DiscussMormonism.com

My mom wrote the family an email telling everyone they are headed to Nauvoo for a week to "capture the essence of our heritage".

I was thinking about this a little wondering why Nauvoo doesn't seem like my heritage. My heritage seems to be Utah history. The pioneers crossed the plains, following BY and established Zion in harsh conditions. My people settled towns in this arid land. They built canals and tried to grow cotton.

Why doesn't Nauvoo feel Mormon to me? Maybe it's the distance. Maybe it isn't "Brigham". All things Brigham feel more at home to me.

Anyone else feel this way?

I've never been to Nauvoo, though my ancestors lived there during the height of the Mormon period. In some ways, I consider Nauvoo to be the spiritual birthplace of Mormonism because that is where so many of the unique LDS doctrines were developed (or revealed, depending on your perspective): eternal progression, temple ordinances, salvation for the dead, plural marriage, premortal life. If Joseph Smith had not developed his theology beyond Kirtland or Missouri, the church would likely have had a history closer to the RLDS/CofC folks.

So, yes, it's my heritage, but I don't feel the same connection to it that I do to pioneer Utah. I would guess that's because I haven't been there.

I visited Nauvoo once - as a believer. I had an uneasy feeling the whole time I was there. Maybe I was uncomfortably about a few things - like the pentagrams on the temple and the whole polygamy thing. I don't know.

I went to Nauvoo with my family, as a teenager, and loved it. We listened to the Joseph Smith tapes from Truman Madsen on the way down, in the car. I thought Joseph Smith was The Shiznit back then. He was a real, bona fide American hero.

I didn't know about the polygamy back then. Or the masonic stuff, or anything else to do with the endowment, which still contained the penalties back then. I knew nothing about any of the stuff that now so disgusts me about Joseph Smith, and thought I knew Joseph Smith to be the best guy who ever lived except for Jesus Christ. In short, I was the perfect product of the church's propaganda machine.

And I thought Nauvoo was great.

I am DAR, not DUP. And I sure as hell am not in any way connected with Nauvoo.

http://www.johnbetts-fineminerals.com/j ... /18938.jpg

A geode from Warsaw.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jclegill/3261287379/

The river at Warsaw.


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"The Point" at Warsaw.

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Town Hall at Hamilton

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Downtown Hamilton. I think the light blue store front is where grandpa had his dry-cleaning shop. Not sure-- has changed so much.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... nsm&itbs=1

Hydroelectric plant in Keokuk

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... nsm&itbs=1

The old bridge across the river between Keokuk and Hamilton. Jimmy Carter promised us a new bridge, and by dad gum, we got one. The old one was auto traffic on upper, train on lower.

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No explanation on this one. It really isn't him, however.

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Holiday inn at Keokuk. I worked there for a while.

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The river boat museum in Keokuk.

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It is always fun to watch the eagles on the river in winter. The water remains Ice-free for a long time just below the dam.

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This is about the company my father worked for years and years. My mother worked there for a while, too.

Nauvoo isn't my heritage, either.
Here is the new bridge. You can see the old one behind it.

See, Joseph, I can behave myself!!

One more

The old covered bridge is the hilight. Also a view of the lock and dam from Hamilton, where routes 96 and 136 though town separate to go to Keokuk and Nauvoo.

http://www.hamiltonillinois.org/development.html

I freaking love Nauvoo. Totally feels like my heritage.

Since Nauvoo is an intergral part of Mormon culture and history, it is by proxy apart of a Mormon's heritage. For any Mormon to claim that Nauvoo is not apart of their heritage, they would be basically lying to themselves.

However, when a person may leave the faith or is considering leaving the faith, they may begin to look into their Mormon heritage and attempt to find something that they may dislke to justify their backsliding.

why me wrote:they may begin to look into their Mormon heritage and attempt to find something that they may dislke to justify their backsliding.

The term "backsliding" has more to do with having a personal relationship with Jesus. http://christianity.about.com/od/practi ... kslide.htm

It has very little to do with loyalty to one's church. If one's church interferes with that personal relationship, then maybe the individual is justified in leaving that church.

Perhaps you might reconsider your use of the word.