September 20, 2015 - Sunday in Nauvoo

Welcome, Welcome!  Sabbath Morning!  We had the most beautiful Fall morning as we walked to our Sacrament Meeting at the Stake Center.  The air was cool and the temperature was in the very low 50's.  It was so nice to have a coat on!  

Mom and I were up early and ready for the day by 7:00am.  We finished the Book of Mormon this morning and will begin reading it again, together, tomorrow.  It has been such a blessing to read, and reread, this sacred book together and discuss the contents with each other over the years.

After our meetings, we walked home and broke our weekly fast.  We prepared our favorite Sunday meal and still had a few minutes to relax before beginning our Sunday shift at the Lyon Drug and Variety Store.  The owner of the store was Windsor P. Lyon.  In 1842, Brother and Sister Lyon had their little 2 year old daughter die.  Here is the story of that emotional day as recorded in Church History;

There was no meetinghouse in Nauvoo large enough for all the Saints to gather to hear their Prophet, so in good weather they met outdoors under the trees. A typical place was in a grove that formed an amphitheater-like area on the hillside of the temple. This was one of Joseph’s favorite places to speak to the Saints. During the Nauvoo period he became accustomed to giving public discourses. In the early days of the Restoration he had left most of the preaching to others who he felt were better orators. Now, however, he preached with great power and authority in Nauvoo and surrounding communities. His nearly two hundred discourses during these years shaped Latter-day Saint understanding of gospel doctrines and immeasurably influenced the Church.

On Sunday, 20 March 1842, at the funeral of the deceased child of Windsor P. Lyon, Joseph chose to speak in the grove about the salvation of little children. He said that he had “asked the question, why it is that infants, innocent children, are taken away from us, especially those that seem to be the most intelligent and interesting.” He said that they were taken to be spared the wickedness that was increasing in the world. He then stated one of the most comforting doctrines revealed in the latter days: “All children are redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and the moment that children leave this world, they are taken to the bosom of Abraham. The only difference between the old and young dying is, one lives longer in heaven and eternal light and glory than the other, and is freed a little sooner from this miserable, wicked world.”

I can only imagine the feelings that the Lyon's must have had both before they heard this message and after they heard the message.  The little daughter's name was Marian, and it was recorded on her tombstone that she was, "2 years, 8 months, 1 day and 6 hours".  In their lives, they would have to bury two more children.

As we were working today, we met this family;

Jeff, Christina and family with us

I had to comment on Jeff's hair as he walked up to the site!  Great conversation starter!  He and his family travel all over the world singing Gospel songs from Bible verses.  They were singing tonight in Keokuk at some Church and then traveling back to San Diego before heading to Europe.  I am sure the hair is the "attention getter"....

At any rate, they gave us one of their albums since they liked the way we received them.  We have yet to listen to it but we will in the next few days!  They call their group "Jump Start 3", and apparently have a web site.  I need to check that out!

Also, in Sunday school today, we had some insights to the commandments given to Adam and Eve that caused some decision making for them:

1. They were commanded not to partake of the forbidden fruit
2. They were commanded to multiply and replenish the earth
3. The were commanded to stay together

It is interesting to note that they had to break commandment #1 in order to keep commandments #2 and #3.  Think about it, they could not participate in all three, and the one they broke allowed us to be here and experience mortality together.

By the way, we so appreciate those letters!  We stopped by the post office on the way to the Stake Center this morning and we had mail!  Letters from home mean so much to us!  Thank you!!