Nauvoo Illinois April 9-10, 2011
The Nauvoo Legion sword of the Prophet Joseph Smith returned to Nauvoo Illinois after 167 years. This was a truly wonderful experience!
Nauvoo was an amazing experience! The trip there was a lot of fun; different scenery and citites. We wanted to write a blog about ‘adventures of the traveling sword’ but found the limitations of this site, trying to post to the site using an iphone and attempting to avoid those heavy roaming charges undaunting. So that didn’t work. But my wife still has a desire to create an ’Adventures of the Traveling Sword’ which we may post on this site at a later date after she is done with her writing.
We had a fantastic tour guide and host in Craig Dunn. He is the local Chiropractor and early morning Seminary teacher. He is starting his own tours of the southern Illinois area this year, so if you want a good tour guide that will take you beyond Nauvoo look him up. He, his wife Tracie and son were very gracious hosts for a couple of days/nights. Craig is the author of several books: Blue Print for World Control, The Dispensations of the Fulness of Times and Nauvoo After Joseph.
There are also other tours available in the Nauvoo area. These tours feature a couple of our other friends. Wayne May who is the owner and editor of Ancient America Magazine and Rodney Meldrum who is the president of the Firm Foundation/Book of Mormon Evidences. These men will give you another perspective in the area as well as great information on ancient America history.
We met so many great local people, visitors to Nauvoo and LDS Missionary couples serving in the Nauvoo Mission. I’d like to thank Karen Haering who runs the Temple House Gallery and Zion’s Merchantile. She has an amazing art gallery which must be visited. The Zion’s Mercantile has a pantry which serves all kinds of tasty sandwiches and other items as well as a wonderful gift shop.
The Nauvoo Temple is beautiful inside and out. The history of the temple is amazing. We were able to experience the full-time missionaries and their nightly performance about Nauvoo. We saw many of the sites in Nauvoo but unfortunately ran out of time and not all to experience it all. We traveled to Carthage and toured Carthage Jail. I had a pleasant surprise when I saw a long time friend and former work associate of Hillcrest High School and his wife who are serving a mission and happened to be at the site on this particular day. We traveled to Warsaw and viewed the site where Thomas Sharp had his Warsaw Signal office -most interesting in a strange sort of way.
Some of our favorite people in Nauvoo where traveling themselves sharing their conversion story - Kimberly Jo Smith and her children Bryan & Leahna. If you haven’t heard of them visit their site at www.ldsgenerations.com. Their’s is a must hear conversion and music. Of course the history and story Kimberly’s great-great grandfather’s Nauvoo Legion sword is also a must hear and see too!
I could speak more about our travels in Nauvoo but suffice it to say that it was truly a great experience.
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We will be in Nauvoo for two book signings and a Fireside. The book signings will be held on Saturday, April 9th. The Fireside will be held on Sunday, April 10th. The Prophet’s Nauvoo Legion Sword, an oak casket (coffin) stick from the prophet’s coffin and an old Cap & Ball Musket owned by Joseph Bates Noble will be on display. If you live near Nauvoo or know someone who is please come join us, it will be a wonderful time. We look forward to walking through all the wonderful buildings there in Nauvoo, to visit the Temple, and to spend some time in Lucy Mack Smith’s house that Joseph Bates Noble deeded to her when he left Nauvoo to move West.
I am the 3rd great granddaughter of Joseph Bates Noble and am so pleased to know of this connection with the Prophet. I was privileged several years ago to hold and wear Joseph Smith’s ring. This seems like another important token from the past.
Julene,
It’s great to hear from another descendant of Joseph Bates Noble. That is wonderful that you were able to hold and wear Joseph Smith’s ring. Yes, these relics are truly important tokens from the past. If you can join us at one of the gatherings coming up, we would love to meet you.