God's Tender Mercys at Work

       There is a great spiritual nature to our mission here in Nauvoo.  I want to tell you a little about that aspect of our service here, but first, a word of explanation. This blog is being sent to many persons of differing beliefs, and some of you may not share our interest in this topic. So if you think this discussion might not appeal to you, you might want to skip down to the bottom of this posting where we have added a few more pictures. We can even arrange for a life size picture of Pam and I in costume to be sent to you for mounting on your living room wall.  But we invite all those who want to share in the full experience to read and enjoy.

       On Good Friday before Easter, we were able to participate in a rather amazing event. We were pleased to learn that the various religions in Nauvoo (Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian, Church of Christ, Mormon, etc) have a very cordial and cooperative spirit toward each other, because such is not always the case elsewhere in the world. As I am sure you all know, some of the churches throughout the United States are quite antagonistic toward our Church, but in Nauvoo, there is great respect among the 8 or 9 church congregations here.  On Good Friday this past week, Pastors, Ministers,  Priests and other clergy and their members from most of the other churches gathered in our Church's Stake Center, (the main Mormon Church building in Nauvoo) for a joint Interfaith service to remember Christ's resurrection. Each church was assigned to set up in one of the large rooms of the Stake Center, and the entire audience moved from room to room to hear each of the Ministers, Priests, Pastors and other clergy give a 10 minute presentation or sermon about Christ and his ministry and his sacrifice for us. They had gotten together ahead of time and assigned each a small part of the Easter Story to tell. It was very heartwarming to hear how each of the teachers felt the same love for the Savior, and to realize how much we have in common. We all commented to each other afterward that had we not known who was presenting the lesson, it could have been the very presentation our own clergy would have given in our own church buildings.  We all stood around afterward, thankful for the Savior, not as 9 different religions, but all as Christians, worshipping Christ.  And each was thankful for the good works done by each other church congregation. 

        Nauvoo is an amazing place. There are 32 historic sites in and around Nauvoo, each of which gives you the strong sense of the hand of God in the lives of those early pioneers. Visitors constantly comment on the special spirit they feel as they tour our various facilities.  Miracles abounded here, as told in the journals of those who resided in Nauvoo in the 1840's. We have yet to see a tour at the Carthage Jail, for example, (where Joseph Smith and his brother were assasinated by a mob), where many of the visitors did not leave the jail with tears in their eyes.

      A favorite spot is the Riser Boot shot, owned by George Riser.   In 1840, George, not then a member of our Church, owned a boot and shoe business in Ohio, about 600 miles from Nauvoo.  An employee of his told him about Joseph Smith and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (known to many as the Mormon Church). As the employee told George about the Church, God's spirit confirmed that George was hearing the truth, and  George was inspired to sell his business, put his wife and infant son in a wagon, and drive them to Nauvoo to meet the prophet and learn more about this new religion. (This was a 28 day journey by wagon.....not just a sunday afternoon drive).  Shortly after their arrival in Nauvoo, the little boy became gravely ill and George asked Joseph Smith to give the boy a priesthood blessing. Joseph did so, and the child was immediately healed. George and his family were baptised and became strong members of the Church, and George was known for his boots which were of very good quality, but relatively inexpensive.

       The pioneers' journals tell story after story about miracles that occurred as they began to prepare to leave Nauvoo and travel across the plains to Salt Lake City,  The dedication of these early pioneers is truly an inspiration to all of us.  They knew many would die on the arduous journey across the rockies, but they knew that God was with them, and that those who died along the way would be waiting in heaven and be reunited as a family because of the sealing power of the Temple.

       Jonathan Browning, the inventor of the repeating rifle, (his company is now called Browning Arms, one of the most successful firearms companies in the world) became a member of the Church in 1840. Just before the mormons were driven out of Nauvoo by the mobs, he and his wife lost a child who was only 6 weeks old.  While one might expect Jonathan to be angry with God for this loss, he instead dedicated the last few months of his time in Nauvoo to helping to complete the Temple, donating much money and time so the Temple could be finished in time for the residents of Nauvoo to attend the Temple and have their families sealed to them for eternity.  It was that important for him to know that he would have that little child with him again in the life to come, because he also knew that it only through such sealing that families are assured of being together. When it came time for the Pioneers to leave Nauvoo, Browning was among the first to leave in one of the first Wagon companies.  He left behind his gunsmith business and his home.  When the wagon train reached Council Bluffs, Nebraska, Brigham Young asked Browning to remain in Council Bluffs for awhile to help the ensuing wagon trains to get fitted properly and head to Salt Lake.  Browning ended up fulfilling that assignment for 5 years, then he eventually joined one of the wagon trains heading to Salt Lake.  I marveled at that dedication and wondered if I would have been able to be so faithful in the face of such adversity,

       In the blacksmith shop, we tell visitors about the families who made many of the wagon parts for their own wagons that would eventually take them to Salt Lake, how they left their homes and farms and businesses to go west, all because a Prophet of God told them they had to leave and go west to avoid the serious bloodshed that would follow if they remained. The visitors get tears in their eyes as they read the journal entries of those who left, and as they visualize the long line of wagons heading down Parley Street to the Mississippi River in February of 1846 to cross the river and head west, never again to see their beloved city. One of those entries reads:

     "My last act in that precious spot [she is describing her beloved home] was to tidy the rooms,sweep up the floor and set the broom in its accustomed place behind the door. Then with emotions in my heart, I gently closed the door for the last time and faced an unknown future, faced it with faith in God.............".

       As you can imagine, we feel a wonderful spirit as we share these events with our guests.

       In the Book of Mormon, which is a series of scriptures translated from ancient plates by Joseph Smith through the help of God, there is an event portrayed that is of great importance to present-day Mormons. It records that in approximately 600 BC, a prophet named Lehi had a vision which we call the "Tree of Life".  It showed Lehi that to reach God's Kingdom in the life hereafter, one has to stay on a straight and narrow path, avoiding the temptations of the world. The vision showed Lehi that one could go astray easily through pride, disobedience of commandments, and other such temptations. And then God showed Lehi that the way to avoid these temptations was to hold on to an "Iron Rod" that led through the darkness and allowed people to avoid the river, the fog, peer pressure, and the other pitfalls of life.  The "Iron Rod" was God's teachings and commandments, meaning that if we take that path in life, not letting go of the important principals we know about, we can make it to the end, and live again with God after we die. The children in our church are taught about holding onto the Iron Rod, and there is even a song they sing to remind them. I tell you all this because in the Blacksmith Shop, we make miniature horseshoes for the children to take home as a remembrance of their time in Nauvoo.  While we make these horseshoes, we start with a rod of iron, and we heat, shape, pound, and mold the end of the rod to make it into a tiny horseshoe.  But all the while we do so, we have to hold tight to the Iron Rod...or we cannot make the horseshoe.  They quickly see the correlation.....holding to the Iron Rod in life makes our lives more successful just as it made our horseshoes more successful.

       The idea to use the "Iron Rod" reference came to me my first day in the Blacksmith shop, when one of the new Missionaries tried to make a horseshoe without keeping the Iron Rod attached.  It was quite hilarious.  He would lay the horseshoe on the Anvil, hit it with the hammer, and it would fly across the room. He tried to pick it up and burned his fingers.  I said "You needed to hold onto the Iron Rod till the horseshoe is finished.....".  I was then inspired to use that in my presentations there, and it has been quite interesting to see the responses.

        That is all I have time to tell about here, but we will continue to write about our experiences.  If I have brought up any subjects that any of you would like to know more about, please feel free to call, or email, or write me, and I'd be glad to explain.  We love sharing this important aspect of our lives, as we have seen what the gospel of Jesus Christ has done for so many persons and families.

       We love all of you and look forward to seeing some of you when you arrive in Nauvoo to visit.  For those who want to come, you will need reservations to see the Musical Productions (although they are free) so either let me know you are coming, and when, or you can call the Nauvoo Visitors Center and make those reservations.  Also, there is a Wagon Ride and a Carriage Ride pulled by our giant Percheron and Belgian draft horses  (Our favorite teams are Bill and Bob, and Tim and Tim) (please be sure to take BOTH rides) and those also require reservations.  Those spaces fill up fast, so make reservations for those also at the Visitors Center, or through me. (I was checking the reservation book the other day and many rides are already booked up for July and August).

       Thanks for letting me share our thoughts............. And Pam provided much of the input for this posting.

Now for a few more pictures:

Here is Pam and I in front of the Cultural Hall, about to being our show, dressed in our "Show" outfits.

This is the old Blacksmith/Wainwright shop. (A wainwright makes wagons, a wheelright makes wheels, and the blacksmith makes all the metal parts for each)

Till Next time............:)



Jerry and Pam