March 7, 2015 - Saturday

It was an absolutely beautiful day in Nauvoo today.  The temperature reached 60 degrees and the sun was such a welcomed sight, except for the snow.  The snow did not like the sun!  We still have a few patches of snow but, almost everywhere we walked today, it was wet and soggy.  Today was our P-day and it looks like that will change with next weeks schedule when our P-day will be Wednesday.  By the way, we will be working at the Carthage Jail Visitors Center on Monday!

This was a tough day for Elder and Sister Lasher.  Our grandson Bobby was baptized by his father, our son, and we could not be there for this sacred and special occasion.  This was the first child in Bob and Mary's family who has reached the age of 8 years old!

In Rigby, all of our family gathered together except for mom and me, and Tommy, who was attending his grandmothers funeral in Sacramento.  So, we shed a tear or two as we thought about our precious grandson and our family together.  I have so many thoughts, so suffice it to say, we were sad to miss his special day, but we were able to see some pictures of him in his suit and in his baptismal clothing, and talk with him later in the day.

Mom and I began the day with a temple session and we were selected to be the witness couple.  I thought that was a wonderful tender mercy for us in light of not being able to attend Bobby's baptism.  We also had Elder and Sister Renlund of the 1st Quorum of the Seventy attend the session and he sat by me and she sat by mom.  However, I did know know who they were until Stake Conference tonight!

After the temple we came right home for the opportunity to Skype Bobby's baptism.  However, the internet did not cooperate in the building in Rigby so we could not connect.  Yes, it was very disappointing, but there must needs be an opposition in all things, and it definitely applies to senior missionaries serving in Nauvoo...

So, mom and I did some exploring around the small town of Nauvoo.  I took some pictures along the way for you to enjoy;

Our walk to the temple this morning

A beautiful lady - my companion!

Just imagine this picture in the next 4 to 6 weeks!

A view across the flats from the hill going to the temple

In the horizon is the Mississippi River - a shot across the flats

We were able to visit a few merchants along Main Street in Nauvoo and we had fun getting acquainted.  Mom found this picture of an older brother carrying his younger brother across the half frozen river at the 6th crossing of the Sweetwater River at Willy Handcart Company.  This picture represents 11 year old James Kirkwood who carried his younger brother Joseph at one of the crossings.  He was given the charge to take care of his 4 year old brother all along the trail.

When the weather turned from cold to freezing, young Joseph had to be carried.  James carried Joseph over the Rocky Ridge in Wyoming in a blizzard with white out conditions for over 10 miles, and collapsed at camp and died.  This picture means so much to us who have trekked the handcart trail from Martin's Cove through Willy's Camp and over Rocky Ridge to Rock Creek.

He ain't heavy ....

James Kirkwood

Ascent of Rocky Ridge

Born 1845 Scotland

Age 11

Willie Company

James Kirkwood and his family were some of the first converts to the Church in Scotland. James’ father and two older sisters had died by 1852, and James’ mother, Margaret, decided to bring her remaining family of 4 sons to join the Saints in Utah. This represented a significant challenge for Margaret, but her sons were determined to do their part. Robert, age 21, wrote that the night before their departure he “slept none all night being so busy making preparations. Had a pretty rough passage [from Liverpool], mostly all the passengers were sick.”Thomas, age 19, had been run over by cart when he was only 6. The wounds had not healed properly, and his legs were covered in ulcers rendering him unable to walk much. The family knew Thomas would have to ride in the cart the entire journey. James was 11. He was a good boy and was given charge of his youngest brother, Joseph, (age 5) while his mother and oldest brother pulled the cart.Although the Kirkwoods had sold many of their precious possessions to finance their journey, their provisions were insufficient, and they, like their fellow handcart pioneers in the Willie Company began to run out of food. By the time they reached the base of Rocky Ridge, they were starving, unprepared for the snow, the wind and the mind-

numbing cold, and tired beyond imagination. But relief wagons were still miles ahead, so onward they trudged. It took the Willie Company nearly 27 hours to make the ascent over Rocky Ridge and into Rock Creek Hollow, a distance of about 15 miles. Margaret and Robert pushed and pulled the handcart with Thomas precariously perched amidst their few belongings. The snowy wind was so piercing that it froze one of Margaret’s eyes, and she remained blind in that eye for the rest of her life. In the confusion of the storm, young James and Joseph became separated from their mother and older brothers. Joseph became cold and discouraged. His shoes had worn out, his feet were numb, and he began

to cry. James encouraged his brother to keep walking, but little Joseph would not take an other step. Knowing he was responsible for his brother, James picked him up and began to carry him over his shoulders, on his back, in his arms, then over his shoulders again. When he became too weary to walk or his fingers too frozen to hold on to his brother, James would stop, put Joseph down, rest a while, then pick him back up again and continue their slow ascent.Finally James saw the campfires of the company ahead. Their mother, Margaret, was watching anxiously for their arrival. James had been quiet for some time, even though Joseph had tried to get him to talk. He “brought his little brother into the camp at Rock Creek Hollow and set him down gently. James then collapsed from exhaustion. With determination, he had faithfully carried out his task and saved his brother.” He was buried the next day in a common grave with 12 others who had died in the night. Grieving, the family carried on and eventually arrived in the Salt Lake valley on November 30, 1856. They were taken to American Fork. Robert became a merchant and city councilman in Provo. He was 88 and father of 27 children when he died in 1922. Thomas, who had been carried most of the way in the handcart by his mother and older brother, died less than two years after arriving in Utah. And Joseph Smith Kirkwood, whose brother’s ultimate sacrifice in his behalf enabled him to live another 77 years, “was known for his industry and honesty. He was also a faithful Latter-day Saint who did much to build his community.

Tonight we attended the adult session of the Nauvoo Stake Conference.  There were over 800 adults in attendance from throughout the stake and there were even broadcasts of this meeting for those over an hour away.  I would say it was a pretty good turnout and it was so worth our time.

The discussion was on church councils, from the family council to the ward council and the opportunities to help "hasten the work".  It is said that you don't need church councils if you are perfect or if you don't have any problems in your life... well this is simply not true for any of us!

The emphasis, therefore, is what each person has the privilege of doing to help this work move forward.  We all have a part of this great effort because there is not just one person who could do it alone.  We are all important, like the bricks making up the whole house, we each make up and support the work of salvation to our families, friends, neighbors and workers.  Here is one thought, of many, that I took away and wanted to share;  It is from John13:34-35 -


34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Just add two words in verse 35 to;   By this shall all men know that ye are not my disciples, if ye don't have love one to another.

We can't have it both ways!  We can reap the joys of discipleship so much more fully if we just love one another as the Savior loves us!

Precious Bobby, we love you so much and we are so proud of you being baptized today!  We are grateful to be serving here in Nauvoo even with the "sad" days of missing being with our family and friends back home!

Thank you for following us on this amazing adventure in Nauvoo!!