This has been a very busy 3 weeks. It began with a P-Day trip, attending the
last of the Susan Easton Black Durrant lectures, attending Pageant Events and
having John’s family here which including seeing Megan’s singing group,
Addo-Lumen perform on Mulholland Street, as well as visiting with friends who
were visiting Nauvoo, being inspired in several different meetings and events
and just continuing to experience Nauvoo and our mission here and fulfilling
different assignments.
Just one item to add to the last chapter or blog entry. On Sunday night, July 20 we had a special
temple missionary meeting with the temple presidency. What a special treat we had. The presidency had invited the Pageant Core
Cast to come and do the vignette they performed at the Seventies Hall. We were never able to go because it was
always scheduled at a time we were in the temple so we were excited for the
performance. It was just wonderful. It was entitled—Go Ye Into All the World—and
it was about the sacrifice of the brethren to leave their families and go when
called to serve and how their families supported them in their efforts. They shared the following story of Heber C.
Kimball and Brigham Young which includes the famous shout—“Hurrah, Hurrah for
Israel”:
Heber C. Kimball recorded the following experience,
describing the challenge he and Brigham Young faced as they left their wives,
children, and humble homes to journey to Great Britain in response to their
mission calls to that land.
"September
14th --- President Brigham Young left his home at Montrose to start on the
mission to England. He was so sick that he was unable to go to the Mississippi,
a distance of 30 rods, without assistance. After he had crossed the river he
rode behind Israel Barlow on his horse to my house, where he continued sick
until the 18th. He left his wife sick with a babe only 3 weeks old, and all of
his other children were sick and unable to wait upon each other. Not one soul
of them was able to go to the well for a pail of water, and they were without a
second suit to their backs, for the mob in Missouri had taken nearly all he
had. On the 17th, Sister Mary Ann Young got a boy to carry her up in his wagon
to my house, that she might nurse and comfort Brother Brigham to the hour of
starting.
"September
18th --- Charles Hubbard sent his boy with a wagon and span of horses to my
house; our trunks were put into the wagon by some brethren; I went to my bed
and shook hands with my wife who was then shaking with a chill, having two
children lying sick by her side; I embraced her and my children, and bade them
farewell. My only well child was little Heber P., and it was with difficulty he
could carry a couple of quarts of water at a time to assist in quenching their
thirst.
"It was with
difficulty we got into the wagon, and started down the hill about ten rods; it
appeared to me as though my very inmost parts would melt within me at leaving
my family in such a condition, as it were almost in the arms of death. I felt
as though I could not endure it. I asked the teamster to stop, and said to
Brother Brigham, 'This is pretty tough, isn't it; let's rise up and give them a
cheer.' We arose, and swinging our hats three times over our heads, shouted,
'Hurrah, hurrah for Israel.' Vilate, hearing the noise, arose from her bed and
came to the door. She had a smile on her face. Vilate and Mary Ann Young cried
out to us, 'Goodbye, God bless you!' We returned the compliment, and then told
the driver to go ahead. After this I felt a spirit of joy and gratitude, having
had the satisfaction of seeing my wife standing upon her feet, instead of
leaving her in bed, knowing well that I should not see them again for two or
three years."
--- Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball, Bookcraft,
pages 265-266.
The following is BYU artist Robert Barrett’s rendition of
this sacred event:
Tuesday—July 22—today we went to Kalona, Iowa with our P-Day Missionary group. Kalona began as an Amish settlement. They have a tour there and we went on the
tour. We also had dinner at one of the
Mennonite farm houses and it was a very yummy turkey dinner. It was a hot and humid day but it was a very
interesting tour. We went on a tour of
the Kalona Historical Village and then stopped at an Amish Bakery, a Cheese
Factory and a Wood Working store. The
pictures should give a flavor for our day in Kalona.
These 3 pictures are of a beautiful Amish farm:
This is an Amish Phone Booth—solar powered. They receive messages here and then can make calls. While we were stopped here an Amish man drove up in the carriage seen in this picture. We were asked not to take pictures of the Amish people because they do not appreciate it.
Wednesday—July 23—today
we had a very special Skype event. The
phone rang and Chase was on the phone and then all of sudden Lance’s voice
chimed in. How did this
happen???!!! Chase had Skyped Lance and
then clicked on the phone button which called my phone instead of the normal
Skype call on the computer. This led to
a fantastically fun time with my grandkids in 3 different states and me here in
Nauvoo. Alexandria captured the event
with the following awesome picture.
Thanks Alexandria! We even played
name that tune! Thanks you awesome
grandkids! You are the best!!!
That evening we went to Susan Easton Black Durrant lection
on the “Martyrdom” and the Pageant assignment.
Thursday—July 24—how
appropriate that we went to the last Susan Easton Black Durrant lecture before
the Durrant’s mission is completed in August on Pioneer Day! The title of
this lecture was Nauvoo, Past and
Present. All that happens in Nauvoo
is “In Memory of Joseph Smith”. She
emphasized that when you come to Nauvoo attending the temple should be number
one on the priority list. Brother
Durrant gave this bit of wisdom to consider:
“Some guy told me he left the church because he had so many questions,
for me I'm staying because I have found so many answers.” It has been a true pleasure getting to know
the Durrant’s.
Friday—July 25—rain,
rain, rain! We had the pm shift
today. We had heard that the Haslam’s
were in Nauvoo and so we stopped by to say Hi.
We also were reminded in prayer meeting today of a talk given by Elder
Lionel Kendrick titled, Enhancing Your Temple Experience. He gives this counsel and recommend it for
further study:
“One of the great blessings that we enjoy today is the
opportunity to attend the temple. With an ever-increasing number of temples,
the blessings of the temple are available to a growing number of Church
members.
“These blessings should not be taken lightly. The Savior has
commanded that we should “trifle not with sacred things” (D&C 6:12). The
temple and the holy ordinances are indeed sacred, and we should be spiritually
sensitive to them. It is a sacred blessing to attend the temple to worship the
Lord.
“There is a difference in just attending the temple and
having a rich spiritual experience. The real blessings of the temple come as we
enhance our temple experience. To do so, we must feel a spirit of reverence for the temple and a spirit of worship.
SPIRIT OF REVERENCE
“Reverence is an expression of deep respect, honor, and
adoration for the Lord. It is having reverence for His name, for His words, for
His ordinances and covenants, for His servants, for His chapels, and for His
temples.
“It is an outward indication of an inner feeling that we
have for Him. We should always remember that it is by His invitation that we
come to His holy house, the temple of the Lord. We should respond to His
invitation by being worthy, by being prepared, and by having the temple as a
priority in our lives. While in the temple we should act as if we are in His
holy presence.
“To be reverent is not just to be quiet. It involves an
awareness of what is taking place. It involves a divine desire to learn and to
be receptive to the promptings of the Spirit. It involves a striving to seek
added light and knowledge. Irreverence is not only an act of disrespect for
Deity, but it makes it impossible for the Spirit to teach us the things that we
need to know.
SPIRIT OF WORSHIP
“The temple is a place of worship. Reverence is a supernal
form of worship. It is the form of worship that is found in the celestial
kingdom. In the vision of the degrees of glory given to the Prophet Joseph
Smith, this celestial worship was described with these words:
“And thus we saw the glory of the celestial, … where God,
even the Father, reigns upon his throne forever and ever;
“Before whose throne all things bow in humble reverence, and
give him glory forever and ever” (D&C 76:92–93).
“Our worship in the temple is in preparation to live in the
presence of our Heavenly Father and His Son. We should worship Them in a spirit
of humility and in a spirit of reverence.”—Ensign, May 2001.
This was also the week that another new temple video began
in the Nauvoo temple making it the 3rd new film released in the past
year. Each new film enhances the temple
experience and shows Heavenly Father’s love for His children with His plan of
happiness and salvation. These films
also show the many facets of Satan and his multiple ways to deceive. The temple is truly the Lord’s University for
us to learn His ways and be infused with His power to meet each new day in our
lives. Let us never give up our quest to
keep the temple a place we always want to go and make choices that will allow
us to be there.
Saturday—July 26—this
morning we went to the Trail of Hope where the Pageant core cast were doing it
instead of the Young Performing Missionaries.
It was an awesome experience.
The portrayal of Jane Manning and brief story of her walk to
Nauvoo:
In October 1843, the new Mormons traveled together from Wilton, Connecticut, to Buffalo, New York. Jane recorded that the Manning family became separated from the main group when boat authorities refused them passage. As the other members of the Wandell party boarded the vessel, Jane’s little group began walking the eight hundred miles to Nauvoo. Jane recalled:
“We walked until our shoes were worn out, and our feet
became sore and cracked open and bled until you could see the whole print of
our feet with blood on the ground. We stopped and united in prayer to the Lord,
we asked God the Eternal Father to heal our feet and our prayers were answered
and our feet were healed forthwith.”
Eliza
R. Snow portrayal:
This is the actor who
plays Arthur Ashton, the fictional character that tells his story in the
British Pageant. He was at the end of
the Trail of Hope inviting us to remember the spirit that we felt and the
sacrifices of the saints that walked this trail towards the west.
After our pm shift we went to Casey’s a convenience store in
town that has pretty good pizza. While
we were waiting for the pizza we saw the following on the bulletin board:
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Yes, that’s our Megan
with the Addo Lumen group!
Sunday—July 27—today
we stayed in Nauvoo for church because John’s family was arriving today.
Who should come up and greet us at Sacrament Meeting, Shauna
Taylor, our dear, dear, friend!! She and Stephanie’s family came to Nauvoo to
perform in the Pageant for the last week.
So awesome to have her in Nauvoo.
More about our visits with her later.
The Nauvoo 1st Ward had an awesome Sacrament
Meeting. Lon and Nancy Simpson were
baptized on Saturday and then were confirmed today. They were asked to share their story. Their son had been baptized a few months
ago. Brother Simpson had studied
religion and believed in God but always wanted something more from the churches
he attended, especially acting the part during the week and not just on
Sunday’s. He also thought that some of
the ministers were captives or slaves to the congregation and he thought that
was wrong. He also wanted his family to
be on board with any decision he would make.
He was really impressed as he was taught the gospel about accountability. Hearing him talk about accountability was so
impressive and truly showed what a golden convert he is. He understood what the Lord teaches about choice
and accountability—definitely something to ponder.
Brother Simpson is probably in his late 50’s or early 60’s
showing that it is never too late to make right choices.
Sister Simpson said that once she realized that her previous
baptism that she had in another church would be a stepping stone to finding
this church she was willing to submit and be baptized.
Regarding choice and accountability we share the following:
The Lord has said that all people are responsible for their
own motives, attitudes, desires, and actions.
The following scriptures teach us about accountability:
I will judge every one according to his ways: Ezek. 18:30;
They shall give account of every idle word: Matt. 12:36;
Give an account of thy stewardship: Luke 16:2;
Every one of us shall give an account of himself to God:
Rom. 14:12;
The dead will be judged according to their works: Rev.
20:12;
Our words, works, and thoughts will condemn us: Alma 12:14;
We are our own judges, whether to do good or evil: Alma
41:7;
Ye are permitted to act for yourselves: Hel. 14:29–31;
This thing shall ye teach—repentance and baptism unto those
who are accountable: Moro. 8:10;
All must repent and be baptized who have arrived at the
years of accountability: D&C 18:42;
Satan cannot tempt little children, until they begin to
become accountable before me: D&C 29:46–47;
Children shall be baptized when eight years old: D&C
68:27;
Every man will be accountable for his own sins in the day of
judgment: D&C 101:78;
It is given unto men to know good from evil; wherefore they
are agents unto themselves: Moses 6:56;
Men will be punished for their own sins: A of F 1:2;
No wonder that Choice and Accountability is one
of the Young Women’s Values and a value we need to review in our lives more
frequently:
In God’s plan of happiness we are free to choose. The choices we make will either lead us to
freedom by following our Savior and allowing His atonement to work in our lives
or our choices will lead us away from Him where we will be captive in Satan’s
power. We will be accountable for the
choice we make.
The following from author, Mac Anderson, gives a clear and
beautiful message about the choices we make:
“One…
“One tree can start a forest,
“One smile can begin a friendship,
“One hand can lift a soul,
“One word can frame the goal,
“One candle can wipe out darkness,
“One laugh can conquer gloom,
“One hope can raise our spirits,
“And…one choice can change your life.
“Think about that. One choice, just one, can change your
life forever. Simply put, your life today is what your choices have made it, but
with new choices, you can change directions this very moment.
“…we’re always one choice away from changing our lives.
“For me, the idea of changing your life with a single choice
is highly motivational. It offers tremendous hope, regardless of your
circumstances, for a better tomorrow.
Have the courage to make that choice change your life forever.”
One thing that has been testified to us over and over again
here on our mission and throughout our lives is how trying to choose to be in
the right place at the right time choosing the right has brought forth abundant
blessings we could not have received by doing otherwise. We haven’t always done the right thing and
the road has been filled with smooth pavement, rocky pits and detours but we testify
that through God’s plan and the blessing of repentance and our Savior’s
atonement, where He will make things right for us, we can return to live again
with our Father in Heaven as long we continue to try and never give up—which is
not easy, but will be worth every effort.
Maybe by just choosing to review the following portion from
the chapter on the principle of agency from the Gospel Principles Manual it will lead us to make a choice that is
needed for our progression at this time.
“One of the greatest gifts we receive from our Father in Heaven
is AGENCY-- The right to choose between good
and evil and to act for ourselves.”
“Thou mayest choose
for thyself, for it is given unto thee” (Moses 3:17).
“God has told us through His prophets that we are free to
choose between good and evil. We may choose liberty and eternal life by
following Jesus Christ. We are also free to choose captivity and death by
following Satan. (See 2 Nephi 2:27.) “
“In our premortal life we had moral agency. One purpose of
earth life is to show what choices we will make (see 2 Nephi 2:15–16). If we
were forced to choose the right, we would not be able to show what we would
choose for ourselves. Also, we are happier doing things when we have made our
own choices.”
“Agency was one of the principal issues to arise in the
premortal Council in Heaven. It was one of the main causes of the conflict
between the followers of Christ and the followers of Satan. Satan said,
“Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind,
that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine
honor” (Moses 4:1). In saying this, he “rebelled against [God] and sought to
destroy the agency of man” (Moses 4:3). His offer was rejected, and he was cast
out of heaven with his followers (see D&C 29:36–37).”
“Agency makes our life on earth a period of testing. When
planning the mortal creation of His children, God said, “We will prove [test]
them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God
shall command them” (Abraham 3:25). Without the gift of agency, we would have
been unable to show our Heavenly Father whether we would do all that He
commanded us. Because we are able to choose, we are responsible for our actions
(see Helaman 14:30–31).”
“When we choose to live according to God’s plan for us, our
agency is strengthened. Right choices increase our power to make more right
choices.”
“As we obey each of our Father’s commandments, we grow in
wisdom and strength of character. Our faith increases. We find it easier to
make right choices.”
“We began to make choices as spirit children in our Heavenly
Father’s presence. Our choices there made us worthy to come to earth. Our
Heavenly Father wants us to grow in faith, power, knowledge, wisdom, and all
other good things. If we keep His commandments and make right choices, we will
learn and understand. We will become like Him. (See D&C 93:28.)”
“Agency requires that there be a choice. We cannot choose righteousness unless the
opposites of good and evil are placed before us. Lehi, a great Book of Mormon
prophet, told his son Jacob that in order to bring about the eternal purposes
of God, there must be “an opposition in all things. If not so, … righteousness
could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery,
neither good nor bad” (2 Nephi 2:11).”
“God allows Satan to oppose the good. God said of Satan: “I
caused that he should be cast down; And he became Satan, yea, even the devil,
the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive
at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice” (Moses 4:3–4).”
“Satan does all he can to destroy God’s work. He seeks “the
misery of all mankind. … He seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto
himself” (2 Nephi 2:18, 27). He does not love us. He does not want any good
thing for us (see Moroni 7:17). He does not want us to be happy. He wants to
make us his slaves. He uses many disguises to enslave us.”
“When we follow the temptations of Satan, we limit our
choices. The following example suggests how this works. Imagine seeing a sign
on the seashore that reads: “Danger—whirlpool. No swimming allowed here.” We
might think that is a restriction. But is it? We still have many choices. We
are free to swim somewhere else. We are free to walk along the beach and pick
up seashells. We are free to watch the sunset. We are free to go home. We are
also free to ignore the sign and swim in the dangerous place. But once the
whirlpool has us in its grasp and we are pulled under, we have very few
choices. We can try to escape, or we can call for help, but we may drown.”
“Even though we are free to choose our course of action, we
are not free to choose the consequences of our actions. The consequences,
whether good or bad, follow as a natural result of any choice we make (see
Galatians 6:7; Revelation 22:12).”
“Heavenly Father has told us how to escape the captivity of
Satan. We must watch and pray always, asking God to help us withstand the
temptations of Satan (see 3 Nephi 18:15). Our Heavenly Father will not allow us
to be tempted beyond our power to resist (see 1 Corinthians 10:13; Alma
13:28).”
“God’s commandments direct us away from danger and toward
eternal life. By choosing wisely, we will gain exaltation, progress eternally,
and enjoy perfect happiness (see 2 Nephi 2:27–28).”
JOHN, JEN, MEGAN AND KATIE
ARRIVE IN NAUVOO!
John and Jen arrived just in time for the Young Performing
Missionaries Trail of Hope experience.
They had a long trip just like Josh and Sherri’s family had but they
were ready for all Nauvoo has to offer.
Making it in time for Trail of Hope really set the stage for a wonderful
time with them here in Nauvoo. Jen took
some wonderful pictures and with her permission we will share some of them with
you in an album you can link to that will give you a flavor for the time we
spent together with them. The Nauvoo
Sites, Pageants, Grandpa John’s, Hotel Nauvoo Buffet and Addo Lumen activities
kept us busy but we enjoyed each moment and the Nauvoo spirit followed us
everywhere! A wonderful time had by all.
Here is the link (this album also includes other picture at the end--there are captions in many of the pictures):
The rest of this post is blended together with the rest of
the days and weeks of this past 3 weeks.
So here are the highlights of those days:
--As we mentioned earlier, it was such a special treat to
have Shauna Taylor and her family here in Nauvoo for the last week of the
Pageant. We could not have planned any
more moments with each other if we had tried and the thing of it is that we did
not try. Once again Nauvoo comes
through.
--The last night of the British Pageant we were walking over
to do our last finale performance when we got to the corner and the lightening
and rain began and the announcement came over the loud speaker saying that
there would a 30 minute delay until the storm blew over and then the Pageant
would resume and finish. Many people
left but many people returned and in that 30 minutes we met Shauna and were
able to chat and bid our farewells. Once
again, only in Nauvoo. We did finish the
Pageant and were so grateful to have had that experience as part of our mission
because of the message of the British Pageant—TRUTH WILL PREVAIL!!!
--We had the opportunity of hosting Break the Fast once
again and when we received our guest list were pleasantly surprised to be able
to host George and Susan Durrant. Their
mission is over now and they have gone home and in November will be beginning a
new mission at the Visitor’s Center in St. George.
--We also were able to have lunch with a friends from our
San Diego Temple Shift—Cindy and Keith Griffiths. We also ran into Dixie Clifford and her
daughter Kathy who we knew from our days in La Habra. Once again the connections and serendipitous
events are just awesome perks of the mission
--The Young Performing Missionaries hosted what is called a
Sociable (like a Fireside) for their last time before their mission is over. It was a wonderful experience with a great
message about Home! Such talent! Today, we were able to be part of serving them
a breakfast before they left for the airport.
The hope for America was evident in these fine young people.
--The week and days after the Pageant left brought a
considerable stillness to Nauvoo. The
energy level diminished and it was even overcast until today when the sun
finally came out. The peace and spirit
are still here but the post-Pageant blues were felt by many. The number of visitors dwindled considerably
also. We were glad to be busy at the
temple, going to the last performances that the Young Performing Missionaries
and Senior Site missionaries performed and being part of the assignment to
serve the breakfast that we have already mentioned. We also had lunch at a Mexican restaurant
today with some friends that we have met here in Nauvoo that used to live in
the San Diego area in Carthage. Out of
the 3 Mexican Restaurants we have tried so far back here this one is number 1
on the list. It was pretty good.
--We are looking forward to Jared’s family visiting this
week and we think that this will also include a visit from Ron and Shari’s
family coming over from Indiana.
We end with the sentiments of the finale song sung at Sunset
on the Mississippi from the classic hymn—Come, Come, ye Saints—All is well, All
is well and we hope the same for each of you.
We also want to share this thought from one of the Young Performing
Missionaries who learned and understood the following comment he heard in a
meeting—“You have to leave Nauvoo to have the full Nauvoo experience.” We have been given our release date as
Monday, October 27, 2014, so we will be leaving Nauvoo, the city beautiful
heading to Pleasanton, California for Cody’s baptism!!!
August 1 Nauvoo Moment from Chuck
Nauvoo Moment (It’s Not Over)
John, Jen, Megan & Katie this week completed a wonderful
visit to Nauvoo. We were able to visit many of the pioneer sites and shows.
(Nauvoo & British Pageant included)
Megan also performed with her singing group Addo Lumen in
Nauvoo while they were here. During their show Megan sang a song she wrote
“It’s Not Over”. The song’s message
inspires the listener to have hope even during the hard times.
"It’s Not Over” could be the motto for Nauvoo.
The enemies of the church thought if they killed The Prophet
& his brother, drove the Mormons out of Nauvoo, desecrated and destroyed
the temple that it would be over for the Mormons. They were wrong!
Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum are revered today by
millions. The Mormons are back in Nauvoo and the Nauvoo Temple has been rebuilt
and rededicated to the Lord.
It is obvious to any visitor to Nauvoo that “It’s Not Over”.
It has been witnessed to us over and over again that just
like Nauvoo we as individuals and families can rise from the rubble & ruin
of yesterday. We can rebuild our lives and relationships. We can change
direction if necessary & return to the path of duty. Some of the best
things we ever do will be done willingly because we have to. ---It’s Not Over---
One Scripture:
“And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for
verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall
say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and
nothing shall be impossible unto you.”--Matthew 17:20
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