Mark and Coralee: The Exodus Re-enactment

During the Winter of 1845-1846, the people living in Nauvoo had to leave. Their Prophet, Joseph Smith, and his brother, Hyrum, had been killed a year and a half before. The mob wanted all of the Mormons gone and were persecuting them relentlessly. They had planned to wait till spring but things got so bad that they had to leave in February. They hurriedly built wagons and assembled supplies and many of them left in February. They lined up on Parley Street waiting to be ferried across the Mississippi River. On February 19, 1846 there was a big snowstorm. Then it got very cold. The River froze over and some of the people were able to cross on the ice. But many others were ferried across. Every February in Nauvoo, we have a re-enactment of that Exodus. It was held on Saturday, February 2, 2013.

Mark was busy preparing for the Exodus Trek. He helped ready wagons and helped get the horses used to pulling wooden wheeled wagons. The day before the Trek, I was working at the Brigham Young home. He drove the horses down to visit me. It was very cold.

Preparing Chad & Champ for the Exodus Trek

For a couple of months prior to the Trek, Sister Nunn and I and the sisters who worked in Land and Records had been busily preparing tags for people to wear. We wore ancestors' names around our necks. We could wear up to 5 names. People turned in their ancestors to us and we researched them to make sure they were in Nauvoo and that they did go west. We typed them and laminated them and put yarn on them. Some who didn't have ancestors walked for people they weren't related to. There were 611 tags used on the day of the Exodus. Some of them were blank and people filled in their own ancestors. Most were typed.

Sister Nunn and I giving out tags.

We assembled at 7:00 a.m. at the Family Lving Center to give out tags to missionaries and others.

The people who we walked for--all Mark's mother's ancestors

Mark and I each walked for 5 ancestors. They were all his. I didn't have any ancestors in Nauvoo. He walked for the blue tags and I walked for the pink ones.

There was a continental breakfast at the Family Living Center before we left. Everything was free of course.

Breakfast foods for the folks

We had a short opening program and then headed outside. It was a cold day. With the wind chill factor it was about 0. In 1846 when the pioneers left, it was -12 without the wind chill factor.

The Christensens portraying Brigham and Mary Ann Young

Elder & Sister Christensen portrayed Brigham and Mary Ann Young. Elder Christensen is ill and they left for home this week. We were glad they could stay to participate in the Exodus Trek.

The wagons lined up at the Family Living Center.

There were 6 wagons and conveyances which followed all of us who walked. There was a surrey with a fringe on top and then several wagons. There was a carriage for those who were unable to walk.

Me, proudly holding the Scotland flag

Sister Heaton & me with our flags

Many of us carried flags as we walked. I carried the Scotland flag. I didn't get any pictures of us walking. There were app. 200 people who walked from the Family Living Center down Parley Street to the River. First was the Nauvoo Legion. Then the flags. Then the walkers and then the wagons.

Walking down Main Street

The Nauvoo Legion leading the way

The Walk down Parley Street

The wagons and surrey going down Parley Street

The wagons all turned into our lane when they got down by the River.

Brigham Young and Mary Ann in the surrey with the fringe on top. Driven by Elders Nunn & Johnson. Horses are Mike & Ned.

The wagons coming down Parley Street and turning onto our lane

Mark & Jordan with Chad & Champ

Mark on the wagon at left with Chad and Champ

Mark driving a wagon with Jordan and Chad and Champ

Mark's wagon with the temple in background

We stood down by the River and a list was read of our ancestors who died before getting to Utah.

The Christensens with their 3 little grandchildren

The Christensens' son, daughter-in-law, 3 granddaughters, and 1 grandson came to be with the Christensens. They are pictured toward the left. The little girls were so sweet.

The Nauvoo Legion raised the flag. Taps was played by Elder Germer.

The Nauvoo Legion at the River

It was a wonderful day and we were thankful we could participate. We all felt the spirit of the people who had to leave in 1846. We are so thankful for their sacrifices so that we can have the Gospel today and live it as we want.

The day after the trek we had a fireside at which we told about an ancestor. Mark told about Archibald Gardner and I told about Isabelle Burt. She wasn't in Nauvoo, but the fireside included pioneers other than the Nauvoo ones.

Mark and I in the surrey with a fringe on top. Horses are Mike and Ned

A couple of days after the Trek, before they put the surrey away, Mark came and gave me a ride--in front of the John Taylor home where I was working.

Mark and I in the surrey with the fringe on top

The river has been partially frozen for the last while. It looks like waves but often they are waves of ice. There have been so many geese, ducks, and bald eagles.

Geese on the partially frozen river

The geese flying aboe the river.

Flying Geese

Mark was out on the ice getting up closer to the geese to take a photo. He slipped and fell down--flat on his back. That scared the geese and he was able to get this photo lying flat on his back.

Mark has taken some photos of the horses eating their hay in the morning.