This may seem like the same vacation that I already posted about, but there was two sides to this vacation and it didn't seem right to put them together.
Our journey of faith actually started a few days before we left for our road trip. Dan and I and his parents visited Adam Ondi Ahman . Dan stood on "Preachers rock" where Joseph Smith had preached to a valley of followers and his sermon was heard for miles.
We were able to see this beautiful area of Missouri where we believe the tribes of Israel will be gathered again before the second coming.
It was peaceful and calming there, we saw two sweet little yellow butterflies flitting along together along the trail we walked. As we emerged from the woods and headed back to our car we passed an tree filled field and a woman was there with her violin playing "Nearer my God to thee" it was moving and just perfect!We visited the lIberty MO jail and saw the conditions in which the prophet and his assistants were held for a ruling 6 months until a judge found them innocent of all charges and let them go. There was some horrible trials that came during that time in fact, the members of the church where chased out of their homes and up rooted to Nauvoo and as a leader he was literally in capable of helping them. Not to mention his own wife and children, Mother and family members.
The scriptures in D&C that were written during that time are invaluable when faced with a trial and I know he suffered through those horrible times in order to feel that pain and be able to be told that Savior had suffered more and since we are not above Him should we not expect to be exempt from trials, and the Lord intends our trials to be for our own good.
The saints worked hard and long to build the Temple (this is a recreation of the exact one) they finished and received the blessings of the temple just in time to be chased off and have the mob light the temple on fire. They watched it burn while they rode out of town with fraction of the things they owned and a hope for a place to settle and call their own. I think of how I take having a temple near me for granted after all they went through.
It was surreal to sit in the grove that Joseph often taught of his revelations, and preached in -and listen to a man who looked like him and repeated his words. It made me feel like I would have loved to sit at the prophets feet and learned. I actually longed for the opportunity to be one of those pioneers even with all they went through. Their faith and determination, the love they had for one another, the local government was a utopia in my eyes.
We saw a small reading of letters that Joseph and his wife wrote each other while they were apart for his errands of the church, or while in jail. Their relationship was so tender and sweet and marred by a refiners fire like no other. Remembering he was man - with a large task and he went through so many challenges, was never paid for his work, gave away most of what he had and his wife served right along side of him. When he was killed her heart must have broke into a thousand pieces.
Jailed for treason after already being found innocent on that same charge earlier, Joseph and his brother and a few friends had actually gone and turned them selves in in order to get the record set straight. However Joseph knew he would never go home. He knew this was his last time being held.
A militia that actually would like to see him dead were set as guards to protect him around the prison. So it is no wonder when a mob came- it wasn't hard to get through the guards.
The prophet fell through the window to his death.
The people who killed him thought that would end the church, it would end thousands of immigrants joining them and effecting their votes, city make up and desire to build a temple.
What they didn't understand was the church wasn't Joseph's. It's Jesus Christ church- established just as it was when Jesus Christ walked the earth and Christ is not dead so the work would go on, without Joseph even....
After his death the saints finished the Temple, and were chased out of Nauvoo - they went a ways (Nebraska) and stopped to prepare for winter. There were so many deaths at this "Winter quarters"
So many sacrifices - and yet those who lost loved ones and made it through to the Salt lake valley said it was worth it (reading from their journals) it took them another 40 years to build the SLC temple, but it was a never failing goal.
Now those graves stand in the shadow of an Omaha Nebraska Temple.
They did it so their descendants would have these same blessings and that they could know of the gospel of Christ.
Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
'Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this, and joy your hearts will swell—
All is well! All is well!
2. Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
'Tis not so; all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward
If we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
Our God will never us forsake;
And soon we'll have this tale to tell—
All is well! All is well!
3. We'll find the place which God for us prepared,
Far away in the West,
Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;
There the Saints will be blessed.
We'll make the air with music ring,
Shout praises to our God and King;
Above the rest these words we'll tell—
All is well! All is well!
4. And should we die before our journey's through,
Happy day! All is well!
We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
With the just we shall dwell!
But if our lives are spared again
To see the Saints their rest obtain,
Oh, how we'll make this chorus swell—
All is well! All is well!
