Knights of Nauvoo: re·un·ion of thirty years

re·un·ion (r -y n y n). n. 1. a. The act of reuniting. b. The state of being reunited. 2. A gathering of the members of a group who have been separated:

On a very humid yet serene evening on the 6th day of July 2010 it happened. It was in the small city of Nauvoo, Illinois at the Nauvoo Hotel restaurant when family and friends of seven former missionaries gathered, after thirty-years, once again for dinner.

Finlinson and friend Jennifer

Hilliers

Molines

Redmonds

Rich

Richins

Ropers

Then to a play at the Cultrual Hall.

...with more excitement after the show,

A "must have" group photo, on the lawn south of the Cultrual Hall. Moline smiling so strongly his side-burns turned white. I photoshop'd most of it out. :) Where did Roper run to?

The evening continued with a gathering in the conference room at the Nauvoo Inn and Suites, lasting until past midnight. Stories of the past, remember this, oh and remember that, like...

...the great storm and how dark it got and how green the sky then turned! and Joseph creek running full stream!

...and who was that playing in the river in the middle of the road in shorts?

...and who all went running from who through the corn field.

...and now we're on a "farm mission".

4-18-1980 : April 18 1980 Dr and Reva anniversary

6-6-1980 : We had a pretty good day at the blacksmith shop-I’ve never given so many rings to girls – specially on my mission “Horseshoe nail rings”.

6-8-1980 : Elders Johnson and Roper spoke in sacrament meeting – They were both real good (second coming and faith)

7-18-1980 At 4:30 went to the Browning home to give tours. There were some girls here from Ut. A group of about eight girls came to the JB home and Elder Rich gave the tour. We decided to play a joke on them…so… when Elder Rich had them all in the shop I went to the kitchen and went below the cellar door which is in the middle of the kitchen floor and Elder Rich said that one of Jonathon Browning's children died and was buried below the door and rumors were heard of sounds in the home. Just then I came up through the door and a couple of girls jumped out of their socks. Well they left and another group of girls came and I gave the tour, Elder Rich was below the floor and I told them one of the Browning children died and was buried down there and noises were heard by other people ( a couple of girls smiled as if “sure they did”) and then elder Rich walked up and everyone of those girls about gave up the ghost there were about ten and they all screamed and jumped back- I died laughing.

10-10-1980 Tonight we were assigned to the Heber C. Kimball home and we were quite busy, very unexpectedly. We came home and Elder Rich and I had Rice a roni and sat around and talked, he has been a great strength to me.

...and on and on!

Then there was the surprise visitor!
(Ok so only by way of letter.)
Reva!
She was actually attempting to join us but at the last minute could not. Here's what she had to say.

My Dear Missionaries, July 2, 2010

How I wish that I could accept your kind invitation and meet you in our beloved Nauvoo.

I do envy you returning and breathing in the sights and sounds of that fair city. There is a spirit there that fills the hearts of those who have visited or labored in Nauvoo, creating a desire to return with friends and loved ones so they too can share those feelings when visiting the Temple; the Smith Family Cemetery; Joseph Smith’s Homestead; the Nauvoo House; the Red Brick Store; Carthage Jail; or while sitting quietly in the evening gazing upon the lights of the Temple or watching the sun set upon the Mississippi.

There is an article in the May 4, 2002 Church News, written by Julie Dockstader Heaps, who told about the Saints working so hard to build the Nauvoo Temple. She mentioned a Church News interview with Glen M. Leonard, director of the Museum of Church History who stated that during those years of building, industry and faith, the storms of mobs began again to gather. Convert immigrants continued to pour into Nauvoo, while neighboring towns such as Carthage, Quincy and Warsaw stayed at a few hundred each. According to Brother Leonard, with this population boom in Church membership came political strive. A political party, called the Anti-Mormon Party, was even organized to fight Church voting power.

On April 6, 1841 some 10,000 people attended the laying of the four cornerstones of the Temple. On June 27, 1844, the Prophet Joseph and his brother, Hyrum, were martyred at Carthage Jail. Their enemies surmised that if they killed the Prophet, the Church would disperse and cease to exist as a political power; however, less than a year after the martyrdom, on May 24, 1845, the Nauvoo Temple capstone was laid under the direction of President Brigham Young.

The exodus began on February 4, 1846 and by the following autumn, mobs had forced the remaining members to flee. On October 9, 1848 an arsonist torched the magnificent Temple, leaving only blackened walls. On May 27, 1850, the Temple, which had been sold to the French Icarians for $2,000.00, was further damaged by a tornado. What remained was taken down and used in other edifices.

Brother Leonard said a man on his deathbed confessed he knew who hired the arsonist who set the sacred temple on fire – and that it was burned to make sure the “Mormons” never came back.

“On June 27, 2002, the history of the Nauvoo Temple, it seems, came full circle”, much like missionaries returning to the Beautiful City, sharing that special spirit with their families.

May the spirit of Nauvoo always burn within your hearts,

Reva Kimball

A few photos I took the day before the actual reunion. July 5, 2010

...as you enter the city from the east (North).