Nauvoo, Sunday, July 4

Sun. July 4

A day of rest! We slept in and it was wonderful. When I did wake up, I spent a couple of hours recording these memories in my journal and then leisurely got ready for church. Today was Fast and testimony meeting – I loved seeing the chapel and overflow areas filled to overflowing. I loved how the members of the Nauvoo ward welcomed us with outstretched arms even though we are so many. There was such a feeling of welcome, joy, and excitement. The testimonies were sweet and tender, powerful and uplifting. One of those meetings that could go on for hours until everyone had a chance to share. But it didn’t. The Sunday School lesson was on David and Bathsheba’s story – again, I wished that the lesson could go on. So many made brief comments that I would like to have followed up on. The Relief Society lesson was on mercy and the atonement. A few sisters shared some personal experiences where they felt the tender mercies of the Lord.  My step- mom Sandy said that it was one of the best Relief Society meetings she had ever attended. I concur.

The core cast has another show that they do as an outreach to the outlying communities. Each Sunday they travel a few hours and share the show – “Our Story Goes On”. The very first Sunday in July they perform the show in Nauvoo. Tonight it was held in the outdoor theater and it was wonderful. It is a sweet show of the circle of life and love. Afterward, I visited with a few people and then spent some time alone. Ryan went with the Birdsalls and I took the time to walk through the Relief Society Gardens. The Relief Society gardens are one of my favorite places in Nauvoo. The gardens have circle paths surrounded by tall trees making them private and secluded from the bustle of life. There are a dozen or so bronze life size sculptures reflecting women and their lives. Late at night, all of the sculptures were lit and the gardens deserted. I walked from bronze to bronze, touching them, learning from them, applying them to my life. I could have stayed forever soaking up the beauty of the night, the smell of the flowers and summer evening, the faint sounds of life drifting by on the breeze.

Photo Credit

I ended the evening by meeting up with Ryan and the Birdsall family where Parley Street meets the Mississippi as we watched the fireworks from two cities across the river. As good as the fireworks were, they could match the magnificent lighting show that we could see in the distance.