Elder Harris and I went to Montrose to see the Monument that is there, where the Quail story happened. It was really cool to look across the Mississippi River and see the Nauvoo Temple. It looked so close where we were standing. When you first drive into this monument this is the sign you see, Linger Longer Rest Area.
Elder Harris standing by the Pioneer Trail Memorial. I am going to tell you what it says inside this building. I will only tell part of the stories. It just makes your heart heavy and your eyes fill with tears for what the pioneers went through,very tender stories.
Good Looking Elder!!
NAUVOO--FROM WILDERNESS--TO CITY BEAUTIFUL
From the swaps of commerce, Illinois, the Latter-day Saint pioneers raised a magnificent temple and a thriving frontier city they called Nauvoo-
Here the Nauvoo Temple across the Mississippi River zoomed up.
The story of Nauvoo is unique in history. In the winter of 1838-1839, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were driven out of Western Missouri by Mobs. The Saints arrived on the banks of the Mississippi- cold, hungery, and poor. They found temporary refuge in the home of the people of Quincy and other nearby Settlements.
In the Spring the Saints settled on the Swampy sites of Commerce, Illinois.
There they endured mosquitoes, malaria, sickness and death. But they drained the swamps and in only seven years, built one of the largest cities on America's frontier. They renamed their city Nauvoo- Hebrew for "Beautiful Place".
Nauvoo became a thriving center of commerce and industry. The centerpiece- This "City Beautiful" was the temple- said, at the time to be the most imposing building on America's frontier- Recently completed home and shops surrounded the temple.
Tragic events forced the pioneers to abandon Nauvoo and began their historic trek to the Rocky Mountains. Serious conflicts with residents in Hancock County made staying in Nauvoo impossible for the Saints. Their problems culminated in the murder of their leader, the prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum, as they awaited justice in Carthage Jail. Under a new leader, Brigham Young, the Saints completed the Nauvoo Temple, packed their wagons, and prepared to abandon their homes, their temple and their city.
During 1846, approximately fifteen thousands Latter-day Saints fled Nauvoo and crossed the river. They stood heart broken on this river bank, gazing mournfully at their beautiful temple and city. With only their faith to sustain them, the Saints turned their wagons to the sunset and began their historic trek westward to the Rocky Mountains.
FROM CITY BEAUTIFUL TO THE TOPS OF THE MOUNTAINS
Under intense pressure from their enemies, about two thousand of the best prepared pioneers followed their church leaders across this river in the frigid month of February 1846. They survived in tents and wagon boxes as they struggled westward Ice and snow soon turned to deep mud. Many were left in trail-side graves, their life's journey completed. It was mid-summer before this vanguard Company arrived in Council Bluffs on the banks of Missouri River.
The second wave of ten to twelve thousand refugees departed as soon as they were able. They sold their property for little- or nothing.
Finally there remained only the aged, the infirm, and those otherwise unable or unwilling to leave. Most of those too were driven from Nauvoo in September 1846. Brigham Young sent rescue parties from Garden Grove and Mt. Pisgah in Iowa and from Winter Quarters in Nebraska. The rescue parties found the cold and hungry refugees waiting in desperate circumstances on the river bank where we now stand.
THE RESTORED NAUVOO TEMPLE IS A MONUMENT TO THE SACRIFICES OF THE ORIGINAL SETTLERS
The Latter-day Saint pioneers completed the Nauvoo Temple in 1846, just before the few remaining Saints joined the trek west. Within five years, the temple was destroyed by fire and a tornado. The beautiful temple that you see now stands on the same site as original and is nearly identical in its exterior design. The restored temple was dedicated on June 27, 2002.
THIS WAS THE STARTING PLACE FOR ONE OF THE LARGEST RELIGIOUS MIGRATION AT ALL TIME
From here, the Later-day Saints pioneers began one of the largest religious migrations of all time in the next twenty years seventy thousands Saints from the Eastern United States and from Europe followed the "Mormon Trail" across the Great Plains by ox team, horse-drawn wagon, and handcart. They gathered in the tops of the Rocky Mountains where they could build their temple and cities and worship God in peace.
The exiled saints recorded in their personal journals the deep emotions they felt as they looked back upon their abandoned city,
We commenced crossing the river the weather being very cold and with large quantities of ice running in the river. We leave in the city of Nauvoo a good house of brick and a quantity of furniture, without making a sale of anything.
-John Henry Smith-
When I would wash a dish and raise it out of the water, there would be ice on it before I could get it wiped...I could not get warm from morning till night and night till morning. -Lucy Meseve Smith-
A beautiful city lay glittering in the fresh morning sun its bright new dwellings set in cool, green gardens. The unmistakeable marks of industry, enterprise and educated wealth every where made the scene one of singular and striking beauty...I landed at the chief wharf of the city. No one met me there...I walked through the solitary streets. The town lay as in a dream, under some dreaded spell of loneliness... Plainly, it had not slept long... The spinner's wheel was idle, the carpenter had gone from his work bench...The blacksmith's shop was cold... No one called out to me from any opened window, or dog sprang forward to bark an alarm...The door (of houses) were unfastened... I found dead ashes upon the hearth...On the outskirts of the town...fields of heavy-headed yellow grain lay rotting un-gathered upon the ground. No one was at hand on take to their rich harvest.
Colonel-
What could I do with my little means and my helpless family, in launching out into the wilderness? I had no male relative to take charge of my affairs...I will show them what I can do!
-Louisa Barnes Pratt-
On reaching the summit...the company made a halt for the purpose of taking a last peering look at Nauvoo Temple, the spire of which was then glistening in the bright shining sun. The last view of the temple was witnessed in the midst of sighs and lamentations, all faces in gloom and sorrow, bathed in tears at being forced from our homes and temple that had cost so much toil and suffering...
- Lewis Barney-
The city of the Saints was to be nothing more than a memory until God should determine otherwise. It had brought its joys. But its history was also one of sad reminiscences, apostasy, murderous intent and destruction. I was taking a final farewell of Nauvoo for this life. I looked back upon the temple and its city as they receded from view and asked the Lord to remember the sacrifices of his Saints.
-Wilford Woodruff-
This morning we had a direct manifestation of the mercy and goodness of God...Several large flocks of quails flew into camp. Some fell on the wagons, some under, some on the breakfast tables. The boys and the brethren ran about after them and caught them alive with their hands...Every man, women and child had quails to eat for their dinner and after dinner the flocks increased in size.
- Thomas Bullock-
This is the place where the Quail story was across the Mississippi River from the Nauvoo Temple.
Then we drove to Dave's Meat Store in Montrose. They have the best meat to buy anywhere!It was a special day.
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