Nauvoo

What a wonderful experience! Since I didn't blog at all on our Nauvoo blog, I just wanted to write a couple of the things I learned and relearned while I share some pictures of this place I fell in love with.

First, be positive. Our directors taught us in a new way of the principle of bad fruit and good fruit. There was never any negativity coming from them and it was contagious. There was a positive energy all the time and that feeling is something I don't want to lose.

The directors were also great at keeping our perspective on the purpose of the pageant: to bring souls to Christ. One of them said that although Nephi was commanded to build a ship, the ship was not the thing; it was the promised land. I was reminded how important it is to keep the big picture in mind and how much easier it is to do the nitty-gritty things when I do remember the full perspective.Third, we learned about the difference between dependence, independence, and interdependence. By studying just the definitions of these words, it's easy to see the progression and then apply them to the gospel. The directors made the point that interdependence is what is found in Zion.The last teaching that touched me was the instruction to open my soul. This was reinforced at different times and by different people, but they all had the same basic message. By opening my soul, the spirit can work in me and then through me. I saw this happen in the music we sang, and in the performances we had, and in our missionary efforts. We were always blessed the most when we were the most open.It's hard to express the things I learned in a blog when I feel like I learned them in much deeper ways. But hopefully you get a glimpse of our experience here and a more day-by-day experience on the Nauvoo blog. It really was a life-changing two weeks and I hope that all of you will at sometime be able to visit that beautiful city.