Memorial Day Weekend Pictures

Here are some scenic pictures we took on our trip to Canton, Nauvoo and Carthage, Illinois.



Brian's favorite is third one down. That tree was amazing. It is just outside the cemetery where his grandparents, great-grandparents and great-great grandparents are buried. Brian's initials come from B.F Duryea (his grandfather) who was named after his grandfather as well (B.F. Duryea). Those two and their wives are in this cemetery. Its in a perfect little country cemetery in Canton, Illinois.



Maegan's favorite is the very last one. Its at the end of Parley street in Nauvoo, Illinois. Parley street (or the end of it) goes right into the Mississippi River and was the street many of the Saints took in the beginning of the trek westward. The statue is some 40 to 50 feet away from the River and depicts Joseph showing Brigham Young the way.



There is something else that we learned is in the 6th and 7th picture down. This is a replica of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in front of the Nauvoo Temple on their way to Carthage Jail. The Temple face points Westward towards the Mississippi just like it did in the original. The only difference to the outward structure of the temple today when compared to the earlier temple is that now Moroni is on the top instead of a weather vein. It is also the only Moroni on all of the temples to face west instead of east. President Hinckley asked that the Moroni here and the one on the Salt Lake Temple (which faces east) work like book ends to the Saints' trek. We thought that was very interesting and very appropriate.