We left Independence early this day but before we made it to Illinois we stopped in a little town called Jamesport. It's an Amish town. We drove through their country, admiring their hard work and labor and then stopped in a little store (run by two Amish women) to buy some bread and other goods. They seemed little overwhelmed at first when we all walked in, but after most of us left, they began talking and talking with my sister-in-law and told her all about their livelihood. They've worked in that little store baking bread for 20 years. It used to be a real happening place but now everyone is moving out and there aren't a lot of people left. Some people refuse to leave their farms but they can't make a living that way so they weave baskets and then bring them to the store to sell them, just to earn a little extra money. It was sad and inspiring at the same time. I love learning about different cultures and beliefs so I was glad we made the stop in Jamesport, Missouri and bought several loaves of bread (at $2 a loaf) and learned a little more about the Amish. Oh, and for the record, they do drive horse and buggies but they aren't opposed to drinking Dr. Pepper (we found some in the cup holders in the buggies if you can tell in this picture).
We made it to Nauvoo, Illinois that evening and went to a play put on by some service missionaries for the LDS church. It was fun - though hot and muggy.
Days Six and Seven:
I think my two favorite experiences from this part of the trip was 1) The Trail of Hope and 2) the Nauvoo Temple. The Trail of Hope is a trail people can walk down Parley's Street. Every few feet there is a plaque with a quote on it. These quotes all come from journals of the early saints and reading them really gave me a greater appreciation for their sacrifices. It was significant that this trail went down Parley's street which is the street the saints took when they left Nauvoo for good. I couldn't begin to imagine how difficult it must have been for them to spend four years building a community (everything built with their own hands) just to be asked to leave it all behind and walk away. When I got to the end of Parley's Street (the end of the trail) I turned around and looked back and it was almost as if I could see the saints in their loaded wagons walking towards me, leaving Nauvoo for the last time. That was probably the most spiritual experience I had. It was definitely one I hope to never forget.
This plaque made me pause. This particular day I had not been feeling well (cramps) and was being a complete baby about it. I read this sign and was immediately put to shame. If a woman can deliver a baby in a wagon after having just left her home and nearly all her possessions behind, then I can easily walk this trail with a few cramps. I am such a whimp!
We also did a session in the Nauvoo Temple. We didn't get to go into all the temples we visited, but we made a special effort to do this one. It was such a great experience as well. They even offered to take us down to see the baptistry (it's the biggest baptistry in any LDS Temple) and it was gorgeous! It was amazing how much time and effort went into re-recreating this temple to look EXACTLY like the original (the original was burned to the ground after the Saints fled Nauvoo). They even have the "Martyrdom line" on it - which is the line that shows how far the temple had been built up to the point of Joseph Smith's martyrdom.
Day Eight:
Our last stop before leaving Illinois was to Carthage to visit Carthage Jail. This was where Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were killed by a mob. They were in the upper room of the jail (in the jailers bedroom, in fact) when an angry mob burst through and began firing guns. Hyrum tried to hold the bedroom door shut to keep them out and he ended up with a bullet right through his face. Joseph then ran for the window but was shot upon reaching it and ended up falling to the ground below. Both were dead within minutes. Two others (John Taylor and Willard Richards) in the room survived and were witnesses of the event until the day they died. This was a somber experience and Ryan pointed out how weird it felt to be standing by a bullet laden door and the window the prophet fell from smiling for pictures. It was weird, but...we did it anyway. Unfortunately I don't have any of those pictures (Ryan took them on his camera), but I have one of us standing outside the jail. The top window is the one Joseph fell from, landing just by the well.
Nauvoo was simply amazing. I would recommend a visit to Nauvoo for anyone interested in Church history (or American history, for that matter). We showed our pictures and told our stories to Ryan's dad (who isn't LDS) and he was just as fascinated as we were. There is a LOT of history here and I wouldn't pass up on this trip if the opportunity presents itself for you to go.
But the trip still didn't end here! More to come in part III.
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