We have done some researching on our family lines since coming to Nauvoo. Today we were proxy for the sealing of five couples. and three sons. Both of us felt something special when Christian Mueller and Magdalena Leuss (Switzerland) were sealed.

Our oldest son, Brandon, his wife, and two of their four daughters spent four days with us this past week. It was nice to have them here. They toured many of the sites and attended several performances.

Brandon, Cassie, Kendall, and Presley

The girls took part in "Sunset By the Mississippi"

 

On Fast Sunday the temple assigns four couples to have dinner together to "break-the-fast." We were hosts this month.

(L to R) Tom and Sharon Shaw, Jordan River UT Temple; Robert and Marilee Hendricks, Logan UT Temple; and, Vernon and Susan Moon, Ogden, UT Temple


Another beautiful sunset; looking west from the temple.

One of our favorite places to eat is a Chinese restaurant in Ft. Madison, IA. In addition to good food they offer outdoor seating.

Last week we attended the dedication of the Nauvoo Pageant Headquarters. The cast eat and rehearse in the building. Costumes are made, altered and stored there as well. Since the Pageant is such a major part of the Nauvoo experience it is nice that they have a great facility now.

Last Saturday we attended the final performance of the Nauvoo Pageant. Roger and Kaleen Jerman (my brother Duane's daughter and son-in-law) were there. It was nice to visit with them. They took this picture and sent it to us.

This is a cicada on the trunk of a tree next to our apartment. These insects live under ground for 13 years, then emerge for a few weeks to mate. After the eggs hatch, the young cicadas drop to the ground and burrow down where they remain until the cycle repeats itself.

I got a call today from Jason Kerr (my brother Rolfe's son) letting me know that his wife, Kristen, and seven of their eight children were coming to Nauvoo today so that the oldest three children could do baptisms in the temple. We met them at the Arrival Center, then Sandy and I took Katie, Jordyn, and Christian to the temple. I baptized and confirmed them, and had a wonderful experience. We all then attended the Nauvoo Brass Band and "Sunset by the Mississippi" performances. We then had a late dinner together before they drove to St. Louis for the night.

The Church sponsors several fine performances during the summer. During July, two large outdoor productions are presented: the Nauvoo Pageant and the British Pageant.

Last night we attended the production of "Our Story Goes On." The performance was stopped before it finished due to an approaching thunderstorm. Soon after we got home winds and rain started. A tree limb came down next to our apartment.

"Our Story Goes On"

Facts About the Nauvoo Illinois Temple

• Plans to rebuild the Nauvoo Temple were announced on April 4, 1999, by Church President Gordon B. Hinckley, and ground was broken on October 24, 1999.
  
  "I feel impressed to announce that among all of the temples we are constructing, we plan to rebuild the Nauvoo Temple. A member of the Church and his family have provided a very substantial contribution to make this possible. We are grateful to him. It will be a while before it happens, but the architects have begun their work. This temple will not be busy much of the time; it will be somewhat isolated. But during the summer months, we anticipate it will be very busy. And the new building will stand as a memorial to those who built the first such structure there on the banks of the Mississippi." (Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, May, 1999)

• The 54,000 square-foot temple is situated on the original 3.3-acre temple block. As in the original temple, there are five floors and a basement level. (The Redlands Temple is 17,300 square-feet.)
• The temple's exterior is a near duplicate of the original temple exterior.
• The limestone, quarried in Alabama, is indistinguishable from the stone used on the original temple.
• The sun, moon, and star stones were modeled after the originals by craftsmen in Canada, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Idaho, and Utah.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The height of the temple, to the top of the angel Moroni statue, is 162 feet 5 inches.
• Interior staircases are situated in each of the temple's four corners. The circular staircase in the southwest corner is a close replica of one in the original temple.
  
  

  
• The window glass, made in France and Germany, is the same type of glass made in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
• Each circular window on the fourth floor contains a large star made of red, white, and blue colored glass, as did the original windows.
  
  

  
• Doors and window frames replicating the originals were handcrafted in Nauvoo.
• The temple was financed by contributions from Church members throughout the world and was completely paid for when dedicated on June 27, 2002.

Nauvoo is very green and park-like, with over 400 acres of grass that has to be mowed regularly. Below is a photograph of Nauvoo when the Saints lived here in the mid 1800s. Though it is a black & white photograph, you can tell it was not a park then.

Corn field - 23 July 2016