Thursday morning we woke up and drove the rest of the way to Carthage. We arrived about 2:00pm and even just pulling up to the site, it was emotional. We knew this would likely be one of the most emotional stops of our visit, and it definitely was. As we walked up to the visitor’s center, they have a statue of Hyrum and Joseph standing outside, and it’s so incredibly powerful. They also have these monument plaques with quotes from the Prophet Joseph, which add to the special feeling there. A sweet senior sister missionary gave us the tour, and it started with a video by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, testifying of the authority and power of Joseph and Hyrum and how their willingness to give their lives was a further testimony of the Book of Mormon.
As we walked into the jail, we went through the summer kitchen (which was added later) and then into the kitchen where the prisoners would have eaten. We then saw the common room where they would have seen their visitors, and it was interesting because the walls were four feet thick! Part of the tour was also the room where prisoners were kept when they first arrived, and it was pretty stark. We then went upstairs to the “dungeon room” which is a small room completely rocked in, with a barred cell with just a mattress on the floor. Apparently after the shooting in the jail, Willard Richards brought an injured John Taylor into this room and hid him under the mattress so the mob wouldn’t find them. It’s a very humbling room, and what’s interesting is this is where the men should have been kept. However, the jailer wanted them to be comfortable, as it’s recorded that he could feel their goodness, so he actually let them stay in his and his wife’s bedroom, which is where the martyrdom took place. It’s interesting to look back on history and see how there are so many injustices, and yet there are also many tender mercies and people trying to be kind!
After we visited the dungeon room, we went into the bedroom where the men stayed until the mob arrived, and we listened to a tape recording that described the events. We were incredibly emotional as we listened to this, and the tears didn’t really stop until we left the building. The door to that room is actually the original, so it still has the bullet hole from the shot that killed Hyrum, and a bullet hole at the lock where the mob was trying to get through. The floors are also original, and it’s humbling to think that’s where Hyrum would have laid after being shot.
We’re not sure if the stone outside was original and where the Prophet Joseph would have laid after he fell out the window, but either way, it was powerful to then go outside and see where he would have been. We learned that after the mob came down out of the house, someone yelled that people were coming and so the mob ran away. We also learned that they found out who had killed Joseph and Hyrum and there was a trial, but it was essentially a hoax and nothing came of it. It was such an amazing experience being there in Carthage and we will forever be grateful for the way our testimonies were strengthened as a result.
One other small thing about Carthage was that they had these amazingly beautiful tulips on the grounds in one section… Apparently it’s a new breed of tulip they are trying out, and they are planning to tear them all out next week so we were able to see them just in time! The flowers were really dark purple at the base with bright yellow tips, and it was an interesting “object lesson” to us… The contrast of the dark and light was so powerful. It reminded us of the experience that we were learning about at Carthage. As dark as the events were, with the Prophet Joseph and Hyrum being martyred, there is so much light that has come out of it and we really had such an uplifting experience there. It’s fun being able to find so much meaning in little things such as the tulips growing outside, and we don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Lord touches our hearts and makes us think of these things and appreciate the beauty in them. 🙂
After we left Carthage, we drove to Nauvoo. What’s funny is we again missed our turn (like the night before with dinner), but it worked out really well because the detour route took us right along the Mississippi River, which was absolutely beautiful! It was actually really brown, because of the dirt in the water, but it was still really beautiful and the roadway was all green with trees… It was a pretty wonderful wrong turn!
We arrived in Nauvoo about 3:30pm and our first stop was the temple. It was really interesting and not what we were expecting! We got to the grounds and it was empty, so we figured it must be closed. As we got out and walked around, it was kind of disappointing to see the state of the grounds. The grass was all dead, the flowers were half dead and broken apart, and there were weeds all over. It was just not your typical temple grounds! The building itself was really pretty though and we were able to get a bunch of nice pictures.
There’s also a statue across the street of the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum, commemorating their ride from Nauvoo to Carthage and knowing they likely wouldn’t return. It was really humbling. The temple was neat and I can only imagine what it must have been like for the saints to work so hard to build it (it really is amazing and majestic) only to leave it behind. It’s the first temple where ordinances were done, so that was neat to consider as well (even though this isn’t the original because mobs destroyed it when the saints left). We know it was a big deal when it was rebuilt by the Church, because of its significance and history, so it was interesting to see that in some ways it hasn’t been kept up. Perhaps it’s just a temporary thing though and hopefully when it reopens it will be beautiful again!
After visiting the temple, we went over to the Nauvoo visitors center for about ten minutes as they were closing soon. They told us about the Women’s Garden and gave us a map of some of the other sites, so we did kind of a walking tour on our own. What’s cool is that they thought to tell us about the Women’s Garden, which is totally something I would want to see and would appreciate! One of the missionaries at one of the visitors centers (it’s hard to remember exactly which one!) was saying how each tour they do is a little different as they let the Spirit lead, and this was just such an example to us because we don’t think it’s a coincidence that they would’ve been prompted to tell us about the Women’s Garden! We walked through the garden and it was really neat! It has all these statues of women relating to the different parts of a woman’s life, and they were really beautiful.
After the Women’s Garden, we drove over to the main part of the city, parked the car, and walked around a bit. We saw a lot of the old buildings and then walked the Trail of Hope. The trail is the road where the saints would have walked to get to the Mississippi River to cross it and begin their journey west, and it was really humbling to be there. They have markers all along the way with quotes from the saints who were there, and they were so powerful. At the end is a monument with the names of all the saints who died, and there were actually quite a few Turleys! It’s interesting because I often think of my pioneer heritage from my maternal side, but I’ve got a strong heritage on my paternal side as well. There’s also a statue there of the Prophet Joseph showing Brigham Young the route they should go to Salt Lake, and that was powerful to think about as well.
The city of Nauvoo was beautiful and we can only imagine how hard it must have been for the saints to build it, grow it, and then be forced to leave it for the unknown. It was a serious test of their faith, and it’s amazing how many of them were willing to make the trek and stay strong!
After we walked back through the city of Nauvoo, we drove to the end of Nauvoo (like a mile away but it was getting dark and we didn’t want to miss seeing it) and visited the graves of the Smith family. There is a large monument signifying the burial place of Joseph, Emma, and Hyrum, and it made us wonder if this is really where they are buried. The marker there indicates that their bodies were moved around quite a bit to keep them safe, but that this is their final resting spot. We’d like to think that’s true and it made it neat to be there! There was a really cool marker as well that talked about the strong relationship between Joseph and Hyrum, and Joseph and Emma, and it made us consider how important it was that Joseph had both Hyrum and Emma by his side to support him in what the Lord needed him to do. The Smith parents (Joseph, Sr. and Lucy Mack) are also buried here, along with quite a few other Smith family members.
After visiting the city, we went downtown trying to find some souvenirs and dinner. Unfortunately we weren’t able to find some souvenirs as everything was closed, but we did find a restaurant at the Hotel Nauvoo and that was pretty fun! It was very authentic and small town, but it was fun. We had the buffet, which was like a home-cooked meal! Nothing fancy at all, but it was certainly a fun and authentic Nauvoo experience!
We then stopped again at the temple to get a few sunset pictures, which turned out really pretty, and then drove back along the Mississippi River, which was also really pretty with the sunset! We love sunsets and there were so many pretty ones on this trip! The next part of our drive was pretty long, so we did a few hours that night and ended up staying in Kansas City, Missouri. It was another long and yet incredibly wonderful and powerful day!
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