Sunday, June 12, 2005
Get Thee to theTemple on Time
We started out our first full-fledged sightseeing day of the trip with a visit to the sight of a lynching! Do we know how to have fun or what? Actually, we were driving through Hancock county Illinois and the county seat Carthage. This is where the locals, not to keen on the newly established Mormon settlement in nearby Nauvoo, murdered the Smith brothers(founders of the Mormon church not the cough drop manufacturers) in the county jail over a century ago. Sister Marty, Sister Phyllis and Elder Sleep Walking Bear(combining my native American and now Mormon heritage) then traveled on to Nauvoo where the Later Day Saints have built a beautiful temple commemorating their former settlement. Brigham Young would lead the Mormons on their westward migration from this point to the promised land of Utah and national football rankings for the school that would bear his name.
The Temple is beautiful and, of course, off limits to even Elder Sleep Walking Bear because you have to "really" be a Mormon to go in. Now, I'm not sure how they tell but that just seems to be part of the mystery that surrounds what goes on once inside. Perhaps it involves a secret handshake or something? We were "invited" to view some movies at both the Nauvoo visitors center and at the Temple visitors center which were informative but somehow historically incomplete. There was quite possibly some very benign idea of recruitment going on here but everyone was so pleasant it didn't really seem to matter. However,I do think we were being watched, and, quite possibly followed. Elder Sleep Walking Bear was on high alert!
What a beautiful site for a town, overlooking the mighty Mississippi River! The flower gardens were immaculate and there were many spread throughout the town. Still, I did not really understand what went on in the Temple and what truly made Mormons different from other Christian sects except for the fact they had some additional prophets in their church. I should have asked the Elder dressed up as a shrub that was stalking us about the town. I can't help but feel it is something like Amway that seems to be a really good idea and it works for some people but most of us would regret joining up in the end. God forbid you don't meet your quotas!
Still, I would highly recommend a visit to this wonderful little town with the amazing Temple and historical(although don't depend on your hosts for details) sites. And for those of you whiners who think Illinois is "ugly", get your butts over to the Great River Road and take a drive. I challenge anyone to not be impressed by the scenery. Just remember, when visiting Nauvoo, don't pick the flowers because you might disconnect the listening devices or tiny cameras.......
Onward to St Joseph Missouri from here. By the way, if you or anyone you know from Chicago has had their car stolen, check Keokuk IA or northeastern Missouri. I have never seen so many junkyards in my entire life.
The Temple is beautiful and, of course, off limits to even Elder Sleep Walking Bear because you have to "really" be a Mormon to go in. Now, I'm not sure how they tell but that just seems to be part of the mystery that surrounds what goes on once inside. Perhaps it involves a secret handshake or something? We were "invited" to view some movies at both the Nauvoo visitors center and at the Temple visitors center which were informative but somehow historically incomplete. There was quite possibly some very benign idea of recruitment going on here but everyone was so pleasant it didn't really seem to matter. However,I do think we were being watched, and, quite possibly followed. Elder Sleep Walking Bear was on high alert!
What a beautiful site for a town, overlooking the mighty Mississippi River! The flower gardens were immaculate and there were many spread throughout the town. Still, I did not really understand what went on in the Temple and what truly made Mormons different from other Christian sects except for the fact they had some additional prophets in their church. I should have asked the Elder dressed up as a shrub that was stalking us about the town. I can't help but feel it is something like Amway that seems to be a really good idea and it works for some people but most of us would regret joining up in the end. God forbid you don't meet your quotas!
Still, I would highly recommend a visit to this wonderful little town with the amazing Temple and historical(although don't depend on your hosts for details) sites. And for those of you whiners who think Illinois is "ugly", get your butts over to the Great River Road and take a drive. I challenge anyone to not be impressed by the scenery. Just remember, when visiting Nauvoo, don't pick the flowers because you might disconnect the listening devices or tiny cameras.......
Onward to St Joseph Missouri from here. By the way, if you or anyone you know from Chicago has had their car stolen, check Keokuk IA or northeastern Missouri. I have never seen so many junkyards in my entire life.
