Nauvoo Day 4

 Day 4 - Sunday, June 1, 2025

Being a Sunday, we got up and made it to church at 10:00am. It was a ward just for visitors and it was packed. We ended up sitting in the RS room watching it on monitors. It was also fast and testimony meeting, which was cool. There were several youth groups there that bore their testimonies. After church, we had an hour before the sites opened. Adam and I walked the couple of blocks to the temple, walked all around it and took pictures. The temple is in the heart of Nauvoo. No matter where you are you can look up and see it. It was so so cool. We also explored the cute little town and shops on the way back. 

Once the sites opened at noon, we went to the visitor center to map out our days. We spent a couple hours here, watching a film, walking around and visiting the "Women's Garden" Then we drove the 30 minutes to Carthage and visited Carthage Jail. What a sad and somber experience. Again, it was so surreal, just standing on the very floors that Joseph Smith stood on and died. Calli made the comment how crazy it was to see in real life, what we had only seen in pictures our entire lives. It was really neat. We spent quite a few hours here. 

Afterwards, we the girls went to DQ while the boys ran across the street to Hardees. After we made it back to Nauvoo, we still had a few minutes before sites closed, so a few us went to the Family History Center, while the rest went back to the apartment. 

With some time to burn before the Trail of Hope later that night, Adam, I and my mom ventured out to find the Ancient Nephite Burial Ground. Talk about a sacred moment. This was a highlight for me. The drive there, through a green forest, stopping by the Mississippi river and dipping our toes in the water and finding the mounds where Nephite remains are buried, it was so awesome.

That night, we went down to Parley Street, right by the Seventies Hall, and walked the Trail of Hope. So so cool, to walk the trail that the saints did while leaving Nauvoo and to hear of some of their stories. The trail leads to the Mississippi River, where they crossed.  I was not prepared with how massive, the river is. It was awe inspiring to think of the saints crossing this large body of water. Also at the end was a statue of Joseph Smith (now passed) pointed the way to Brigham Young and also a memorial with all the names of every saint who died before making it to the Salt Lake Valley. On our walk back to our apartment...we saw FIREFLIES. Bucket list Check. 

Church in Nauvoo

Out Exploring!

It is just so dang cute!

Found a little village just a block from our apartment. 

So cute!

Little stories and props of actual events

Walking to the Temple. 

Sunstones & Nauvoo Stars

Front stair case and front doors where you enter for temple sessions. 

The bells ring out every hour on the hour and it so cool.

Infamous statue of Joseph and Hyrum

The temple sits right on the Mississippi River. 

For perspective: This water tank sits right next to the temple. The water tank is also right outside our apartment window. 

Walking back to the apartment. 

Back to grab everyone and head to the visitor center. 

Mock Temple inside the Visitor Center

Some of my pioneer relatives. 

Original Artifacts. 

Somebody get this guy some caffeine. 

Monument to Women Memorial Garden

Joseph and Emma

Driving to Carthage. 

Carthage Jail

Joseph and Hyrum

The window by the well that Joseph fell from. 

Inside the officers quarters.

Original Floors

Shows how thick the walls are.

The small cell on the mail floor, where the prisoners were kept at first but the guards were worried for their safety being on the main floor. 

Original stairs that the mob ran up. 

Jail Cell on the top Floor. This is where the prisoners were moved, however, it was such a awful cell that the officer later moved them into the bedroom. 

The windows were so small and let in little light. 

Shackles on the floors

The Room where Joseph was shot

The bullet hole in the door.

Original floors

Looking down at the well from the window he fell from. 

The clock set to the time Joseph was martyred

The kids outside the window. I waited so I could get  few more pictures. 

Another shot of the stairs

I took a picture of the window through the bullet hole. 

Outside by the well

So Somber, yet so moving!

Cool House in Carthage

Limousine in the DQ parking lot. 

The boys walking to Hardee's

Bringing their food back. 

Driving back and running into the family history center before it closed. 

While there we saw Susie's brother and sister-in-law who are serving a mission there. 

While everyone went back to the apartment to rest and watch a movie, me, Adam and my mom ventured out to find the Ancient Nephite Burial Grounds

This was one of my favorite part. The drive, the river, the mounds it was just so amazing. 

Dipping our toes in the Mississippi River. 

Driving the banks of the river

So cool!

It was so pretty!

Ancient Mound

The sky was the same color as the water, it was so cool!

Across the Mississippi River

Heading to the Trail of Hope walk

I spy the temple. 

The performing missionaries are so so good. 

Many of the pioneers looked back at their temple they were leaving. 

Leads right to the Mississippi where the saints fled, some on foot across the ice and some in boats. 

Such a cool statue. Joseph showing Brigham the way

Monument

Temple and Fireflies!