March 10, 2015 - Tuesday

Mom and I got an early start on the day with our morning devotional and then an hour walk around Old Nauvoo.  We have mapped out a nice trail around the city and we go down Partridge Street to Parley Street to Main Street (in front of the Cultural Hall) to Hubbard Street (by the Visitor's Center)  to Young Street (by the post office - {one of our favorite stops today where we got mail from the Lashers and the Browns!!} to Wells Street (right in front of the Nauvoo Temple) to Durphy Street and then to Hotchkiss and home. It measures about 2 miles.  We stop at the Visitor's Center to ride the stationary bikes for about 10 minutes as part of our routine.

The morning was beautiful and we had to stop and see the monument that was dedicated to Joseph and Hyrum.  It sits right on top of the hill directly in front of the temple.  This is where Joseph and Hyrum sat for a few minutes on June 24, 1844, to look at the temple and Nauvoo one more time before riding to Carthage.  Here is the picture;

Joseph and Hyrum

It has been said that Joseph and Hyrum were the first of three martyrs.  Samuel Harrison Smith, their younger brother joined them in death less than 5 weeks later.

On June 27, 1844, while still living in Plymouth, Samuel learned that his brothers Joseph and Hyrum, who were in Carthage Jail with John Taylor and Willard Richards, were in danger. Samuel headed toward Carthage with a 14-year-old boy driving a wagon. On the way they met a mob, which attacked when they learned Samuel was Joseph Smith’s brother. The boy headed to Carthage with the wagon, and Samuel escaped into the woods “after severe fatigue, and much danger.” 

He made his way home and “acquired a horse noted for its speed.”  His six-year-old daughter, Mary, remembers this moment: “My father came into the house in much excitement, and said … ‘I think I can break through the mob and get to Carthage’ and immediately he mounted the horse and was gone.” 

As he neared the town, a man and woman escaping in a buggy told him his brothers had been killed. Samuel rode on at great speed. Some of the mob, expecting his return, had hidden in a thicket. They chased Samuel, shooting at him. A bullet passed through the top of his hat, but Samuel, an excellent horseman, outran them.

Samuel was the first Latter-day Saint to arrive at the jail,  but by then Joseph and Hyrum were already dead. The violence was over, the mob had retreated, and Samuel had a piercing pain in his side.

Samuel helped Willard Richards take the two bodies and the severely wounded John Taylor to a nearby hotel owned by Artois Hamilton. That night Willard wrote a letter to Emma telling her that Joseph and Hyrum were dead. Samuel's signature appears alongside that of Willard Richards and John Taylor. 

The next day, Samuel, Willard, and Artois took the bodies of Joseph and Hyrum in two wagons to the Mansion House in Nauvoo. Samuel drove the wagon carrying the body of his brother Joseph. A guard of eight men accompanied them. 

After Lucy viewed the bodies, Samuel said, “Mother, I have had a dreadful distress in my side ever since I was chased by the mob.” 

Though Samuel was in pain and Levira was only weeks away from delivering a baby, the family moved into a two-story frame house opposite the Mansion House. Samuel’s health continued to decline. On July 30, just 34 days after Joseph and Hyrum died, Samuel died. His young daughter Mary remembered how “silence gave way to sobs”  after their father passed away. His cause of death was listed as bilious fever...... 

Mom and I both worked in our sites today on the later shift that started at 11:54am and ended at 5:00pm.  Mom worked at the School House and I worked at the Blacksmith's and the Seventies Hall.  I had a group that came in right at closing that wanted to see the Seventies Hall so my time went over a little.  I met mom on the way back home.  

You see, tonight we debuted with our first speaking parts and we wanted to get to the Cultural Hall early to review and make sure what in the world we were supposed to do!!  As was expected and appreciated, everyone was helpful and kind and we made it through!  Here is a relaxing photo of Sister Lasher just a few minutes after her speaking part;

A picture of relief - now we are worried about the camera man!

We have had a great day and we are grateful to each of you for your love and support of these two senior missionaries!  Have a good night!

March 9, 2015 - Monday

This was an especially rewarding day as we had the opportunity to serve as hosts at the Carthage Jail Visitors Center.  We were up early this morning to workout and prepare for the day.  Our goal was to be ready and leave by 9:00am for Carthage for our 10:00am start time.  We knew the drive was supposed to only take 30 minutes or less, but we wanted to make sure we were there on time and ready to work.  

Well, we got there in plenty of time and got to walk around the center before we met our trainers.  I did get some pictures;  The first two came from our early morning walk this morning as the dew was lifting and the sun was rising!

Nauvoo Temple at 7:00am

Another view of the Nauvoo Temple

The morning air was clean and clear with just a hint of a light fog.  The temperature was about 40 degrees and very comfortable with a slight breeze.

Here are some pictures of Carthage Jail Visitor's Center:

The sign just outside Carthage - I started feeling the Spirit of the site right here

Joseph and Hyrum

There are five of these monuments teaching about the Prophet

These introductory markers are on the brick pathway to the Visitor's Center.  The jail is just behind this marker and over to the left of the picture.  There were several fascinating stories we heard and experienced today.  Sister Lasher and I participated in taking several visitors through the presentation.  It begins with an 18 minute movie about the Prophet and his brother.  This movie can only be seen in the Carthage Visitor's Center.  

Then we take them outside the theater and teach them a little about the jail.  The building began construction in 1839 and was completed in 1841.  The cost was $4,505.00.  The Martyrdom took place in 1844.  The jail was sold at auction in 1866 for $1,100.  It was purchased by James Browning, in 1871, a nephew and non member of Jonathan Browning who began the Browning Gun shop in Nauvoo, and was an active member.  The James Browning family lived there for over 30 years and did some remodeling of the upstairs jail to make it living quarters for his family.  

It is interesting to note that many of the glass window panes, some flooring, most of the roof, and foundation beams as well as the wood door through which Hyrum and Joseph were hit as the mob attacked, are all original.  After James Browning passed away, his widow sold the building to the Church with Joseph F. Smith as the President and trustee in 1909.  It was purchased for about $4,000.

It was rented out as a private residence until 1838 when the Church began the restoration of the property.

Here are some pictures I took today of the different rooms;

The jail dining room

The jailer, George Stigall, and his wife and seven children lived in the jail facilities.  They were responsible for housing and feeding the prisoners.    Meals were prepared by the jailer's wife.  John Taylor, who visited with Joseph and Hyrum in the jail, wrote of eating with the jailer and his family and paying for their meals.  It was the county magistrates who usually ordered and charged the prisoners, through the jailer, for food, clothing and candles.

The "debtors" cell

When Joseph and Hyrum were taken to the jail on a charge of treason, eight other men came with them and were allowed in the debtor's cell the night of June 25, 1844.  This cell was normally used for those put in prison when someone filed a complaint that they owed them money.  They were held there until a family member or friend paid the debt.

The stairway the mob used to storm the upstairs room the Prophet had been moved to on June 26, 1844

The jailer was sympathetic to Joseph and Hyrum and some of the guards were taught the Gospel by Joseph on these two nights.  The jailer moved them up to the higher room that served as part of his living space where he thought the prisoners would be safer.

This door led to the "Dungeon: Cell

After Joseph fell from the upstairs window, those men on the stairs rushed downstairs and went outside.  Willard Richards was the only person in the Martyrdom room that was not dead or seriously wounded.  This fulfilled a prophecy of Joseph Smith about Willard; "The time will come that the balls will fly around like hail, and he would see friends fall on the right and on the left, but that there should not be a hole in his garment". It is interesting to note that Willard was much larger than any other man in the room and would have been an easy target. 

During the attack, a bullet grazed the lower part of Willard's left ear.  Willard went to the window to see where the Prophet had fallen and then was ready to hide in the Dungeon cell when he heard a very faint, "take me with you".  It was John Taylor who had been hit several times and who had rolled under the bed.   He helped him into the dungeon cell room and hid him under the mattress, within the open cell, thinking the mob would return back upstairs... however, the mob fled when someone yelled, "the Mormon's are Coming!".  Thus, John Taylor was preserved to become the third president of the Church.

From the doorway to the Martyrdom Room

The full view of the Martyrdom Room

On June 26, 1844, the night before the Martyrdom, seven men spent the night in this room.  Joseph and Hyrum slept on the bed.  Willard Richards was seated at the desk just to the left of the window in the corner writing by the light of a candle.  

About midnight a shot rang out, just outside the window.  Joseph was awakened and got out of bed and laid down on the floor between Dan Jones and John Fullmer.  Joseph whispered to Dan Jones; "Are you afraid to die?" Jones asked; "Has the time come, think you?  Engaged in such a cause, I do not think that death would have many terrors".  Joseph replied; "You will yet see wales, and fulfill the mission appointed to you before you die".  (As we might all know, he went on this mission and then assisted in the rescue of the handcart pioneers in 1856.) 

Joseph then said to John Fullmer; "Lay your head on my arm as a pillow, Brother John".  He told Fullmer; "I would like to see my family again and I would like to preach to the Saints in Nauvoo once more".

The door that still has the bullet hole that likely killed Hyrum

I could not take my eyes off this door.  All that it represents is overwhelming.  This is the original door and has been preserved for all these years for us to "see and feel" the pain and suffering: that took place here and the promises fulfilled of the true and living Church spreading to all four corners of the world.  It is such a special place.

The Window that Joseph fell out of, mortally wounded

On the morning of June 27, 1844, the Prophet sent Dan Jones, John Fullmer and Stephen Markham on errands connected to his pending trial.  Around 5:00pm the mood became somber and Joseph had John Taylor sing "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief".  Then, the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith, sealed their testimonies with their blood.  Today there are millions of Latter-day Saints who honor the memory of this Martyrdom from all over the world and thousands come here each year to keep his memory alive in their lives.

As Sister Lasher and I were waiting in the Visitor's Center this afternoon, we had a sister come in who wanted to make a reservation.  We started talking to her and had to sit down to hear this most amazing story.  It was 10 years ago, Chenille Saunders, (I think this is a close spelling), and her husband were living in Houston, Texas.   This is one of the amazing stories I was referring to as I began the blog tonight;

She was 24 years old and involved with a world renowned opera school in Houston.  She was on her way to Broadway with a very promising career on the stage.  Her husband had been unemployed for about two months but had a job interview that he only needed to show up to in order to be offered the position.  He had been a general manager for MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, and was apparently just what this company was looking for.  He left the home for the interview and did not come back for over 6 hours.  

When he finally got home, she asked him about the interview.  He said he did not go to the interview.  He felt that he was not supposed to take the job and he went to the temple to pray and find out what the Lord had in mind.  The answer was to move to the Nauvoo Stake.  His wife was flabbergasted to say the least.  Her career was set and there was no way she was going.  "Well, he said, go and pray about it, but I'm leaving tomorrow".... "Oh, and by the way, you are supposed to open a voice class in the Nauvoo Stake".  

She did pray about it and spent a great deal of time in the temple parking lot and reading her Scriptures since she had received specific direction from them on a regular basis.  When she finally realized what she needed to do she was scared to death but willing to go.  The chance for Broadway vanished and they moved to the Nauvoo Stake and settled in Carthage.  

When they got here she was a frightened little girl with the way the Carthage people treated her.  The garbage folks refused to take her garbage and they got some very threatening phone calls.  Her mom suggested she join the Chamber of Commerce.  She did not know what the Chamber was but soon found out and joined.  The local bank president saw her in a store a few days later and asked if she was "Chenille Saunders".  She said she was, and then he asked if she was going to be at the Chamber Meeting on Wednesday.  She said, "yes", and he said "good".  We have some questions for you.  And then walked away.  (talk about intimidation, the people of Carthage still pretty much hated to Mormon's).  

Well she attended the meeting and noticed she was on the agenda under "other" right at the end of the agenda.  When that point of the meeting arrived, the bank president stood up and addressed her directly, and said something to the effect of; "you Mormon's opened up a big temple in Nauvoo and had hundreds of thousands of people come to it and you did not let any of us merchants open up booths to sell our goods... why was that?  

At this point she said a prayer to Heavenly Father, and said, Heavenly Father, I'm just a 24 year old girl.  I don't know how to answer this question.  When I open my mouth you need to speak the words because I don't have any idea what to say.  (Can you imagine this situation in the middle of a hostile crown in Carthage, Illinois?)

What she said was something like this; I am so sorry for the hurt that was felt by this situation.  I know that no hurt was intended.  When the Mormon Church opens a temple anywhere, it is a sacred building that is very special to us.  Like all the sacred temples, the Carthage Jail is also like a very special and sacred place that millions of Mormon Church members come to to remember and honor a man we revere as a Prophet of God.  We do not sell anything at these special places, not even a book marker or any souvenirs that would take away from what we feel and experience in these sacred places....

She knew the words were not hers and she said the feeling of doom and gloom immediately left the room.  She further indicated to Sister Lasher and me that it has been a big struggle over the last 10 years but the residents are starting to accept the members.   It was 10 years ago that they answered the call to come to the Nauvoo Stake.  They answered the call along with another family from Texas and another family from Oregon.  They all felt impressed to come.  Now here is perhaps the most fascinating point; the Nauvoo Stake was holding, at that time, a 30 day fast for help in softening the hearts of the people living within the Stake boundaries and to have help come from outside the Stake to assist in moving this work forward.  And these three families all came within one week of the end of that 30 day fast, 10 years ago.

When she came in today, she was making an appointment to bring some non members into the Visitor's Center to see the movie "Meet he Mormons".  One of these non members is the CEO of the Hospital in Carthage and she has been one of those antagonists who have been touched by Sister Saunders and the others who came.  Sister Saunders opened her music class and is teaching at the high school about opera and playwrights.  Another sister is helping with special needs children at the school.  One brother is connecting with farmers, and another is a physical therapist connecting with the older community members.

This is just one more way the Lord is in charge, if we just listen.  Whether it is moving to the Nauvoo Stake or lending support to local leaders, or just saying hello to neighbors and less active members, we just need to act and roll up our sleeves, and go to work.  It really is a preciously simple process that will pay huge dividends in creating a Zion Society where our Lord and savior can return to.  We have got to remember that He can't return until Zion is established by His people.

It has been a good day!  Thank you for joining Sister Lasher and me for a recap of today!  We love you!

The view of the temple on our walk home tonight

March 8, 2015 - Sunday

The morning was absolutely beautiful today.  Mom and I were up and ready to walk to our first Nauvoo Stake Conference.  It is about a 3 block walk through Old Nauvoo to get to the Stake Center.  This is our view on the way to the Stake Center;

Mulholland and Partridge Street - heading to the Stake Center!

Last night the adults met with over 800 members and this morning we estimated close to 2,000 attended the meeting or watched it in their units via broadcast.  And the speakers and Elder Renlund did not disappoint.  The meeting was a wonderful boast to mom and me.  The theme for the conference was ministering through councils to hasten the work.  There were some excellent messages given to us and I will relate some here;

First, the Stake Primary President spoke about her 10 year old daughter.  This precious girl celebrated her birthday today, and when she walked into the Stake Center with her mom she told her, "mom, there are a lot of people here!"

Then, as her mom began to speak she told a story about her 10 year old daughter.  She was born with different heart problems and has been through many surgeries and tests and has had two heart transplants and will have ongoing needs throughout her life.  That alone was touching in the way this little girl is living her life, but one example is so prominent.  In a Family Home Evening lesson a few weeks ago they were discussing the Atonement and how the Savior has experienced all our pains and suffering, and all of our trials and challenges so that we could overcome the sins and pains of the world.  This precious little girl thought about that for a minute and then put both hands over her heart and asked, "you mean He has felt this pain of mine"...  What a special moment that was for them to experience together.

Then a member of the Stake Presidency spoke about one of his greatest fears growing up as a young boy.  He was afraid of the dark.  They lived in an old two story house with the bedrooms on the second floor and the bathroom on the first floor all the way on the other side of the house from the stairs.  He told us that the property was surrounded by old trees and shrubs that rubbed up against the house and shadows would be seen inside the house from the street lights in the night time hours.  He indicated that the stairs and the floorboards across the house would creak under the weight of even a young boy.

Further, he said that almost every night he had to use the restroom around midnight to 1:00am.  He said he first held some "informal" family councils at that late hour to plead with his brother to go down to the bathroom with him.  He said sometimes his brother would go with him and sometimes he would not.  The times his brother would not go he continued to plead with him to go with him.  Then on some nights during these "informal" councils, his mom or dad would be asked and he pleaded with them to accompany him.  Well, one night he decided to try it by himself.  He went down the stairs, all 16 of them, 8 steps to the platform and another 8 steps to the ground floor.  He would  literally ran across the house, used the restroom and run back across the house and up the stairs.  This particular night he was using both hands and feet to scale the 16 steps when he neared the top and reached out and felt a very hairy leg.  He immediately assumed the fetal position and begged for his life.  He could not be consoled for several minutes.  His father had heard him go downstairs and was following after him to make sure he was OK.  The father was trying to get out of the way so his son could pass by him, and not know that he was there,  but it did not work!!

He then tied in the principle that there are so many of us that are scared of something and need our help, our support,  our consolation, yes and even our not so convenient attention.  This was a great lesson on how family and ward and stake councils can help those of us who may be quietly suffering and even those who might be reaching out.  How critical is Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching?  It is vital to the welfare of all of us.

Then, Elder Renlund made this statement in his address;  For those expecting life to be fair and for people and situations to be perfect, if you are trying your best to be faithful, is like a bull charging a person and that person expecting the bull to pass him by because he is a vegetarian.

He spoke about the Sacrament and how it could help us through troubled times.  In the parable of the house being build on the sand or on the rock, it never says the rain will not come, but it does say that when it does come, what we have done with our lives will help us, or hurt us, in dealing with the winds and the rains and the unfair experiences we have.  These experiences will come to all of us and they will help us better prepare for our return to our Heavenly home, so welcome them and be prepared! 

After the conference, mom and I went to the Heber C. Kimball Home for our site assignment today and served from 2:00pm to 5:00pm.  We live just behind this home so it was very close to walk to.  We had 7 visitors today!  We then had our first dinner guests, the Mamales'.  I should have taken their picture!!

Today I asked our precious Mary Lasher how to download some of Bobby's pictures from his baptism yesterday and it worked!  We so enjoyed seeing these pictures and I wanted to make them a permanent part of our blog album so here they are with my captions added!

Bobby on March 7th on his way to his baptism!

Not only Bobby's support group, but he is setting the example for them!

Look at that handsome young man who knows what CTR means!

A worthy father with a worthy son -

A very proud mother and precious son!

A wonderful family activity!

There is the best cheering section in the world!  We love you!!!!!!

Granny and Grandpa could not be any more proud of Bobby!

Yes families can be together forever, even if they are separated for a season.  We are so very grateful for each of our children and grandchildren and count it a wonderful blessing to be a part of this family!  This picture speaks volumes for all of us;

Our purpose is to be a part of this family forever!  No empty chairs!!

By the way, we have been enjoying the beautiful music of James Paul Kenny and his albums have been such a blessing to us both here in Nauvoo and especially the Philippines.  If you have not heard his music you have been missing a very valuable and talented musician.  I love his music and we love the Kenny's!  You may never know how much your music has carried us this past 4 months!!

Thank you for being part of our lives here in Nauvoo!  Tomorrow our assignment is the Carthage Visitors Center in Carthage.  It is about a 30 minute drive from here and we are excited to serve there!  Have a wonderful evening!
 
Mom and I were discussing a sweet principle and I wanted her to relate it here in her own words:

Elder Renlund was telling the parable of the man being forgiven of 10,000 talents and then going and putting the man who owed him 100 pence in prison.  He said that the 10,000 talents was an unpayable debt - there was no way he'd be able to repay it in a lifetime.  Just as the Savior has paid an unpayable debt for us, and all he asks us to do is forgive our neighbors when they offend us either inadvertantly or on purpose the 100 pence.

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!!

March 6, 2015 - Friday

Sister Lasher and I had the late site schedule that goes from 11:45am to 5:00pm.  I went to the Seventies Hall that was shared with the Blacksmith Shop, and Sister Lasher went to the Schoolhouse.  We had about 30 visitors at the Blacksmith Shop and most came after 3:00pm.  Sister Lasher had two visitors.

I was very pleased with today's temperatures!  When we took our morning walk it was about 20 degrees but very comfortable.  During the day it warmed up to close to 45 degrees and melted the snow on our driveway.  I am sure looking forward to Spring weather!

Here are some pictures at the Seventies Hall;  They will and have actually had some meetings in this period building.  It was sold in 1846 to the Presbyterian Church and later sold to the Catholic Church.  Then it was turned into a school house and at the turn of the century about 1900, the building was torn down.  During the restoration of Nauvoo that began in the 1960's, it was rebuilt on the original foundation that was covered with about 2 feet of dirt.  The hall itself was re-built to the specs that were present in the 1840's.

The purpose of the Seventies Hall was to prepare missionaries to teach the Gospel.  From here they were sent to nearly every state and into Canada and Europe.  Over 3500 Seventies were called to teach during the Nauvoo years.

My Brethren.......

Seating for the classes was for about 75 or so.

Here is the outside of the Seventies Hall - take a look at the inscription at the top (Priesthood)

It was an interesting history of the beginnings of this building.  There was no money to build it, so those called as Seventies approached the Prophet Joseph Smith for permission to build.  He gave that approval providing they funded it themselves.  They went to work and made the bricks, traded for lumber and provided the labor.  In the early part of 1844, the west wall was up and a tornado came along one night and knocked the wall down and destroyed the flooring of the hall.  The brethren were about to give up on the project when Brigham Young told them that the reason the wall came down was because the devil was angry with them building this hall.  Brigham told them they needed to redouble their efforts and build the hall to defy the efforts of the adversary.  They did and added an additional row of bricks on that new outside west wall and the building was dedicated over a 5 day period in December 1844 to a very happy and determined group of men!

I also took this picture today:

Outside the Blacksmiths Shop

The Blacksmith wore many hats.  He was responsible for many things pertaining to his trade and this picture shows one of his tools that he used to put shoe on oxen.  Unlike the horse where you can lift the leg up and hold it between your knees to put on the shoe, when you lifted the oxen's leg, he would lay down.  This invention allow the oxen to come in and stand, and a belt was placed to lift the oxen just slightly off his feet, and the Blacksmith could then hold up his leg and place the fitted shoe on his hoof.

Here are some shots of mom at the schoolhouse.   Nauvoo had every industry in full swing and the school was an important part of the pioneers lifestyle!

The school room with benches and portable computers (chalkboard tablets!)

How would you like this special lady teaching you?

Well, I almost forgot......  We made our debut on stage tonight and the production went on even with mom and me participating.  My photos are too dark, but we did not have any speaking parts, just group singing parts.  It was designed to put us at ease and the purpose served us well.  Here are some photos that you can put action to ..... and a smile or two!

What can I say more.... a picture is worth .........?

We are pictured with Elder and Sister Jones - Sister Jones directs the play and they leave for home next month

Can you pick Elder Lasher out??  (2nd right from the poll)

How about Sister Lasher?  (2nd right from the poll - back row)

We wanted to take a picture with the Jones' here because she works so hard to make the play "Rendezvous" perfect every night.  She works with all three casts and you can only imagine what she goes through when someone calls in sick or doesn't pull their full weight.  She is one of the reasons we need to put our best efforts into everything we do here.  And, we want to make sure that our Father in Heaven is pleased with our efforts, so comfort zones have to be set aside!  Thus the smile and a little relief that our first show is done!

As you might be able to see, we debuted to a full house!  It was a beautiful spring-like day and we had visitors from all over the United States.  This was a good group of people and they even clapped for our performance!

Now, back to singing and dancing and acting on Tuesday and Friday for the balance of March.  We should get this down by January 2017, don't you think?  (Bishop and Sister Call would be so proud!)

March 5, 2015 - Thursday

There is promise that Spring is coming to Nauvoo.  The temperature was 14 degrees this morning and the sun was out in full splendor.  The forecast over the next week is for temperatures to reach in the high 50's and perhaps into the 60's.  Nauvoo will be budding with Spring all around before we know it and it will be a welcomed season!  We also get to "Spring Ahead", our clocks, Saturday night and extend the daylight hours beginning early Sunday morning at 2:00am.  Fun times!

Mom and I took a long walk before our assignments at our sites at 9:45am.  We had the early shift today that covers opening the site and getting things ready for our visitors.  However, today was pretty quiet and mom was assigned to the John Taylor Home and I had the assignment at the Brick yard.  Take a look at mom's new dress.  It was finished last night and she wanted to wear it today;

Beautiful honored pioneer lady!

I walked her to the John Taylor Home this morning and then continued on to the Brickyard.... mom did not have any visitors at her site today, but got better acquainted with her companion, Sister Olson.

Reporting for service on a beautiful end of winter day in Nauvoo!

Here is another picture:

The front of the John Taylor Home - Sister Lasher's first day at this site!

I then continued just down the street to the Brickyard and worked with Elder Orme this morning.  We did some outdoor sweeping and some floor moping before we started in on the brick making.  I had some more pictures inside the brick making room and will explain some features;

This is called "hacking" the green bricks

This is the drying storage of the green bricks

This is the presentation table from which we give information of the brick making process

Here is where the visitors sit for the presentations

In the first picture, I am in the process of "hacking" or rotating the bricks from two days ago.  Generally the bricks are "hacked" for up to five days before being sent to the kiln to be fired to about 2,000 degrees.  The hacking process rotates the bricks for even drying and we shave and sand down some rough edges in this process.  During the full blown brick making process, moving and rotating and sanding down bricks took a tremendous amount of energy from the workers.  After a long day of hacking, the workers would be worn out and someone coined the phrase "I can't hack this anymore", and his day would be over.  Thus the phrase has been kept and used in so many instances... like - "I can't hack singing and dancing and acting"... although that phrase falls on deaf ears here in Nauvoo and some even just laugh at you and tell you to get back on the stage!

The brick drying rack in the second picture has the bricks stored at different levels of drying.  The greenest bricks are at the bottom of the rack and are moved up each day and hacked until they are ready to be fired.

Then there is the presentation table where we show the process that the brick takes from the raw ingredients, to the clay mixture, to the green brick and on the the fired brick ready to build with.  The presentation room will hold about 30 visitors.  Today we had 6 visitors to the site before I left at 3:00pm.

I took a little break around 1:30pm to go and visit Sister Lasher at her site.  I got to take this picture;

Break time for Elder and Sister Lasher at the John Taylor Home

Please note that the apron is in a funny position and that is not Elder Lasher's tummy!!  Although I did go down to see Sister Lasher hoping she had some chocolate... (which she did)....

After Sister Lasher and I got done with our shift at 3:00pm, we went home and changed from our site clothes and drove to Sam's Club in Quincy for some supplies.  We had to be back for our Sunset practice at 6:30pm and we got back at 6:28pm.

The Sunset practice is getting us ready for the outdoor summer play that runs from Memorial Day until August 8th.  Again we are learning new songs and routines to perform on stage and I am finding out that there is no way in my natural abilities that I can learn all this stuff!  But working with the other men in learning these parts is amazing.  Most of us are in the same boat as far as talent goes, but boy are we having fun.  

It is interesting to note that most, if not all, of the missionaries are trying hard to represent the mission well.  Mom and I are so appreciative of the efforts being made by the others, that it helps us to want to try harder ourselves.  There is nothing like surrounding yourself with good people.  We have that in our families at home and in our ward families at Church.  I will always be grateful for that insight as we struggle together and do the absolute best we can and then hope we can improve on that the next day!

Again, mom and I are so very thankful for the notes of encouragement coming in from family and friends.  I received a sweet note from Sister Brixius today that was so timely and refreshing.  We are so focused on the songs and dances and parts in the plays that we come to a point where we need a little boast and these notes supply us with that special lift!