Nauvoo, Illinois
7/17/2012
Nauvoo, our next destination, had no hotel room available
on the night we were arriving – a situation I’ve never seen before. Instead, I
found a Star Motel a little over halfway to the town in a place called Macomb.
It was super cheap and kind of scary on the outside, but inside it was one of
the nicer places we’ve stayed. Daniel and Philip had a queen bed to share.
Daniel was excited. Philip was not. He insisted on sleeping on the floor. Who
were we to argue?
In the morning we continued on our way to Nauvoo. Hebrew
for “beautiful city” it was founded by Joseph Smith and his Mormon followers. Joseph
Smith was killed by an angry mob and the Mormons were asked to leave. From here
new leader Bringham Young led his people to a new home in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Since Mormons consider Joseph Smith to be a prophet to whom God revealed a new
testament of Jesus Christ (The Book of Mormon) it goes without saying that
Nauvoo – unknown to the rest of us – is seen as a very sacred place to many
Mormons.
Anyway, the Mormons were kicked out, but in recent years
some have returned to restore the old town as it was in the 1840s. Schultz
calls it “the Williamsburg of the West.” Costumed interpreters wander the
streets and buildings demonstrating 19th century crafts and such. At
the end of each demonstration id a little spiritual message and an
encouragement to send out the postcards they had on hand to anyone we knew who
might need to hear the message of the Gospel. I didn’t mind. After all, we were
on their turf. (And everything is completely free.)
It was obvious very few non-Mormons would go to this
place, so I think it was assumed we were Mormons too. We took the kids on an
ox-cart ride: designed for fun, but it had a serious side. The guide explained
it was a way for Mormons to see what it was like leaving Nauvoo on the long
journey across the frozen Mississippi River. (They literally walked across it.)
Several of the people on the ride discussed solemnly about how when they were
asked to leave, they did so peacefully, leaving the abandoned town in pristine
condition – The guide mentioned that many families cleaned their curtains the
day they began their journey. I suppose, in a way, some Mormons must see this event as their "exodus."
I may disagree with a lot of Mormon theology, but we
share a lot of the same ethics, especially when it comes to the family. (This
is the first place we’ve ever taken our children and not gotten some sort of
comment!) Regardless, one can’t deny the Mormons unique role in American
history. For me to ignore this role entirely because I don’t completely agree
with them would be pretty ignorant. Exactly where Mormons fit in in American
society is a matter of debate, but at Nauvoo they get a chance to say their
piece. Certainly, they deserve that.
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