Sunday in Nauvoo...Part 2

We had one more stop to make in Nauvoo before we ended our visit there. This stop was at the Nauvoo temple on top of the hill. This is a special temple to the members of the Church. There was much excitement when it was rebuilt on the spot where the original stood so many years ago. The original was finished and dedicated by the Saints as they were being expelled from Nauvoo. Then the mobs came and destroyed it completely. A few stones of the original building have remained over the years. So to have it re-built and stand on the hill in again in the same location means very much to every Latter-day Saint today.

By the time we reach this point of our visit, the sun was on it's downward track and was VERY bright. This can make picture taking difficult for this amateur photographer. Here are some of my favorite shots of the Nauvoo Temple.

From the Nauvoo Temple you look down the hill to the mighty Mississippi River. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I felt humbled at the work the Saints did to clear and make Nauvoo, the City Beautiful, from a swamp along the banks of this beautiful river. I think of all the continual work it takes to keep some semblance of order to our little acreage in Sadieville. It is overwhelming the work they had to go through and then to lose it and move west in February during a very cold winter. The Mississippi froze over and as awful and cold as that was, they saw it as a blessing. It allowed them to drive across in their wagons and walk on foot instead of the slow, tedious process of ferrying them and their possessions over this river. To leave behind all that they had built in hopes of living in peace and practicing their religion in Illinois must have been heartbreaking. One of my favorite stories is the sister that swept her floors and closed the door leaving her little home in order. Some were able to sell their homes for pennies on the dollar. Many just had to walk away. What character building experiences they had. They didn't all make it to the Salt Lake Valley. Some did give up, some died trying to get there, some stopped to prepare for other coming and then remained where they stopped. But the story here is of a people who endured despite adversity with hope and faith. What a legacy for me to look to and learn from.

The first thing we did in Keokuk was find a place for dinner. At this point we were so tired and so hungry and so thirsty we were not going to be picky. We found a buffet restaurant and had a nice dinner there. Then we headed to Walmart to look for flip-flops for Katelyn. Hers were rubbing a blister on top of her foot and the bandaid option to keep that from happening was getting a little frustrating. Katelyn loves a lime green color. They had a little pair of slip-on shoes marked down to $3 in lime green. I had to get those for our young trooper. She kept up with Claude and me and our style of travel, no complaining, very helpful. She was great to travel with.

Our reservations at the Holiday Inn Express were in order when we arrived. We got a great room and Katelyn and I went to the pool for a refreshing swim before bedtime. Then we all had a good nights sleep in preparation for one more tourist stop Monday morning and then the long drive back to Sadieville after that.

We would follow the Mississippi River back to Keokuk, Iowa. Where the bridge is in Keokuk they have built a dam to generate power.