Revisiting Nauvoo

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by hyrum

Congrats, maybe someday you could give a talk about Austria in 1914 without mentioning Archduke Ferdinand.

So Nauvoo is primarily defined by the introduction of polygamy?

[FMCoug]

Originally Posted by hyrum

Congrats, maybe someday you could give a talk about Austria in 1914 without mentioning Archduke Ferdinand.

LOL. As if the introduction of polygamy is the most significant thing that happened in Nauvoo. Give me a break.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by FMCoug

LOL. As if the introduction of polygamy is the most significant thing that happened in Nauvoo. Give me a break.

hyrum's analogy is really pretty clever. Arguably polygamy was the proximate cause of Joseph Smith's murder and the destruction of Nauvoo. Wasn't it the Nauvoo Expositor's expose on polygamy that caused JS to order it burned and the type scattered? Didn't the Expositor's owners include disaffected husbands of some of Joseph's "wives"? It does seem amazing to me someone could talk about Nauvoo and not mention polygamy.

[DrumNFeather]

Originally Posted by hyrum

Congrats, maybe someday you could give a talk about Austria in 1914 without mentioning Archduke Ferdinand.

Well, I also didn't mention the growing discomfort with the political power starting to be gained out of Nauvoo either if it makes you feel better.

I just summed that all up by calling it "growing tensions between Nauvoo and other cities in Illinois."

[MikeWaters]

See, I try to make an honest point and then the apostates and antis jump in.

[DrumNFeather]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

See, I try to make an honest point and then the apostates and antis jump in.

The Pide Piper Plays again! : )

[All-American]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

hyrum's analogy is really pretty clever. Arguably polygamy was the proximate cause of Joseph Smith's murder and the destruction of Nauvoo. Wasn't it the Nauvoo Expositor's expose on polygamy that caused JS to order it burned and the type scattered? Didn't the Expositor's owners include disaffected husbands of some of Joseph's "wives"? It does seem amazing to me someone could talk about Nauvoo and not mention polygamy.

Were DrumnFeather giving a complete dissertation on the life and times of Joseph Smith, you'd be right. If he were to give a 10-15 minute talk on the significance of the Nauvoo Temple in Sacrament meeting, I'd see no problem with not bringing up polygamy.

[bluegoose]

Originally Posted by DrumNFeather

I gave my Nauvoo talk yesterday, here are a few highlights I learned:

It took the saints 5 years to build the temple and they only occupied it for about 3 months.

In the time they occupied it, nearly 6,000 saints received their endowments.

The men were asked to work 1 day in 10 on the temple. Joseph Smith called this their tithing.

The women were asked to provide food and clothing and other things. This organized effort was called the Relief Society.

The temple was architecturally ahead of its time and referred to as the Jewel of the Mississippi.

The concept of baptizms for the dead was introduced to the saints (D.C. 124:29) partially because "a font did not exist on the earth to perform these ordinances."

The endowment (eternal marraige & eternal families) given to the saints.

Polygamy introduced.

In 1937, the church repurchased the land for $900

In 1948, two missionaries met a decendent of William Weeks (the original architecht of the temple) and through this chance meeting, the church acquired the original plans to the Nauvoo temple.

It was probably the most interesting & difficult topic I've ever had to speak on, but it was a great exercise for me.

I gave a nearly identical talk (content-wise) almost exactly a year ago. If I had known, I could have saved you the trouble of actually studying (heaven forbid) and sent you the notes.

I'm sure yours was more interesting than mine though.

[aaronshaf]

I recently took a trip to Nauvoo and made a video out of it:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LMglsbNNE34

[Indy Coug]

Well, that Robert J Matthews quote serves as an effective disclaimer for your video and puts it into its proper perspective.