Saturday, October 23, 2010

Nauvoo, Illinois

I am so excited to share this post with you all! I took waaaay more pictures, but i only put up these ones (and there's a bunch). I wish you could of all been there with me. Nauvoo is a beautiful and wonderful place! The midwest is such a beautiful landscape. Those poor Saints who left such a green fertile land. . are so great, for turning the Salt Lake valley into what it is today. The Bishop's wife and I left at 5:30 AM to make the 3 hour drive across the Nauvoo and Mississippi River to the Nauvoo Temple. Then we spent the whole day exploring. I looked up ancestors that lived here and even saw the plot of land that one of them owned back in the 1840's.
This is the view from the steps of the Mississippi River. It is SOOOOO big and beautiful! I am in love with the Mississippi and so excited to finally say i've been East of it! hahah, even tho it was only a few miles.
The temple was beautiful, as they all are in their own unique ways.
Water towers are big here in this area. . altho they don't look like our good ol' red and white checker one.
This statue sits across from the entrance of the temple as well. It's of Hyrum and Joseph Smith. They paused here, overlooking the temple and beautiful city the Saints built up, before they rode off to Carthage. It was one of my favorite spots in Nauvoo. To see the river, the temple . . to be standing in the same place the prophet Joseph stood, was very special for me. The plaque meant a lot to me to, it read of Joseph's words: "This is the lovliest place and best people under the heavens; little do they know the trials that await them."
Me waiting outside the temple for Sister Bair to finish her session.
The artwork, sun, moon of the famous temple
I love this.
The back view of the temple as i enter the 'downtown' street of Nauvoo. . look at the trees! So prettY!
Heber C. Kimball's home. . it was a big a beautiful house. Just like Brighams, Wilford's, John Taylor's.. .
The print shop sat next to john taylor's house, which is where i wished i'd lived, if i lived in Nauvoo!
The brick place! i got my famous red brick with a bunch of little kids. haha
Me and the Mississippi river at sunset. I LOVE it.
We also went to the Nauvoo Burial grounds. It was the last place we went. I tried to catch the beauty of it in the pictures. . . the serene, peacefullness here would be a wonderful resting place for my body, until the Resurrection. Many of the headstones were unreadable, so it made us wonder what our burials will be like it 150 years. . what will i leave behind? . . who will care?
The sun was streaming through the trees. . it was a perfect end, to a lovely day. We didn't have time to see everything, apparently that takes 3 days. . . and we didn't make it to Carthage, but i can't wait to get back and visit there.

Look at the colors of these leaves!
This is one of my favorites too!
The temple on the hill. I still can't believe i was able to go to Nauvoo! I feel so blessed to be living here at the time being, going to school, playing basketball, enjoying the friendships of so many wonderful people on campus and in my ward.
With the lack of mountains, the sunsets fill the sky. This is as we drove over the bridge, back into Iowa. :)
I went to Nauvoo on Saturday, on Monday i had no school, because of fall break. . so the Grave's, this old couple in our ward took me to Mt. Pisgah and Garden Grove. Two places the Saints stopped and made as living areas, as they travelled West and prepared for the long trek to Zion. All that is left of the pioneers is a cemetery area, with no head stones or marking and a monument at each. At Mt. Pisgah, the Des Moine's stake built this log cabin to represent what the Pioneers built, while they stayed for a season. They cleared the land, planted crops, harvest, planted again and left, and the next batch of Saints came and harvested. . . brother helping brother.
Mt. Pisgah monument, with saints names who died on it. . the valley below is where the Saints farmed. There's even a spot where there are wagon wheel indents, from being beaten into the ground.
This is the monument at Garden Grove.. about a half hour drive from Mt. Pisgah and Osceole, IA.
No editing necessary. A tree by Garden Grove with the setting sun and rolling green hills.
Hahah, this little jail was found in town. idk if they still use it. . but maybe they do. No one was stuck into it tonight tho. haha!

4 comments:

The Sweets said...

I think it's so great that you are taking advantage of being close to all these amazing places. You're a lucky girl to be able to go to Nauvoo. It's so pretty all! Looks like you're having a good time, and I'm so glad. We miss you, and are really excited to see you in a couple weeks!

B/T Frank said...

I love the pict's of the graves... they're so cool looking!

fern said...

that is one of my favorite places- there is such a beautiful spirit there. it is hard to imagine what the saints went through for us - but i am sure glad that they did! cool you are taking advantage of being so close to the church sites!

Melenoma said...

that grave picture is out of control!! I love it