Nauvoo
Week 8 (1-7 February 2016)
It
was so great to spend some time with Scott, Malia, and Corban. We arrived on Saturday evening, so we just
chatted that night. The next day we went
to church with them. It seems like a great
ward and they have really made them feel welcome. Some have invited them over for dinners and
have called to see if they need anything.
Corban went to nursery which was super.
They took us for a ride to the Chicago Temple.
It reminded me of the San Diego and
Washington D.C. Temples because of the spires.
Scott is really busy trying to get things ready for the first optical
store to open.
It is only minutes from
their home.
He had training all day
Monday so we spent the day with Malia and Corban.
We went to lunch at a fun place called
Portillo’s (famous for Hotdogs) and then on a ride through Northwestern
University and to Lake Michigan.
It was
a beautiful sunny day and we had a great time.
Corban loves cars in particular the cars from the show cars.
We helped line them up and raced them many
times especially Papa.
He plays with
them all day basically!
He told us all
their names and who were racers and who were not.
He is the cutest most determined little
guy.
Unfortunately when you visit you
always have to leave, and that was hard.
We are grateful that they live so close and we look forward to seeing
them again in the future.
We left
Tuesday morning and arrived back at Nauvoo in the afternoon.
On
Thursday we had a fireside given by Craig Dunn, about the Battle of
Nauvoo. As we know the first Saints left
on February 4, 1846. The U.S. government
was trying to stop the exodus for fear they would be caught in the middle of
the Mexican-American War and secondly, the British had just landed in the
Oregon Territory and they were fearful with so many of the saints being British
that they would join forces with them in claiming the territory for the Crown,
but of course the mobs wanted them out and were forcing their will. Following the exodus, Col Kane, U.S.
Government agent, struck a deal to form a Mormon Battalion of 500 men which
helped finance the trek west. Six
hundred and four saints remained in Nauvoo after exodus. The mob wanted them
out by April 1846. Captain Harden was
sent by Governor Ford to hold peace. The mob members, most that had killed
Joseph and Hyrum, were a big part of this group of “protectors.” There was a state military that was sent to
keep peace; however, most of them were drafted for the Mexican War. Emma and Mary Fielding were still in Nauvoo
and Mary tried to talk Emma into going west with her but she would not go. So Mary Fielding left. At this point there were only one hundred
fifty Mormons left. There were six
hundred mob members. They tried to burn
the Mansion house down, but didn’t succeed.
Emma was relocated out of Nauvoo at that point and rented the Mansion
out. The mob bedded down at the nearby cemetery,
east of the city limits. They shot cannonballs
made out of steel and the Mormons shot small steel balls. The battle lasted fourteen hours over three
days where three Mormons were killed and one on the side of the mob. The mob desecrated homes, and ransacked the
Temple. They drug mothers and children
out of their homes by gunpoint into the streets. On September 16th both sides
signed a treaty because the Mormons were out of bullets and weapons. Cannon balls were being fired at the Mormons
as the last group crossed the Mississippi.
They were starving and the Lord sent Quails for them to eat. Emma returned in the spring to Nauvoo as she
had received word that the man she had rented the mansion home to was taking
everything out of the home and leaving.
Orson Hyde who had been on a Mission came to Nauvoo and dedicated the
Temple in May of 1847.
Starting
on Friday February 5th they had presentations available in the
Joseph Smith Historic Site Visitor Center, which is the Community of Christ
center. This was all in conjunction with
the Exodus Commemoration. We missed the first hour of classes as we
were working in the Temple. We split up
for some of them. Tom attended the “Dead
Men’s Tales: A look at Cemetery symbols and their Meaning”. I attended “Women and the Mississippi River.” There were 2,000 miles of Mississippi river
and the main mode of transportation. Steamship
travel was the preferred mode of travel-they lasted about three years. These boats were not inspected or insured and
many times they caught on fire with the boilers blowing quite often and killed
many passengers. It may have been the preferred
way to travel especially by women but it was a dangerous! Four thousand deaths occurred on boats during
the three years. Trees could be found
floating down the river and back then there were some Islands here and
there. A lady, Mary Logan, grew up in
Nauvoo and she told how things were when she was growing up. Both on Friday and Saturday there were six
different simultaneous presentations available.
Some were better than others.
Friday
evening we had a buffet in the Nauvoo Motel.
President Nelson, who is in the Temple Presidency, gave the keynote
address about the German influence in Nauvoo.
Many businesses in Nauvoo were originated by Germans.
The German influence was don’t change the
outside look that was the integrity of a building.
You could change the interiors, but not the
outside.
Quincy was made up mostly of
Germans who were kind, preserved peace, and had a desire to assist forlorn
people.
We all know how kind Quincy was
to the Mormons.
George Hart (Hart home
south of Temple)-he always lived on or near the Temple site.
He would always care for the Mormon
missionaries who would come to Nauvoo in preparation for their missions.
As a side note, Germans were the first to make
the artificial Christmas tree.
In
January, in preparation for the exodus reenactment, we looked up ancestors
names who we knew had been in Nauvoo.
Then we turned them into the Land and Records Office of Nauvoo. They would then send us any additional “Nauvoo
specific” information they had about them and others who might also have lived
here.
We were then able to walk for at
least three of our ancestors during the reenactment exodus.
They made us tags that we put on our coats
and scarf.
I walked for Mary Smallman,
James McDonald-McDaniel, and Christina Stoker.
Tom walked for Henry Eccles, Elizabeth Spurr, and their daughter Sariah
Eccles.
Saturday
all of those who participated in the reenactment of the exodus gathered at the
Family Living Center. We had a
continental breakfast and some readings to set the stage for the conditions as
the Saints left. It was nothing like the
weather they had on the original exodus.
We had sunshine and temperatures in the forties. The men representing the Nauvoo Legion
started out first, and then the flag bearers.
There were some wagons and horses, and onewagon with oxen. There were also some handcarts as well. We walked down Parley Street the same street
the Pioneers walked down, to the Mississippi River. When they left the Mississippi was frozen
solid which enabled a faster exodus.
This day there was some ice but the whole river was not frozen, because
so far it has been a milder winter. As
we reached the end of the street they had everyone come together; raise the
American Flag, recite the Pledge of Allegiance and sing “Come Come Ye Saints.” It was very touching to be in that spot and
to imagine the Saints 170 years ago.
They have a little Pioneer Memorial Pavilion listing names of those
Pioneers who didn’t make it to the Salt Lake Valley. People come from all different places to
participate in these events. Some come
year after year.
That
evening we had Bryon Andreason speak to us about Lincoln and Mormon Country and
the influences and possible crossing of paths during Lincoln’s court service
and campaigning.
Sunday
morning we went to church at the Mt. Pleasant Branch. They had an investigator there who wants to
be baptized the end of this month. Her
husband and two small children were with her.
The Sister Missionaries say he is not interested in the church; however,
he had come that day so they could talk to the Bishop about getting married
next Sunday. The Bishop’s wife asked us
and the other senior couple (Elder & Sister Winn, Nephi, UT) if we would
help in Primary with the music. This
will be new and different for us but I’m sure we will enjoy it. We will switch with the other couple every
other week.
In
the afternoon we had “Break the Fast” lunch at our home. They rotate who is in charge every month and
we had three other couples come to our house.
We had the Droste’s (full-time District Missionaries), the Chapman’s,
and the Hendricks’. We got to know them
all better and had a great time.
That
evening we had a program where certain people had been asked to share a story
about an ancestor. A lady had put
together a collage of pictures on the screen as each person talked about
them. There were nineteen presenters,
and I was asked to be one of them. I
talked about Mary Smallman a great great, Grandmother. If you want to read about her you can go to
the family tree and click on her. She
comes from the McDaniel side. I was the
fourteenth presenter, so I had plenty of time to be nervous! It was a neat opportunity.
On
Monday we had a Family Home Evening in the auditorium of the Nauvoo Historic Visitor’s
Center. Bryon Andreason talked about the
new Museum in Salt Lake. We did not go
to see it before we left. It sounds
amazing. They have amazing artifacts and
presentations that make you feel as if you were in the time frame they are
talking about. Everyone should go and
see it, with your families.
Yesterday
was my Birthday and it was a good one.
Thank you so much to our family who sent me a blanket with a lot of
pictures on it of all of you.
Saying
that when I need a hug I could wrap up in this blanket and get one from all of
them.
I love it!
Thank you so much.
Also, thank you to friends and family for the
phone calls and the cards you sent.
We
had a wonderful and super busy week.
How
much we love and admire the pioneers who paved the way for us so that we could
enjoy these latter days.
This is truly
hallowed ground that we have the opportunity to live on, and to serve in this
historic Temple.
We thank our Father in
Heaven for this experience, and for all of your support.
We
love you all. Mom & Dad/ Nana & Papa/Elder & Sister Shaw
Another
week has past and February is close to being done! On Monday we had a home evening we had a Valentine
party. We played some games, and had
lots of yummy treats. All of the brother
Temple Missionaries sang, “Let me call you Sweetheart” to the wives, it was
great! We all had given a picture of us
on the day we got married. Then we all
tried to guess who was who! Surprisingly,
they had a hard time guessing who we were.
If they had known Tom had worn a pink tux, they would have known right
off, because no one else had one on! 
Tuesday
we worked the evening shift and we were trained again in the Baptistry. This coming Tuesday we will be the
coordinators there. I understand that
once the summer hits we will be extremely busy.
That will be fun. 
