a collection of certainly special, uniquely unusual, and equally momentous thoughts: memoirs of me

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Feeling like a real Mormon

There are a lot of people who grow up going on vacation to church history sites in the mid west and east, places like Nauvoo, Carthage, Harmony, the Sacred Grove, Palmyra, and so forth. They take the tours and see the sites and know the history.

I was not one of those people.

My family always went west or south or really south, never east. Yeah I’d been to the east coast a couple times but that was always by plane and the point was to go to a big city. Church history sites were never even mentioned.

It wasn’t until I decided to move across the entire country and my dad got the hair-brained idea to drive me there that the idea of maybe stopping in Nauvoo crossed our minds.

To be honest, I wanted to get where I was going at first, that was DC. Yeah I wanted to see Nauvoo but I wasn’t completely into it probably because I was anxious to get to my new place, meet my new roommates, and start my new life.

Well I’m glad we stopped, like really glad. I feel like a real Mormon now because I can say I’ve been to those places.

We pulled into Nauvoo late Friday night and couldn’t see much because there weren’t many streetlights and no hustle or bustle. The temple, however, was lit up in all its glory. It was a sight to behold. It took my breath away.

The next morning we got up early and not really knowing what to do or where to head we ended up at the Community of Christ visitors center. We hadn’t realized that our church has a visitor’s center as well (we eventually found it don’t worry). We took a tour and really enjoyed seeing the Homestead, Mansion House, Nauvoo House, Red Brick Store, and most of all, the gravesites of Joseph, Hyrum, and Emma. To think that the prophet of the Restoration is buried there brought a sacredness to that place. I stood there in reverence as I thought of the blessings I have received as a result of the work and sacrifice of Joseph Smith. I was humbled.

Next we headed to our own visitors center and were immediately greeted by the sister missionaries (which I always love to chat with) who gave us a quick tour of the center and then directed us to get tickets for the wagon ride. An hour later we hopped into large family-style wagon and drove around other important homes and places of business, all renovated and stocked with lot of senior missionary couples- their smiles faces and waving arms made me feel loved.

I was overcome with emotion when at last we drove down Parley Street. In my minds eye I could picture the pioneers, filled with hope and a gleam in their eye after having received their endowments in the newly dedicated Nauvoo temple, looking onward past the Mississippi River into the completely unknown, and not knowing what was ahead of them. It must have been scary, they must have been filled with so much faith and hope and love. They pressed on during that bleak and icy winter knowing that families were eternal and God would lead them to Zion if they just put their trust in Him. They left their beloved temple behind.

My mom has often said that one of her dreams is to go to Nauvoo and with her family walk down Parley Street just like President Hinckley talked about. I hope to do that exact thing with her someday. I want to walk down that trail of hope with my own loved ones and feel the pioneer spirit in the air.

After that we had to rush to Carthage and arrived just in time for the last tour of the day to start. After such an emotional day already I was grateful to be in one last sacred spot. Going through Carthage jail brought all my childhood stories and Sunday School lessons alive. To be in those very rooms and picture the events that took place there was an honor to experience. We sang a hymn as a group that brought such a sweet spirit. Finally arriving in the room where the martyrdom took place filled my heart with gratitude and awe. I saw the hole in the door, the window he fell out of, the bed that became protection for a friend.

I was humbled.

To have a testimony of Joseph Smith and the Restoration is an integral part of my religion. It means that I believe in continuing and modern day revelation from a loving Heavenly Father to a living prophet on earth. It means that I believe in the Book of Mormon. It means that Jesus Christ restored His church on the earth today.

I’m glad Nauvoo and Carthage could come alive to me. I’m grateful for the spirit I could feel in both places.

I had a testimony before and seeing where Joseph Smith sacrificed so much, even his own life, helped me know just one more time, this this church is true.

The gravesites

Parley Street

The glorious Nauvoo temple

Carthage Jail


No comments:

Post a Comment