Blog #82

By Kevin V. Hunt

Most of the books that I create are geared to a broad audience.  I write with the hope that “the world” might enjoy them.

Over the past two months, I have been working on a project which admittedly has a more limited marketing group.  But, while it has a specific focus, some of the rest of you might find it interesting.

As with all of my books, this one can be purchased by anyone on lulu.com.  But I am happy to share it with you in a free PDF format version so that you can take a sneak peak if desired.  We are happy to share it with you:

Here is the PDF file link:  https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:80c2608a-daec-4459-9192-29f742a17325

And here is the lulu.com book link for anyone who wants to purchase it:

https://www.lulu.com/shop/kevin-hunt/the-hunt-family-in-nauvoo/hardcover/product-rm4dvjn.html?q=The+Hunt+family+in+Nauvoo&page=1&pageSize=4

The book focuses specifically upon our own Hunt family (Hunt being defined as Hunts, Belchers, and all our family) and their Nauvoo associations.  Over the years, our Lord has provided wonderful opportunities for our family members to visit and to feel the marvelous power and strength of the place.  Individually, each person who came or went to Nauvoo had special feelings … testimony of the Savior working with and through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the power, strength, sacrifices and testimony of our own ancestors, and the quiet peace and joy that comes from just being and feeling in Nauvoo.  Those feelings are very real to each of us.  And collectively, we have together had those personal experiences amplified as we have enjoyed the special Nauvoo moments together.  As Oliver Cowdery once wrote, “These were days never to be forgotten”.  That describes our Nauvoo experiences.

I sincerely hope that those days will never be forgotten by any of the family who have been there and experienced Nauvoo.

In the book’s introduction, I wrote:  ”This book is written or compiled with the hope that each family member might feel and remember the Nauvoo within us.  It is a collective reminder of the beautiful times, experiences, and people that each of us felt and knew when we were there individually or with other family groups.  The collective record can help us see the bigger picture of how Jesus has directed each of our lives, thoughts and feelings through the various opportunities to experience Nauvoo over many years.”

Expanding that paragraph to the full introduction, I wrote:  “NAUVOO … NAUVOO THE BEAUTIFUL!   Just the sound of Nauvoo brings a smile to anyone who has been there.  It is a spirit.  It is joy and happiness.  It is remembering pioneer ancestors who lived there almost 200 years ago.  Nauvoo is feeling the power of our ancestors and their commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ under the direction of Prophets of God.  Nauvoo is a place of sacrifice, trauma and challenge, but it is also a beautiful place, a peaceful place. 

Nauvoo is a place where Prophets have walked and taught.  Nauvoo is a place where we can feel the presence of Jesus Christ whom we know has walked those quiet streets and preserved its history for our enjoyment and learning.

We rejoice and are grateful in knowing that Jesus brought our family many times to this special and sacred place.  As we have walked the streets of Nauvoo, we have felt the quiet witness and power of the Holy Ghost.  We’ve felt a burning within us helping us remember those of the past who have gone before us, and the special times that we have shared through various trips and with many different people.  Nauvoo … such a magnificent place.

Nauvoo is a part of each of us. With that spirit of Nauvoo within us, we can each look back to the special moments, the remembered experiences, and the joy that we have all felt in Old … now new … Nauvoo.  Nauvoo continues to touch our lives and hearts.  And that is why we all want to keep returning there again, and again.  We can all be grateful to God, our Father, to Jesus the Christ, and to the Holy Ghost for these special Nauvoo feelings and experiences

This book is written or compiled with the hope that each family member might feel and remember the Nauvoo within us.  It is a collective reminder of the beautiful times, experiences, and people that each of us felt and knew when we were there individually or with other family groups. 

The collective record can help us see the bigger picture of how Jesus has directed each of our lives, thoughts and feelings through the various opportunities to experience Nauvoo over many years.

The book title is “The Hunt Family in Nauvoo” and means the family of Kevin and Lou and posterity … but it also means all family on our combined Hunt and Belcher families.  We have great Nauvoo heritage on many of our family lines.  And in producing this book, the “I” will be my own viewpoint – garnered from years of my journaling, and the “we” will be anyone who was with me/us (“You’N’s”) at any given moment in Nauvoo.

As noted, this book is specifically dedicated to descendants (and ancestors) of Kevin and Lou Hunt and it comprises historical records of a multitude of trips made to the City Beautiful over many years.    But while the book focuses upon our own family experiences, perhaps it can also bring joy to others who have or hope to have the Nauvoo experience as we have had.

We have all been grateful for our Nauvoo experiences – Us in Nauvoo … and Nauvoo in us!”

* * * * * * * * * * * *

As I began the book project, I thought of relatively recent times with family in Nauvoo – as Lou and I served an 18-month mission in Nauvoo and had the opportunity to welcome eight of our children and their families who came to visit us as we were there.  I wanted to memorialize those visits for current and future enjoyment by family members.

But then I remembered the real reasons why Nauvoo is important and lives within each of us.  It is literally “in our blood”.  I remembered the literally 50 direct-line ancestors – combined from the ancestral family lines of Lou and me.  I knew that the book needed to begin with them – so that our hearts might appropriately be turned to them.

I was reminded of the Lord’s promise given to Joseph Smith through the ancient American Prophet, Moroni in his repeated visits on September 21 and 22, 1823.  This is recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants Section 2:  Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.  And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.”  That is what Nauvoo is about – promises (faith,  testimony, and heritage) made to us from our ancestors … and us being drawn to them (to Nauvoo and their lives beyond – but built upon the Nauvoo foundation.  That is what Nauvoo is about.  And so the book got it’s start.

The book begins with a brief history of our many Nauvoo ancestors and focuses mostly on their Nauvoo experiences of their lifetimes of pioneer Church and family service.

Here are just a few of those great Nauvoo ancestors … and more are in the book.

Next, in chronological sequence, I have a section in the book about my own 1975 experiences as a young missionary in Nauvoo.

Above: Elder Craig Shaltes and Elder Kevin Hunt – young missionaries in Nauvoo 1975 

As you may recall, I spent the final six months of my young mission (in 1975) serving in Nauvoo.  I served as a site missionary in the historical sites – just as I would later as a senior missionary.   Great and wonderful are those early experiences.  So fabulous!   I could have included much more (if space were available) but I have my journals of the day and have included much of my Nauvoo time in my 20-volume autobiography.  (Anyone want to read it?)

The parents of my wife – Lou, Elder Everett H. and Sister Verna Belcher served in Nauvoo for two and a half years soon after my own mission there (from 1979 to 1981). 

Above: Sister Verna and Elder E.H. Belcher in Nauvoo about 1980

The book includes condensed versions of the journal letters that Grandma Verna wrote while serving – and which she faithfully sent out to family members.  Again, there could have been over 100 pages included but with space restraints, Lou and I extracted out the snippets that tell of Elder Belcher’s development of the now-famous Nauvoo Brick.   It is so great to have their first-hand account of those brick pioneering days!  And speaking of his bricks, there is a book section that talks in more detail of the brick development.

Above: The original “Nauvoo Brick” as created by Elder E.H. Belcher while a missionary in Nauvoo

Sister Hunt and I visited the Belchers as they served in Nauvoo.  And later, we visited there with my own folks in celebration of our joint anniversaries (same day, but 25 years apart).

Above: Sister Verna Belcher with daughter, Lou Dene, and granddaughter, Jackie Hunt in Nauvoo 1980

Our family had the supreme opportunity and blessing to twice be a part of the casts of the Nauvoo “City of Joseph” stage productions in 1996 and 1997.  We took our nine children there to participate.  The first year we all went on the Amtrak train.  What great times!  This book includes my full journal writing and photos of those two grand pageant experiences.

In 2002, our eldest daughter, Jackie, had the grand privilege of attending a BYU semester in Nauvoo.  A section of the book is dedicated to her experiences.  A section also reminisces a visit that Lou and I made to see her there – along with our daughter, Kaylea, and my Nauvoo mission companion Craig Shaltes and his wife.  Together we even got to vacuum almost every inch of the majestic and newly rebuilt Nauvoo Temple.

Sadly, after this, we had several years of no Nauvoo visits.  It was so exciting to later go back to our beloved Nauvoo beginning in 2023.  We spent a glorious few days with our daughter, Jenae, and her family.  Of course, this experience also has its own book section.

And then to our great joy and happiness, Sister Lou and I were called in 2024 to serve an 18-month “senior couple” mission to Nauvoo.  Wow!  Who gets to go back to serve in the mission of their youth?  It was so amazing and fabulous.  A few sections of the book are dedicated to our mission experience.

Above: Elder and Sister Hunt serving on their mission in Nauvoo

But again, there is much more written about those times.  I maintained my practice of writing daily journal entries – and have entries for every day in Nauvoo.  I wrote blog articles almost weekly about our experiences and these generally included much historical research.  And as you might know, I also compiled some 20 different books while there as a missionary.  So, there is much more material that documents those special times.

And while we served, we invited our children to come to visit us with their families.  Thankfully, we were blessed with special resources that made it possible for us to assist many of them financially so that they could make the trips.  And, as noted, eight of our children did come with their families.  We had such great times with each one.  We had just a small space where we lived in the pioneer home of Simeon A. Dunn, so we told the families that no two families could come together.  So per our counsel, they came individually as they could.  We had six families come within the last three months of our Nauvoo tenure (four of them within about 3 weeks right at the end).  Those were busy and glorious times.  Each of the families has their own sections of their times and experiences in Nauvoo.

So, with all of that, I “barely squeezed” all of this into the book of 800 pages (the maximum allowed by Lulu production standards).  I titled the book, “The Hunt Family in Nauvoo … Us in Nauvoo and Nauvoo in Us”.   It was great that many family members submitted their own photos, art, and narratives of their own impactful Nauvoo experiences.  I stressed that “this is OUR Nauvoo Book … not just my own book.”  

It ws so exciting to get this book published.  I was so anxious to get the book shared with all of our families.  It was such a thrill to be able to order a copy of the book for each family.  I sent the book copies to the four out-of-town families and watched with joy the pending delivery status of the books as they progressed from Massachusetts to their homes.  And we had multiple books delivered to our home so that we could distribute them to our local families.

Once the books arrived, we scheduled special and fancy meals individually with each family.  And after the meal experiences, we happily presented the new books to each family.  Of course they first thumbed to their own section – but then began to browse the experiences of their ancestors, and other family members through the years.  It was a joy to see and feel their enthusiasm.

So, there you have it …  “The Hunt Family in Nauvoo”.   We were all blessed by our special times and experiences in Nauvoo.  What a great family legacy and heritage.   “Us in Nauvoo and Nauvoo in us! “