My Life, My Love, My Family, My World: Summer Trip

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Summer Trip - Day 7

Posted by Daisy at Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Nauvoo—Carthage Jail

Carthage Jail, where the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were martyred. You can also tour the visitors’ center and walk through the beautiful gardens, where a life-size statue pays tribute to Joseph and Hyrum.

We were in Nauvoo Illinois on Thursday-Saturday.

The Nauvoo Pageant & Frontier Country Fair

The Nauvoo Pageant chronicles the building of Nauvoo and the Temple as well as the hopes of these early Saints, their trials and their joys. But most of all it tells of their love for the Lord. It is a celebration in song, dance and testimony echoing their testimony that Jesus is the Christ yesterday, today and forever. With painstaking research, this live performance shows why thousands came to Nauvoo in the 1840's and portrays the faith and courage it took to follow a Prophet even in their poverty. To be able to build that glorious temple after being refugees in Quincy IL only a few years before showed incredible faith. They had very little to give financially, but they gave all they had to this effort. Although the original Temple had barely begun to be used when the saints were forced to leave, they left knowing they had followed the commandment of the Lord. 150 years after the original temple was destroyed and left in ruin, the new Nauvoo Temple has been reconstructed as close to the original structure as possible. We can feel the rejoicing in heaven as those early saints look down and see that their beloved temple once again stands majestically on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi. They must feel complete joy as they see that their faith and sacrifices to follow the Lord and build that temple in their poverty was not forgotten. It is a testimony to all who see this beautiful temple that with God, nothing is impossible.

The Nauvoo Country Fair band consists of Family Cast members during their first week of service. The band performs favorite dance numbers that would have been popular in the 1840's. Guests join in with cast members in this popular family activity. The children play games & crafts also from the early Nauvoo era along with a puppet show, family tug-o-war, sack races, stilts, sack races, stickball & hoops & graces - all activities that would have been popular in old Nauvoo. Another favorite of the guests is the log sawing activity which is followed by a branding station that burns a souvenir Nauvoo temple logo on the wood cut from log sawing.