NEVADA WEEK IN NAUVOO

Each week we have served in Nauvoo has brought different experiences that have blessed and enriched our lives.  We are so thankful for all our family and friends and so appreciate all the love and support shown to us.  It was an awesome week.

On Tuesday, Sister Wahlquist gave us note that the Mitchell’s had asked about us.  They didn’t know us but Bob and Marlies Talbot (Elder Talbot’s brother) had asked them to say hello from them.

On Wednesday morning we got a text and then a visit from Brett, Martha, and Rebecca Corbett from Carson City.  They work in the temple with us in Reno and were celebrating their 25^th wedding anniversary with their trip to Nauvoo.  It was so good to see our friends.  We also saw them in the Temple later that day and after the British Pageant that night.  I also saw another familiar face in the temple that morning that we knew from quite a few years ago, Chris Foote.  Elder Talbot also met Dave Foote.  They had just been released from serving as Mission President in Georgia and were on their way home.  Sister Foote was our daughter Caralee’s Laurel Advisor and had quite an impact on her when we first moved to Reno.  They had later moved to Las Vegas.

Brett Corbett and family with Elder and Sister Talbot after the British Pageant

On Thursday, we were to serve on the 9am session when another temple missionary came to the 3^rd floor to say that someone was asking about us and said they were good friends of ours.  It was Kathy and Pete Doughtery.  It was such a special surprise for us and they also work with us in the Reno Temple and Sister Doughtery also works in the office.  Again, we were able to see them before the Nauvoo Pageant and get a selfie that night.

Also, on Thursday, we decided to check out the Country Fair before the Nauvoo Pageant.  With a few thousand people milling around, a guy walked up to Elder Talbot and asked if he was a Talbot from Reno.  It was Brent Weed (President Weed’s son from Wisconsin).  Brent and Mary Ann lived in Reno while he was going to med school and went to the same ward years ago as Scott and Megan.  It is such a small world.  Scott, Megan, and Christine arrived Saturday night in time to visit with them Sunday morning at church.

Selfie with Kathy Doughtery before the Nauvoo Pageant

Brent and Mary Ann Weed at the Country Fair

Elder Talbot at the Country Fair.

We have so enjoyed having the Sparks Talbots here and showing them the sites and sounds, yes, lots of music sounds much to Scott’s dismay and Christine’s delight!!!!!  After church on Sunday, we headed to Carthage to visit the jail where Joseph and Hyrum were killed.  There were long lines to take the tour but were entertained by the Young Performing Missionaries (YPMs) while we waited.  Then we headed back to Nauvoo to watch the Sunday Concert with the YPMs.   Just as we were leaving the theater at the Visitors Center, a guy in back on us asked to see our name tags.  It was Curtis Hill who was our son, Jeff's Teacher Advisor in Reno.  He had moved to Minnesota several years ago.  Again, it was amazing with 200+ in the theater and we sit one row in front of them.  We saw them again Monday night at Sunset By the Mississippi River Program.

Who is really enjoying the musical "The Promise"?

Curtis and Irene Hill.

Another interesting connection is that one of the YPMs is Sister Isaacson from Alpine, Utah.  We wondered if she is related to the Isaacson’s in my family.  Next time I see her I’ll ask the name of her Grandfather or Great Grandfather.

Sister Isaacson a YPM from Alpine, Utah - is she a relative? 

Visiting some of the sites with the Sparks Talbots Sunday and Monday has been awesome. It has been great having family here to share some of our experiences and the special spirit we feel here in Nauvoo.  Monday we saw Just Plain Anna Amanda, The Promise, Sunset by the Mississippi, and then the British Pageant in between the Gunsmith Shop and Tin Shop.  I think Scott and Elder Talbot was about “musicaled out” but Christine and Megan and I were in “music heaven”!!!!!  However, the spiritual messages from our days activities again strengthened our testimonies of the gospel and our appreciation for the faith and courage our ancestors had in order to handle the challenges and trials that they faced as they accepted the gospel. This experience encourages us to do hard things.

Christine, Sister Kyra Moss, and Megan at the Wilford Woodruff Home.

Megan, Scott, Sister Talbot, and Christine eating gingersnap cookies at the Scovil Bakery

Wilford Woodruff home tour with Sister Moss and Sister Jeffords

Scott at the soybean field.  Notice how tall the beans are. There is a lot of farming in the area and it is either corn or beans.

Soybean pod.

With seeing all these friends and having family stay with us in Nauvoo has made us realize what an impact all these friendships and family members have made on our lives throughout the years.  It is like all the pieces of a puzzle that help complete our lives.  Each piece may seem small and unimportant when looking just at one piece, but, when all the small pieces are put together an amazing picture emerges.  Thank you, family and friends, including all those not in Nauvoo at this time, for all your love and support and the impact you have made on our lives.

Love,

Elder and Sister Talbot

OUR TREK

One would think the weather is a crazy topic for a missionary post, however, when it happens once or twice a week it is part of our experience.  This week we thought the sudden down pour would cancel the pageant, but it quit long enough for the performance and then started up again.  Nauvoo didn’t have any tornado warnings but there were several around us.  Our friends, the Ashcrafts were in Walmart at Keokuk when the warning went off.  The store was closed, and they moved everyone to the back of the store.  When they drove home, everything was dark and scary.  Elder Talbot was at the temple and got pictures of the down pour as he was driving home.

Rain storm on Thursday night that Elder Talbot took through the window of the car.

Just a few of the large raindrops that fell Thursday night.

In addition to all the bugs and insects we have seen here, we have watched a lot of wildlife.  We’ve seen hundreds of geese and their young ones, red cardinals and orioles.  Squirrels and rabbits are everywhere. Deer are quite often found in the flats.  Elder Talbot has even seen turtles on a log in the river.  And, we have had raccoons right beside our apartment.

Young raccoon just in back of our car in our driveway.

Squirrel eating cob of corn in the Park in Quincy where the Saints stayed when they crossed the Mississippi River before coming to Nauvoo.

A mom and her children eating dinner.  Elder Talbot saw them on his way to the Old Nauvoo Cementery last night - 15 July 2018.  Not many leaves on the lower branches of the tree.

Another unique thing in Nauvoo is the old Cyprus tree which was planted in 1857 and is the oldest tree in Nauvoo.   The roots are growing out of the ground.  It is located up the hill on Parley Street.

Look close at the Old Cypress Tree roots growing on top of the ground.

An interesting visitor to the temple this past week was Sister Smith from El Paso, Texas.  As she was leaving she told us that it was so nice to hear the ordinances in English.  Her stake and two others are assigned to the Ciudad Juarez Mexico Temple as it is closer than any other temple.  Also that is the area in Mexico for a lot of drug traffic and turmoil, the members were concerned about their safety for traveling to the temple.  Elder Scott told them that if they would travel directly to the temple and then travel directly back home, the angels would keep them safe.  She and several sisters have been traveling to and from the temple for several years now and have been safe.

Elder Talbot made a trip up Parley Street last night to visit the Old Nauvoo Cemetery where two Skeen children are buried  A lot of the headstones are breaking down from the wear and tear of the years.  

Old Nauvoo Cementery.  Many graves do not have headstones as they were afraid after they left Nauvoo that the mobs would dig up the graves

Plaque at the Old Nauvoo Cementery.

As we have watched the pageants, it brings to mind some of my ancestors that have made the trek to the Salt Lake valley.  Not all of them went through Navuoo.  The British Pageant tells of the Elders being sent to the British Isles in 1837.  My great great great grandfather John England joined the church in England in 1847 and made the trek across the plains to Salt Lake.  His daughter, Selena England Gibson, my great great grandmother, on my Dad’s side also came using the Perpetual Immigration Fund.  While still in England when she was 8 years old, she was put to work turning a wheel in a sails cloth factory for 10 cents a day.  When her father joined the church, she was “scoffed, rotten egged, and sneered at”.   She walked barefoot all the way across the plains until they reached the divide in Utah when she rode for one week as she had developed mountain fever.

Speaking of being scoffed and sneered at, we often have hecklers outside the temple and at the pageant entrance.  I would like to tell them that we acknowledge their right to heckle and carry signs so why don't they acknowledge our right to worship as we choose, but I don't because I know they do not want to listen.  The locals tell us that many of these hecklers are paid to do what they do.

Heckler outside the Temple this morning.

On Sunday in the Canton Branch, Brother Thomas talked about the 24^th celebration for the saints arriving in Salt Lake.  He talked about the Trek that Moses and his people traveled. He also talked about the trek of Lehi and his family.  He then related the trek the early saints made to the Salt Lake Valley. The last trek he referred to is our trek back to our Heavenly Father, which is the most important trek of our lives.  He asked us what we are doing with our Trek.  I have pondered his talk since them and wondered how I am doing on my Trek?  It gives one a lot to think about.  But I do know that whatever trials or challenges we are having at this time, John 17:3 is a reminder of what life is all about and how much Christ is there to help us as we use our faith in every footstep we take as we continue on our trek. 

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God,

and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.

Nauvoo Pageant

Have we said that we love serving in Nauvoo?  We do!!! 

Love,

Elder and Sister Talbot

DAILY GROWTH

Weather, weather, weather, but I will save the weather story for later!!!

This week has been full of dress rehearsals and pageants which means late nights at the pageant stage and a few early mornings at the Temple.  All the locals kept telling us that in July the attendance would double and triple and it has.  It makes for busy days with the time flying by but also makes for tired legs and feet.  But, we are enjoying every minute of it!  More and more every week, I come to love and appreciate all the District Ordinance Workers who travel a lot of miles to serve to serve with the Temple Missionaries.

Both the British Pageant and the Nauvoo Pageant are awesome.  The core cast and families do an excellent job and the storyline is very touching.  Elder Talbot is fascinated with the mechanics of the props and movement of the stage floors.  If given the chance, we would recommend that one see the British Pageant before the Nauvoo Pageant.

It was clever watching the ship being erected during the Pageant.  When the wind was blowing it really pushed the sails out and looked like a real ship.

Again, it is a small world.  When I was getting my hair done on Wednesday morning, a lady came into the shop and asked, “Who is from Nevada?”  It was Jill and Del Purcel from Fallon, Nevada.  Del was in the Fallon South Stake Presidency and I often exchanged communication with him in scheduling the ward youth baptisms for his stake.  They now live in Utah.  Again, it was fun visiting with someone from Nevada.

Friday night before the British Pageant, we went to the Log Cabins where Jim and Sandy Talbot (Neil’s older brother) and family were having a family reunion to celebrate Jim’s 80 birthday.  They had scheduled this reunion long before we received our call to serve.  It was so good to see and visit with them.  They had 29 of their family in Nauvoo.  They now have 17 grandchildren with 1 great granddaughter (Gwen) born just a few weeks after our great granddaughter, Maylee.  In fact, she looks quite a bit like Maylee and was just as small when she was born.  We also saw them at the British Pageant, the Temple, and just as they were leaving Nauvoo this morning.  It is always good to see family.

Jim and Sandy Talbot and family at the British Pageant

Gwen Kenney - Jim and Sandy's great great granddaughter.

The Talbot brothers

Now for the weather story.  Friday after our temple shift, we went with our friends, the Ashcrafts, to eat lunch in Lomax, IL.  On our way home, the clouds came and it starting raining but didn’t last too long.  So, when we went to perform in the British Pageant that night, we did take our umbrellas.  We parked in the Ashcraft’s driveway and walked the last few blocks to the Pageant.  It had been raining just a little off and on but quit when the show began.  It was almost to the finale where we would sing with the cast the last song,  when thunder and lightning began.  The thunder was very loud and startling.  Then when the lightning shows started in the sky, they stopped the pageant and told everyone to take cover.  We both had our umbrellas but they didn’t keep us dry. The sky just dumped a huge amount of water all at once.  By the time we walked back to our car, we were drenched from the waist down.  We were dripping water all over and were wet clear through.  One of the temple missionary sisters’ skirt was so wet that it fell off and she didn’t even know it.  Her husband saw it and retrieved it.  It was a good thing she had a black slip on.  Our only regret is that we didn’t take pictures of our dripping shoes and clothes.  However, I was able to save my hairdo and Elder Talbot saved his hearing aids.  We just laughed and said, “Another Nauvoo experience to remember.”  My shoes were still soaked in the morning.  Again, several trees in the flats were down the next morning.

On Saturday morning we visited two more historical sites.  As we entered the Riser Boot shop, Chad Talbot and his daughter, Holly were also there for the tour.  It was fun going on the tour with them.  The young site missionaries demonstrated how they made shoes.  Elder Talbot was fascinated with the small wooden pegs that were used to keep the soles on the shoes.  The Riser story is another example of the faith our ancestors had during this Nauvoo Era.  George Riser was born in Germany but he and his family migrated to America and settled in a German speaking community in Ohio when he was young.  He apprenticed as a shoemaker for three years and then worked as a journeyman shoemaker for another year.  By the time he was 22 he owned his own shop.

He learned about the "Mormons" from an employee and was so curious, he packed up his wife and baby son and traveled to Nauvoo.  After they arrived, the baby became very sick and Joseph Smith and Orson Hyde gave the baby a priesthood blessing and he was healed.  This led George and Christiana to be baptized.  George then sold his wagon and team of horses to purchase land & build a home and shop.  He was known for making good quality shoes at inexpensive prices. Later, the baby died but instead of blaming God, the Risers considered him to be the blessing that brought them into the church and their faith remained strong.

String keeps the leather attached to the sole of the shoe.

A pair of shoes at Riser Boot Shop cost $1.75.  Boots cost $5.50.  The average worker in Nauvoo earned about $1.00 per day. 

We also visited the Lyon Drug and Variety Store owned by Windsor and Sylvia Lyon.  The store’s shelves were filled with medicines, textiles, hardware, household items, spices, (and even a turkey) that would have been in the store during the 1840s.  The store is surrounded by a herbal and botanical garden showing what plants and herbs would have been in Lyon’s inventory.   The most interesting to us was the “bee box”.  Bees were hard to find so a bee box was made about 4” x 8” with two drawers.  Flour was put in the bottom drawer which was covered with a pull-out shelf.  The top of the box had a window in the center and was hinged.  Sweet bait laid on the closed shelf which attracted the bee.  When the bees took the bait, the top shelf was closed.  Then the shelf was pulled out to drop the bees in the flour.  The coated bees were now white and sluggish, so they were easy to follow back to their hives.  It would have been interesting to see those white bees.

Some of the items that could have been purchased in the drug store.

Where is the turkey?

Outside herbal and botanical garden.

The famous "bee box" sitting on top of the barrel!

Today (Monday) was our p-day and we decided to visit a few historic towns near Nauvoo before going grocery shopping.  Our first stop was Warsaw, IL.  It is located at foot of the Des Moines rapids of the Mississippi River and was the site of three military forts: Fort Johnson (1814), Cantonment Davis (1815–1818), and Fort Edwards (1816–1824).  The first settlers participated in fur trade and was an important trade and shipping center.  Thomas Sharp, editor of local newspaper Warsaw Signal,  helped found the anti-Mormon political party.  Because of anti-Mormon opposition, LDS church leaders directs the Saints in town to move to Nauvoo in December 1841.  Five of the nine men indicted for killing Joseph and Hyrum Smith lived in Warsaw.

The original Warsaw House, also known as the Fleming Tavern, was where the mob met after they killed Joseph and Hyrum at the Carthage Jail. Upon their return, some of the mob boasted they had “killed ol’ Joe.” Eliza Graham, who worked and lived there, served the mob that night. Being a Mormon, Eliza was the star witness for the prosecution at the trial. Her aunt who was not a Mormon, Ann Fleming, was the hotel owner and a witness for the defense. Ann contradicted Eliza’s testimony. All five of the accused were acquitted. Eliza moved to Nauvoo, married John Pack, and then moved to Utah. John Pack became a founder of the University of Utah. 

We were able to drive right down to the dock where a barge was being loaded.  (Barges still intrigue us).  We also found a Statue of Liberty that was funded by the Boy Scouts in memory of our freedom.

Close up view of the barge being filled.  This barge will travel all the way to New Orleans

Monument dedicated to the Fort Edward which was a military fortress in the early 1800s.

Statue of Liberty in Illinois?

We then drove on to Quincy and walked the area which is now a park where the saints first crossed the Mississippi river when they were driven from Missouri.  The Historical Museum is closed on Monday.  (It seems a lot of places are closed in Illinois on Monday).  Here the saints were welcomed, given food and shelter until they could recover and move on to Nauvoo.  Unlike Warsaw, Quincy is now a thriving city.  I just had to cross the bridge so I could say that I had been in three different states today.

Bridge to Missouri over the Mississippi River.  This is the place where the Saints crossed into Quincy.

These pictures of Elder Talbot by the corn field taken June 17^th then again on July  11^th shows how  much it has grown in less than a month.  We wished we had taken pictures of the progress of the corn fields every week as we traveled to Canton.  Each week the corn fields were growing taller and taller.  Elder Talbot and I have had quite a few discussions about how these cornfields are like our testimonies of the gospel.  We both had strong testimonies before coming on our mission but they have continued to grow every day and are much stronger than they were in April.  If the farmers do not continue to fertilize and if it does not rain, the corn would not grow to its potential.  It is the same way with our faith and testimonies.  Everyday we need do a little something to increase our testimonies of the gospel.  In Job 19:25 it states:  “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.”  We both testify to the truthfulness of this statement. 

Growth of the corn from June 17th to July 11th (yellow is reflection from the sun).

Another beautiful cloud formation and sunset as we left the Temple Saturday night.

DETOURS

Surprise --- no new weather stories this week.  The weather will always be high with humidity but as long as it is in the 80s we can endure, in fact, we even went for a walk last night and took a closer look at the prairie grass demonstration area.  This area gives one a snip-it into what the area would have been during the pioneer days.  Every March they have a Prairie Grass Burn program when the dry field is burned.

Prairie Grass Demonstrations

Elder Talbot next to the Prairie Grass Area that is full of grasses and wild flowers especially sunflowers.

We continue to enjoy the firefly show at dusk as they come up out of the grass to light up the area.  We have learned some very interesting facts about the insect.  The firefly is a nocturnal insect that belongs to the winged beetle group. While they don’t actually turn base metals into gold, they do create light as if by magic. “When a chemical called luciferin (note the same Latin root as Lucifer) inside their abdomen/tail combines with oxygen, calcium and adenosine triphosphate, a chemical reaction occurs that creates their spectacular light. (And then Mother Nature said, let there be bioluminescence!)”  There are fireflies in the Western States but they don’t all light up.  We have tried taking various pictures, but they are too fast to capture, however, we have now seen some up close.  The picture we have included isn’t ours but does show what they actually look like.

Firefly AKA Beetle

While serving at the Temple this week, we got two messages that a man (who was a retired policeman) and a young girl around 20 were looking for us.  It was quite a surprise.  Kevin Lieby (from Sparks) was passing through and had asked about us.  We did get to talk to him on the phone.  Then Friday morning while serving on the 4th floor, a familiar face came around the corner.  Kathy Dobbs (from Reno) had brought her kids to EFY and was doing some Temple work.  We had a good quiet visit.  I’m so glad that she had tracked me down.  It was so good to see a friend from home.

We have been busy learning our songs for the finale for the British Pageant and attending the practices.  We had dress rehearsal tonight and the pageants start tomorrow night.  The Nauvoo Pageant runs Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights.  The British Pageant is Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights.  It will be quite the experience.

We had some time this week to visit a few more of the sites.  Some we had been to before and some new ones.  At the print shop, we learned  a lot of the terms we use all the time came from the printing business.  For example:  Upper case letters were stored in an “upper case” and the lower case letters were stored in a “lower case”.  A “ding bat” is a pretty little thing that takes up space between words.  All the letters have to be secured in the “chase” upside down and backwards and is referred to “cut to the chase”.  When all the type is ready, the chase is carried to the press and “lay it to rest” on the “coffin”.  The printers were always reminded to mind their “p’s” and “q’s” or they would end up looking like the “d’s” and “b’s”.  Following are pictures that Laura took when the Henderson Talbots were here for a visit.

"Laying it in the coffin:

Upper and lower cases where letters were kept.

The Jonathan Browning Home and Gun Shop was a new site that we visited this week.  Jonathan Browning made the first repeater rifle.  As we stood in the log cabin he had built while he was adding on to home for his wife and nine children, we pondered at the choices they had to make since joining the church – whether they would follow the counsel of the Prophet Joseph Smith or stay in Quincy where they had a profitable business or move to Nauvoo.  They chose to move to Nauvoo.  They then moved back to Quincy and the choice came again whether to go West with the Saints as directed by President Brigham Young or stay in Quincy where they were safe from the mobs.  They chose to move West.  When they arrived in Far West President Young asked them to stay for five years so Browning could fix and supply guns that would be needed by the Saints for protection and to provide food for their families.  Again, the Brownings were faced with another major choice in their lives.  They chose to stay in Far West.  We also are faced today with making hard choices when trying to follow President Nelson’s counsel. 

Elder and Sister Talbot in the small Browning cabin.

Can't imagine what it would be like to cook for a family of 11 just using the fireplace!

80% of the homes in Nauvoo were like this cabin - not the red brick home that we live in.

Elder Talbot liked the moon on the outhouse!

The 4^th of July was just a little different.  We did attend an early morning Flag Raising Ceremony at the Visitors Center.  The Temple was open so then we served on our regular shift.  No fireworks in Nauvoo☹  But they did have fireworks after a community band concert on Saturday night at the end of Parley Street – our street.  So, we just drove down close to the river and watched the 30 minute show from there.  They were pretty good for a small town😊

Fireworks in the Nauvoo sky on the 7th of July.

Our Sunday drive to church proved interesting to say the least.  One of the bridges we cross just outside Bushnell is closed for repair.  As we came to the intersection we saw a Detour Sign and Elder Hales followed it.  We drove and drove and drove.  Just outside Macomb, Elder Talbot pulled out his phone and searched for directions to Canton.  The detour took us off our regular route but never did lead us back to our route past the bridge that is being repaired.  Using the directions from the phone, we finally made it to church in time for the opening prayer.  As we were traveling on the "scenic route", we discussed how easy it was for us to be led astray – just as easy as it is for Satan to lead us astray from the straight and narrow path and leave us stranded.  But, no matter how far we get off the straight and narrow path, Christ has provided us a way to come back to him.  We are so thankful for the Atonement.

We love and miss all of you, but we are also loving Nauvoo,

Elder and Sister Talbot

Pictures of the lanterns that shows the different patterns each family designed for themselves that we talked about last week.

Pioneer mouse trap that was made in the tin shops.  The bucket was full of water.  Maybe, we should try it in our garden to keep the mice from digging up our bulbs.