nauvoo

Last weekend my little family and I attended our ward chili and pie cook off. When we arrived, I was surprised to see a good friend of mine who had recently moved to Nauvoo to build her dream house and retire with her husband there. She was back in Boise visiting family and babysitting her grandkids for the week. It was so fun to talk to her and to hear about her romantic dream life on the Mississippi. She had a picture of her newly constructed house which, by the way, is situated kitty-corner to the temple. It is a beautiful home and was built according to the traditional Nauvoo-style two-story brick house. Her and her husband wake up to a beautiful view of the temple every morning. They're serving as temple workers and they are loving every minute of their time spent in Nauvoo. She said people are moving in every week and Nauvoo now has TWO wards! Amazing! The church has also within the last few months completely torn down the monastery and school with no plans to build anything in its place. They want to preserve the view of the Mississippi from the temple.
As I sat there talking to her, our bishop's wife asked me how I had become so familiar with Nauvoo and its residents. I explained that I had an incredible opportunity to study in Nauvoo for a semester while living in a pioneer home and that I attended classes in the visitor's center. It got me thinking about my decision to go to Nauvoo and the effect it's had on my life.
When I was a senior in high school, I felt very confused and frustrated about college and what I was going to do with the rest of my life. It seemed like all of my friends knew exactly where they were going to go to school and what they wanted to study. I didn't quite feel ready for college and I had pretty much coasted through high school. In my junior year (I think), I had really gotten into the Work and the Glory series. Say what you will about Gerald Lund (ie: incredibly cheesy writing and unrealistic story line), those books sparked a love of church history in me and caused me to seek out real church history books. Anyway, one day I came home from school and was flipping through the Church News and at the bottom of one of the pages in a little box, was an announcement about the newly-started BYU Nauvoo program. I can honestly say that it was one of the few times in my life when the spirit seemed like a very clear voice telling me that Nauvoo was where I was supposed to go. There is no doubt in my mind that the Lord wanted me there. Several conferences ago, Elder Ballard (I think) gave a talk about missions and how everything good that has come into his life was a result of him serving a mission. That's how I feel about my Nauvoo experience. Looking back twelve years later, I can see how Nauvoo has strengthened me and taught me and led me to so many good things in my life including Adam. It's amazing how our memories can continue to teach us even years after the events have occurred. I'm so grateful for Nauvoo. It completely solidified my testimony of Joseph Smith and of the Restoration of the gospel. I also made some amazing friends and I know we'll always have that connection and love of church history. Thank you Nauvoo for the memories, for your magical spirit, for the peaceful lapping of the river, for the sunsets and for the people that made you great.