Nauvoo Highlights

We were in Nauvoo the Beautiful for two and a half days and we kept fully busy the whole time. The first thing we did when we arrived on Monday was see the play The Promise (formerly High Hopes and River Boats). Lily in particular loved this play about new converts arriving in Nauvoo. That evening we saw the musical variety show Sunset on the Mississsippi. This was a thoroughly entertaining mix of music, jokes, and dancing put on by the senior and junior missionaries and the brass band. My favorite part was one senior missionary who kept telling joke after joke after joke. Every one of them was funny to me.

We took one of the early wagon rides on Tuesday morning which was perfect to give us grounding on the city of Old Nauvoo. Lily loved the horses Jim and Jack.

We spent the rest of the day going into the houses and cabins in Old Nauvoo. It reminded me of Williamsburg the way there was a blacksmith (with prairie diamond nail rings), bootmaker, bakery (with delicious gingerbread cookies), gunsmith, brickyard (with souvenior Nauvoo bricks), post office, print shop, and tin shop. In each of the areas missionaries would explain what life was like back then. In the blacksmith shop in addition to getting a prairie diamond Lily was also the only one to receive the miniature horse shoe he made.

There were also cabins and houses for the prophets, apostles, and pioneers who had lived in Old Nauvoo. The missionaries told inspirational stories in each of these locations. In Brigham Young's root cellar excavators had discovered several pieces of cracked pottery. A complete set was placed on the kitchen table but you can still see the cracks. The Sister there mentioned how this reminds her of the Atonement and how though we might make mistakes the Lord can piece us together like new.

I also loved the story in John Taylor's home about when they left to cross the plains. His little boy was sad and crying along the way. When John Taylor asked him what was wrong he said he missed his rocking horse so much and was sad to have had to leave it behind. So John Taylor rode his horse back to Nauvoo (I don't know how far they had gone) and got this rocking horse for him, strapped it to his horse, and they brought it all the way to Salt Lake. It had been in the family for generations before they finally brought it back to the original house in Nauvoo again.

I really thought this yard was beautiful with the temple in the distance:

The girls were both asked to read quotes in the Seventies Hall and did a great job:

We ended up running into several people we knew in Nauvoo. There were four or five families from HCP including the Madsens and Bagleys. We also saw the Porters from Cedar Hills:

The Nauvoo Pageant is markedly different from the Hill Cumorah one. I would almost call it more of a play than a pageant. The actors are micked (sp?) and talk and sing live. The cast is smaller and it has a more intimate feel. Because it goes on for a whole month rather than just a week, the attendance spreads out with more like 2K per night rather than 8K. It is less of a spectacle with special effects and a sweeping cast than a warm hearted story. I personally enjoyed the British Pageant which is playing alternating days better. I particularly liked the lead in the British Pageant. I thought he was such an excellent actor and really stole the show.

On Wednesday we went to Carthage Jail. It was a bit difficult to appreciate this experience because it was tremendously crowded. We still were able to learn some new things and I'm glad we went. Even more impactful was a lecture we attended in the evening by George Durrant and Susan Easton Black Durrant on the martyrdom. It was quite illuminating to understand the role that Governor Ford played in Joseph Smith's death and to see a clear outline of Joseph's last few days. 

When we came back to Nauvoo from Carthage we found a little time to take a rootbeer break. Apparently Lucy Mack Smith sold rootbeer in NY and they sell some mighty delicious rootbeer in the Red Brick Store.

It was wonderful to spend time around the Nauvoo Temple. I love this quote from President Hinckley: 

"Today, facing west, on the high bluff overlooking the city of Nauvoo . . . there stands Joseph’s temple, a magnificent house of God. Here in the SaltLake Valley, facing east to that beautiful temple in Nauvoo, stands Brigham’s temple, the Salt Lake Temple. They look toward one another as bookends between which there are volumes that speak of the suffering, the sorrow, the sacrifice, even the deaths of thousands who made the long journey from the Mississippi River to the valley of the Great Salt Lake."

Overall we had a fantastic trip to Navuoo. There were fabrics to braid, ropes for wooden bears to climb, pioneer paper dolls to color, bonnets to try on, wood logs to cut, log ends to have burned with Nauvoo patterns, square dances to watch, bag pipers to hear, sample bread to eat, rootbeer to drink, and stories of pioneers and prophets to hear.

Song of Cumorah: HCP Eighteenth Day

What? The very last day of pageant? Time flew past. Pageant is a time out of time experiene where it feels like you are in a vacume. Life just goes whizzing by.

Elder Runia was a member of the cast. He was recently made a member of the 5^th Quorum of the Seventy. I think he is in Alyson and Bill Freedman’s ward. He gave a wonderful talk in this last sacrament meeting. My favorite part was a story he told about Elder Ballard. Elder Ballard was speaking to Elder Runia's Quorum about his grandfather Melvin Ballard who was also an apostle. He had experienced an amazing dream about the Savior where he kissed his feet and Jesus hugged him. He had never felt such love. Russell Ballard heard his grandfather tell this story in talks and he heard him tell this story to other people but he yearned to sit on his knee and hear it from him personally. He wanted to hear his grandfather’s testimony first hand. He knew his grandfather was a good man but he always felt he was too busy for him. He has remembered this lesson and always tried to make special time for his children and grandchildren. He counseled: “Never be so busy that you don’t tell your children and grandchildren of your testimony. Sit them on your knee. Look them in the eye. Tell them of the special experiences you have had. Don’t let them just read about them in your journal or hear about it second hand.”

Elder Runia reminded us that this is following Christ’s example where in 3^rd Nephi Christ takes the time to connect with each child—in fact with all 2,500 people.

It was a hard day of goodbyes today.

Abigail and Lily

Lily and Madison

Becky Nielsen and Jane

Emma's Y9 Cast Team

Mattew Kofoed and his four week old little brother (the youngest member of the cast)

 We all cried as we pulled away from the beloved Hill Cumorah

That afternoon we drove to Kirtland. First we went to the Morley Farm it was amazingly peaceful there. We were one of the only families there. I was shocked to learn that God the Father had appeared there. In fact, I had never known that God the Father had appeared a total of five times in Kirtland--more than any other place that we know of! The whole place of Kirtland felt so special to me, so holy. It was nice to be there on Sunday and it was different from Palmyra and Nauvoo in that so few were there. It added to the peaceful quietude. 

Morley Farm

Newel K. Whitney Store

Inside the Whitney Store

Kirtland Temple

Before I left pageant I told Stephanie that if I had been given the chance to be a Trumpeter or to have the exact pageant experience I had as a Harvest Worker and Tableau Tribe Woman I wouldn't have changed a thing. I am so grateful to have met the people I did and to have had so much fun and spiritual experiences. It was just perfect.

If You Have Felt a Change in Your Heart: HCP Seventeenth Day

What a bittersweet day! We had so much fun but it was sad knowing it was the last performance. The work crew took the primary for a tractor pull/wagon ride all around the Hill. They were squished but had so much fun!

Then the we had a huge water party. There was a gigantic water slide, water balloons, bubbles, water in all its varieties.

But the most fun of all was the Primary Pageant. It was AWESOME! It was shorter than the actual pageant--just about 15 minutes long. The kids were well cast and we had practiced the day before. I directed the trumpeters so that was super fun! My trumpeters did such a fantastic job.

Mary, Lily, Abigail, Isabel, Jillian

Here are the sweet girls in a practice. They did so AWESOME!! I was incredibly proud of them.

Though it rained a bit in the evening we still had a fun time. It was great to see Kelly Moulton Harris (from Schenectady ward) and her daughter Ariana (a former student):

It was a raining night but people were in a goood mood:

Kelly Moulton was so kind to take some pictures of me on stage. I'm so happy to have them!

Alyson, Julianna, Jane, Landon

Here is a short video that Jason Cook took when he and Eliza were here. He got in trouble for video taping at the beginning (whoops) so only caught the tail end. I'm in the middle. It's still fun to have as a memory.

As a cast we get to sing Song of Cumorah after each performance. This is the song that is played in the background when the children come up to Christ in the Descension scene. Some of the words are:

If you have felt a change in your heart

And sung the song of redeeming love

Then come unto Jesus our Savior

Sin and death are swallowed up in Christ

Jesus light and life of the world

Come unto, come unto Him

Michael Campbell was the original choreographer of the current pageant which debuted in 1988. He and his family were members of the cast this year so it was fun to have him lead us in the singing of Song of Cumorah each night. The original pianist was there as well.

Michael told some interesting stories from the old years. First of all, in 1987 the sets were made out of wood. They were so excited to be getting new sets with the new pageant the next year that the concluding night of pageant they burned all of the old sets. I believe Orson Scott Card was done with the script mid-year but the Tabernacle Choir was not done recording the songs and the actors were not done recording the words by February of the next year so L. Tom Perry (who was the head of the committee) decided he wanted to stick with the old pageant for another year but it was too late—the sets were burned!

It was a 1 million investment to get the new one up and running but they felt it would be a great missionary tool and it has greatly exceeded their expectations. However, that first year in 1988 there were tremendous setbacks. The directors did not receive the pre-recorded soundtrack until five days before opening night so they couldn’t block out and choreograph until then. They would do that all night long and then teach the cast during the day.

They also received an immense amount of rain—so much so that the front berm of the stage fell completely off. About 100 members from the area helped to replace and contour this the day of the opening night. Also, they had laid sod on the Hill and all of this kept sliding down the steep Hill because it was so slippery. They had to keep lifting it up and placing it in the right spot only to have it slide down again.

Things have come a long way to the polished, amazing production of today. There are special effects timed to the exact second with fire, water, shooting cannons of foam rocks, and a hydraulic boat. It’s mind boggling that a cast of 740 can all be in just the right place at just the right time doing just the right thing.

We were blessed with fantastic weather this pageant. We did have some rain but never on the performance and overall it was quite cool and pleasant.

The only thing that kept pageant from being perfect for me was the Antis. It wouldn’t have been so bad if they just handed out their literature or had their signs in protest but to be SO loud on their bull horns that you could hear them all the way back stage when they were standing out by the street was a bit much. And they shouted such vile things that it just makes your skin crawl. It was so disturbing to Lily that it was almost more than she could bear. Several people, including President Schwendiman, kept pointing out that it was a great indication we were accomplishing an important work if Satan was working so hard against it.

We heard a similar story in Kirtland. The 4^th General Conference of the church was at the Morley farm. Just before it started a man was suspended horizontally by an evil spirit. Joseph Smith rebuked it and then the man was fine. Similar to the Sacred Grove experience Joseph said, “We know something wonderful is about to take place.” I just wish Joseph Smith had been there to rebuke the Antis at the Hill. It seems like they could get away with absolutely anything. The one positive is that the people coming to attend the pageant could feel such a marked contrast of spirit when they entered the pageant area. On Wednesday President Bean (the Visitor’s Center President) suggested that we put the children forward so that people would see their shining faces and several people commented on how bright and shining that was.  

Nephi Led the Righteous People to Safety: HCP Sixteenth Day

In the morning we went to see Alvin Smith's grave in Palmyra by the four churches. It is in a lovely wooded area at the top of a hill. It is odd the way it has the old tombstone encased in a more modern one.

  

In the afternoon I was able to attend one of the lectures that Chad Hawkins gave to a cast team. It was to 12 year old boys and they were very attentive and eager to listen. His topic was temples. Because he draws paintings and sketches of all of the temples he is also in a position to hear faith promoting stories about them. 

Two of the stories he related included that in Sao Paulo Brazil Temple the people had to help pay for the temple. People that didn't have the cash to contribute were still eager to help so they found different means to give. Some gave their gold tooth! Another sold their gold medal that they had earned in an Olympics. One couple gave up their wedding rings. No material possessions meant as much to them as going to the House of God.

The Albuquerque, NM Temple site needed to be cleared of debris before the ground breaking could take place. They asked the young men and women to clear the cacti, trash, and weeds from the site in preparation. Would the young people grumble or be honored? They chose to consider it a privelege to work on the temple grounds and to do their part to help further the work of the temple.

It was also fun to see some of his artwork. the boys contributed well to the discussion and were so enthusiastic.

In the evening we took a picture of many of the Harvest workers!

An exciting thing happened in the show: a drunk, crazy person tried to get onto the stage. It was during the destruction scene, just before the Savior descends. I was in my line just off stage ready to go on. Because there is a lot of noise in the destruction scene it was difficult to hear what was happening but you could tell something was out of the ordinary. It was clear someone was screaming and distressed. My first thought was that someone had gotten hurt. But then you could hear them yelling, "I got on!" "I did it" or something to that effect. Two large men ran on to see what was happening. After 15 seconds or so it was time to walk on stage. 

About four men were on top of a guy and he was moaning and yelling that he wanted his girlfriend. After reaching our final positions on stage we could see he was carted off stage. Later we found out he had jumped the green barrier and broken his ankle in the process. He had been yelling that he'd made it on stage and he was in pageant now. We never really got more information than that but it was exciting! I don't know how much if this took away from the spirit for the audience. I hope not.

Don't Kneel to Me Laman: HCP Fifteenth Day

Emma and I woke up early Thursday morning and picked up her friends Asher and Audrey at the HCP Visitor's Center and we all drove to Seneca Falls. This is where the first Women's Rights Convention was held and where Elizabeth Cady Stanton's house is located. We watched a film, toured a museum, visited a church.

This town is famous for other things as well such as having a building named after us:

And for having filmed It's a Wonderful Life there. Here are Emma, Asher, and Audrey standing on the famous bridge:

In the afternoon, volunteers from the adult cast team filled in for us in primary to be with the kids while the workers all went to the Chill and Grill for a free ice cream. 

It was yummy but the lines were long.

When we got back to the Hill we discovered that Lily had gotten her face painted. So cute!

In the evening devotional a member of the 1st Quorum of the Seventy from Brazil told an interesting story. His father was one of the first converts in Brazil. This was when there were just 100 or so members and just one branch. About 30 years after that baptism this man was interested in contacting the elders who had baptized his father so he looked up their names on his baptismal certificate and made an effort to write them thank you letters. He was successful with one of them and the letter got through. He had said how appreciative he was to have the gospel in his life and thanked the missionary for changing the course of their whole family's life.

The missionary was thrilled to get the letter. The father was the only baptism the elder had had on his mission. It was several years later before the man was able to context the other missionary and it was the same case with him--this man was his only baptism as well. They had both felt like they had been failures in their missions because they had only baptized one person and they weren't even sure he was still active.

President Faust was the mission companion to one of these missionaries and when they died he related this story and emphasized how many had joined the church as a result of that "one" baptism. He said, "You can count the number of seeds in a watermelon but you can't count the number of watermelons in a seed." The General Authority emphasized how important it was for us to plant seeds as missionaries and though we might never know the results of our kindnesses and positive efforts, good things would be the result.

That night Ken's parents came with Erik, Nate, and Chase so we had fun taking pictures with the cousins and cast members:

Chase, Nate, King Noah, Lily

Lehi

Abinidi

Joseph Smith and Moroni

Nephi

Samuel the Lamanite and Lemuel's Wife

Mormon

One of the Three Kings