Today, Tuesday was our P-Day. Besides a trip to Wal Mart and lunch at Angelini's, a pretty good restaurant in Keokuk, we went on The Martyrdom Trail tour with Craig Dunn, a church history enthusiast who put together a great tour. You go on an shuttle and he talks about the days leading to the Martyrdom and then when Joseph takes the road to Carthage. Very well done and interesting. He brought a great spirit to this piece of church history. He added a drive to Warsaw to see the printing office Thomas Sharp. No one wants to have anything to do with this property. It has been like this for many years. Could there be a lesson in this for those who persecute the church? Pictures following are of the tour--the gravel road is part of the actual road Joseph Smith travelled on the way to Carthage. We purchased a book Brother Dunn made of his tour which is a record of the tour as well as goes further in depth of some of the history he has researched about the Martyrdom Trail.
Today, Wednesday, the week continues to move forward. We wanted to complete going to all of the sites which we did today after our am temple shift. Here is our experience at the Seventies Hall and the Webb Brothers Blacksmith and Wainright Shop.
Chauncy Webb, along with his brothers and father
owned one of 48 blacksmith shops in Nauvoo.
The blacksmith was a very important member of the community. Every city needed a blacksmith. It is a credit to Chauncy Webb and his skill
that Brigham Young chose him to make the wagon that carried him to Salt
Lake.
We learned 4 important lessons in
our experience today at the Blacksmith and Wainwright Shop.
First Lesson--BE PREPARED
The following is taken from a Friend article: When the
Saints were preparing to leave Nauvoo for the long, difficult journey west,
many choices about what to take and what to leave had to be made. Many items
were vital not only for the trek but for survival when they reached the Salt
Lake Valley. Seeds, tools, and equipment would be needed to rebuild homes and
establish farms in the wilderness. Families had to leave whatever wouldn’t fit
in their wagons. Many cherished possessions had to be left behind. The
following is a list of things a family of five needed for the wilderness
journey. The approximate amount of each item they were allowed to take is noted
where possible (this list is from the Brigham Young Home):
1 strong wagon, well covered
2 or 3 good yoke oxen, ages 4-10
2 or 3 milch cows
1 or more good beeves
3 sheep, if can be obtained
1,000 lb. Flour or bread stuff in good sacks
1 bu. beans
100 lb. Sugar
1 good musket or rifle to each male over 12
1 lb. powder, 4 lb. lead
1 lb. Tea, 5 lb. coffee
a few pounds of dried beef or bacon
25 lb. Seed grain
25-100 lb. Farming and mechanical tools
clothing and bedding per family, not to exceed 500 lb.
Cooking utensils; bake kettle, fry pan, coffee pot, tea kettle, tin cups, plates, forks, knives, spoons, pans, etc.
A few goods to trade with Indians
15 lb. iron and steel
a few pounds wrought nails 1 gallon alcohol
10 lb. dried apples, 5 lb. dried peaches
15 lb. Salt, 2 lb. black pepper, 20 lb. soap, 5 lb. soda
1 lb. cayenne pepper, 1 lb. cinnamon, 1/2 lb. cloves
1 doz. nutmegs, 1/2 lb. mustard
a good tend and furniture to each 2 families
1 or more sets of saw and gristmill irons to each 100 families
1 fish seine for each company 4 or 4 hooks and lines
2 sets of pulley blocks and rope for crossing rivers, to each company
2 ferry boats to each company, each wagon to carry one ton without people or 2800 lb. with them
10 extra teams per company of 100
N.B--in addition to the above list, horse and mule teams can be used as well as oxen. Many items of comfort and convenience will suggest themselves to a wise and provident people, and can be laid in in season; but none should start without filling the original bill.
Second is regard to the wheels. The wheels, of course, carried the loaded wagon with the necessary supplies that the saints needed to cross the plains. Here was the list of items that was required for them to take:
The
wheel of the wagon is made of strong wooden spokes and iron rims fitting
together under the wagon bed allowing
the wagon and the load inside to be pulled forward by the oxen. The wheel has to work properly to move forward. The wagon wheel is like a family centered in
the gospel of Jesus Christ. The hub of
the wheel is the center part
of the wheel. The hub of a family is
Jesus Christ and His gospel. The spokes
are each member of the
family. The felloes plate is where the
spokes are attached. This plate is our
prophet and apostles and leaders who
help us keep our family strong in the gospel.
The flat steel tire is the love of God wrapping our family in his love. Such a beautiful image comparing the wheel to
the family.
The third lesson
is from shoeing the horses or oxen. When
picking up a nail to use to put the shoe on the animal there is a diamond pattern on one side
only. This allows the blacksmith to pick
up the nail and with touch
he can recognize the correct side that he needs to put the nail in
correctly. If not the nail will hurt the horses foot. By following the pattern of the gospel of
Jesus Christ correctly life will be easier to live.
The fouth lesson comes from the load that
is put in the wagon. As seen in the list
that was required there was not
much room for extra items in the wagon.
The story of John Taylor’s son was a good example of the heart ache that can happen when the realization
sets in that everything can’t be taken.
The necessities to sustain life were
the most important things that needed to be loaded first. After loading the cart, wisdom was needed as
to what else would be added. Sometimes it was necessary to step back,
pause and think to receive clarity. Oftentimes, it was necessary to
remove extra baggage. What a thought to
help us in our lives. How often do we step back, pause and think to receive clarity
as to what extra baggage we may need to remove from our lives so that we can truly do the essentials
needed to return to our Father in Heaven.
Definitely a thought to consider.
·
The
Seventies Hall or as the site missionaries call it—The Nauvoo MTC—The
Seventies were the missionaries sent out from Nauvoo, patterned after those
“seventy” that Jesus called to carry the Gospel to every city and place (See
Luke, 10:1). In this hall, the Seventies learned gospel principles and
missionary skills. They went forth from Nauvoo to carry the gospel to every
state in the Union, to the American Indians, to Canada, Europe, and the Pacific
Isles.
The Seventies made great sacrifices to
complete this building. They worked on the docks where they were paid with
lumber, and they fired their own bricks. The hall was completed and dedicated
in December, 1844. Brigham Young offered the dedicatory prayer and asked, “…may
it (the Hall) be filled with thy spirit that it may be called the gate of
Heaven, and may all who enter within its doors be made to feel thy love and
power.”
Thank you to those who have served missions
and are continuing to serve in whatever capacity in the “hastening” of the
work. The world has need of willing men
and women who are willing to put their shoulders to the wheel to help the
kingdom of God on earth move forward.
One other fun note. We also went to The Promise again today. One of the sister missionaries was directing people to their seats and we noticed that her name was Sister Newell. We asked her if she was related to Lloyd D. Newell, one of our favorite authors and the voice of the Spoken Word, and she said, "He is my dad!" with a great big grin on her face!
Today, Thursday, was a sweet day in the temple when we were able to officiate the 4 PM session where 3 cousins all came together to receive their endowments before going on their missions. This reminded us of our other sweet experiences when we went with our sons to the temple for the first time before going on their missions for which we are truly grateful. We love serving in the Nauvoo Temple.
June 12 Nauvoo Moment from Chuck:
We are reminded daily that it is a tender mercy of the Lord for us to be called to serve in the Nauvoo Temple. We continually meet people who inspire us and we are humbled to be serving with them. The dedication, faith, love, and sacrifice on which Nauvoo was built continues today.
This morning I was listening to a devotional given at BYU recently and the speaker talked about tender mercies.
Each of you are a blessing and a tender mercy in my life. You have always treated me so kindly and shown me so much love. To me there is nothing more exciting than seeing the hand of the Lord in our lives. The miracle of the gospel is that everything we do benefits us – as well as others. Our duty is to love and help each other.
The commandments are really tender mercies that lead us to safety, happiness, and growth. I pray that the spirit will be with each of us and teach us what we need to know today.
Tender Mercies (Elder Bednar)
The Lord’s tender mercies do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence.
Faithfulness & obedience enable us to receive these important gifts.
Frequently, the Lord’s timing helps us to recognize and acknowledge them.
They provide comfort and encouragement to us.
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