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
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