Nauvoo Temple

While in Illinois, we had the opportunity to visit the Nauvoo temple. After the early Mormon church members were expelled from Missouri, they traveled to Quincy Illinois, and later traveled north into a swampland area. They drained the swamp and built a beautiful, prosperous city which they named Nauvoo (or city beautiful in Hebrew). Here they lived in relative peace for a short time and built the Nauvoo temple. Joseph Smith was martyred, and just as the temple was finished, the saints were expelled by mobs from their beautiful city and forced to travel across the Mississippi where they found refuge at Winter Quarters Nebraska (near Florence). Many of our children's ancestors helped build the original Nauvoo temple.

The Nauvoo temple was later burned under questionable circumstances. In the year 2002, the Nauvoo temple was re-built according to the original plans, and is a fully functioning/operational temple. We believe that temples are the Lord's house on earth. In our temples, we make sacred covenants with God, and receive instruction. Couples are married and sealed together for eternity through the priesthood power, and gospel ordinances are performed for those who did not have the opportunity to receive them in this life.