More Nauvoo

One wonderful thing that worked out in Nauvoo was that we were able to meet up with Misty Lindgren, my (Ryan) cousin's wife and her children. They moved to Nauvoo about three years ago. She gave us an insiders tour of many places and even babysat Sam while we went to the Temple. It was great to get to know her better.

Notable places we went to in or around Nauvoo were:

Joseph Smith's residence:

The jail where Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were murdered:

The graves of Joseph his Brother, and his Wife Emma:

The restored building where the Relief Society was organized and Temple ordinance were revealed:

The Nauvoo Temple:

The bakery (I included this because I like how Sam looks like a thug):

Before we drove out of town, we stopped off at the banks of the Mississippi, the area of the frozen river the pioneers crossed in 1846 as the fled for the West. Nauvoo was a historically fascinating and spiritually moving place. We loved our two days there.

Part 4:Nauvoo

As member of the Church Nauvoo has special significance to us. From 1839-1846, the Mormons built up an area near the Mississippi River from little more than swamp land to a city of 12,000 with 2000 wood buildings and 350 brick buildings. Elements of the Church's Doctrine and organization were developed in Nauvoo. After the murder of Joseph Smith in 1844, residents faced increased persecution and were compelled to depart for the West under the direction of Brigham Young.

In recent years many buildings have been restored or rebuilt. The town has Church workers at each building explaining what the building's history and function were. It's a functioning historic village now, much like Williamsburg, VA or Salem, NC.

Cheyney has ancestors who resided in Nauvoo. We were able to visit sites that where important to the Webb family.

We went to the building where members were instructed on preaching and Sam gave it a shot:

We visited where the Webb's worked as blacksmiths for residents of the city and built the covered wagons for the upcoming journey West:

We also went to the Cemetery where two of Cheyney's ancestors were buried: