Tell them you saw Nauvoo the same way the 8 witnesses saw the Book of Mormon.....spiritual eyes, the eyes of faith. You don't need to SEE it, you KNOW its there.
Several years ago I was in St Louis for several days and had a day to spare so I drove up to Nauvoo. I stopped in Carthage and was so disgusted in the waiting room before the tour listening to Mormons talking about how spiritual it was going to be and spouting off phony history I just walked out and left. When I got to Nauvoo, I drove around a while and things were scattered all over, not the tight community I expected. The few times I parked and got out I was surrounded with more phony history, so I drove around the temple on the hill then headed north to cross the bridge into Iowa. I guess I just wasn't in the mood that day to listen to the crap.
spintobear Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I stopped in Carthage and was so > disgusted in the waiting room before the tour > listening to Mormons talking about how spiritual > it was going to be and spouting off phony history > I just walked out and left.
"And this is the very window that Joseph Smith went through and then ascended up to the heavens."
I confronted a missionary in Nauvoo (who thought I knew nothing ) on her memorized speel. She told me that Mormons were the only religion who believed in modern day revelation. I explained that some Islamic sects believe their leaders receive revelation in exactly the same way as Mormons. Also, many fundamentalist sects, some well known ones have taken their lives following directions of prophets of their church. I even have an Evangelical friend who claims she receives daily revelations. She had nothing more to say to me.
The thing is, I have Nauvoo ancestors. My late brother was glad be lived long enough to be at the dedication of the new temple. A sister spent two couples missions there. I guess I can say they did the Nauvoo thing for me.
We live in eastern Nebraska and it would be interesting from a historical standpoint to go to the "Mormon Trail" Center in Omaha. However, from my previous experience with "Mormon" historical sites they have nothing to do with history. I suppose Nauvoo, the Jackson County, Clay County Missouri sites and the Mormon Trail Center all include the phony history spoken of by the previous poster.
I joined the church in high school back in the Nauvoo stake. I grew up in Iowa. I used to love, LOVE going to Nauvoo.
Since I came out of the church 5 years ago, I have not been back to Nauvoo. I can't take the lies and the false history. Even now, it hurts and angers me.