Paul and Kay Lynn Mission

We have had a week of rain and thunderstorms some of them severe. Some woke up to lawns covered with hail, even enough to shovel! Flooding is back, some freeways are closed that are next to the river. We love it here, but this spring reminds us of the spring of 1846. In February 1846, the first party of Mormon pioneers faced nearly 300 miles of winter-bare prairie stretching between Nauvoo and the Missouri River gateway to the Oregon Trail. Those immigrants who left Nauvoo in a panic were poorly equipped for the trek, and few carried enough feed for their draft animals. Lacking spring grasses along the established roads, Young’s company traveled poorer tracks close to the Missouri border in order to trade with the Missouri settlements for livestock feed and supplies. Bad weather made travel more difficult. As rain set in and the ground thawed, narrow wagon wheels mired axle-deep, bringing wagons to a halt. Families waited miserably in camp as the men fanned out across the lightly...

As we look at the Winter Quarters area, we continue to be grateful for the early saints who lived here.  I like the quote of Orson Pratt which was given in a conference talk about Winter Quarters "When we were driven from Nauvoo there were some unable to leave—poor, feeble and sick; Nauvoo was a kind of a sickly place and a great many people were sick there and many of the sick, infirm and poor had to be left behind, being unable to leave with the main body of the Saints. We walked over the Mississippi River on the ice and wandered and wallowed about in the snowdrifts of Iowa with our teams and wagons, but these poor  people could not get away in time. The mob were very anxious to come in possession of our property, and hence after the main body got out one or two hundred miles from Nauvoo, where there were no inhabitants, cut off from all resources, and unable to obtain any information from our poor brethren, the mob was so anxious to get the property of which they had forc...

Another week has passed, spring is in full swing here in Nebraska. People are coming for tours and numbers are increasing. This week was full of things to do. Spring flowers are coming out of the flower beds and they are planting the summer flowers here at the the Mormon Trail Center and Kanesville Tabernacle.     This past Saturday was Florence Days, a local celebration that has a parade and other events. All of the Sisters at the Trail Center walked in Parade, along with some if the Seniors, and local member families from the wards. Then people were invited to the Trail Center for Ice Cream and tours. Sister White helped carry the banner. In studies this week came across an address by President Nelson titled Spiritual Survival in Oct 2016. This is what he said about Joy "Clearly, Lehi knew opposition, anxiety, heartache, pain, disappointment, and sorrow. Yet he declared boldly and without reservation a principle as revealed by the Lord: “Men...

Trains, Trains, and Trains, this week all the talk is about train and Promontory in Utah.  A civil war and the prospect of a quick fortune from the California Gold Rush left big companies like the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads starving for a labor force. While it is common knowledge that Utah played a role in building the Transcontinental Railroad, an important factor often overlooked is that a big section of it was mostly done by Mormon workers. Power, influence, culture, geography and even a little luck all played a role in why the Mormons were perfect candidates for this job.  In 1868, Union Pacific, desperate for workers and approaching Utah Territory, needed to recruit a lot of workers, including surveyors who knew the lay of the land against the intimidating Wasatch Mountain Range. Who better for this job than Mormon leader Brigham Young, who not only had access to a large number of workers, but also men with the discipline and sobriety of their faith? I...

Change is the one constant in our lives.  There are changes we look forward to and changes that we fear.  However one thing is for sure. Things will not be the same no matter how much we would like them to be.  When a life change occurs we have two choices in how to respond, 1) that the change has come and assume that things will be worse or 2) we can look with excitement at the new possibilities for personal growth and change in ourselves.   " God changes caterpillars into butterflies, sand into pearls, and coal into diamonds. Using time and pressure. He’s working on you too." Here at the Historic Mormon Trail Center and Kanesville Tabernacle many changes have been made. Changes in how we give visitors tours and what we talk about. Changes in leadership and direction. Sisters and Senior Couples coming and going home. Changes in the building its self and in the content. Changes in The Church, "each General Conference is like Christmas" as one ...