Nauvoo... a few weeks ago!

WARNING: LONG POST!!!

So I've been meaning to post about this trip we took a few weeks ago, but I've been a little overwhelmed to really describe this trip and choose from the tons of great photos we took. So I'll just try and put in as few words as possible to tell you what a great time we had visiting all the church history sites that are just a days drive from where we live... We got to go on this journey with our new friends, the Uluave family. They recently relocated from UT to MO with ATK (sound familiar) and we quickly became great friends with them. Kira did all the leg work in planning out our trip and doing all the research on the church history sites for us to read about on our way.

Our first stop was Far West, Missouri to visit the cornerstones of the temple that were built by the saints before they left the area.

Cute Uluave Family!!!

From Far West, we drove about an hour away to visit Adam ondi ahman. There couldn't be a more beautiful place on the planet to stop for a picnic lunch.

There really are no words to describe what a beautiful, and sacred place this is. It is almost too much to really take in and comprehend the significance of the things that have transpired and will transpire here in the future. I just kept thinking we were literally standing on holy ground. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to visit and to ponder about the greatness of the Lords plan for each of us here on earth. Being there just made it feel so real and personal.

From there we continued our journey another 3 hours through the beautiful rolling country hills of missouri and on into Carthage, Illinois where we visited Carthage Jail where Joseph Smith was martyred.

Throughout this entire trip, I loved re-learning and re-hearing the stories of the events that took place at these locations. I know I already knew about when Joseph Smith was killed and I know I've even been here before, but it really means so much more to see the actual place and know more about what was going on around the time that these things took place. Such a poignant reminder of how the early saints, Joseph Smith in particular, sacrificed so much... their lives at times to bring to pass the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the establishment of Zion. How much I take for granted. I'm so grateful to have the fullness of the gospel and the knowledge of the truth that I have in my life. I often wonder if I would have been as strong as the saints at that time. I hope I would have been.

So that wrapped up day one.... the kids were pretty spent and we knew we had a full day ahead of us, so we checked into the sketchy hotel in Keokuk, IA took the kiddos swimming and crashed for the night. The next day we were up bright and early to spend the entire day in Nauvoo, IL.

We so easily could have spent multiple days in Nauvoo exploring all over and visiting every site, there was so much to take in. Unfortunately, the reality of having small children significantly limits what we could realistically take-in in one day. So here are just some photos of our day!

The beautiful and breathtaking Nauvoo Temple.

Our wagon ride... and tour through Nauvoo

Aspen even got called up on stage during the performance of Just Plain Anna Amanda.

The kids loved playing at the pioneer pass times where they got to play with all the things the pioneer kids played with.

Of course, we brought home our own Nauvoo brick. It's funny, that was the one thing I was determined to take home with me. When I was 6 years old I came to Nauvoo with my family. In fact we visited many of the sites we stopped at on this trip but I hardly have any memories of that trip. Mostly I remember the motorhome trip from UT-Chicago and all the KOA's we stayed in along the way. But I will always remember the Nauvoo brick on the bookshelf at my parent's home, and now I can have one on the bookshelves of my home too. I guess in another 25 years or so when Aspen comes here again, hopefully she can get a Nauvoo brick of her own family too!

I'm so grateful for this trip, and for the chance we have to be living in KC right now so we have the chance to learn so much about church history... all the stuff I know I already know, but am loving re-learning it! I know my testimony has been strengthened by visiting these places firsthand. I think my favorite thing about Nauvoo was how no matter where we visited: the printing press, the gunshop, the brick house or even the blacksmith shop, the missionaries not only shared the historical significance of these places but also shared how what the saints did in these places were also a testimony of Jesus Christ. Everything we do is such a part of a greater plan, and each of us plays an important role, and our lives can be a testimony of Jesus Christ to those around us as well.

Unfortunately, the Nauvoo pageant wasn't going on at this time. It runs the entire month of July... I guess we'll just have to go back again! Esp so I can see first hand the hand work of my aunt KJ and those who helped her create the beautiful temple backdrop for the pageant. Until next time...!