Love from Elder & Sister Freestone

[Pat Freestone]

Greetings to all our dear family and friends!

It has been a very special week here in Nauvoo the Beautiful, as each day we commemorated the tearful exit made by faithful pioneers from their beloved city. 

On Monday (2/2/26) we drove the loop over to Montrose and gazed across the Mississippi at the Temple. This was the perspective of the fleeing saints beginning February 4,1846. Our heart ached for them. 

Tuesday, after our shift, President Thurman asked to meet with us and extend an invitation to accept an assignment to be the Saturday Afternoon Shift Coordinators. This will be a huge learning curve for us and we ask for and appreciate your prayers! 

Tuesday evening was our very special devotional in the Temple Assembly Room. Our Temple President Thurman and his wife grew up in this area and spoke of their joy and utter amazement at President Hinkley’s announcement that the Nauvoo Temple would be rebuilt. He helped park cars during the groundbreaking, brought their family to clean during the construction, and had a front row seat in the Assembly Room for the dedication. He shared personal insights of how thin the veil was as President Hinkley assured all present that Brother Joseph and Brother Brigham were so very pleased. Site Mission President Mehr, shared histories of those who left their worldly possessions behind and with only their faith and families, rolled their wagons across the frozen Mississippi. 500 wagons would eventually cross as the ice began to bow under the heavy weight but they kept rolling. Like the children of Israel, they had no where else to go but forward in mighty faith and the Lord caused the ice to hold fast and they “ came through, out of captivity, on [frozen] ground” (⁠1 Nephi 4:2⁠). 

The days before the exit, the temple was filled to capacity as the saints had a burning desire to receive their endowments and be armed with those promises and power through temple covenants. 

Likewise, on the evenings of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday this week, extra sessions were added to the temple schedule and the temple was packed those days leading up to the Exodus Commemoration. 

Thursday (2/5/26) was an extra special day as some of the new Temple Missionaries began to arrive. Those who were not working their shift in the temple, were on hand to welcome them and help them unpack their vehicles. The remainder of the 7 new missionary couples arrived on Friday and the 7 couples who have been our mentors and dearest friends, worked their last day of their year long mission and returned home. Oh how we miss them! 

Saturday morning dawned clear and crisp. We, along with our new friends donned our pioneer clothes, along with our badges and lanyards that contained precious names of ancestors who walked the trail in 1846. Chris chose Johnathan Taylor Packer, a 3rd great grandfather, who was 28 at the time. He received his endowment in the Nauvoo Temple January 20, 1846, 15 days before the exodus. I carried Welcome Chapman, wife Susan Amelia Risley, and six children including little Hyrum who was 5 years old at the time. I also carried the names and stories of 16 ancestors of our friend Monica Shumway who took me up on my offer to send me family names who had participated in the 1846 exodus. It was a tender and sweet privilege!

Everyone walked to the Social Hall where the Nauvoo Legion was assembled with their rifles ready and flags fluttering in the breeze. Sister Thurman, the temple matron, gave a stirring speech encouraging us to walk with faith in every footstep! Dismissing fear and replacing it with hope and trust in our God! As she finished her remarks, the drummers began their marching cadence and we fell into step, down Parley Street, past the markers that displayed names and quotes of those who blazed a “Trail of Hope” for generations to follow! It is about a mile walk to the Pioneer Memorial which has a pavilion and a beautiful statue of Joseph and Hyrum gazing out over the Mississippi which today was frozen , adding to the authenticity of the event. Soon the wagon arrived, some drawn by horses and some by mighty oxen. President Thurman, dressed in tailcoat and top hat, emerged and quoted from the last address  Joseph Smith delivered to the Nauvoo Legion just days before he was martyred (Link included). 

A men’s quartet sang Come, Come, Ye Saints as a majestic eagle circled overhead. The congregation joined in on the last verse, “And should we die…” and right on cue, a perfect V of white trumpet swans flew above the gathering, as if pointing the way to the frozen river that was the next step in a very long and fateful journey! 

We hurried our walk back to get ready for our shift in the temple which was ever so busy with people traveling for hundreds of miles to participate in the walk and spend time in the temple. One sister said that this was her 20th year in coming and each year she brings a group of friends with her, there were ten of them. 

Sunday we attended the Nauvoo ward with our new Temple Missionaries and then accompanied them to the temple for their setting apart and a quick orientation of the temple. In the evening we enjoyed a Meet and Greet and the beautiful temple President’s home right across the street from the temple. 

Which brings us to today, we were up early to be in the temple for training and instruction. We were taught sacred truths and reminded of our precious responsibility to help our patrons feel God’s love and find their Savior in the temple. And to help build a Zion society wherever we go as we gather scattered Israel on both sides of the veil!!! 

Our new “Outbound “ assignment will be the small Washington Branch in Iowa. It is about two hours away and we will serve with these good people every Sunday. We are grateful and excited for this new opportunity and adventure. 

We wish you all a wonderful week! May the Lord’s mercy, grace, and needed blessings be showered upon each of you. We love you all!

Grandma & Grandpa, Mom & Dad, Chris & Pat