The Nauvoo Pageant, Part 2

One of the perks of being in the "Gold Cast" for the pageant is that we had time to do some sightseeing because there were not a lot of rehearsals, since we only sang in the finale plus do the pre-show.  We had been to Nauvoo several times so we tried to do some things we hadn't done before.

This year we went on the Community of Christ Church tour.  It cost about $3 per person and featured the homes that Joseph Smith lived in (the Homestead and the Mansion House) plus the Smith Family Cemetery and the Red Brick Store.  Our tour guide was quite knowledgeable--obviously having a love of history.  My children got a little tired of standing around so much but Scott and I enjoyed it.  I think the Homestead was my favorite.  It was the home they lived in the longest.

The Homestead



The Homestead

This was about halfway through the tour and already the children are wearing out.

 

 

 Another thing I did was to go to the Land and Records Office and look up which properties were owned by my ancestors.  I had a couple of ancestors that lived in Nauvoo--two men that owned property (only men could own property at that time).  William Jenkins, a forefather of my paternal grandfather, owned two different pieces of land.  We drove to where they are in town and took pictures of the houses currently there.

Also, my maternal grandfather's ancestor, Silas Smith, briefly owned some land (he was a very early settler of Nauvoo but died soon after) and that land is now part of the Nauvoo State Park--a big ball field. 

On Friday, Camille's kidney donor came to visit with her husband.  She lives in the Chicago area and I think it was about a four-hour drive to get to Nauvoo, thanks to its remote location and no direct route.  It was fun to see them.  They didn't stay long but we did a little sightseeing and talking.

 

We were able to spend a little time at the Nauvoo Temple.  Scott took the teenagers on Wednesday and I went by myself on Friday. On Saturday we visited Carthage, Illinois, which is where Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum Smith, were killed by angry mob members.  It's a sacred place for members of our church to pay our respects to the man who restored the Church of Jesus Christ and sealed his testimony with his blood.

 







It was great being in the finale of the pageant.  It was such a good feeling to sing along with a large group of people all united in a common cause.  We enjoyed greeting the audience members afterwards too.  I especially enjoyed our district meetings and cast meetings.  We had this amazing pianist for the cast meetings who really was fun to listen to as we sang the hymns very enthusiastically.

The late nights were challenging for our youngest daughter and, on a few nights, I came home during the pageant and put her to bed, then went back for the finale.  I think that really helped her stay a little healthier and happier.  I was smart enough to bring snacks for the pageant and then we always ate something afterwards.  The pageant schedule means you eat breakfast late (after sleeping in), you have a regular lunch, and then you eat an early dinner.

Saturday night was the last night of the pageant.  Sunday morning we went to church (with about 1000 other people!  It was so crowded.)  Then we headed home, arriving in Kearney, Nebraska, Sunday night, and then our house on Monday night.  I had a cold on the way home and felt pretty miserable on Monday.  The trip home is never enjoyable.  But it was a great experience and I am really glad we did it.  The kids made some good friends and had some good experiences and I hope they will always remember them.