Last week I was home-bound with bronchitis. Sandy was ill last weekend, but was able to serve in the temple during the week. I served yesterday, Saturday, for the first time this week and sealed a couple from St. Louis, and their infant daughter. A sweet experience.

Today we attended the Iowa City Married Student Ward for the first time. It takes about two hours to drive from Nauvoo to Iowa City. There are about 45 couples in the ward, and they primarily attend either medical school, dental school, or law school at the University of Iowa. They are a sharp group of people and we really enjoyed attending church with them. The bishop, Jay Christensen-Szalansky, has served for six years. He teaches business administration at the University.

Stephanie and Mike Cluff are assigned to the ward as well. They are from Portland, OR, and are serving in the temple for six months. He is a home builder by profession. They are nice people, and we enjoyed being with them.

A Nauvoo Temple detail. There is a hallway on the main level known as the Hallway of Artifacts. Displayed on one wall are the following items:

o  Portraits of Joseph and Emma, and Hyrum and Mary, painted in the early 1840s.
o  A sword and scabbard belonging to Joseph Smith.
o  Temple clothing belonging to Mary Fielding Smith (Hyrum's wife).
o  Four keys to the original Nauvoo Temple.

I learned something new about temple work. It has been my understanding that once spirits in prison accept the gospel they go to paradise. According to Joseph Fielding Smith, spirits do not enter paradise until the ordinances are performed for them. "After they . . . have accepted the gospel of Christ, having the ordinances attended to in their behalf . . . [they] receive the passport that entitles them to cross the gulf." (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:158)

I also learned a different version of the John Taylor's watch story. John Taylor was in Carthage Jail when Joseph and Hyrum were killed. My understanding in the past has been identical to what is stated in the Institute Student Manual, Church History in the Fullness of Time, "A shot through the window from below hit the watch in his [John Taylor] vest pocket, stopping it at 5:16 and knocking him back into the room." According to the Joseph Smith Papers, John Taylor's watch was not struck by a bullet, but rather it broke when he fell onto a window ledge after having been struck in the back by a bullet. Here is a link to the latest version regarding John Taylor's watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOlH26SE55k. Here is a link to a Deseret News article concerning what was presented at Education Week in 2010 on the same subject:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705385933/Education-Week-Separating-facts-from-fiction-about-the-Prophets-death.html?pg=all

We enjoy serving in the temple. We also enjoy learning about the City of Nauvoo and the surrounding area. Being here is a choice blessing.

We drove to Montrose, Iowa this afternoon. It is located across the Mississippi River from Nauvoo. The photograph below is looking east from Montrose toward Nauvoo and the temple.

Below is a photograph taken on Montrose's Main Street looking east toward the temple.

When the saints were forced to leave Nauvoo in February 1846, they crossed the Mississippi to Montrose. The majority of the people who lived in Montrose at that time were LDS, and they joined the saints from Nauvoo and moved west. Newel Knight, one of the pioneers forced from Nauvoo, recorded the following in his journal as he stood on the Iowa side of the Mississippi: "Here we all halted and took a farewell view of our delightful city. . . .We also beheld the magnificent Temple rearing its lofty tower toward the heavens. . . .My heart did swell within me."

Interesting details about Montrose and Illinois:
     1)  When Montrose was settled there was a bluff nearby covered with wild roses, hence "mount rose."
     2)  There was an Indian tribe near Montrose known as the Illini, hence "Illinois."

After seeing Montrose we drove to the Aldi grocery store in Fort Madison, IA. On May 10 I wrote about the Aldi coin operated shopping carts. We saw the following sign today at Aldi, and got the official explanation for why they use this type of cart.

Today was our preparation day. We joined six other temple missionary couples for a guided Martyrdom Trail tour. Craig Dunn led the tour, which included a discussion of some of the events that transpired during the last two weeks of Joseph and Hyrum's lives, and a drive to Carthage and Warsaw. The route we took to Carthage was as near as possible the same road that Joseph and Hyrum followed.

A Nauvoo Temple detail. There is a wall clock just off the lobby that does not work. Sandy and I talked about the need to get it working since it's in the temple. We learned today that the clock does not work for a reason. It is set for 5:16 PM, the time that Joseph and Hyrum were martyred.

President McArthur (James) came to our apartment last night and gave us our ward assignment. We will be attending the Iowa City Married Student Ward which is 96 miles north of Nauvoo. The drive, one way, will take about 1 hr 47 mins. Mike and Stephanie Cluff of Portland ,Oregon, are assigned to the same ward. We will travel with the Cluffs beginning next Sunday. We are pleased with our assignment.

A Nauvoo Temple detail. The photograph below is of a painted glass window located in the baptistry. This beautiful portrayal of the Savior's baptism is placed so that it is seen by patrons as they enter the font. The names of the artist and his three assistants are in the lower right-hand corner. Above their names is the message, "Glory to God."

Behind this window is a well lit hallway. A local temple worker pointed out to us that on the back of the window, in the lower left-hand corner and just above the artists' names, is another message, "I love Gayle." The light has to be just right to be able to read this almost indistinguishable message.I assume one of the artists painted it as a keepsake for his wife, though its appropriateness is questionable. In the computer software world a hidden message like this is called an "Easter egg."

We serve in the Temple five days a week. Our schedule for May is:

Sunday:  attend church in a branch or ward in the temple district (yet to be assigned)
Monday: preparation day
Tuesday - Thursday: 7:25 AM - 1:00 PM
Friday:  7:25 AM - 3:00 PM
Saturday:  7:25 PM  - 2:00 PM

We shop for groceries at two stores that are new to us, Aldi and Hy-Vee. The shopping carts at Aldi required an orientation from a fellow shopper.

When stacked, the carts are connected by chains. To use a cart, a quarter is slid into the black box visible above the hanging chain. Once a quarter is inserted the chain falls free from the next cart and the cart can be pulled from the stack. To get the quarter back, the cart is stacked and the chain is inserted into the black box. The coin can then be retrieved. I assumed that this arrangement was to minimize theft. When we went shopping yesterday another idea occurred to me. I think the real purpose is to encourage customers to return carts to the store. This way employees are not needed to retrieve carts from the parking lot. It works.

We served in the temple today, from 7:25 AM until 1:00 PM. We had an enjoyable time. I was able to do three sealing sessions with patrons and ordinance workers, performing the sealing ordinances primarily for family file couples and children. I found particular satisfaction in not having to get back to the office and attend to administrative details.

We took a walk this evening in our neighborhood. A bit humid, but very peaceful.

We freqently see tugs pushing barges up and down the Mississippi.

The Mississippi River.

The Nauvoo Temple

There is a street called Parley Street that runs through Nauvoo to the Mississippi River. When the saints were driven from Nauvoo in February, 1846, they traveled on Parley Street to the river where they then crossed to Iowa. The Church has named a section of Parley Street, "Trail of Hope." Here is what the introductory sign to the trail says: "1846 began the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo. Leaving behind their homes, beautiful city, family and friends who they quite possibly would never see again in this life. As they journeyed west, they recorded their feelings and experiences in personal journals. From these journals we get a sense of what it would have been like to have traveled with them. Some selected writings from these journals are reproduced on the signs along this trail to the river."

This is Sandy's favorite journal entry:

As I read this it occurred to me that Sandy would have done the same thing.

We attended Church today in the Nauvoo Third Ward.

There are five stakes in the Nauvoo IL Temple district:

     Nauvoo, IL
     Peoria, IL
     Davenport, IA
     Iowa City, IA
     Cedar Rapids, IA.

The farthest unit from the temple is a branch in Fayette, IA; a drive of about three hours.

The Nauvoo Temple is surrounded by the following temples:

     St. Paul Minnesota - 394 miles
     Chicago Illinois - 277 miles
     St. Louis Missouri - 170 miles
     Kansas City Missouri - 265 miles
     Winter Quarters Nebraska - 318 miles

Last week was great, and we are looking forward to this week. The Nauvoo Temple is considered a "destination" temple, and we are told that things will be very busy from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

We served our first shift in the temple today, from 7:00 AM until 3:00 PM. We enjoyed being there.

Our Sunday branch/ward assignment has been postponed until next week.

We were trained in the temple today from 8:00 AM until 1:00 PM. We were served lunch in the stake center, then had the afternoon off until 5:30 PM. We then attended dinner with the missionaries and listened to a presentation on the restoration effort underway in Nauvoo. Everything has been well organized and appreciated.

It's been overcast and rainy since we've been here. Hopefully, brighter photographs to follow.

We attended Church this morning with all of the Nauvoo missionaries, both temple and site missionaries. It is our understanding that we will be assigned a ward or branch to attend within the temple district. Travel time can be as much as 2 1/2 hours one way.

President McArthur set us apart as ordinance workers this afternoon. In a few minutes, we have dinner scheduled with a few missionary couples. Later today we start our training in the temple.

The first photograph is our apartment; we live upstairs and another couple lives downstairs. The second photograph is the view from our bedroom window. Sandy loves the view.

Nauvoo Temple

Statue of Joseph and Hyrum; the Mississippi is in the background.

This statue is in front of the temple.