Soon a lady came in alone with a desperate look on her face..she needed to find a restroom, since the ones by the Browning shop were closed for remodeling. We don't usually have people use ours in the basement, but we said of course, come on in. When she came back up stairs, we visited for a while, and she and her husband were nonmembers, both History teachers, and doing research about the Mormon trek to the west. They had been to several historic sites and were spending a few days in Nauvoo. She was smitten by the beauty of Nauvoo, the Mississippi River and all the history here. The most amazing thing was she kept testifying that they had a very spiritual experience here in Nauvoo...She repeated twice that there was definitely a Spirit here that was compelling. We told her that the Saints who lived her gave their all for the Gospel because of that same Spirit..Then she proceeded to say that no matter who you are, Mormon or not, we all have a connection to this area and to the great migration to the west. The wonderful thing is that she was feeling the Holy Ghost bear witness to her that this is a sacred place. A place we can all connect to.
I thought about Brigham Young and the amazing feat he accomplished in moving a whole society, thousands of people across the continent to the Rocky Mountains....their religious, economic, educational, and political systems all in place. No wonder he is honored in Washington DC capital with a statue with the saying "The Great Colonizer of the West" He planned the colonization of over 400 communities. But it is important he didn't do it of himself, he was directed by the Lord and he followed His direction. Each day my testimony is strengthened...especially when a visitor can testify of the Spirit to me!
This is probably what Brigham looked like when they migrated west in 1846-47
Keep sharing your experiences! They are so fun to read. I love it!
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