A 10 year-old German boy named Christoph went with his family to visit one of the most famous castles in the world: Neuschwanstein in Bavaria or the “Sleeping Beauty Castle.” He climbed up the suspension bridge overlooking the castle and he was absolutely stunned by the beauty he saw there. Even though he was only…
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This story starts with a burger. Just as Jordan Squire took his first juicy bite, his wife Morgan dropped the bomb. We need to sell our house, move to Nauvoo, and open a restaurant, she told him. An Unexpected Path Keep in mind, the Squires were not in the restaurant industry. He was a computer…
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What is the True Spirit of Christmas? December comes just once a year. If we’re not careful it can pass us by in a frenzied whirlwind of ribbons, packages, and parties. Or, for some, it may seem like a month just like any other. Nothing special. Neither of those scenarios sound like a fun Christmas!…
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The Camp of the Poor Travel back with me 176 years. The year was 1846. The October morning was cold and biting. Imagine over 600 people camped out right here on this riverbank. They were sick and shivering. They didn’t even have blankets. Food was scarce. They were starving. This group of Saints included the…
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Nauvoo is a magical place in the summer. Suddenly, the main street is crowded. The pioneer village wakes up, stretches its limbs, and begins to dance. Costumed pioneers wave. An orchestra plays. Wagons packed with tourists lumber past. You can almost see it: the ghosts of the past awaken and you capture a glimpse of…
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Last weekend my family participated in what’s called the Nauvoo Exodus Commemoration. Hundreds of people met on this freezing Saturday morning to remember something remarkable—beginning in February 1846 thousands of Latter-day Saints began their journey west in search of religious freedom. At the event we all wore name tags honoring our ancestors whose footsteps led…
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Today marks the 217th birthday of the Prophet Joseph Smith. My family and I visited the historic Carthage Jail and took our kids on the tour for the first time. I enjoyed watching their inquisitive faces as they explored the rooms and listened to the captivating stories. This year has been a whirlwind of change:…
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This past week marked the 200th birthday of my great granduncle Robert. Reading his autobiography changed my life and inspired me to start this blog! To commemorate his birthday we traveled to the small town where he lived after immigrating from Scotland. The town was then known as “Ramus” or “Macedonia” and it is now…
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Fifteen-year-old Eliza stood at the well near her home in Nauvoo. As she drew water, a canon ball struck her chimney.1 She was living in a battlefield. The Battle of Nauvoo lasted less than a week. Helplessly outnumbered, the remaining Saints, including Eliza and her family, fled to the banks of the Mississippi. Circumstances were…
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This week I learned about an early Latter-day Saint named Theodore Turley. It turns out we are distantly related! In his autobiography he wrote, “I came to Nauvoo with Joseph Smith the Prophet and built the first house that was built by a Mormon in Nauvoo.”1 I was intrigued by the phrase “first house” because…
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