Carthage Jail

These are the stairs that lead from the entry and first floor rooms, to the second floor.  At the top of the stairs there are two jail cells.  To the right, there is a bedroom where Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, and two others were being held.  The jailer was sympathetic to Joseph Smith and was sent, by the Governor, to another city.  The Carthage Greys (local militia, like the Nauvoo Legion) took over guarding the jail.  The men guarding were given blank cartridges for their guns.  When the mob stormed the jail, none of them were hurt.  There were about 20 who charged up the stairs shooting.

A Senior Mission

President Smith is the second counselor in the temple presidency.  He was sent by the church many years ago to go to Russia and see if he could find a way to open the country for the church to begin missionary work.  It took several years, but he did get the government to give permission and he became the first mission president over the former USSR. 

A fairly wealthy couple retired from their employment and their stake president called them in and said that he felt impressed that they should serve a senior mission.  They were surprised, but went home and considered the matter.  They turned in their mission papers and the church called them to Russia.  Neither of them spoke Russian and knew how cold it is in Russia and turned down the call.  They did not want to go to Russia.  A year later, their stake president called them in again and expressed his feeling that they should serve a mission.  Would they please submit mission papers.  They did and they were called to Russia.  For those of you who are not members of the church, the chances of the brethren making assignments. to have all of this information available during their assignments, are  impossible.  That’s why we know The Lord is in charge of calls. 

This time, the couple packed their bags and went to Moscow where President Smith (not knowing any of the history) asked them to take an interpreter and travel through Siberia, stopping at prison camps and preaching the gospel as they went.  It was very cold, but they began their assignment.  After visiting five camps over a period of 4 months, the wife became very impatient with having to go through an interpreter.  They arrived at the sixth camp and before anyone could say anything, she said, “Does anyone here speak English?”  A voice from the back of the room said, “I do.”  He came forward.  He was dirty, disheveled, unshaven and was their own son who had been estranged from his parents for several years.  He had traveled to Russia and because of his inadequate ability to communicate in Russian and his inexperience with Russian laws, had gotten himself arrested and sent to Siberia.  He had been there for a year and a half.  President Smith was able to resolve the legal difficulties for their son so that he could return to the United States.  The missionary couple finished their mission grateful to have their son restored to them and wishing they had not waited a year to serve.

Monday night out to dinner

The Nilsons and the Thompsons

Wayne and the McBrides

Maybe this is only funny to us but here is the story.  Karen McBride said that Sister Taylor said that there was a great Chinese Restaurant in Keokuk, Iowa (30 minutes away)  She wasn't sure of the name so she tried to call her, but got no answer.  We decided to start driving and call her later.  Another carload of missionaries was also on the way to Keokuk to eat at the Chinese Restaurant.  We tried to call it up on Jim McBride's wonderphone but Karen couldn't work it and we sat in the backseat of the car laughting ourselves silly listening to them try to find this restaurant.  We finally got to Keokuk and got Sister Taylor on the phone.  She was in Ft. Madison at the Chinese Restaurant which is closed on Mondays - Ft. Madison is 30 minutes the other way from Nauvoo.  We stayed in Keokuk and found a restaurant and ate dinner.  It was not that great, but by then we were hungry.  We laughed about the fact that the Taylors went one direction and we went the opposite direction.

Acres and acres of green grass

Wouldn't you love to be a five-year-old and take off running?

We are enjoying the Canada geese.  There are large numbers of them.

Block Party

Our host and hostess, Elder and Sister Pearce and Jim McBride

The Nelsons

We found out that the Allens know the Leishmans.  It is a small world!

Our neighbors invited us to dinner.  There are three couples in their building and two couples in ours.  We enjoyed our dinner and getting to know them better.

Sunday night

Don't ask me how long it took me to learn to thread it, or how to let the presser foot down!!!

Wayne and I went for a walk to try to work off some of the good food.  Then I played with my new sewing machine while Wayne tried to make the router work.  We still don't have both computers on the internet, neither can we make the printer work.  He ordered one from Best Buy and it wouldn't work.  After working on it for an hour and a half, he solved the problem by ordering another one from Amazon.com.  The cable company was supposed to do this, but we made two appointments with them and the guy didn't show up either time.  We didn't want to stay home and wait for him.  Besides, Wayne says, "I can do it myself."

Inside the Visitor's Center

This is the Visitor's Center - There are two auditoriums, and many displays.

This statue is larger than life and as you examine it, it unfolds like the scriptures.

A relief map of Nauvoo with the temple on the hill.

We went inside planning to look at everything on every wall and read every plaque - but they were closing in an hour.  We brushed off the missionaries who wanted to give us a tour and then a sweet sister offered to walk with us.  She had been here for 3 weeks.  The young sister missionaries are called for 18 months.  They spend 6 months in Nauvoo, then 6 months someplace else (all over the US) and then another 6 months in Nauvoo.  What a mission call!!!  We enjoyed her and let her practice on us.