April 27, 2016 - Wednesday in Nauvoo

Happy Birthday Jared!  We hope you enjoyed our rendition of "Happy Birthday" tonight!  We have been thinking about you and your special day and we look forward to sharing the next one with you, in person!

We had our weekly training meeting this morning.  After our morning devotional and prayers, we left for the meeting armed with our "Preach My Gospel" manuals.  We were asked to bring them with us to the meeting.  As it turned out, the mission president didn't allow enough time to review whatever parts he had in mind.  Instead we were instructed about more changes forthcoming in the mission, and a rambling training presentation from the young sister missionaries on the internet teaching sites.  

My schedule changed to a split shift at the Blacksmith shop from the morning shift with my sweetheart in FM.  It was raining most of the day, so she went with Sister Knapp and I took the van to avoid walking in the cold rain.  It worked out well.

Tonight I wanted to shared some insights about Quincy, Illinois.  In our Rendezvous Play there is a line about Quincy that expresses the tender feelings the Mormons had for Quincy in the winter of 1838-1839.  Here is that line;

"That’s what I started to explain a while back… so’ as you’d understand that when folks around here use the word…… SAINTS…… they’re usually talking about the good people of Quincy!"

Quincy: City of Mormon Refuge 1838-1839 - The following note comes from an article in the Quincy News about the early history of Quincy, Illinois, and the benevolent kindness of the Quincyans towards the Saints. The article exhibited their strength of unequaled character, as a city of benevolent people, helping the fleeing Latter-day Saints.  Besides receiving the fleeing saints, Quincy was a prominent transit point on the underground railroad assisting slaves fleeing the South prior to the Civil War, and helping Native Americans on their Trail of Tears in the 1830’s......

In 1839, persecution in Missouri forced the departure of nearly 10,000 Latter-day Saints into neighboring states and communities. Large groups began leaving in February of that year, headed for various locations in Illinois and Iowa.

Many came to western Illinois. With a population of about 1,500, Quincy was the region’s principal town at the time. In an extraordinary act of humanitarian service, Quincy’s 1,500 residents sheltered and assisted more than 5,000 Latter-day Saint refugees.

Notable among those helped was Emma Smith. Her husband, Church founder Joseph Smith, was imprisoned at the time in Liberty, Missouri. After walking across the frozen Mississippi River with her four children, Emma settled on the outskirts of Quincy.

Arriving refugees needed accommodations and jobs. Quincy citizenry provided both. Despite snowstorms, Quincy citizens repeatedly rescued Latter-day Saints stranded without adequate food or clothing on the Missouri side of the river. One observer at the time noted that the citizens "donated liberally, the merchants vying with each other as to which could be the most liberal."

We have been to Quincy several times, and the community is thriving.  It is a great example of how reaching out to those less fortunate than we are can have such a lasting affect.  The Lord has to work through loving and caring people as He builds His Kingdom through them.  Isn't is wonderful that we can have these kinds of experiences as we participate in the preparations of making things ready for the Saviors return?