The days are shorter, the air is cooler and the guests are fewer, but the spirit that is here in Nauvoo remains the same. We love every day that we have the opportunity to serve. There is much to learn about the every day men and women who lived here. They had great desires to follow the prophet and the total focus of their lives was building the temple of the Lord. And this weekend in North America Central Area broadcast, we learned from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland that our focus should be on those same ideals; following what President Russell M. Nelson has invited us to do and participate in the gathering of scattered Israel. That is what we should be about and we are blessed to be a small part of it.
On Friday I had the chance to serve in the Visitors’ Center and had some nice experiences. This time of year there are quite a few nonmembers that come to Nauvoo. Many of them are locals from Iowa, Missouri or Illinois. They just want to take a short mini vacation and decide to come here. I had a couple come in that were very interested in the story of how the members of the church were driven from Missouri and then from Nauvoo as well. The woman was a college professor who taught social psychology and understood how outsiders could be worried, scared of and antagonistic towards a religious people that they didn’t understand. After our discussion I offered them a copy of the Book of Mormon and some pamphlets. They were so excited to learn more. The second couple that I visited with in the Visitors' Center wanted to have two copies of everything (pamphlets and the Book of Mormon) so they could each read on their own. It was a great experience for me to see the genuine interest these two couples had. I hope they continue to feel the spirit of Nauvoo as they go home and take time to read the Book of Mormon.
On Friday I had the chance to serve in the Visitors’ Center and had some nice experiences. This time of year there are quite a few nonmembers that come to Nauvoo. Many of them are locals from Iowa, Missouri or Illinois. They just want to take a short mini vacation and decide to come here. I had a couple come in that were very interested in the story of how the members of the church were driven from Missouri and then from Nauvoo as well. The woman was a college professor who taught social psychology and understood how outsiders could be worried, scared of and antagonistic towards a religious people that they didn’t understand. After our discussion I offered them a copy of the Book of Mormon and some pamphlets. They were so excited to learn more. The second couple that I visited with in the Visitors' Center wanted to have two copies of everything (pamphlets and the Book of Mormon) so they could each read on their own. It was a great experience for me to see the genuine interest these two couples had. I hope they continue to feel the spirit of Nauvoo as they go home and take time to read the Book of Mormon.
I just can't put into words how much Scott and I have loved the fall here. All around Nauvoo, as we drive north and south along the Great River Road on both the Illinois and Iowa sides of the Mississippi and out through the countryside, the colors are brilliant. There are amazing vistas around every turn. Fall is Scott's favorite season of the year, so he is in heaven. At the risk of fall picture overload, I'm including a number of pictures in this post. Enjoy :0)
 |
| Across the Mississippi River to Iowa. |
 |
| The view of our home from across the street at the Nauvoo State Park. Yes, they've taken down our white picket fence :0(  |
 |
| The early morning sun on Wilford Woodruff's home. |
 |
| At the corner by Heber C. Kimball's home. |
 |
| Nauvoo State Park. |
 |
| Across the river in Fort Madison, Iowa. The colors really were these brilliant reds and oranges even on this rainy day. It was amazing. |
 |
| On the Great River Road between Montrose and Keokuk, Iowa. |
 |
| The shed by the carriage ride. |
No comments:
Post a Comment