Too humid but not enough to keep from serving.

I agree with Elder Andrew Talbot in his last letter from Canada!!!  It is tooooo hot and humid!!!!!   (which leaves my hair wet and straight).  But, what a small challenge to face considering all the experiences we are having at Nauvoo.  We have known the history of Nauvoo for a long time but it seems more real, more touching, and we are much more appreciative of what our ancestors faced during their stay in Nauvoo.

Tomorrow (June 1^st) we will start our summer schedule which will mean more days and longer hours.  Our p-day will still be on Monday.  We will serve from 1:25 pm-8pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday and 7:25am-2pm on Thursday and Friday.  Already we have seen an increase of visitors to the temple, especially over the Memorial Day Weekend.  Bus loads from Texas, Tennessee, Utah, Missouri, just to name a few.  It was fun to see numerous school buses this last week from surrounding schools bringing students for field days at the sites at Old Nauvoo.  Elder Talbot even had a couple and their young daughter from England who entered the Temple and approached the recommend desk and wanted a tour. 

Our community service continues along with our temple service.  For me this past week included working in the Tourism Office again where a gentleman had brought a friend from Germany to learn more about the Germans who had contributed so much to the development of Nauvoo after the Saints had left. This last Monday we donated cookies to the Community Memorial Picnic.  Then this Wednesday I did story time at the Public Library which I thoroughly enjoyed.  I hope they call me again.  Elder Talbot got to help clean the doors and windows at the Temple which was a special treat for him as he has been fascinated with the windows.

We had a special treat on Friday afternoon.  Jeff, our youngest son, and his family flew into Omaha and drove to Nauvoo to spend the weekend with us.  (And we are also excited because Kevan and his family will be here on Friday with Maylee, our great granddaughter!).  It was good to see our three granddaughters (and of course, their parents).  The first thing the girls wanted to do was go to the temple and do baptisms for the dead.  It was good to be in the temple again with our family. 

While they were here, we visited several sites and attended several programs put on by the Young Performing Missionaries.  These missionaries are very talented and have a very strenuous schedule.  We have watched them in the shows Sunset on the Mississippi and The Promise.  On Sunday night we walked along the Trail of Hope, lite by lanterns and torches, as the YPM’s took on the characters of some of Nauvoo pioneers and shared parts of their journals.

On Sunday, we took Jeff and his family to the Canton Branch for church where Elder Talbot and I had been asked to speak Sacrament Meeting.  Then we also taught the teenage Sunday School class which consisted of three young men and three young women (which included Annie and Eliza, our granddaughters.)  I was impressed with one of the young men who shared about his experience as he baptized his sister for the first time.  He also shared with us that the steps leading up to the Font (the steps where those being baptized use) have a rough surface but the steps that are used when they leave the font from the other side have a small, polished surface and is smooth.  I was impressed that he had compared the steps to coming out of the water clean and pure.  We had not noticed that before, but I checked today, and he was absolutely correct!!

After church we came home through Carthage and toured the Carthage Jail.  We both had been there before, but it was still touching for us to sit in the room where Joseph and Hyrum were killed and see the bullet holes in the door.  Elder Talbot was impressed by the following statement he read on one of the plagues.

“I never feel to force my doctrine upon any person; I rejoice to see prejudice give way to truth, and the traditions of men dispersed by pure principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”  Joseph Smith, Jr. – 1844

On Monday morning all the Temple Missionaries met at 8:50 am for a group picture in front of the temple. Sister Irion had sent out a standing chart, so everyone knew where to stand so all could be seen.  I was surprised to find us on the 4^th row behind a lot of tall people.  We were about to take the picture when 6 six reams of paper appeared for me stand on – 3 per foot!  Everyone got a good laugh.

Nauvoo is filled with “knowing someone who knows someone else”.  This past week we have connected with a missionary who lived in Chinook, Montana and knew the District President, Wesley Maddox that called Elder Talbot to serve as Branch President two different times.  Another missionary couple said that their daughter was talking in her ward about her parents serving and someone else said that his aunt and uncle were also serving – that was Nathan, our nephew from West Jordan.

This connection also happens while serving in the temple.  I have connected with Sarah Wadsworth from Winnemucca, President Brent Wadsworth’s sister-in-law, and Sister Done from Tucson who lived in our son,Jim and April’s old ward.

We love all the sites, shows, and people, but we most love serving the Lord in the Nauvoo Temple.  Thank you all for your love and support.

Henderson Family at the private tour of the brick yard.

Annie, Eliza, and Lydia enjoying the beautiful sunset on the Mississippi River

Our family outside the Canton Branch Chapel

Annie, Eliza, and Lydia looking up at the window Joseph Smith fell out of when he was murdered.

Three per foot!

Young Performing Missionaries during one of their performances across from the Post Office and Printing Shop.

Sister Moss and Sister Done (if you zoom in - look for two blondes with braids) during the finale of the Sunset on the Mississippi show.

Time sure flies when you are serving the Lord!

I can’t believe that another week has flown by.  This Friday we will have been here a month and we have enjoyed it everyday that we have been here.  It seems that each day brings another memory to add to our journals.  We have met more people, visited more of the Nauvoo sites on our service days (non temple days), and watched the nightly fireflies' show

One of the site missionaries had arranged a trip to the Zeph Mounds east of Hannibal, Missouri with a personal guide.  (When I found out that we had to take bug spray, I backed out as the bugs and me do not get along.  I’ve had bites on arms, legs, shoulders, and neck.  They just seem to like me.  Our kids say that is because I’m so sweet!  I wonder why Neil doesn’t get any?  Since then I think I have found the right bug bite remedy). 

The Zeph Mounds were discovered in 1834 when Joseph Smith led an expedition known as Zion’s Camp on a march from Kirtland, Ohio to Jackson County Missouri.  On June 3 while passing through west-central Illinois near Griggsville, some bones were unearthed from a mound and were assumed to belong to a Lamanite Chieftain warrior names Zeph.  Neil said it was interesting to see but was definitely full of bugs and was quite the hike to the top. The area is not developed and is not a tourism site.

The fun sites we have visited this week are the Family Living Center where they give demonstrations on bread making, candle making, rug making, weaving, and displays of the early tools that were used during that time frame.  We also visited the brick factory and watched the process of how bricks were made.  We walked the steepest stairs in Nauvoo in the Lucy Mack Smith home.  At the Seventies Hall we found out that if you had a relative that was in the Seventies, then you could sign a book.  Of course, Joseph Skeen was a Seventy, so it was pretty cool to sign my name in the book.  We also did the wagon ride, the carriage ride, and then the oxen wagon ride.  These were all informational and enjoyable.

In Nauvoo there are several types of missionaries under a different presidency.  The Temple Missionaries, the Site Missionaries (couples and young sisters), and the Young Performing Missionaries.  None of these missionaries are actively proselyting.  Any of those proselyting are part of the Des Moines Iowa Mission. 

We invited three Young Site Missionaries to dinner, Sister Moss and her two new companions.  It was enlightening to listen to them explain more about what their responsibilities were and how much history them must learn.  They are not assigned to just one site, but they rotate every week and have to learn the history connected to that site.  As all missionaries do, they asked if they could leave a message with us.  We were impressed by all three of them.  Their message came from the conference talk by President Russell N. Nelson about Revelation for our lives.  The thought that touched my heart was about after praying about our concerns, fears, and weaknesses, then listen and write the thoughts that come to your mind, and then act on them. This will be a talk that I want to read again and again.

Our visit to our small Canton Branch (158 miles round trip) was an experience yesterday.  The schools hold their graduation ceremonies on Sunday, so attendance was very scarce.  In fact, they didn’t hold Primary because no Primary children were in attendance.  Next week we get to talk in Sacrament Meeting and then sub for the one teenage Sunday class (only 4-5 teens).

Of course, the highlight of this week has been our temple service.  We are continuing to learn the “Nauvoo” procedures and are gearing up for the busy season which will start June 1^st.  At that time, we will have one day as a p-day and then serve in the temple five days.  We’ve also had the opportunity to serve patrons as they come to the temple to receive personal revelation, worship, and to be sealed together as families forever.  The temple is definitely a House of the Lord.

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Video of President Nelson from last week that didn't work

Picture in case video still doesn't work.  President Irion, President Ballad and security guard in back.  President Nelson and Sister Irion in front.

Wagon Ride

Oxen ride

Dan and Duke

Barge on Mississippi River.  Zoom in to see the little Tugboat pushing the 9 barges (3 in a row for 3 rows)

Sister Moss and her companions for dinner.  Her companions had only been here for 2 days.

First process of the brick making

Great Great Grandpa Skeen listed in book of Seventies

UNEXPECTED VISITOR AND APOSTOLIC BLESSING

Last week was truly a spiritual high and we didn’t think it could get any better – but it did!!!

On Monday night We noticed an email from President Irion (Our Temple President) which said:  “…Our first item of significance is to let you know about a special missionary meeting that will be held in the temple this Wednesday morning, May 9^th.   We will hold it in the Assembly Room and you may come in Sunday attire.  Please arrive by 10:45 AM.  It will conclude by noon.  We promise you that you will not want to miss it!”

As we served Tuesday several asked questions about the meeting but was not given a direct answer.  Most heard that we would be getting a phone call about it.  Our upstairs neighbor was to contact and reminded us about the meeting.  When asked what it was about, he didn’t know for sure but had heard rumors that there was an apostle in town.

As we got to the temple in the morning, it was quiet and peaceful as we listened to the organ music playing.  It reminded me of Sister Irion when she came into the first prep meeting on our first shift and there was lots of visiting.  She quieted us down and said we should be inviting the spirit. This is what it reminded me of this Wednesday morning as everyone waited quietly for the meeting to start.  We needed to prepare ourselves to receive the spirit during our meeting.

Soon, one by one people came in, then Sister Sherri Dew, Sister Irion, came walking in from the back, Irion came from the back with Sister Nelson (her step-mother) and sat on the front row.  Then we knew President Nelson was there.  What a feeling!!!!

President Nelson, President Irion, and President Ballard then entered the room from the side door.  We were definitely on a very spiritual high.  President Ballard spoke to us first and talked about his history with Nauvoo.  He is a great, great, grandson of Hyrum Smith and always feels close to ancestors when visiting here. 

Then President Nelson talked about the importance of work we are doing and helping the Lord do it in his way and in his time frame.  He referred to us as a distinguished group of disciples. He took his phone out was going to read us some verses from the Doctrine and Covenants.  He said, “he had dialed it up”.  Then he said, ‘I hit a wrong button but, oh, well, I know it anyway.”  Another thing he did that was very impressive was that he gave the temple missionaries an Apostolic Blessing.  Among other things he blessed us with health and strength, with our Illness (if it is the Lords’ will and blessed our family and descendants because of our service.

It was very humbling to be in their presence.  After the meeting, they all walked across the street in front of the temple to see the statutes of Joseph and Hyrum Smith on their horses, depicting their last ride to the Carthage Jail.  Some of the fun facts is when we had dinner at the Irion’s on Sunday night to hear her refer to President Nelson as “Daddy” and then to see how human he was as a 93 year old using his I-Phone.  Afterwards, the group went to the Visitor’s Center and talked to the Site Missionaries and the Young Performing Missionaries.

Other events since our last post:

Canton Branch:  We love being assigned to a small branch about 1 hr 45 min. out of Nauvoo.  They have about 150 + members but all arenot active.  They have a phase 2 Chapel with only two aisles with four benches on one side and 5 benches on the other side with only three rows of chairs in the overflow.  It brings back lots of memories of our days in the small branches.  I helped teach Primary yesterday and loved every minute of it.

Barged:  We got barged!!!!  (a term that was used in the temple to alert us to maybe an issue for us.)  We made a trip to Fort Madison to pick up a few more things for our apartment and our way home we got barged – the bridge we needed to cross is a swing bridge when the barges and ships travel down the Mississippi River and need to go under the bridge.  We had to wait about 30 minutes for the bridge to swing back in place, so we could cross

German:  When President Irion set me apart as an Ordinance Worker, he blessed me that I would recall things from my memory.  I just thought it would be about the instructions and ordinances I needed to remember in the temple but not my German from my high school and college days.  On Tuesday we had two sisters who only spoke German and I remembered enough to help them.  What an unexpected blessing. 

Land and Record Office:  On my service day I visited the office and was looking up information on Joseph Skeen, Mark Talbot, and Daniel Hunsaker (a relative of Jean Freestone that she had asked to look up).  I found a lot for Jean and on Joseph Skeen and a little on Mark Talbot and have all the information saved on flash drives.  Just as I was leaving a site missionary, Sister Wayment was leaving.  It turns out that her (Chyrrl Stratford Wayment) and I went to high school together at Weber High. What a small world.

Reunions:  And the world got a little smaller.  At a community event on Thursday night, I saw another site missionary, Elder Lowe.  He was my Geometry teacher my junior year in high school, also at Weber High.  He even remembered where I sat in his room.  A little while later, I heard, “Sister Talbot.”  It was Sister Kyra Moss from Sparks, another site missionary.  She got here the Wednesday after we did.  We both had been looking for each other.  On Friday, we toured the Cultural Hall where she was serving that day.  She gave us a personal tour.  She explained how the Nauvoo Legion used the 2^nd floor for their meetings especially after the Prophet was killed.  My great great grandpa, Joseph Skeen, was member of that legion and probably attended meeting there.  Another cool feeling.  We also found out that we don’t live very far apart.

Family History Classes:  We have been talking the Family History Classes every Friday afternoon and I have learned so much in just the four lessons.  I have been adding record hints, finding children and spouses, and finding family names to take to the temple.  I love doing the research.

Serving in the Tourism Office:  As part of our community service, we spent a couple of hours in the Tourism Office on Mulholland Street.  We sure learned a lot more about the overall history of Nauvoo and who occupied and helped preserve the city until the Nauvoo Restoration Project started and purchased a lot of the land back to what we have today.  I have a greater appreciation for the Catholics, Community of Christ, Icarians, and the Germans!!!!

As you can tell about the length of this post that we are totally loving it here and are being blessed and enriched by serving our Mission.  We still love our Reno Temple and the spirit is the same in whichever temple you attend but, we are having some memory lasting experiences here and totally appreciate our early pioneers and the faith they had to withstand their hardships.

We love and miss all of you,

Elder and Sister Talbot

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Attached pictures:

1. President Nelson at Statue of Joseph and Hyrum (Video)

2. Us at Statue across from Temple

3.  YPM (Young Performing Missionaries) at Community Event

4. Sister Moss

5. Old Stone Arch Bridge - Mormons built to drain swamps

6. Canton Branch

Spiritual Feasts and Physical Challenges

Saturday morning, April 28, brought more moving in and getting things settled. We took time in the morning to go for a short walk (which turned into a long one).  We live in what they call the flats.  All the streets are small two lanes which are barely paved.  All the streets are lined up in small square blocks.  This is the area that has been restored to be like the homes and businesses that were here originally, such as the Post Office, Bootery, Blacksmith, etc.

We were just going to walk down the street we live on for a couple of blocks.  What we found out was that we live on a very historical street – Parley Street.  This is the street that the early Saints walked down to reach the Mississippi River when they left Nauvoo because of the mobs and violence against them.  About midway down the street, the Church has setup the “Trails of Hope”.  It used to be called the “Trail of Tears” but President Hinckley said it needed to be changed to Hope because of the faith and hope that they would be led to a place where they could worship in peace.  There are several markers along the way giving quotes taken from several journals.  It was very touching to be walking on the same trail as our pioneers just hoping that I could have the faith and courage to withstand my trials and challenges.  I’ve attached pictures of a couple of the markers on the trail.

In the afternoon from 2-5:30 pm, we started our training at the Temple where we were set apart by President Richard Irion as Ordinances Workers of the Nauvoo Temple.  This was a very humble experience.  Afterwards we attended a welcome dinner at the Nauvoo Stake Center where we were briefly introduced to all the temple missionaries and some of the district temple workers.  There are 25 couples called the “Newbies” that came in the same day as. we did.  Another 10 couples have been serving from one month to one year.

Sunday (after regular church meetings), Monday, and Tuesday were spent in the Temple receiving instructions, inspirational messages, and training.  These were the days we joked about being spiritually feed and physically dead!  But it was so awesome to have several of our meetings in the Assembly Hall in the Temple.  President Irion had to get special permission from the First Presidency to hold our meeting there.  Even though the Nauvoo 2 Temple is mostly built like the original Temple, there was quite the spirit as we listened to the Temple Presidency and Matrons speak to us.

We are scheduled to serve in the Temple on Tuesdays, Thursday, and Saturdays with Wednesdays and Fridays being our service days during the month of May.  On our service days we can do Family History, be a patron in the temple, work on the temple grounds, or do service in the community.  We signed up to read to kids in the schools, work in the food pantry, and work in the Tourist Office.  We are scheduled to have eight Family History lessons during this month.  We attended our first two lessons on Friday and learned some new buttons to click.

Friday I also visited the Lands and Records Offfice (only two houses from where we live) and searched on records on my Great Great Grandfather Joseph Skeen and his family.  It was very interesting, and I am going back  with a flash drive to get a copy of all the records that are there.

Another interesting thing Elder Talbot found on one of his walks was a memorial to some of those who had lost their lives on the trek west.  He found Joseph Hyrum Skeen and Mark Talbot.  We know who Joseph Hyrum was but Mark Talbot will lead us to more research.

Not only have we had training, serving in the temple, and doing service, we have had a few social events.  On Saturday night we had the welcome dinner.  Sunday night we had dinner with three other couples.  This morning the temple missionaries fed the Young Performing Missionaries breakfast (our assignment was just to furnish a ham). Tomorrow after our regular church meetings, we have a “Break the Fast” dinner at the Irion’s with four other couples.

I should mention that tomorrow’s regular meetings for us is in Canton Branch in Canton, Illinois (near Peoria, Illinois).  Travel time is about 1 ½ hours with church starting at 10 am.  We understand that it is quite a small branch.  We can’t hold callings but we can substitute, talk, play the piano and lead the music, and any other assignment the Branch President will give us.  We will know more after our first meeting with them.

We have survived one week of instruction, training, and service as ordinance workers.  Even with the long days and sometimes frustration, we have enjoyed the special spirit that is here in the temple and are looking forward to more weeks of service.  Our lives have been blessed.

Elder and Sister Talbot

Pictures:

1.  Elder Talbot in back of Temple

2. & 3.  Plaques from the Trail of Hope

4.  Elder and Sister Talbot just leaving Temple

5. & 6.  Skeen and Talbot names on Memorial Wall

7.  Beautiful sunset on the Mississippi River just a few blocks away from our apartment

8.  Nauvoo Temple at dusk