Sunday, June 21, 2009 Nauvoo: Beautiful City on the Way to Des Moines Welcome to Nauvoo the beautiful! Whether descended from pioneer ancestry or a recent convert, the members of the church trace their spiritual roots to Nauvoo. In the fall of 1846, following the exodus of the last of the saints from their beloved city, Colonel Thomas L. Kane visited Nauvoo and described it as a “town [that] lay in a dream…” (as cited in “Leaving Nauvoo the Beautiful,” Ensign, July 2005, 40-45). However, with the glorious advent of the reconstruction and subsequent dedication of the temple on June 27, 2002, Nauvoo the beautiful is no longer in a dream but very much alive and awake—particularly as 11 buses filled with members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Orchestra at Temple Square, guests and others associated with the Choir entered the city Sunday morning just before noon. Three of our travelers pose in front of the beautiful Nauvoo Temple. (Click to enlarge). This was the first time the Choir had returned to Nauvoo since participating in the dedicatory sessions of the Nauvoo Temple in 2002 and the first time the Orchestra had been in the city as an ensemble. Baritone, Blake Hadley, recalls feeling the rejoicings of many departed saints and a certain “aliveness” in Nauvoo during the dedication week. The once sleeping Nauvoo was very much awake and alive during the dedication! Reading about the Prophet Joseph Smith's Mansion House. (Click to enlarge). For some, this was their first visit to Nauvoo. John McGroarty, a bass singer in the Choir, and his wife, Elsa felt that this experience provided a testimony-building connection to their faith—a tangible link between lessons learned and faith lived. As parents of two teenaged children, they now share a deep desire to someday return with their children. Immediately upon arrival in the city, a special sacrament meeting was held at the Nauvoo Stake center. Members of the Choir and Orchestra assisted with the music and administration of the sacrament. The meeting, presided by Elder Craig C. Christensen of the first Quorum of the Seventy, was conducted by Ron Garrett, assistant to the president of the Choir. Elder Maury W. Schooff, an Area Seventy, who also addressed the overflow gathering, reminded those assembled that Brother Joseph was “faithful, courageous, and diligent!” Sister Debbie Christensen spoke of virtue as the power of God and of the importance of being witnesses. Elder Christensen concluded the meeting by suggesting that we too must look forward as did Joseph and continually ask ourselves what part we have in this great work. Following Sacrament meeting, members of the Choir and Orchestra head out to explore Nauvoo. (Click to enlarge). Following the sacrament service, boxed lunches were distributed at the Visitors’ Center and the group was given until 4:30 p.m. to visit sights throughout the city. While the buses provided a shuttle service to the various points of interest, many experienced the city on foot and walked the “Trail of Hope” down Parley’s Street to the Mississippi River. Standing at the water’s edge, Choir member, David Thomas expressed his reverence and gratitude for the faith of those early saints. Having recently visited Nauvoo on a business trip, he found himself in the dead of winter on a very cold day last February. Greatly desiring to visit the sights in Nauvoo, he attempted to brave the weather. But because of illness, he was obliged to return to his hotel. Yet, the saints could not turn back. On a similar day in February, they closed the doors to their homes and crossed the frozen Mississippi River, never again to return to their beloved Nauvoo. There was much to learn in historic Nauvoo. (Click to enlarge). At the Land and Records Office, first soprano, Nora Hess shared her joy as the six names of ancestors she had submitted weeks ago resulted in the missionaries giving her two CDs containing over 75 names and land records of ancestors who had once resided in Nauvoo! She indicated that “I [had] often felt that they were watching over our family, cheering us on.” At the conclusion of the brief, yet memorable visit, many gathered in the Visitors’ Center to bear testimony and to sing a parting benediction to the missionaries and to their dear Nauvoo. God be with you, beautiful Nauvoo, until we meet again. By Janine Green, 2nd soprano