John Taylor home, Post Office, and Print Shop

This week flew by. Friday marked our 3rd month in Nauvoo.  It must be longer.  How can someone have so many experiences and learn so much in so short a time?
Sunday we had no assignment.  I had a long list of things I wanted to do on Sunday.  I didn't do any of them.  I talked to my children, each family separately.  It was a wonderful way to spend Sunday afternoon.

Grounds crew doesn't have much to do.  These are the tables that hold the plants in warmer weather. 

So I spend my time during the week doing other things.

Monday and Thursday I spent in the John Taylor home.  On Monday we actually had two tours.  Sister Flanders, who came out just before we did, led the first tour.  I listened carefully, then studied the guide book.  As I started to give her a practice tour a man from Virginia! came in.  So I started over and gave a real tour.  He came in about 20 minutes before closing, but we invited him to come to the Print Shop and the Post Office, which are both combined in the off season with the John Taylor home.

The print shop, John Taylor home, and post office
photo from lds.org

After joining the Methodist Church, John felt strongly that he should go to America to preach the gospel.  During the sea voyage a terrible storm blew up, frightening the passengers into thinking they wouldn't survive.  But John had no fear.  He knew the Lord wanted him to preach in America.  So certain, he actually went out on the deck during the storm and declared he felt as safe as if he was in his own parlor.
He ended up in Toronto, where he met his wife, who was 12 years his senior.  She showed no interest in his courtship until she had a dream where she saw herself as his wife.  The second time he proposed she said yes.
In the print shop we explain how important the newspapers were to people in the 1840s as well as the process a newspaper goes through to be printed.  Demonstration sites are the easiest because there are props to help you explain the process.  When all the other apostles were sent out on missions in 1844 Joseph told John Taylor and Willard Richards to stay and publish the newspaper.  He explained that the newspaper would reach thousands, while they would only be able to speak to a few at a time as missionaries.  For this reason these two men were with Joseph and Hyrum when they were murdered.  John Taylor was seriously wounded, but he lived to become the third president of the church. Doctrine & Covenants 135 is his eye witness account of the martydom and his testimony of Joseph Smith's mission. You can read it here:
 https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/135?lang=eng

Tuesday I worked with the FM missionaries cleaning up leaves and fallen branches at Carthage.  I loved being outside.  The weather was cool, but we dressed for it and I was comfortable.  I was blowing leaves away from the corner of the jail by the well.  The wind picked up the leaves I'd blown, and blew them around the well right back to the corner I'd blown them out of.  Thanks a lot wind.

Wednesday and Friday I got to work in the sewing room with Sister Hayhurst, who is a trained tailor and a great teacher.  I am sewing my own pioneer dress.  I was very nervous about getting the cording on my dress straight.  But the machine had a neat little cording attachment that made it hard to not do it right.  I used my favorite tool - the seam ripper - less on this dress than on any other dress I've made, chiefly because Sister Hayhurst was there to tell me exactly what to do next and how to do it right.  It was the best sewing experience I've ever had.

Sewing room. There are 8 sewing machines.

Sister Hayhurst shows how to put in a zipper .

Sister Hayhurst - master seamstress

Cutting table

Sewing room Christmas tree

And with everything else going on, I finished one more quilt and helped tie a few more.  Quilts are done I think, for awhile at least.  We made 13 large quilts and 15 lap quilts. These were given to families with special needs. 

Friday night we volunteered to help clean the temple, which opens on Tuesday after 3 months of renovations. Dee and I were assigned to vacuum the 3rd to 5th floors.  Afterwards they invited us to go up into the tower where the bells is.   Dee went up to the top, but I was satisfied to not go up all the way.  I hoped the bell didn't ring while we were up there with it. 
We learned in church today that the temple's outside walls get whiter as they get higher.  I looked today and sure enough the main floors are light gray, the lower part of the tower is whiter, and the very top part of the tower is very white.

One day was really foggy. 

Saturday we cleaned house, and then did another performance of the Live Nativity and the Christmas Walk.

 And because this is Nauvoo, of course we had to eat after the performance.  Sweet rolls and fruit baked and served by our director, Sister Bingham (not pictured).

Sister Lusvardi plays Silent Night in the Post Office.

Sister Adams tells a story in the Tin shop. 

Elder Flanders with the horses and the Christmas Wagon. 

Today the Community of Christ Church did a Christmas play and invited us to see it and to have a pot luck lunch with them.  Our mission president really wants us to not be exclusive, but to reach out to all parts of the community.  The pastor and maintenance director of the Community of Christ comes to our Facility Management prayer meeting every morning.  Our properties and our missions join so we are good neighbors.  They take good care of the properties that belonged to Joseph Smith and those who lived in that part of town. When you come to Nauvoo don't miss those sites.