Nauvoo Day 2

Day two started with a trip to the cellar of where we were staying. The innkeeper, Karen (she was AWESOME), took us down to the cellar and told us that the stone is from the original Nauvoo Temple. Apparently there are three sunstones from the temple here somewhere. Karen showed us one, but she hadn't found the others yet.. It was a large cellar and apparently The Church has asked the owners if they could use it for emergencies. The owners don't know if it will be filled with supplies for all the missionaries serving there or what. The Church is always thinking ahead.

The cellar

Barbara, Debbie, & myself
Kyle & I

Wagon Ride

Debbie and Barbara are wrapped in quilts getting ready for our wagon ride. It was a 45 minute wagon ride that took us through the countryside of Old Nauvoo. We went to Inspiration Point, where Joseph Smith would go and think and receive inspiration It overlooks the Mississippi River. We heard lots of stories about the early saints, such as Porter Rockwell.

Kyle and I bundled up waiting for the wagon ride to start.

Blacksmith Shop

We went to the Webb Brothers' Blacksmith Shop where we learned many things and watched a demonstration of making a horseshoe. Kyle received a miniature horseshoe.

Kyle outside the blacksmith shop.

Seventies Hall

Next we went next door to the Seventies Hall. This is where the missionaries learned gospel principles and missionary skills. Us sisters with a sister missionary.

Oxen Ride

We then walked down Parley Street along the "Trail of Hope." We stopped and went on a ten minute oxen ride.

Kyle, myself, Debbie, & Barbara

The missionaries told us how to be safe around the oxen and to keep an arms distance away. They also told us that the tip of the oxen's horn was cold, but as it gets closer to the head it gets warm because of the blood flow. We all felt it and yep, he was right.

This is a wagon on a ferry with two wannabe pioneers waiting.

You can see the Mississippi River in the background. They would carry the wagon's on ferries across the river. The front and the back of the ferry had gates that could go up and down to allow the wagon to get on and off the ferry.

Mississippi River

Kyle is standing where many saints came and left Nauvoo at the banks of the Mississippi River athe end of Parley Street.

Kyle and I stopped to take a picture of the Nauvoo Temple in a natural pioneer setting with the oxen and corn fields. If the sky was blue then the temple would stand out more.

This is how I envision this area many, many years ago.

The nice Elder missionaries thought that Kyle and I wanted our picture taken with the oxen, but we really just wanted to take pictures of the temple. But oh well, they offered to take pictures of us so we couldn't turn them down.

The Red Brick Store

The next stop was The Red Brick Store. The bottom floor was and is a store and the upper floor was a meeting place. This is where the Relief Society was organized.

Doesn't he look like he belongs in the 1800 era?

Kyle's reading the Nauvoo Expositor.

Kyle and I in front of The Red Brick Store.

Sisters - Judy, Barbara, & Debbie

Brickyard

Kyle is showing his brick that he was given after learning about brick making. He is standing in front of some bricks showing how the corners of the brick building were made. One of the jobs of a brick maker is called a hacker and the saying,"I can't hack it" comes from this job. I love learning tidbits like this.

Kyle & mom

Judy, Debbie, & Barbara

Rope Making

Kyle is helping to make a rope at the Family Living Center

Kyle was at one end spinning a wheel and at the other end this is what was happening.

We learned how to make candles. Candles were an important part of the pioneers life.

Zac, Grandpa, and Lila finally showed up. This pictures is taken in front of the outside entrance to the cellar at the Willard Richard's Inn. It was so beautiful with all the ivy.

The men in our group.

Zac, Grandpa, & Kyle

The black knob is the doorbell where we stayed. Kyle and Zac said that these were quite common on their missions. Kyle said the New Englander's called them "zingers."

After dinner we ended the evening with going to "Rendezvous in Old Navuoo" that the senior missionaries performed. I really enjoyed the performance and I learned even more about the early saints, their trials, and their lifestyle.