Nauvoo

Jake and I just got back from a four day excursion all around Missouri and Illinois and a little bit f Iowa. It was a church history trip and I'll have to say, it was amazing!

Nauvoo is on the banks of the Mississippi river in Illinois. It was established by the early Latter-day Saints and at the time rivaled Chicago as Illinois's biggest city. People around those parts didn't like the "Mormons" much and mobs and violence eventually forced the decision to move west (how so many came to be in Salt Lake City) to have a place where they could peacefully practice their religion. They left about a year and a half after the Prophet, Joseph Smith, was killed by a mob in Carthage jail (about 20 miles SE of Nauvoo). It was also just after they had completed their temple there. They all worked together so much as well as sacrificed so many of their worldly possessions to build the temple. The temple was destroyed not long after they left. Just a few years ago the church rebuilt the temple on the exact site and just exactly how it was, despite a few modern conveniences. It was beautiful. I was so touched by the feeling of being there. Some of the houses still stand and have been restored and made available for touring. It was so wonderful to walk where the early members of my church have walked, to be inside the homes they built. I can't imagine what that must have been like. There is a grove of trees at the bottom of the hill that the temple sits atop. They used to have meetings in the grove when the weather was permitted. There was a certain reverence that was so peaceful. I was so glad that we were able to go.

School will be starting back in just over a week. I'm glad for it. I love school, I just always get a little sad when any sort of break is over because I love being around Jake. It's hard to get out of the habit of being together all the time.

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