Nauvoo Reunion

Early Sunday morning - 4 am early! - we started out on our Finch Family Reunion.  Destination?  Nauvoo, Illinois!

Going through Capitol Reef on I-70.

Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnels

We stopped in Georgetown, Colorado for a bite of lunch and found this little town park.  After our PB and J's, the kids got some their wriggles out playing around for a while.

Leighton was really a great little traveler! 

 We passed one town in the Rocky's - No Name, Colorado.  Yep - loved it!  It started us looking for unusual towns along our way!  Next one was at the Colorado/Kansas border - Kanarado - a little combination of both states!  I think the only thing that kept me sane going across Kansas was texting with McKenna.  She had been to cheer camp the week before we left and had her team drop her off at Grandpa and Grandma Finch's to drive out with them.  While visiting with her we passed through Garfield County, Colorado, listened to Leighton keep asking if we were going to Aboo (Nauvoo), and asking for choo-choo's

 We stopped for the night in Salina, Kansas.  The kids were disappointed because the pool was under repairs, but I was a little relieved - we pulled in at 9:30 pm!  We headed straight to bed!

The next day we were off again, passing by Wanamaker Road, California Avenue (must be one in every state), and paying for a toll road on I-70.  We finally met up with family at the Kansas City Temple, just dedicated this year!  We were really excited for another reason too...Finally we got to see McKenna again!  So glad to have our family back together again!

  To say that it was hot is an understatement!  Hot is one thing - humidity?  Well that's another!  At the temple the girls cooled off for a moment while waiting for everyone to show up.

 After the temple we went to the Independence Visitor Center.

 It was in Independence Missouri that Joseph Smith received a command to buy land in Jackson County (D&C 57:3-5).  He also received the revelation that Jackson County would be the site of the New Jerusalem during the Second Coming.  August 3, 1831, Joseph Smith dedicated the temple site and Saints started pouring in.  The Church started publishing the Evening and Morning Star - the only newspaper in the area.

 By the end of 1832 there were over 800 Saints in Jackson County. Members however were struggling to live some of the church guidelines, one being the Law of Consecration.  Members were counseled to repent or suffer the consequences.  By 1833 the short lived peace was replaced with persecutions from locals.  By this time, there were nearly twelve hundred Saints in the area.

 On July 20, four to five hundred non-Mormon citizens met at the courthouse in Independence. They decreed that said that no more Mormons were going to be allowed into the area, and those that were already living there must leave. Church leaders asked for 3 months to to decide what to do, but this was turned down.  They then asked for 10 days to make their decision, but this was also turned down.  The leaders in the Church were given just 15 minutes to decide their fate.

It was also here that two teenaged sisters, Elizabeth and Caroline Rollins saved the Book of Commandments manuscripts when a mob looted and destroyed a printing press.  These sisters collected as many pages as they could then ran in a cornfield to hide.  They laid on top of the pages and prayed.  They heard voices all around them but remained unseen from the mobsters.  I admire these two brave young women who saw what needed to be done and did it without thought of consequence to their safety.

Just 3 days later the mob returned with guns and whips, burned fields and haystacks and destroyed homes.  Six Church leaders offered their lives in exchange for the safety of the rest of the members. Their offer was turned down and they were forced to sign an agreement that they would be out of the county by April 1, 1834.

 During the tour of the Visitor Center, Leighton got a little wriggly so she entertained herself with the camera!  Thank goodness for digital!  I consider it one of the best forms of cheap entertainment!

  Across the street from the Independence Visitor Center is the Community of Christ Temple.  They currently own the plot of land dedicated by Joseph Smith for the Independence Temple on August 3, 1831. 

 I was really surprised at how much church history sites they own still today.  However in recent years because of financial difficulty the Community of Christ Church (formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) has sold some of those sites to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  The missionary at the Independence Visitor Center said it didn't matter if they owned the temple site now, but that one day, when the Lord was ready to build the temple in Independence, it would happen, and until then, the Church will go ahead and prepare for that day. It also made me think about D&C 115:4 "For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints."  Maybe they forgot this little revelation!

 After Independence we traveled to Liberty Jail where the Prophet Joseph received revelations now known as D&C 121-123.  From November 1838 to April 1839, the Prophet, Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, Alexander McRae, and Caleb Baldwin were imprisoned in this jail which was more like a dungeon.  With only a small hole in the floor, the men were kept in deplorable conditions, eating only when they were truly hungry for the food was spoiled and dirty, even poisoned at times.  Sidney Rigdon was released in February due to a severe illness, but the others continued on until the guards holding them, determined they were not guilty and that they were good men and unjustly confined. 

 At one point during his imprisonment, Joseph pleaded with the Lord: "O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries? ... Remember thy suffering saints, O our God; and thy servants will rejoice in thy name forever."  D&C 121:1-2, 6.  To this cry, the Lord responded:  My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.  Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.   D&C 121:7.

From Liberty Jail, we traveled to the Fishing River.  It was here that Zion's Camp were blessed with a miracle.  June 19th, 1834, 5 men rode into Zion's Camp cursing "Joe Smith" and his army.  They vowed to attack the camp that night with 230 men.  40 of these men made it across the river to attack when a storm blew in so fierce that the river rose 40 feet that night preventing anymore mobsters across.  Those waiting to cross were tormented with lighting and hail so severe it bruised hands and tore holes through clothing.  The prophet said "Boys, there is meaning in this.  God is in this storm.  Stand still and see the salvation of God."

We only briefly stopped here, the actual site is unknown but believed to be about 500 feet from the road. 

Fishing River

After Fishing River we traveled to Cameron, Missouri to stay for the night.  The hotel had everything we wanted!  A pool, a water slide that went from the inside to the outside and back inside and of course - a free continental breakfast!

More to come later!