage to share the gospel with others knowing if he was willing to give his life for this cause I should at least be willing to share the truth with my friends.

One of the coolest things we got to do there was go to the Land and Records building.  There you could look up any relatives you knew of that had lived in Nauvoo and it would tell what property they owned and and records they had on that person.  I found  a few different ancestors thanks to my always heritage knowledgeable grandmother.   This is a picture of the property Tarlton Lewis owned and lived on.  Obviously it isn't the same house, but it was a precious moment to stand on the same ground he had walked, and to imagine him walking down the street a few blocks to work on the temple.   Tarlton was the bishop of the 4th ward in Nauvoo and he was the first bishop in Salt Lake.  He traveled with the first group of saints across the plains and was with Brigham Young when he declared, "This is the place."  I am sincerely grateful for all he sacrificed so that I could be born into the gospel and always know the truth.