The Bradley's Visit

Hailey at Pioneer Pastimes

Sunday morning at 1:30 a.m. Ann, Jenny, and the children arrived.  All slept in the living room except Thomas who had an air mattress in the dining room.  We had a busy week as they saw all of the extra summer things that go on in Nauvoo.  Dee and I worked each morning and played with the family each afternoon.

On Monday we went putt-putting outside the state pen. 

Ready to putt.

Thomas in the batting cage. 

Monday night they watched us dance at Sunset on the Mississippi.  I'm glad at least some of the family was able to witness Dad dance.  Afterwards I gave them the "women's garden tour" which is not an official tour, but they were very good participants.  Tuesday, after my work, we went to pioneer pasttimes.  Afterwards we saw the vignette " Women of Nauvoo" in the Women's Garden.  The actresses told the story of the formation of the Relief Society.  Later Dad, Ann, Hailey, and Thomas went to the temple to do baptisms.   Tuesday night we went to the Country Fair and the Nauvoo pageant. 

Pioneer Past times.  We did a lot, but I didn't take pictures.  Ann did, but I don't have them. 

Learning to dance the Highland fling

Thomas pulls the girls. 

Jenny pulls the boys. 

Earlier in the day Jenny and Ann learned how to save seats for the pageant.  It is quite the process, but not hard.  At the south of the pageant you are given a string the length of the number of seats you want to save and a piece of paper to write your name, then you put your string in line and you go sit in the shade.  At two o'clock you pick up your string and in an orderly fashion, as it is explained to you by the nice, but firm speaking lady, you go find your seats. Jenny was very impressed with the operation. They got good seats, but really all the seats are OK.

Wednesday morning, during my last hour of work, the family came and weeded with my garden club!  Ben and Miles really had fun dumping everyone's weeds into the trailer.  Thomas and Hailey were impressed with our knife trowels.   Ben had so much fun that he wanted to do it again on Thursday. 

My friends left us the shade to work in. Thank you so much. 

Wednesday afternoon, while Thomas and Hailey reserved seats at the pageant,  we sat in front of the Mansion House under the trees and watched the vignette called "Letters of Emma and Joseph."  Sister Wadley portrayed Lucy Mack Smith.  Two of the cast started the program with a beautiful song written by Parley P. Pratt about Emma and Joseph, Farewell, My Kind and Faithful Friend.  The program caused me to reflect on all of the trouble Joseph and Emma endured during their life time as they worked to restore Christ's church.

 Later we saw a re-enactment of  what is now called the King Follett's Sermon, probably Joseph's most important sermon, where Joseph laid out a view of the eternal nature of God and ourselves. King Follet, a friend of Joseph's, was killed while digging  a well.   Joseph was asked to preach at his funeral.  Between 10 and 20 thousand people attended the outdoor service. 

Here you can find a download of the sermon.

https://byustudies.byu.edu/content/king-follett-discourse-newly-amalgamated-text

John Taylor introduces the background to the sermon. 

Since it was July 24, Dad made homemade rootbeer.  Then we went back to the Country Fair and the British Pageant. Thomas and Hailey had reserved even better seats than they had the night before - front row, second section.

Showing off the homemade rootbeer. 

Thursday I didn't go to work, but stayed with the family.  We heard the Youth of Zion stories.  We had to hurry home afterwards to  watch Jason look for the lost drone on our roof.  He couldn't find it, but it was fun to watch him maneuver the lift. 

Searching for the drone.

Youth of Zion

After lunch  we went to the seventies hall for the vignette Go Ye Into All the World.   It is one of the most powerful vignettes, told by 5 of the apostles who went to England in 1840.  Afterwards we went to the school house, which they missed seeing in April.

My dear friend, Sister Mensel, taught school that day. 

Miles wanted to visit Browning Gun.  Elder Weldon gave them the super tour of the gun shop.  While they were doing that Ann, Hailey, and I visited the gardens and then sat behind the bakery and waited for them.  They ended their day with an ox cart ride, finally doing everything they missed doing in April.  That evening was another Mississippi Mud performance.

Here come the oxen - oh so slow. 

Sticks

Sticks were a big part of this week.  Benson and Miles found several fishing poles.  They equipped them with string and paper clip hooks - but only caught lily pads.  For a final act of service they had a contest of who could find the most sticks in Grammy's yard, and piled them up to be judged, before moving them to the road for our trailer to pick up.

Fishing poles

First day at Grammy's Benson brings in his stick collection

All piled up - thanks kids. 

How to visit Nauvoo

Since we were doing NOR on Saturday, we had Friday off, so we could give Ann and company a proper breakfast before they headed west, very glad they were driving and not going by ox cart. The rest of the day Dee and I did laundry, cleaned, and grocery shopped, between long rests.  I rated this visit a ten.  The weather had moderated from last week's heat wave.  We didn't try to do more than we had reasonable time for. There were plenty of fun things for the kids to do.  The crowds weren't too bad for the things we were doing. 

Visiting Nauvoo advice - either come for pageant or come to visit sites, but don't try to do both.  Save the sites for off season.  You will get better tours and not have to wait in line or deal with the heat.

Nauvoo on the Road - Mendon, Illinois

Saturday we went to Mendon, Illinois for the Adams' County Fair.  Nauvoo on the Road's spot was with the Old Time Thresher Machine Association.  They have a pavillon across from where we were and we were invited to a country potluck lunch, with pork hamburgers, home fried potato chips, and homemade ice-cream.  We visited with several members of the Thresher association.  Very nice people.  The historian for the group told me his great grandmother had passed down an original copy of the Book of Mormon "by Joseph Smith" he added.  Really???  I told him if the copy right date was in the 1830s to please take it to Nauvoo and show it to the people at the visitor's center.  Then I gave him a new Book of Mormon. I showed him where Christ visited the people in America and marked it with a Family Search card.  I hope he will read it.

Fried potato chips

Ice-cream

We hurried home from Mendon because we had parking security duty that night at the pageant.  All we had to do was sit and watch people go the wrong way to the parking place and directing them to the right way.  We also had to move the barrier several times for people who had permission to go the wrong way. It was nice to just sit in the cool July evening and be quiet after such a busy week.

Mission Training Spotlight

  President Lusvardi used the story of the woman at the well in Samaria to teach us how to lift the conversation from mundane to meaningful.  I also noticed how he ignored her rather contentious, mocking response to his living water.  He continued with love and patience to teach her and the next time she responded with humble eagerness to understand what he was saying.  By verse 28 she was testifying of him.   The president challenged us to learn to elevate the conversation.  Quite the challenge.