November 2, 2015 - Monday in Nauvoo

The change from Daylight Savings time actually gives us an extra hour of light in the mornings.  We found that out this morning as we left the house for our morning walk at 5:45am.  Our normal time to leave is just after 6:00am.  We could have left at 5:30am and still had more light than last week!  In fact, the earlier hour has helped us beat any early morning traffic!  

We enjoyed the morning devotional, and had our prayers, as we began our day.  Our walk is always invigorating and the temperature was in the low 50's, warm by last week's comparison.  It is always a good way to start off our day, and then come home for a 30 minute workout, and then get ready for the day.

Today we served at the Visitors Center for the early shift.  We got there at 8:40am for our 9:00am opening.  It is always fun to get there early, have a prayer with our site workers and then open the doors a little earlier than expected.  However, today was a pretty slow day, again, as we head into the slowest time of the year.  Even the temple will be closing for two weeks at the end of this week...

Along the walk this morning we saw the white tug boat navigating the multiple barge train up the river and against the flow.  That has to be some powerful tug boat with a great ability to steer the course.  Here are some pictures from this morning along the Mississippi River near the end of Parley Street;

An early morning barge being escorted by a tug boat on the Mississippi.

I wonder how the tug boat can push the barge "up" the river and stay on course?

Looking up over Parley Street where the Saints began their trek to the west.

You can see why the walks are so invigorating here in Historic Nauvoo.  The ground we walk on has been tread by so many different kinds of people.  I can only imagine the wars held between the Lamanites and the Nephites,  the evil people that came to discredit the Mormon Saints as they hid behind the good people and participated in their evil designs, and the good Saints who had a few years of persecution reprieve from trials and challenges in developing a new religion and building their faith in a Prophet of God. 

I got this historic note from Church history that, on this day, Robert D. Foster, an apostate member of the Church, and a leading conspirator in Carthage on June 27, 1844, made these comments public.  He was involved with the Prophet Joseph Smith's martyrdom;  This was almost 17 months after the events took place in Carthage.

November 2, 1845

Nauvoo, Illinois. In speaking of the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, Robert D. Foster told Abraham Hodge: "I haven't seen one moment's peace since that time. . . . The thought of meeting Joseph and Hyrum Smith at the bar of God is more awful to me than anything else."

Isn't it interesting how the decisions in our lives can be so devastating?  As I come to understand the Atonement more, and as I understand the love that the Savior of the world has for us, we are fortunate to know that most of us are incapable of not qualifying for His love and forgiveness in this life.  He will forgive us and will welcome each of us back into His presence if we humble ourselves, and seek forgiveness of our sins and transgressions. 

Of course, there are some that will have a pretty miserable life by choosing the wrong path or making the wrong decision, but for most of us, there is hope through the Atonement!  I can't help but find that hope so exciting and worth exploring!  Families can be together, forever, and, families and friends can work together to help each other in every difficult situation.... hey, that's what families and friends do for each other!