April 08, 2007
A Pilgrimage, of sorts
Yesterday, despite all logical reasons telling me I didn't have time, I drove to Nauvoo, Illinois with a friend from church so we could go to the temple. I justified it by saying that I needed some time away from school and to gain the perspective on life that visiting the temple always brings. Like President Hinckely has written:
"These sacred precincts offer the opportunity, available nowhere else, to learn of and reflect on the truly meaningful things of life—our relationship to Deity and our eternal journey from a premortal state into this life and on to a future estate where we shall know and associate one with another, including our own loved ones and our forebears who have preceded us and from whom has come our inheritance of things of the body, mind, and spirit."
And I really wanted that perspective again, so I put away my books and went for a drive.
Now for just a little bit of church history. When the early members of the church were driven from Missouri by mob, they found refuge in the swamps of Illinois along the Mississippi River. They drained the swamp and started building a city, later named Nauvoo. Here, they also built a House of the Lord, a temple. After Joseph Smith was martyred in Carthage, the Saints were driven from Nauvoo, too. Eventually, the temple was destroyed through both fire and tornado. However, in 1999, President Hinckley announced that they would rebuild the temple, and in 2002 it was rededicated. You can read more about it on Wikipedia or Historic Nauvoo Tourist Information.
I had friends visit Nauvoo growing up while going on Church History tours. They always brought back a Nauvoo Brick and a praire diamond (a ring made from a blacksmith's nail), and I was always jealous. So beyond my faith-inspired reasons for driving 5 hours to Nauvoo and 5 hours back, I also had another purpose. I wanted one (or both) of those relics!
Our trip took us through Carthage, so we stopped briefly by Carthage Jail, but didn't have time to take the tour. We were anxious to see Nauvoo.
The temple itself did not disappoint, but it wasn't situated how I pictured it in my mind. First of all, I planned it in my head that we would be coming from the east over the plains and then see it towering. However, we ended up coming from the south along the Mississippi River. Also, I thought it would be in the midst of old Nauvoo, so imagine my disappointment when it was right in the middle of current Nauvoo. And let me just give a little warning to any other pilgrims on their way to Nauvoo - there is no place to eat there, so stop for lunch somewhere else. Still, the temple was amazing. It looks over the Mississippi. Here are some pictures:
Normally, the temple grounds abound with flowers ,with green grass and trees, and I was so excited to visit the Nauvoo Temple in the spring because I looked forward to the beautiful flowers. Unfortunately, winter is acting like one of those pesky neighbor kids that just keep coming around, and it's been back all week. There was an especially chilling wind yesterday that made us run for the car. But I did take a picture of some pretty mournful tulips.
The other bonus to going to Nauvoo yesterday was seeing the Mississippi River. I crossed it, of course, when Tanker and I drove out to Indiana, but I didn't really get to see it. It is immense, horribly brown, and incredibly swift.
Wait, what is that stuff along the edges?
At first I thought it was just grossness, but then I realized it was ice. All along the banks of the river, everything was covered in ice. Now that's cold. I suddenly didn't want to try wading in it anymore.
We drove back through interminable Illinois. All I could see was sky. This picture looks fake, but it's real. It was taken through my windshield.
And since we were traveling east, I could only see the sunset in my mirrors. But it was pretty.
And then, even though I'm always cautious to slow down through small towns, I got pulled over. I thought it was going to be for my tail light again. It keeps burning out and I've been pulled over three times in the last week for it. But nope. Speeding. I have to mail them back some money in this envelope.
I was not happy about it.
But! I did come home with one of these:
