Chicago Part II - Nauvoo

I have to apologize, this is a SUPER long post with a lot of pictures, but I had a really hard time deciding which ones to put up. We arrived in Nauvoo super late at night. After unloading the car, Rob and I had to make a late night trip to walmart for some swim gear for the boys which I forgot to pack. Gotta love small town walmarts! The next morning we woke up super early to attend the 8 am session at the temple. It was an incredible experience! Probably my favorite thing we did in Nauvoo. The architecture and detail was amazing! After the session we went down to the baptistry and took a little tour. The temple worker told us a couple of neat stories about the temple and Nauvoo. The whole experience is one I will never forget!

The temple is absolutely BREATHTAKING!

The Angel Moroni on top of the temple is the only one that faces West. It along with the Salt Lake Temple are like bookends of the journey the Saints took West.

I loved the stars on the temple!

Front view

In front of the temple

This is a statue of Hyrum and Joseph's last ride out of Nauvoo on their way to Carthage.

A replica of a sunstone

{Look at Mr. Mischievous in front!}

These water towers were so weird looking to me. This one was right behind the temple, so you had to be careful when taking pictures so that you wouldn't get it in your shot.

After spending some time on the temple grounds, we decided to head over to the Church's visitors center and look around. We then took a Wagon tour of Historic Nauvoo.

Waiting for the wagon ride to start

Wes with the Missionaries

Beckett had such a great time, he zonked out!

After the wagon ride we toured some of the buildings and went and learned how to make our own rope, pottery, and candles.

Here is my studly husband cranking the wheel that turned the rope.

My Dad and Wesley turning the other side.

We then decided to call it a day. The boys were hungry, bored and really wanted to go swimming. We grabbed a quick bite to eat in Nauvoo before heading back to our hotel in Keokuk, Iowa. On our way out, the sun had come out and we couldn't pass up a photo opportunity of the temple on the hill. It had been overcast all day, so all of our pictures were kind of blah. I loved how the temple sparkled in the sunlight!

We started our second day in Nauvoo with a little swimming before touring more of the town. We checked out of our hotel and headed to the Community of Christ. They own part of the historic homes in Nauvoo. Mainly the buildings that the Smith family owned and left to the family. You can only go through these buildings if you are on a guided tour with someone from the Community of Christ. Their tour began with a video about the Smith family and the Community of Christ church. It was interesting to say the least.

First up on the tour...The Nauvoo House

This is the house Emma was living in when she passed away.

The Smith Family Home

{The white part was added on by Joseph F. Smith when his family was living there}

The graves of Joseph, Emma, and Hyrum

Red Brick Storehouse

Room above storehouse where church meetings were held and where the Relief Society was organized.

Smith Family Cemetary

{Front view of Joseph, Emma, and Hyrum's graves}

Joseph Smith Sr and Lucy Mack Smith's graves

After finishing the tour at the Community of Christ, we grabbed a quick bite to eat and checked out a couple of more places in Historic Nauvoo.

Brick House

Blacksmith Shop

Then we said goodbye to Nauvoo and headed to Carthage. This was our last stop before heading back to Chicago. Carthage Jail was probably my second favorite part of Nauvoo. The spirit was so strong and testified to me that what happened in that building was not only true, but very sacred. The boys were acting out and extremely restless when we got there, so my parents decided to take them to a park while Rob and I went on the tour. We truly appreciated it! They didn't miss out though, they went back two weeks later with my sister's family. Rob and I lucked out though. As we were sitting in the visitor's center waiting for the movie to start, a huge family came in with a dozen kids. After the movi, the Sister missionaries decided to split us up. Rob and I ended up getting our own private tour! It was amazing and I learned a lot about that historic day that I had never heard before. We were able to listen to the spirit testify to us without any distractions. It was AMAZING!

Statue of Joseph and Hyrum outside the jail

The jail cell which was located in the room right next to where the Prophet was shot. John Taylor was actually brought in here {after he was shot} and hidden under a mattress so that the mob wouldn't find him.

This is the room where the Prophet spent the last few days of his life and where he was shot. They let us listen to a recording of the events that happened that day. It was extremely powerful!

If you ever get the chance to go to Nauvoo and Carthage...DO! It was an amazing experience. One we will never forget! I hope we can go back some day when the boys are older and can appreciate it more.