| Show THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE SURfcXY MORNING SEPTEMBER 24- - 1933 UTAHNS VISIT NAUVOO “THE BEAUTIFUL” Citizens of Town Welcome Throng on Pilgrimage to This Early Setting of Jany Most Colorful Chapters in History of L D S Church By CLARENCE 8 BARKER With the dedication of the Relief society memorial on the aite of Iti organisation in Illinois March 17 1842 thousands of Salt Lakers and others have found additional incentive for visiting "historic shrines at Nauvoo "the beautiful” early setting of many of the most colorful and promising chapters In the history of the 1 D S church One of the meet notable pilgrimages left Salt Lake in July Including 136 persons it first went to Chicago where members attended sessions of the International Congress of Women in the Palmer house and visited the Century of Progress exposition The group Joined Mrs Louise Y Robl- on president of the National Women’s Relief society her counselors Mrs Amy Brown Lyman aid Mrs Julia A Child and Mrs Julia A F Lund general secretary Mrs Ruth May Fox president of the Young Ladies’ Mutual Improvement association and counselor Mrs Clarissa A Beeeley Miss May Anderson general superintendent of the L D S Primary her first assistant Mrs Isabelle S Rosj and others who had participated in round table discussions at the congress of wotpen iA qhicago Following a six days’ stay in Chicago the party augmented by others boarded a special train for Montrose Iowa directly across the Mississippi river and closest railway point to Nauvoo the spot so hallowed by early members of the church as a place of refuge and growth officate ' Nauvoo as it appeared some 40 years ago from Bluff park Montrose Iowa In the wooded area at the edge of the river opposite now stands the Relief society memorial To the right is the historic Nauvoo house On the horizon above is a Catholic church near the temple lot for ceremonies markers at the old pioneer fort on West Broadway tne other end of the pioneer trail the top of Big mountain and Cal fort near Brigham Cty Sunday July 23 and Monday July 24 Pioneer dav Mr Smith as well as being a member of the council of the twelve apostles of the church is a grandson of George A Smith who was a resident of Nauvoo The latter an apostle was a stout ernor Henry Horner of Illinois by W D GovChenery who represented him ernor Horner paid tribute to the Relief society organization and to the industry of the L D S church-- a communication as complimentary in tone as in the early days messages from similar officials had it W ITijlllSSIlli' " nation of Joseph Smith founder of the church and his brother Hyrum cdun- - Nauvoo temple --aooond such edifice built by the L D S church Begun in 1841 and finished in 1845 it was destroyed by fire November 10 Historic Nauvoo house begun as a magnificent hostelry at the lower end of Main street near the shore of tho Mississippi river 1848 Foundations of the Joseph Smith store in an upper room of which the Relief leader of the church and later look a prominent part In the trek westward X directed by Brigham Young also doing valiant service in the upbuilding of Utah and serving as a counselor to President Five mission presidents were Young also present for the dedication Other colorful personalities among them a number of descendants of early church leaders were in attendance both on the stand and in the body of the Mrs Robison president of assemblage the Relief society called the gathering to order at 9 a m from a shady Joseph Smith Sr homestead as it stand today Near by art ths graves of Joseph Emms and Hyrum Smith and tha Relief society memorial plat--for- aelor to Joseph and patriarch of the church occurred As the party left ths Montrose railway station early In the morning of Wednesday July 28 and beheld tho ails of Nauvoo across ths Missiasippl river— oven f W those who had mado similar trip previously— so accounts run— 11 were struck by the unparalleled majesty and beauty y of the vista which greeted their eyes I Ws For to inspiring a location for a city Kt I" i is difficult to find anywhere Nauvoo lands on a bold point at least one-ha- lt inclosed by the great river held back by a dam below and there more than a mile wide From the water's edge the Main street Nauvoo At the right ground rises gradually for approximateIt the Mansion house residence of Joly a mile until it reaches the level of seph Smith at tho time of his death the prairie that atretches eastward Opposite Nauvoo on the west bank of fhe river at Montrose Iowa the bluffs engineered the imposing structures of rise rather abruptly and are covered by early Nauvoo a luxuriant growth of timber and other Suffice it to say that the 957 present"" verdant foliage West of the bluffs the day Inhabitants of Nauvoo only a fracalternate prairie and woodlands of Iowa tion of the 20000 to 30000 who lived roll off into the distance there in 1844 when it was the metropoThe party embarked at the wharf not lis and largest city in Illinois — those prese on a modern boat but on one of the ent dwellers obtained every available ferries specially prepared for the automobile for miles to provide transoccasion which took them directly to portation to the pilgrim group a special wharf near the Joseph Smith The mayor the president of the Unity homestead and only a few steps from club service organization of the town the beautiful monument they had come and other officials were also on hand to dedicate to greet the delegation and bid its memHer again a new surprise greeted bers welcome them As those who are acquainted The monument site Is situated on a with even some of the L D S hymns grassy knoll not far from the river on a not to mention chapters of church hisportion of the old Smith homestead now tory will recall many of the early se- owned by the Reorganized L D S tiers of the frontier particularly those church of Independence Mo which gave of Missouri and later of Illinois were permission for the building of the memoviolently opposed to anything even sarial voring of what waa termed "Mormon-ism- ” Samuel O Bennlon president of the central states mission who came some Quite contrary to that forgotten attitime earlier to supervise the placing of tude of a departed generation the peo- the monument and preparation of pie now did almost everything within grounds found that not a drop of water their power to make the L D S group could be piped to the ground in time welcome fo the celebration Nothing daunted One indication of the new feeling was he obtained a power pump and sufficient the Nauvoo band dressed in brightest hose to bring water up from the river regalia which appeared over the brow A crew of approximately 12 men of the hill as the ferry approached the worked diligently for almost a week and shore With Joyous airs they serenaded effected a "magic” transformation The perhapa the largest single group of L memorial built on classic lihes of enD S church members to approach the during atone with a sundial in front city since its desertion by their foreand benches at either end whs soon bears placed and surrounded by an array of Those present tell that some of the shrubs flowers walks and turf that residents almost wept in the fervor of would have done credit to years of orditheir welcome Intolerance had long Streamers flags and nary gardening lined 'een forgotten Nothing but adbanners were added for the day of the miration remained for ths body which ceremony J fi society was organized were also made presentable and will form the nucleus of ai sunken garden only a few feet from the memorial Joseph Smith organized the group then known as the Female Relief society believed to be one of the oldest exclusively women's organizations m provided for the occasion The huge crowd assembled from far and near joined in singing “America” and the expressive old L D S hymns "The Spirit of God Like Fire Is Burning” and “Novlr Let Us Rejoice in the Day of Salvation” both of which were sung at the meeting in Joseph Smith's store building when the society was organized with 18 members with his wife Emma Hale Smith first president It now has 67000 members Smith Anderson Mrs Audentia granddaughter of Joseph and Emma nr v Hewn capstone of one of the 30 pilasters of the Nauvoo temple This and similar remnants of the temple remain at Nauvoo Much of the temple atone work is embodied in later building of Joseph and Emma Hale Smith assisted by her daughter Barbara Hulmes and Helen Claire Robison of Boston granddaughter of the present president of the Relief society The dedicatory address Was given by George Albert Smith which proved both powerful and stimulating to the great throng Elias S Woodruff president of the western states mission pronounced the benediction With the conclusion of the service the warm hospitality of the people of Nauvoo was further expressed The visitors were entertained at a chicken dinner served in the basement of the Nauvoo house and later taken on a tour of the city and other points of interest nearby The historic Nauvoo house serves well to illustrate the plan upon which the been deprecatory Another event was the address of Frederick M Smith grandson of Joseph Smith and president of the Reorganized church p I v $ 5' to y i $ s " - 4 ("s 4$ 07 ’ 1 s vi President Smith's address was followed by historical sketchea and expositions of the work of the Relief society by general officers: Mrs Lyman Mrs Child and Mrs Lund the latter of Whom paid a tribute to Emma Hale Smith the organization’s first president Ruion Y Robison son of Mrs Robison next tang “The Seer” anthem written by John Taylor eulogizin Joseph Smith after which Daniel S Spencer- grandson of Daniel Spencer a mayor of Nauvoo - fpoke briefly The memorial was unveiled under direction of Mrs Bertha A Hulmes of Grosse lie Mich old-tim- (Confirmed on loll ovine pi) Walls and foundation of the unfinished Nauvoo house from sn old paintBricks from the upper end were used to build the present structure after the departure of the main body of the L D S church ing in America “to care for the poor minister to the sick comfort the sorrowing teach righteousness and strengthen tha morals of the community” Sincg the bronze plaque on the monument niay also be said to mark the beginning' of the old Mormon trail westward to Utah it bears the symbol of an ox skull used by the pioneers along the route often inscribed with messages for succeeding companies to travel that way George Albert Smith president of the Utah Pioneer Trails and Landmarks association which has erected scores of such monuments at historic points in the west joined the pilgrimage at Nauvoo having been detained In Salt Lake t' Hale Smith a prominent member of the Reorganized church contributed to the pleasure of the occasion by her courtesy to the Utah visitors She was accompanist tor the hymns that were suftg and in the evening meeting held under the stars entertained those present by reciting incidents in the lives of her grandparents George S Romney of Chicago president of the northern states mission offered the invocation after which James L Ogden mayor of Nauvoo gave the address of welcome to which President Bennion responded One stirring incident to the Utahns was the reading of a message from Gov- - - U si r ivfsw’ws J vk k — ml la ' 3 ‘ I vi v't 'A V o r4W0 fcy —f w P rwtoftv i f The Joseph Smith store— scene of the organization of the Relief society and ”PPr P00“ ‘r M 016 le1 |
