Sunday, March 27th 2022

Technology Is A Wonder!

Today we didn't go to our Iowa branch because it is our granddaughter Karaia's missionary talk meeting that we sort of were able to watch from zoom. The link wasn't good, it would stop and go and there was Mexican music playing in the background the whole time .... 

I tried really hard and I think succeeded fairly well in keeping my frustration at bay. Of all the meetings for zoom not to work, this was it! "Hey, listening from Nauvoo here! This is our granddaughter people!" Nate, our son put us on facetime for a minute and that was helpful but not ideal. Oh well, we watched the replay and found out it was Sanders, a grandson and Karaia's youngest brother who spoke with her and he did a great job! Karaia gave a wonderful talk! We're excited for her for this new adventure of service, growth, joy, hardship and purposefulness. 

Yesterday was our last day in the temple for 8 weeks. The windows in the Nauvoo temple are all being replaced. 20 years of wear and humid conditions have taken their toll. It's a big project. 

It was very cool that on the last day of the temple, we needed to use the hearing impaired system for the first time. 

(more technology) 

This was the project that Dave had put together when we first arrived in Nauvoo.  He got to set it up and test it out through two sessions. It worked perfectly and he was very pleased. 

 It was also the last day for Sister Peggy Dewey, the temple office clerical leader. She has worked 20 years in the Nauvoo temple. They had a retirement party for her earlier in the week. She will be missed so very much! I loved her instantly and will always love her. She was a delight to work with!  

We were going to visit with our Colorado Family to see a dance recital, fix my tooth and attend a high-school graduation but those all happen at the very end of the closure and we couldn't make it back in time for when we needed to be here for all the new temple missionaries coming to Nauvoo. So, we're going to take a few little road trips here and there. 

More research through technology on my ancestors revealed some interesting information. I would recommend getting on FamilySearch.org and just reading the memories that are provided there. It’s so fascinating! 

So, I learned that my 12th great grandparents on my mother's side, William Mullins born in England in 1572 and his wife Alice Atwood were two of the 104 passengers on the Mayflower which sailed to America in 1620. He was one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact. Both he and his wife died in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. Their names are on a cool monument. 

Their daughter Priscilla Mullins was 17 yrs. old on the Mayflower and there was a hired hand on the ship by the name of John Alden 22 yrs. old. In the spring of 1622, they married and had 12 children. One of their sons, Joseph Alden married Mary Simmons. They had 8 children. One of their sons, Joseph Alden married Hannah Dunham and they had 10 children. One of their sons, Eleazar Alden married Martha Shaw and they had 9 children. One of their sons, Jonathan Alden married Experience Hayward and they had 9 children. One of their daughters, Experience Alden married Randall Wheeler whose birthday is exactly 200 years earlier than mine, April 8th 1758.

Randall and Experience Wheeler my 6th great grandparents, lived in Springfield, Pennsylvania. They had 8 children. They were taught the gospel by Jared Carter, Orson Hyde and Samuel Smith and were baptized in 1832. Randall was 74 yrs. old, and Experience was 66 yrs. old.

Randall and Experience introduced the gospel to their daughter Elizabeth (Betsey) Wheeler who had married Gideon Brownell and were living in Michigan. They were baptized in 1841 both being 52 yrs. old. Betsey and Gideon Brownell moved to Nauvoo and received their endowments in the temple in 1846. They moved west and lived in Winter Quarters and then arrived in Utah in 1849. Settled in Farmington, Utah, then Logan, Utah where Gideon helped build the Logan temple. They are buried in the Logan City cemetery.  They had 9 children, only 4 living to adulthood. 

One of their daughters Mary Ann Brownell, was born in Quebec, Canada. Her twin sister died at birth.  She married Jessed Pearson and lived in Indiana. Her parents came to visit from Michigan and introduced her to the gospel. She joined her parents in Nauvoo and they were baptized in 1845, Mary Ann being 30 yrs. Old. They also received their endowments in the Nauvoo temple. Mary Ann and Jesse Pearson had 8 children and came west with the Brownell’s, Mary Ann’s parents. They settled in Farmington, and Logan, Utah. Jesse and Mary Ann (44 yrs. Old) divorced, and Mary Ann remarried and later died in Idaho.

Their daughter, Emily Jane Pearson was 8 when her parents joined the church but there isn’t reference to her baptism, other than the date is 1846. She was 12 when they arrived in Utah. She was 16 when she became the 3rd wife of Israel Justus Clark (32 yrs.) He was baptized in New York in 1844 and arrived in Utah in 1848. They had 18 children. Israel learned the Shoshone language and was a good friend of the Indian people. They settled Clarkston, Utah and lived in Logan and Vernal, Utah. Buried in Vernal, Utah.

Their sixth child, Henrietta Augustine Clark (She was the one born in the wagon from Logan to Vernal, I got that wrong in the other history) She was the first ancestor on my mother’s side born in the church. At the age of 15 yrs., she became the second plural wife of Jeremiah Hatch (54 yrs.) who was only two years younger than her father. He was baptized at age 16 in 1840 in Vermont, and I’ve shared his history earlier. Henrietta and Jeremiah had 10 children and one of their daughters is Henrietta Odile Hatch. She married Stephen Price. They had 10 children, the oldest being my grandmother Gertrude Alice Price who married Harold Jencks. They had 4 children one of which was Gertrude Mary Jencks, my mother, who married my father Ray Anderson Madsen. They had 9 children and I am # 7. 

Whew! All the way back to the Mayflower!  I just wrote a really boring, to most people maybe, at least I think it’s kind of boring in the scriptures when they say all the “begat“ stuff but this really is a satisfying experience to read and learn about my ancestors. I wanted to know how they came to learn about the restored church and how I came to where I am now.  I encourage you all to spend some time doing just that. 

On a walk to get the mail. 

This is a nice warm coat because you can't tell, 

but it's a pretty cold day!

Peggy's retirement party. 

She receive a framed letter signed by the First Presidency, thanking her for her service. 

Me and Peggy

This was the first gathering we had had since the no mask policy in the temple was announced.

I had to get to know people again since I'd never seen their faces 

but have worked with them for almost 3 months!

Karaia on zoom. 

Happy for technology that made it possible to hear her speak

....grumble, grumble that it didn't work perfectly....

oh my heck how ungrateful can we be!

So excited for her and her mission!

 Monday, March 21, 2022

What A Difference A Week Makes!

Last week at this time I was writing about my struggle with having to wear a mask in the temple. On Wednesday we went to the temple wearing masks and in our preparation meeting the first announcement was " Effective immediately, masks are no longer required but you may wear them if you choose." Most everyone removed them promptly! It was AWESOME!! The rest of the week has been amazing to see faces and smiles and hear clear non muffled voices! My prayers sure have been answered and it's kind of delightful with the timing of all of it too, it made it feel just a little bit sweeter for me. 

Other than that major thing, the week was pretty much same temple schedule but lots of evening activities. Monday night we had a mission family night gathering with all the missionaries from the Sites, Temple and Facilities Management with lots of food, dancing and singing. The Coffmans were there. It's pretty interesting that we are in the same little town but rarely see each other because our missions are so different. 

Friday evening was another plant dinner and I made macaroni and "cheeze" I was happy to see people taking second helpings. There were only 10 of us but it was very pleasant. 

Saturday after temple, we drove into Washington, Iowa and attended a play that our branch Relief Society President was in. "The Curious Savage". It was fun and I laughed out loud which feels wonderful! We spent the night in a hotel there and the next morning attended the branch meeting with a pot luck luncheon after. Dave made and brought his Hawaiian Chili. This branch is filled with salt of the earth people and we have so enjoyed worshipping with them and getting to know them. 

Sunday, we had mission pictures taken with all the temple missionaries and President and Sister Anderson. Such delightful people all of them!  

Afterwards, One of the couples, The Jergensens, invited all of us to a premier showing of a new documentary of "The Tomb of Joseph". A couple they know bought a mercantile shop in 2019 on Mullholland Street kitty corner from the temple and when they were setting things up, came across a broken sprinkler head which needed to be replaced. While doing so a brick arch was discovered which initiated a digging under the foundation to discover and unearth the potential burial tomb of the Joseph Smith family. Joseph had commissioned William Weeks the same architect of the Nauvoo temple to design a burial tomb like the 9th President of the United States, William Henry Harrison. Those drawings were included with the drawings of the temple by William Weeks found several years ago by some missionaries and are owned by the Church. There were so many miracles involved with this undertaking and the documentary is quite a moving experience. Then we got to go see the museum they have created of Joseph's tomb and why they think it is the tomb Joseph asked for even though he nor his family were ever buried there. 

So now if you come to Nauvoo, you have another really cool historical site to see and learn about! 

Picture set up at the Mission Family Night

Pageant Center where all the rehearsals are done. It's a huge place!

Took a walk on a warm day around Nauvoo 

and found a cool hollowed out log

Another view

The missionaries that started the same time as we did.

The Williams, The Werretts, The Cooks, Pres. and Sis. Anderson, 

The Zauggs and Us.

All the temple missionaries, such a great bunch! Love them all!

Brother Brian Christensen, owner and discoverer of the 

"Tomb of Joseph"

The tomb is on both sides of the railing you see

The drainage well which authenticates that it's a tomb and 

not a wine cellar

    

Fun tree we found on our walk by the river

 March 14th, 2022

Disagreeing is Uncomfortable

Wow, the weeks go by fast! The first part of the week was normal schedule, and Thursday morning I played pickle ball and I'm improving bit by bit. It's a fun thing to do. Dave thinks his ankle will be strong enough to join me this next week. 

Thursday at the temple I was reprimanded for not keeping my mask up over my nose and I allowed it to really upset me. This blog is a record of my experiences so of course some may not be pleasant nor will I respond perfectly at all times or any times...who knows....anyway. 

Because of my narrowed trachea I need to get extra air often even when I am not hindered with an additional layer of a mask stopping my breath intake, so I will let the mask slide down my nose and breathe deeply, sometimes when I'm going up or down the stairs or when I know I am not by any other people, I will pull my mask completely down to my chin and enjoy breathing as much as I can. I know the Temple Presidency know of my struggle to wear a mask so this reprimand was hurtful. I really try to do the best I can even though I don't believe cloth mask do much good (scientifically) and feel like if people are concerned about their health, they should take every precaution they can to protect themselves and not expect or depend on everyone else to do it for them. 

To add to my struggle with masks, the announcement was made two weeks ago that the mask mandate would be lifted in the state and wards and stakes could make their own recommendations for masks as well as the MTC mask mandate was lifted but not the temple. I didn't understand why this decision was made, to protect the elderly when they can wear heavy duty masks if they want, and everyone else has to continue to suffer....people like me, people with asthma etc. I was very upset and with some trepidation, admit that I disagree with this decision and I'm not happy to disagree with the Prophet. I feel like I'm sneaking around being disobedient when I adjust my mask to simply breathe well. I do understand it is a privilege to attend the temple and it is a "private" residence so they can require whatever restrictions they want or need to, but we are all so weary of these masks and want so desperately to have our smiles back and to be able to hear each other when we speak and to breathe easily without restraint. 

I was stationed at a chair in the lobby for a time and I asked Heavenly Father that if a member of the temple presidency walked by while I was there, I could talk to him about my feelings and it would be alright to do so. Kind of like Abraham's servant asking God to point him to the woman who would water his camels. After some time, here one comes and I get his attention and ask if I could chat with him after my shift. He said that would be fine. After the shift and I was dressed he was there in the lobby and we walked down a quiet hall and I emotionally told him what had happened and how it feels and my frustration with all of it. He listened very kindly and with compassion and I felt heard knowing there was nothing he or anyone else besides the First Presidency could do. 

Friday, I took a mental health day...sick to my stomach and Saturday went back to the temple and the first chance I got to see this presidency member, I apologized for my tantrum and thanked him for letting me vent. He was again very kind. I will continue to wear this mask and breathe the best I can until it is no longer required. Please Father, let it be soon.....

I did have a lot of time to get to know my ancestors better and will share their stories another time. 

We are on the bank of Montrose Iowa where the saints cross the river when they were driven out of Nauvoo.

This is the Keokuk water plant with the locks

 where the barges go through

The bridge over the Mississippi between Illinois and Iowa

We took a drive on the MRT Mississippi River Trail road 

There are many mansions and interesting houses alone the way

The view of Nauvoo as seen from Montrose, Iowa

What the saints would have seen looking back 

as they crossed the river

The Mississippi River is unfrozen and the barges are flowing down. 

It's exhilarating and soul changing to have warmer weather!  

This is a chart to show how much a barge carries compared to 

these other modes of transportation. 

It's quite an amazing difference in capacity as well as the cost to move the product especially with gas prices increasing.

 

 Monday, March 7th

Correction Is A Beautiful Thing

This week we took advantage of the warmer weather and took a tour of a few of the sites here in Nauvoo with the site missionaries narrations. We visited the Lucy Mack Smith home and the William Weeks home. Both Dave and I are descendants of William Weeks, He, through his father's cousin's line and me through my mother's cousin's line through marriage. It was very interesting and we heard some amazing tender stories. We will be visiting more sites as we get time and nice weather. 

I was able to play pickle ball on Thursday morning which was very fun and I feel like I'm getting better at it. Dave's ankle is improving and will join me in pickleball as soon as he can. Dave and I went dancing which isn't as physically demanding on his ankle on Thursday night too. 

The temple has been slowly returning back to normal or pre covid ways. Which is a joyful thing. It has caused some growing pains for the workers to make the changes in how things are asked to be done. Without going into details which shouldn't be discussed I want to share how the Lord helped me with this situation. 

The workers were asked to do to a very specific thing which I thought was unnecessary and awkward with my "many years" experience as an ordinance worker and I was full of pride thinking that the way I had been trained was the very best way. So I really struggled with being compliant with the request and wanted to just continued to do it the way I had always done it. To be clear, this "thing" had nothing to do with any ordinance or ceremony. 

With this struggle going on inside of me I asked Heavenly Father to help me be humble and obedient. As I was working with the other sisters who were also having to adjust to this new way of being and couldn't be compliant if I wasn't, the thought came to me that I was being very selfish in continuing to do it "my way" and preventing them from feeling comfortable and confident in the method that had been requested. In my mind everyone felt as I did, that it was an awkward way to do things and we should make our opinions known. 

Wow! Can you feel the pride! So, when the Spirit told me I was being selfish and keeping these other sisters from learning the new way, I was stunned and humbled. When I was able to talk with them about my feelings, they both expressed a desire to do it the way we had been asked to and felt like it was lovely and elegant. Again, I was stunned and humbled and all of my hard feelings melted off of me and I could see that they were right! I am so grateful for answers to prayers and that Heavenly Father really is so aware of us and what we are going through and we can be guided, directed and even lovingly corrected if we so desire to be. 

This afternoon I get to have my tooth worked on again! One step closer to having it be completely corrected and back to normal! 

Enjoying the sunshine and beautiful Nauvoo

Nauvoo fences

A flock of pelicans which a picture does not do justice, 

you just have to see it in person.

The river is completely thawed since taking this picture last Monday 

Fun aspect of Nauvoo

Fully "corrected", repaired leg

Good as new