Christmas is here and it is a beautiful season of the year. At this time we get to spend much time with family and friends. The shopping is mostly done. The plethora of school concerts and programs are now history. We are shifting from the fast lane into Christmas coasting at a bit lower speed.
The weather here in Arizona is absolutely amazing at this season. It is about 70 degrees each day. A rough life, but someone has to do it. (And it is times like this that makes June with 115 degrees almost bearable!)
We have enjoyed being home from our mission to Nauvoo but deep in our hearts, the joyful memories remain. We are enjoying time and experiences with the many grandchildren. We have 23 grands around us here whom we see often and it is so great to spend time with each of them.
We have spent much time working to get our home organized and in order. This has been a major feat but we have almost got it conquered. The place looks amazing.
We had the opportunity to chair a special event. This was the stake “Nativities from Around the World” event. This was held this past weekend. We had a fabulous team of folks to work with and the event came off wonderfully. We had about 500 people in attendance – plus another 85 people who were musicians who performed and shared their talents. We had some 220 nativity sets beautifully displayed for all who came. We believe that all felt the light of Christ and the Holy Ghost witnessing to them of the divinity and simple majesty of the Savior’s birth as the Son of God.
Our hope for all of you is that you have a joyous Christmas as you spend precious time with your families and friends. May the Spirit and Light of Christ, God His Father, and the Holy Ghost be with you all.
I am pleased to share with you my (35th or so) annual Christmas poem/hymn. This has long been my tradition. This is what came to me as inspiration of the Holy Ghost – whom I love and appreciate. it is great to work in tandem with Him.
I KEVIN VON HUNT, am finding myself reflecting on a major life milestone at this moment. The occasion is my own 70th Birthday. Seventy? How is that possible? Where has that time gone? And of course, I still feel as if I am about age 35!
This writing comes on October 31, 2024, as I am celebrating my birthday. In the past, we have had a long-standing family tradition of staging wonderful and creative birthdays for the major milestones – generally the 5-year increments for family members. Seventy is a big thing and sadly, I will not be able to celebrate with a lot of fanfare with my family this year. So, I have decided to write a message to the family as I contemplate the historic moment pretty much alone without them (or you)
My wife, Lou, (Sister Hunt) and I are presently serving as site missionaries in the Illinois Historic Sites Mission – which includes mostly Nauvoo, Illinois. We have been serving for seven months and will be here yet another year.
Writing this, is actually something that I have wanted to do for quite some time – and that is a message to my posterity. I would very much like to write a personal message to each one of you who are numbered as my posterity – and maybe someday that will happen. That is a yeoman task, however, since the posterity of Lou and me now numbers 61 (or 63 with her and me). Wow! That is so amazing and wonderful. At the moment, the posterity includes 9 children, their spouses and 43 grandchildren. Wow! That is amazing and wonderful.
Lord Baden-Powell was the founder of the worldwide Boy Scout program. As he was getting older, he got into a reflective mood and wrote to the Scouts of the World: “If you have ever seen the play Peter Pan you will remember how the pirate chief was always making his dying speech because he was afraid that possibly when the time came for him to die he might not have time to get it off his chest. It is much the same with me, and so, although I am not at this moment dying, I shall be doing so one of these days and I want to send you a parting word of goodbye.”
Like Baden-Powell, I do not believe that I am now dying – nor do I plan to do so soon. Both of my grandfathers lived to age 83 and my parents both lived to age 90. One of my doctors at the Mayo Clinic is a Native American doctor. I think of him as one of the true Indian medicine men. When I shared with him, my family health history, he said (of my parents), “You will outlive both of them. … You will live to be 100!” And I believed him.
So, here is my letter written now to my posterity. (And I don’t promise that it will be my last!) I hope that all of you will share this with each member of your family. And it is my hope that each family member will see this letter as a personal letter sent to each of you. I have each of you in my mind as I write.
A little background: Believe it or not, I was born on Halloween. And it gets a bit better … My parents, (Russel Frank Hunt and Alta Alura Larsen) met on a blind date on Friday the 13th – and then I was born on Halloween. My folks were at a ward Halloween party in Ft. Collins, Colorado on that spooky night of Saturday, October 30, 1954. It was during the social gathering that I announced my pending arrival. Mom had to leave the party for the hospital to go have me, and I was born the following morning – on Halloween.
While celebrating my birthday was not always convenient through the years for those who wanted to celebrate it with me, I always was happy that my arrival day on earth came on that day. With or without celebrations, it has been a special day for me. It has been fun for me to celebrate on a day when much of the world around me was joyful, crazy, and celebrating.
I had a very happy childhood. After my birth, my parents moved (with me) to Cheyenne, Wyoming for a short time. It was there that my kid brother, Dean, was born. He got pneumonia soon after birth and the doctors said that “he will never survive Wyoming winters.” So, Mom, Dad and I picked Dean up literally at the Hospital in the moving van, and we moved to Arizona. And that is how my Arizona story began.
We lived mostly in Mesa, Arizona, though we did make a move to Orem, Utah for a year and a half – but then it was back to Mesa.
I lived in the Mesa 10th Ward – which was located just a couple of blocks north of the Mesa, Arizona Temple. This was a great ward – with many wonderful people. I loved them all and still have special memories of all whom I knew there. Of course, my time in pack and troop 155 were some of my greatest times. (“155, … the BEST ALIVE”) I absolutely loved everything about Scouting, received my Eagle Scout award, and led the troop though many wonderful adventures – including the National Scout Jamboree of 1973. The Scout Oath and Law instilled in me the values needed for a successful life.
My mission was wonderful. I was called to the Alabama-Florida Mission (in the “Suth’n Bible Belt”). And it was the absolute greatest adventure to be called – as “a young missionary” to serve the last six months of my mission in beautiful and historic Nauvoo, Illinois. And it is so unique that I now find myself again in Nauvoo as a “senior” missionary – doing exactly what I did back in 1975. Wow! Who gets such an opportunity to return to their original mission for a second stint of service! This is truly a miracle. And I rejoice in it!
I attended Mesa Community College before and after my mission and nearly graduated from there. I then transferred to Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah. I enrolled in the Youth Leadership program – with the goal of becoming a professional with the Boy Scouts of America. I finished my BYU program in just three very full semesters (and a packed summer of Scouting internships).
One of the greatest blessings of my BYU experience was meeting the lovely Coed, “LuDen” Belcher – arrayed in her gingham dress. We had the same major and sat by each other in five or so classes each semester. I loved her zaniness and have enjoyed her joyful spirit ever since. We had eight dates over a two-year period, and I eventually proposed by mail after not seeing her for many months. I say that “it took a month to get engaged”, but she did say, “YES!” Our first kiss (and my first kiss ever) was over the marriage altar in the Salt Lake Temple on September 14, 1978 – just before I turned age 24. “Betty Jo” has been my champion through all of these years and she loves me in spite of my many warts. I love and appreciate her.
Lou Dene (now just known as “Lou”) and I set off on an adventure of having and raising a large family. From the onset, we wanted twelve children – and that became our pursuit over the years.
We began life in Ogden, Utah, where I worked as a professional with the Boy Scouts of America. We remained in Ogden for five years before we transferred with the Boy Scouts to Santa Barbara, California, where we lived for two years. Our next life adventure took us to Santa Paula, California, where we lived for 5 years. We left there when our Marinda was just 3 days old and moved home (for me) to Arizona. We spent two years in the metropolis of Coolidge, Arizona. We then moved to Mesa. We lived three years across the street from my alma mater of Westwood High School.
We then bought the family home at 2317 E. Capri Avenue – in Mesa. It was there that we raised our then nine children. (And yes, Lou began from that time forth to say, “9 is Fine”.) We lived in this home for almost 30 years. We had wonderful family times and associations with many great people there.
I pursued way too many occupations over my lifetime and with little worldly success in any of those pursuits. I came to realize that position, title, money, and company prestige really mean nothing. What matters is who we are inside and how we are able to serve others.
I spent the last ten years of my working life as a school bus driver. With four of our married children living in Maricopa, Arizona, we chose to move there. This proved to be one of the greatest blessings of our lives. We still owed $78,000 on the Capri home and if we pursued the same path, we would have been age 80 and still trying to make a mortgage payment. We were able to sell the home, pay off the mortgage, and then buy a brand new home in Maricopa for cash. (We did have to take out a “signature loan” for about $12,000 but paid that off in about 4 years.) We worked in Maricopa for two more years and then we both retired.
Being retired and having the house paid off gave us opportunity to pursue other life adventures – including a mission together. And that brings us to the present moment and the 70th milestone which I celebrate today.
Let me say that family is everything to me. Family has been my life-long pursuit. We have been tried and tested through all of the years. We have had to sacrifice in many ways in order to support the growing family. Jobs have come and gone (mostly gone) over the years. And with all of the job changes, have come much of sacrifice and trauma. Faith is really the only thing that has helped us to get through the challenges. We have put ourselves in the hands of God and have entrusted ourselves to His care. And as we have done this, we have felt his love, guidance, and direction. And He has provided for our every need. We are grateful to Him for his special care. Each day has become a miracle and we are grateful that the miracles continue to come.
Lou and I were not perfect, but we truly did our best to instill faith and testimony in each of the children. And we definitely taught each of you to love God, Jesus, the Church, the Prophets, and the good life available through obedience to the Gospel commands and covenants. It has been a joy to see you now doing the same with your children (and soon to be grandchildren). We have a great family heritage and tradition. Let us all work valiantly to maintain all that we have built and loved together.
Now looking back over 46 years of marriage and a lifetime of experiences, we see how the Lord has truly guided our path – in the long-term as well as in the “daily miracles”. We are very grateful and we rejoice in Him.
When I was just a child, I remember a scripture that had a major impact on our whole family. I still think of this as our family motto. This is Proverbs 3:5-6 which reads, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.” That served the family well then and continues to do so with each day of our lives.
I mentioned that Lou and I wanted a large family from the beginning. We did not want to limit our family – but happily invited and welcomed each new member of our family. We continue to rejoice as new grandchildren and others come to the family. We have learned that our greatest joy has come through our family associations, connections, activities, and just living life together.
I have mentioned faith … and as an extension to that … we have always paid a full tithe to the Lord – in recognition for all that He has blessed us with. And with that, we learned early in our marriage the need to also pay a substantial fast offering. Had we not done these two things, we never could have survived the financial challenges that we faced. We were truly blessed because of these commitments, and I commend the practices to all of you.
Throughout our lives, we have given our all to the Lord in consecration of our time, talents, and everything which He has blessed us with. And this has been the greatest blessing and opportunity for us. We are grateful that we made that decision early in life – to give our all. That way of life is still the backbone of our personal strength and character. It has been wonderful to have served through the years.
Faithfulness in the Gospel has also brought the greatest blessings to us and to our family. We both have ancestors going back six to eight generations in the church – on almost every side. These ancestors left us a legacy of faith, fortitude, and commitment to their covenants – that has carried down to us. I have felt of their strength.
Missionary service has been a life-long focus. I have been involved in some kind of missionary assignment for most of my life. I love the missionary effort, the focus, and the joy of seeing others come into the Church and fold of Jesus Christ. I know that you can experience great joy, and happiness, as you too, share the Gospel of Christ with those around you.
I noted above, my love and connection with my ancestors and extended family. I have always been so proud to be numbered as one of 83 grandchildren of my revered grandparents, Ray Von Hunt and Augusta Wilcox.. I developed a love for genealogy and family history research when I was just 12 years old. Much of my teen existence was spent in seeking for and documenting the lives of my ancestors. And forever since then, that has been my greatest ambition and focus. I feel a very strong connection to the great ancestors who have gone before me/us and who have now passed to the next world. I look forward to meeting them all in a grand reunion some time. It has been very self-fulfilling to me as I have researched and documented the lives of these people of commitment, fortitude, and dedication – in the Nauvoo and pioneer experiences – as well as in their daily lives through their mortal experiences. Ours is a special and sacred heritage through these magnificent people. It is my hope that all family members might feel that same connection and relationship to them.
I love the mention of the “Spirit of Elijah” as noted in D&C Section 2. This scripture appears in most of the standard works, but I love the unique wording as found in Section 2. God’s promise is that “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.” We made promises to “our fathers” (and mothers) before we came to the earth. They need us, and we need them. As President Nelson has repeatedly said, “When we assist with temple and family history work, we are helping to gather Israel on both sides of the veil.” That is our charge and opportunity … and it is your opportunity and blessing.
The Lord has given me many talents and I have enjoyed and loved each one. I have learned that all talents and abilities come to us through the Holy Ghost and having realized this, I have been blessed in my writing and in many other ways. I encourage each of you to learn to hear and feel the voice of the Spirit in your desires for new talents and opportunities. I love the “parable of the talents” and have felt the power and personal growth of the man with the ten talents. I rejoice in that which the Lord has given to me. And I know that you can have the same joy as you develop and share your own talents.
For over fifty years, I have made the dedicated effort to record a journal entry for each and every day of those many years. The journals now number about 140 volumes. I have already witnessed great blessings from the journals as I have researched them for my own projects and as I have shared memories of life milestones with each of you. I leave these many journals to each of you as my personal legacy and gift to you. I hope that you will find occasion to someday search and enjoy the journal records. There is much in the volumes that is mundane and routine, but in the daily entries, there is much that is good, great and magnificent. Reading these journals beyond the lens of the current day, helps us to see the “big picture” and how the Lord really has guided our lives – and each day of our lives.
Be aware that the journals may reflect some of my “brash” demeanor or opinions (for which I apologize), but I really did write the journals for each of you – collectively and individually. The journals tell the lives of each of us over the past 50 years. We lived it together and you can each relive those special times through the journals. Each of the journals has been digitized and are available to you in many ways.
And in mentioning my own journalling efforts, I likewise encourage each of you to record your comings and goings of your life. I did not start recording my journal entries until I was age 18. I really wish that I had started writing the journals when I was about 12. I commend the dedication and commitment of journal writing to each of you. It is well worth the effort and sacrifice. I know that writing your life will bring you great personal and family happiness, as it has to me.
And a couple of years ago, I pulled together all records, cards, brochures, photos, and every possible detail from my lifetime. I compiled these into my 20+ volumes of my personal autobiography. Yes, you heard me right … 20 plus volumes of my life and times – wrapped together under the title of “My Life’s Collective Works”. Few of you have taken time to peruse these books – in your current rush of life, but I sincerely hope that you will each individually, take time to peruse and read these books. Again, they are my legacy to each of you. In them, you will find the real me, (and the Lord’s blessings to me) revealed. The books detail the good life that I and we have enjoyed together.
There is much more that I could write … and I could go on forever. But, I hope that what I have written might help you think of me with some joy in having me as your husband, father, grandfather – and hopefully many generations of “grands” yet to come. I love each of you and have been so blessed to have had you in my life.
I would like to close this letter to each of you with my own personal testimony. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer. I know that God the Father, sent Him to us as His Son. I know that God created the world for each of us – as families – that we might have eternal joy and happiness together. I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth – with all the necessary Priesthood and Keys through His chosen Prophet, Joseph Smith. I know that God and His Son did in fact visit the Prophet Joseph Smith. I know that they sent many angels to restore the priesthoods and keys to the earth in this, the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times, I have a strong love of and testimony of The Book of Mormon. This Book has been the foundation for my continuing joy and happiness through all of my life. I have loved the Book and its simple truths each time that I have read it. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints truly is the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ upon the earth today. I know that we have a living prophet to guide and direct us today. I share these thoughts with you in the name of Jesus Christ.
At this season in Nauvoo, there are plenty of opportunities for patriotic, cultural and country fair good times. And it is so fun to be a part of all of it!
Where to begin?
The 4th of July is exciting and fun – no matter where it is celebrated. And that day back in 1776 is certainly worth celebrating. On that day, the United States was born. It took a while to develop, but that is when it really started. A new nation! A nation of freedom and hope. It all began with 13 Colonies of folks wanting religious and other freedoms not then enjoyed under British rule. We can all be grateful for those gallant men and women who made the decision to make the break from their mother country. It truly is a moment that should be celebrated again and again. Independence Day! Hoorah!
THE BEGINNING OF A FOUNDATION FOR THE GOSPEL RESTORATION
July 4th – our Independence day was a pre-curser to the establishment of the Constitution of the United States that would come later (in 1789) after the ensuing Revolutionary War which cemented the “Spirit of God – the Spirit of Freedom” (Alma 61:15) in the creation of the true land of the free and the home of the brave.
The Doctrine and Covenants speaks frequently of the cause of Freedom. In D&C Section 98 the Lord himself teaches “that law of the land which is constitutional, supporting that principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges, belongs to all mankind, and is justifiable before me. Therefore, I, the Lord, justify you, and your brethren of my church, in befriending that law which is the constitutional law of the Land.” (D&C 98:4,5)
A few verses later, the Lord teaches us to live “according to the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles”.
THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR AND THE FORMATION OF THE FUTURE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WAS TO LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR THE COMING FORTH OF THE BOOK OF MORMON AND THE GOSPEL RESTORATION
Nephi recorded: ”And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance … And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord: and the power of the Lord was with them. And I beheld that their mother gentiles were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them. And I beheld that the power of God was with them, and also that the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together against them to battle. And I Nephi beheld that the Gentiles that had gone out of captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations.” (1 Nephi 13:15-19).
I like to remember that it was Moroni (and not Betsey Ross) who created the first American flag: “And it came to pass that he rent his coat: and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it – “In memory of our god, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children – and he fastened it upon the end of a pole…. (And he called it the Title of Liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of /Christians remain to possess the land.” (Alma 46: 12-13). Moroni went throughout the land to establish the “Covenant of Freedom” (Alma 46:15) “And it came to pass also, that he caused the Title of Liberty to be hoisted upon every tower which was in all the land, which was possessed by the Nephites; and thus Moroni planted the standard of liberty among the Nephites”. (Alma 46:36).
And so, with that background, it is appropriate that we gather wherever and however we can, in celebration of the “Covenant of Freedom” that God established for us.
A REUNION OF THE ELDERS AND SISTERS OF OUR MTC GROUP
It had been three months (could that be?) since the 13 couples of us had gathered at the Provo MTC in preparation for our missions to Nauvoo. (April 1st … no joke!) Those were glorious times and we forged friendships that will remain with us forever. And so, naturally, we are drawn again to each other and the bond that continues to pull us together.
The day was July 3rd – and the beginning of our celebrations of freedoms now evident throughout our Nauvoo.
The location for our gathering was a surprise. I had not known that it existed. (There are all kinds of such hidden places here in Nauvoo – and we seem to move from one to the other.) Remember Elder Jones? Well, he and Sister Jones (and another couple) decided that we should stage a regular reunion of our MTC group. Their announcement said that we would meet at “The Kimball Barn”. I thought, … “hmmm … where is that?” I asked Sister Jones and she said that it was behind the Hiram and Sarah Granger Kimball home.
We arrived at the spot and Wow! I could not believe this place. Being a long-time party planner and caterer, this place really caught my attention. It was magnificent. The barn was majestic and beautiful.
Inside, there were at least a dozen tables – with room for three times that many. I marveled at the grand party scene. The food began to roll in as each couple came with their best picnic pot-luck contributions. We set up a large table to hold the goods.
It was kind of a muggy night and the place seemed to capture the mugginess inside. We decided that it might be a bit cooler outside. And Voila! There were another dozen picnic tables out there. We all circled around the food table and we all took more than we needed (at least I know that I did). And talk about great food! It was amazing.
It was also great fun visiting with our MTC friends. We didn’t talk much about the MTC but there was much to talk about otherwise. Eight of the couples are now “Nauvoo Teamsters” and they provided the rest of us with many fun details of the horses and oxen that they drive around Nauvoo. Elder Jones kind of surprised us with his energy and enthusiasm. He was like the “Energizer Bunny” with his joy of the occasion as he kind of took charge and led the laughs.
WE EXPERIENCED THE TRUE 4TH ON TEMPLE HILL
No 4th of July celebration is complete without the traditional overload of fireworks. And this year was no exception – but we actually experienced it on July 3rd – the eve before the 4th). Nauvoo has the perfect and natural place for the best seats for viewing the fireworks. This is on Temple Hill – located just to the west and in front of the Temple. We went directly to the spot from our MTC gathering held earlier that night.
We parked in a nearby Temple parking lot and walked to the Temple and then across the street. In my arms, I carried the new camp chairs given to us for Mothers and Father’s Day by our Lana. (And she never does anything simple or basic. No, these chairs were the greatest and best (and thus, a bit of overload in the carry)! Thanks, Lana!
We joined hundreds of other people on the Temple Hill. Everyone had brought their own camp chairs or blankets on which to enjoy the show. There was plenty of room for everyone – and then some. We found a spot that was good for us. We recognized a lot of our Nauvoo visitors and fellow missionaries around us.
(And I note that tonight I had purposely left my two pocket knives – one a Hunt/Stoddard “Old Timer” and the other my trusty BSA carving knife … on my dresser at home. I thought of a July 4th event 25 or more years ago in Payson, Arizona – when I had my BSA knife in my pants as I sat on the grass and it slipped out onto the grass. We returned later but could not find it. I was so sad! I had carried this knife for some 20 or so years and it meant a great deal to me. After that knife loss, my boys, knowing what it meant to me, bought me another just like it – and I have had it with me almost constantly since. I did not want to lose another knife on this occasion.)
Imagine my joy as I heard the bagpipes piping nearby. This group is so fabulous. I have long belonged to the bagpipe loving society so this was heaven for me. I relished in the music that the group was putting forth. The Nauvoo Brass Band then took a turn and they played many of our traditional patriotic songs. They were great, as always!
I enjoyed watching the crowd around us. Sometimes “people watching” is one of the best aspects of such a gathering. (One of my favorite activities wherever I go.) Anticipation was high with everyone as we all sat in our spots enjoying the wonderful evening. And God did one of his magic tricks for us.
The sunset that evening was spectacular. Wow! This was so amazing. I took photos of each stage of the sunset – over a period of many minutes. I was grateful for this wonder in front of me. A sunset over the Nauvoo Mississippi River, with band accompaniment … it doesn’t get much better than this! I took in and loved every moment of the total scene.
Then came the fireworks! They started off with a bang. We all adjusted our chairs a bit to the southwest and sat back to enjoy the show.
The show was not anything like the one staged annually in Idaho Falls (as we have experienced a couple of times with Lana and family) but for little Nauvoo, it was fairly decent. I know that it was a stretch for the community, and I was grateful for the efforts made for all of us (most of us not even being from the local community). We enjoyed 20 minutes of pop and bang and then the expansion of bright colors. Somehow, all of this made me proud again to be an American (in spite of national challenges going on around us). I was happy to be a part of the grand scene. And how cool to be seeing the show in Nauvoo and right there on the footstool of the Temple! Way too much fun! (Who’da thunk it a year ago …?)
A MISSION-WIDE 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION
At least once a month (or maybe every 6 weeks), the mission stages a dinner to welcome new missionaries and to say good-bye to some going home. That is what we experienced on the eve of the 4th of July. The event was held at the local Nauvoo Stake Center – because this place has room for the 200 or so missionaries (including the “YSM’s” (Young Sister Missionaries) as well as the Senior Missionary couples.
Sister Hunt had years before made us some very patriotic matching vests in the best of red, white and blue. And she had added these to our “wagon” when we came to Nauvoo. Luckily, I rediscovered these in a hidden drawer just a couple of days before the event. We really looked the part – and we caught the attention of many as we made our entry to the hall. It was fun to stand out in our personal celebration of the day.
The party organizers were genius in their preparations. They had set up seven round tables and each one accepted food as it arrived. They knew what they wanted on each table – to make sure that everyone would get the same options – no matter what table they went to. Sister Hunt had made some family baked beans (a recipe made famous by her mother – Grandma Verna Belcher). And I had made a plethora of my own famous banana chocolate chip cookies – for the occasion. We were directed to the table needing our goods.
A missionary Elder welcomed the group, and we had a prayer of gratitude for the food before us.
My journal records the details of the event:
The food – including pulled pork – was all fabulous. I loved Lou’s beans. And there were several desserts – which included the cookies that I made. The cookies seemed to be a hit. They were all gone. We came home with quite a big quantity of beans – so this is good.
After the meal, many missionaries staged several musical numbers. Elder and Sister Williams (him on the piano) led us in singing our National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”, and then “America” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”. (And Lou and I could hardly refrain from singing the camp song, “I wear my Pink Pajamas” to this tune.)
Two young sisters did a great performance of the song, “Sisters”. We all enjoyed their hilarious song.
A string band played several numbers. With them was a musical group known as “The Hart Family”. The band reminded me of the string band of Enterprise, Utah – that always played at the 24th of July celebrations that we often went to in my youth. I loved the music.
President Daniel Mehr was the final speaker and as ever, he did a great job. He talked of being a General Authority Seventy and eating in the cafeteria in the Church Office Building. He talked of an occasion when then Elder Russell M. Nelson was present. Someone asked him his view of the world trauma of the moment. He replied, “I am not worried about this. This is the Lord’s World and He will take care of it.” He talked of Joseph Smith and how he was a lover and promoter of freedom of religion to all. He surprised me when he referred to the trauma in today’s world. He compared it to the “Kingmen” and “Freemen” in The Book of Mormon. I could understand who is Kingmen and who is the Freemen. The society similarities of then and now are really scary. He said that we should be zealous to defend and protect the family. He said that he is doing his best to prepare his children and grandchildren to be worthy and ready to marry our children and grandchildren (pointing to all of us).
In all, it was a very fun evening.
PREPARING FOR THE COMING PAGEANT
After the above, Lou and I went to the stage where the Nauvoo pageants will be staged. All of the missionaries have a part at the ending of the British Pageant shows – each Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the next three weeks. The Senior Missionaries are to go forward at the finale of the show – and are to “stand resolute” as the show ends. This should be fun.
EVENING PERFORMANCES OF THE NAUVOO BRASS BAND AND THE PRODUCTION OF “SUNSET ON THE MISSISSIPPI”
Most weekday evenings (not on Sundays), we offer some great entertainment for our Nauvoo guests. The excitement begins with a special concert by the Nauvoo Brass Band. It is so fun to sit there in the beauty of the evening – atop of the stage that we knew so long ago when we were in the “City of Joseph” pageant cast. I love the energy – and the sounds – that the Brass Band puts forth. I can’t get enough of them.
Then comes a drama production of song and dance staged by the Nauvoo Performing Missionaries (“NSM”). This production is “Sunset on the Mississippi”.
This is the “modern” version of a program that has been traditional here in Nauvoo for decades. Forty-five years ago my in-laws, Elder and Sister Belcher, were cast (as Senior Missionaries) in the stage production of the “Night on the Prairie” – then held in and around the Cultural Hall. The family cherishes the photo of the folks engaged in the stage fun (though they were not known for dramatic acting before their Nauvoo debut).
Anyway, back to the here and now … The current production is staged by these marvelous young performing missionaries. They are full of energy, and they show it well in their fancy and colorful period costumes. The girls look beautiful in their ruffled dresses and pantaloons. The guys are decked out in colorful shirts and vests – and the traditional Nauvoo caps.
The production is just so fun! It is something that everyone needs to experience when in Nauvoo. And this year, we got to experience it with our granddaughter, Brianna, as she came to Nauvoo with her O’Fallon, Illinois Young Women group.
It just keeps getting better!
EXPERIENCING THE “COUNTRY FAIR” WITH THE NAUVOO PAGEANTS
It’s Pageant Time here in Nauvoo …! It is the time long anticipated by every missionary here in Nauvoo. This is such a grand time – with the Nauvoo spirit and energy everywhere. It is such a great thing to experience. We are all looking forward to it. You can be sure that I will give many more pageant details as we really experience it. I promise to make a full report in a future blog post.
I can speak from experience, however, when I talk about the “Country Fair” that is staged each night between the “Sunset” program and the actual pageant. We got to experience it last summer with Jenae and girls and with the set-up that we have seen on the fields around us, we can be assured that 2024 pageant comers will surely get the same experience this year. And this year, we will get to experience it again as Jackie and her family will be here for several pageant days. They are to arrive soon, and we can’t wait to have them. It will be fun to be a part of the Country Fair activities with them – just as we did last year with Jenae and her girls. It is just so fun. We could not believe that so many great activities could be packed into such a small space and time.
Last year, I wrote of the experience in my personal journal:
“We then went to participate in the “Country Fair”. This was an absolutely fabulous event. There were 20 or 30 different stations – each manned by a cast family (many for the “Gold Cast” who come here for just a week (and then more come in). Some of my favorite events included handcart rides, May Pole dancing, Scottish dances (with bagpipes). I looked on-line for a list of the traditional Nauvoo “Country Fair” events – for future reference. Other events included stickball, stilts, Tug-O-war, Graces and hoops, sack races, log sawing, parlor games, wood branding, rag rugs, round dancing, quilting, stick pull, arm wrestling, a “Cousins” tent (to see who is related to who via Family/search), a puppet show, children’s games, and crafts. It was amazing. They could have handled 1,000 or so people. As it was, there was a small crowd there today – so there was no waiting in long lines.”
MISSIONARIES GOT A SNEAK PREVIEW OF THE COMING “COUNTRY FAIR” EVENTS
There is never a dull moment for missionaries serving (like us) in the Illinois Historic Sites Mission (which included Nauvoo and the Carthage Jail). There is some kind of an activity, training, performance, or devotional going on all of the time. And we look for any and all opportunities to party and celebrate.
The Country Fair will be staged every night for three weeks – as noted above – but many of us missionaries will have other support functions to fulfill as the Fair happens. And so, pageant organizers let us participate in our own such event – ahead of the real thing. But, it became the real thing for us. Again, my journal tells the story:
“This evening we had a fun mission event. Elder Davies, who is over the pageant somehow, staged a “Country Fair” – similar to the fair that they have each night of the pageant. He had a band composed of many missionaries. They played music for folks to dance to. It was mostly female dances – since the young sisters cannot dance with guys as missionaries. They had a lot of refreshments. Lou mixed up two bags of chocolate chip cookies to take.
Elder Davies asked if I would help him (or I volunteered before he asked). I agreed to help run the stick pulling event. This has long been a favorite activity for me. (And Joseph Smith loved doing this!) I was not very busy for the first while but then I called some people over to participate. I pitted Elder Brian Reed against a big Tongan sister.
The sister beat him. He was really embarrassed – saying that “I’ve never been beat before.” I got several sister missionaries out there on the tarp – competing against each other.
The highlight of the evening was getting the Mission President, Mehr, out on the tarp. He took on several of the young sisters. This was a surprise to all. I also got a match between Pres. and Sister Mehr. Everyone got a kick out of the competitions with the President.
PIONEER GAMES AND CRAFTS AT THE FAMILY LIVING CENTER AND AT PIONEER PASTTIMES
About once a week, Sister Hunt and I get the chance to serve at the Family Living Center. This is program area that is housed in a giant timber and wood building (just my style). This is a fun place and everyone who comes there likes the many activities. The place has demonstration centers for the following pioneer activities:
Wool carding
Cooking
Candle Making
Weaving
Bread Making
Packing the Wagon to go West
Rope Making
Barrel Making
Pottery Making
Brick Making
When Elder Belcher saved the badly deteriorated Coolidge home, he set up many of these demonstrations in the building. Thus, this is another area of his ongoing legacy. It is amazing all that he started, and which still is in place today.
We joined another Senior couple and two young sisters. I enjoy helping or inspiring kids to “pack” the wagon for the trip west. I have also volunteered to do bread making – since I did not know anything about any of the rest of the areas (but I am learning. I now know barrel making. The young sisters were able to do most of the demonstrations – since they have been to the place before. I also love doing the rope making demonstration – partly because so many people love the activity – and are so fascinated with the mechanics of the rope making machine.
The other day, a rope making visitor said to me, “How long have you been doing this?” (meaning the rope making function). I said, “I have been a Boy Scout for 60 years”. She and others around her all got a chuckle out of this.
Lou is often privileged to do teaching about her father’s brick yard and brick making. She loves doing this and the people all seem very interested in it. She enjoys sharing with the folks the tale of how her father started the brick yard and designed the small brick that is still given out as souvenirs to visitors. It has been a great blessing and opportunity for her to do this teaching – in honor of her parents.
A ”Sister” station that is staged by the missionaries in the Family Living Center is known as the “Pioneer Pastimes Pavilion”. This large tent ramada is located about a block south of the Family Living Center. It is fun to go there (except when it is really hot) and to enjoy the walk down through the beautiful lanes en route.
On the way, we can often see the Performing Missionaries teaching prairie dances to curious on-lookers. It is fun to see the NPM’s get the visitors up and dancing with them.
The missionary job at the Pavilion is to engage the folks – mainly the young children and teens – in the many pioneer game options. We can offer them dress-up costumes where the kids (and adults too) can dress in authentic pioneer costumes. It is so fun to watch the kids get into this action.
We have hoops, stilts, “climbing monkeys”, various marble games, roping the horse or sheep, playing house, and more. This is the place for families to come after a long day of dragging the kids into the various restored homes. They suddenly lose their tiredness, and they have a great time – even engaging their reluctant parents in the activities with them.
FUN SHOWS AT THE CULTURAL HALL
There are about 30 homes or shops that we give tours in here in Nauvoo. A couple of weeks ago, the scheduler asked us what places we had not been to, and which we would like to “learn”. The Cultural Hall was one of the few places that we had not previously been to. So, it was fun to be assigned recently to the place.
We had actually been to the Cultural Hall for a zone meeting a week or so before. On that occasion, we gathered there with about 20 couples from the “Hyrum Zone”. Elder Hurst (a teamster) is our new Zone Leader – after the recent departure of Elder Thomas. It was fun to be in this Cultural Hall. We thought of Grandma Verna being there and doing acting in the “night on the prairie” program. Elder Hurst had created a great PowerPoint presentation about the contributions of the Prophet Joseph Smith. I enjoyed this program a lot.
The Cultural Hall actually almost feels like a mini Salt Lake Tabernacle – with its oak look benches and pillars.
Anyway, we looked forward to our assignment to the Cultural Hall. On our day of the assignment, we arrived and checked the site book to figure out how to turn on the lights on each of the three floors. This can sometimes be a bit tricky. Remember that the Saints did not have electricity when they were here – though they would have loved it. And now, 180 years later, great effort is expended to try to maintain the original look and feel of the pioneer places. This means that the electrical or light switch is often located down at foot level and the plug is generally painted to match exactly the color of the wood around it. And each place has its own quirks – and every place is different.
We did not know when assigned, but much of the job of the missionaries assigned there is to be host to folks who come to experience the many shows staged there each day by the Nauvoo Performing Missionaries. That is what we did – and it proved to be great fun. It also meant that we were able to view the many programs ourselves. This was so great. These young performing missionaries have energy deluxe. And they have such enthusiasm during their song and dance routines.
In the Cultural Hall, we were privileged to hear several performances of the Nauvoo Performing Missionaries. They performed two different programs – two times each. Each performance was fabulous! The did programs entitled, “Hymns of Zion” and “Nauvoo Singers”. I thoroughly enjoyed each performance. I love the energy of the young people.
The groups performed: “Nearer My God to Thee”, “In Our Lovely Deseret” (which was fabulous). They sang “Laura’s Nauvoo” (supposedly written by a non-member), “Praise to the Man” (by W.W. Phelps), “The Morning Breaks”, (by Parley P Pratt), and O My Father (by Eliza R. Snow). They sang these words to four or so different tunes.
A youth group from Indiana came en masse – a group of about 20 youth and an adult couple. It was fun to interact with this group. They even got up on stage (in a slow period) and did their own song and dance routine. This was their big moment.
In the mid-afternoon, the Performers came to present their last performance of the day. Literally, no one was there to hear their show. They went on with the show and Lou and I sat alone as the audience and enjoyed our personal concert – with just us there to hear them. They were amazing and wonderful.
P-DAY ACTIVIITES FOR ELDER AND SISTER HUNT
Like any missionary serving anywhere in the world, we also look forward to our own P-day each week. Here we are assigned a specific day of the week for a month. And then we switch to a new day for the next month. Sister Hunt and I have just been assigned to Saturdays for the month of July.
On our P-days, we do our weekly laundry (though we have a washer and dryer in our place – so we can do it any time that we get the urge). We clean our place. I also spend several hours each P-day writing blogs and posting photos to them.
We also try to find some unique activities that are new to us. Often, this might include going to a new home or site that we have not yet experienced. And later in the day, we generally drive the 12-mile trip down the river (on the picturesque and wonderful Mississippi Great River Highway). We go to Keokuk – our newest town of any significance.
In Keokuk, we generally go to the Aldi store. We there get fruit, vegetables and snack items for our lunch. We usually have to go to the Dollar Tree Store for cheap incidentals. We then go to Walmart. It is always nice to restock our wagon there. We get gas at a station by Walmart. We are pleased that the gas on the Iowa side of the river is about 75 Cents a gallon cheaper than that on the Illinois side. And our last stop is generally at the Dairy Queen. Several weeks ago, we discovered their “Pecan Mudslide Sundae”. This celestial delicacy is soft ice cream topped with both hot fudge and caramel toppings – as well as toasted pecans. Wow! Talk about fabulous! We now have the car trained to pull over there each week at the appropriate time.
AN UNPLANNED VISIT AND RIDE AT THE OXEN RIDE
Yesterday (July 6th) was our first Saturday P-day. I got up and made computer reservations for us to go on the “wagon ride”. Then I later realized that I should have signed up for the “carriage ride”. We were headed to the rides before I realized that I had made a mistake. We headed toward Main Street and Hotchkiss streets – where the ride was to be. And that is where I realized my mistake.
We kept going on Main Street, and I noticed the ox ride space up ahead. In all of my years of coming to Nauvoo, I have never seen this ride location – nor have we taken the ox ride. We decided to go for the oxen ride.
We pulled in and got out of the car. We were immediately greeted by our former Acacia Ward neighbor from Mesa, Arizona. She and her group somehow knew that Lou and I are in Nauvoo and they were going to go looking for us. We visited for a few minutes and then took a photo. It was interesting to see how the Lord puts these people and our connections with them together – (like today) since going for the oxen ride was definitely not in our plans – and with it being our P-day, we would not have normally been out in the sites. These little “Nauvoo miracles” happen all of the time – and we are grateful for them.
Elder and Sister Doug Mills were there at the ox ride. They took us on the ride and gave us a great story as we did so. Sister Mills said that “This is the most authentic thing here in Nauvoo!”
The oxen were amazing – and huge. I learned a lot of new facts about oxen and how the pioneers walked beside them all of the way. It was all very interesting.
First, … the question of “what is the difference in a cow (steer) and an ox?” My teamster Cousin Brad explained it for me. He said that “an ox is a cow on a mission – with an occupation”.
Oxen are very big and strong. They weigh about 2,000 pounds. And together, they can pull their combined weight – so 4,000 pounds. We learned that oxen on wagons have to have horns. The horns are needed to hold the wooden yoke up. Without horns, the yoke would slip down onto their faces.
Oxen are always “yoked together” in pairs. (Sounds like a good lesson about us and Jesus and us and fellow laborers in the Kingdom!) And often these pairs remain and work together. And in so doing, one becomes the “right ox” and the other the “left ox”. And I guess they get “befuddled” when they are moved to the other side.
Oxen get to know just five commends:
“Step Up” is the command to move forward.
“Gee” means to go to the right.
“Haw” means to go to the left.
“Whoa” means to stop.
And “Back” means to back-up.
We learned that one does not “drive” oxen – as one would with a bridled horse. They are “led” by walking beside them. So, there was not even a seat on the ox driven wagon. We learned that the oxen loved and listened to the children – so the children were good at leading them.
Hearing this, I thought of the old Primary song favorite, “Pioneer Children”:
“Pioneer children sang as they walked and walked and walked, and walked,
“Pioneer children sang as they walked and walked and walked, and walked,
They washed at streams and worked and played
Sundas they camped and read and prayed
Week after week, they sang as they walked and walked and walked and walked and walked”
I guess the pioneer children walked and walked alongside of their family oxen – leading them across the plains – and walking some 1,400 miles.
As we got to the oxen, Elder and Sister Mills introduced us to Dan and Duke. They seemed formidable and scary. But the Mills convinced us that we could “become friends” with the oxen. We posed with them – for the sake of posterity.
After the short ride around the muddy track, I was drawn to the plaques that lined the walkway around the oxen yard. These were informative and interesting
A CARRIAGE RIDE AND A VISIT WITH COUSIN BRAD
We also then went to the “carriage ride” – starting at the station at the northeast corner of the visitors’ center parking lot. We were greeted there by “Cousin” Brad. I like this guy. He and I have a connection. We visited for a while.
I had not heard of the commemoration event, but Elder Brad told me that he had been privileged to be a part of a 180th Anniversary commemoration of the bodies of Joseph and Hyrum as they were viewed by the Saints in the Mansion House (some 10,000 of them). He said that the original pioneer “Nauvoo Brass Band” had played at the original services for Joseph and did again on this commemorative experience. Brad shared with me his feelings that he posted on his Facebook account. I loved it. Another of those “Nauvoo Miracles” that I introduced above.
He wrote, and I quote (with his permission): “180 years ago today on June 29, 1844 Joseph and Hyrum Smith lay in state in the Mansion House. The Nauvoo brass Band played and my great, great grandfather and his family along with 10,000 grieving latter-day Saints filed through to bid their final farewell to the Prophet Joseph and his faithful brother, Hyrum.
“Today I had the privilege of driving the bandwagon and stopping in front of the Mansion House while the Nauvoo Brass Band played in honor of Joseph and Hyrum – just like they did 180 years ago. It was most powerful. They played “Praise to the Man”. They also played another song called, “Emma’s Lullaby”.
“Here is a quote from my Grandpa Dudley Leavitt’s history: “Later as the bodies lay in state, the Leavitt family all passed to take their last look at Joseph smith and his brother Hyrum. I was so impressed by the calm majesty of their faces that even after I was an old man, I of a surety that here was a prophet of the living God.” No hardship could shake the faith of Dudley.”
We did not have reservations for the carriage ride, but Elder Hurst said that he would try to get us on the carriage. He and Elder White were on the carriage and Elder Hurst was voice. He did a great job of storytelling. They took us north of the station – up through “Joseph Creek” and beyond.
We made one stop at the top of the hill to let the horses rest for a few minutes. Elder Hurst showed us a well built in honor of King Follett (that was his real first name). He died in a well accident when rocks fell down upon him as he was digging a well. The Prophet Joseph preached King’s funeral sermon (later named “The King Follett Discourse”.
On our Carriage Ride, we saw pastured horses en route. Elder Hurst pointed out that even in the pasture, the horses stand in pairs – with their partners on the trail. This was very interesting.
We drove near my old “Red Barn” environs (the barn and the white home) where I lived as a young missionary – and this was fun. We really enjoyed this p-day ride out through the beautiful woods and through the river.
THE MORNING HORSE RITUAL
There are many hidden Nauvoo experiences that don’t appear on the schedule or brochures. You just kind of happen to hear about them – and then you go and get a wonderful experience. And then you think, “Too bad everyone doesn’t know about this.”
That is the way the morning horse feeding ritual is … We just happened to hear about it last year when we were in Nauvoo with Jenae and family.
The big event of each day is the feeding of the horses. We wanted to be there for this. At night, the horses are left in a large field. Then in the morning, they let them out and herd them down to feeding stalls for grain. They know where to go and they kind of run down to the feeding area. Each horse has a name, and workers know the horses by name. Some missionaries stand at the gate, and he calls out the name of each horse as it arrives. Then Elders guide them to their selected places for their grain.
The Elders said that there is an “Alpha Male” (“Matt” – the only gray horse) that rules the roost with an iron fist. And if any other horse tries to get ahead of them, he bites them.
There are some 18 missionary Elders who serve with the horses. Their wives serve with them (as tour guides) and some work in other restored homes. These guys all wore plain colored Western shirts. Many of the men here wear the same style of pants with suspenders. It was great to talk to many of the Elders as we watched the horse operation. I told many of them of my youth missionary experience in Nauvoo 48 years ago.
After the horses ate their grain, they put 12 of the horses on “P-Day” (Pasture Day). They use 14 horses each day. They pull the carriage ride, the wagon ride and the carriage that carries the “Nauvoo Brass Band”. They have utilized the ancient “Red Barn” that I knew as a missionary. They have stations or areas for each horse and at these, they have the individual harnesses for each horse.
One Elder says that most of the horses have hand spans (extended horizontally) of 17 to 18” above the withers. Most normal horses have spans of 14 to 15”. The horses are magnificent and beautiful. The whole operation was amazing and interesting to watch.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Well folks, there you have it. Patriotic … we go all out celebrate whenever and wherever we can. Cultural events: They are all around us. The NPM’s (Nauvoo Performing Missionaries) add energy wherever they go. It is so great to hear them – and the Nauvoo Band perform. And with all of this combined, Nauvoo really is a very fun place to hang out. It is very exciting to be a part of all of these experiences.
REMEMBERING JOSEPH
As another P-day activity, we went to the Visitors’ Center. I had also made reservations for us to see the “Remembering Joseph” production staged by the Nauvoo Performing Missionaries. This production was fabulous. I loved it. They quoted many people who had memories of Joseph. Again, I got to hear Elder Smith sing “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief”. He is so wonderful singing this song. The whole production was amazing, and I was touched tenderly by the Spirit.
Well, there you have it … patriotic moments, cultural events and country fair fun … all in week!
Elder and Sister Hunt on the “Nauvoo Trail” … and it just keeps getting better!
If I were to use one word to describe the Missionary Training Center – The MTC, I would just say that it is “MAGNIFICENT”. Words really cannot describe it adequately. Two words that could describe the MTC campus and function would be “TOTALLY AWESOME!”. “GRANDEUR AND MAJESTY” would be three words. And four words would “FULL OF THE SPIRIT” (meaning the Holy Ghost). I could go on and on, but you get the drift.
ARRIVING AT THE MTC – AND IN-PROCESSING
In a recent blog, I took you right up to the door of the MTC with us. We told the family, “We’re going to be hanging up now” as we literally went through the door. It was such fun having many of our family members on-line to share that special moment with us. This was something that we had been hoping and dreaming of for several years. And, as I said before, it was interesting to now to have them be the ones to drop us off at the MTC.
I had brought to my mind the general motto of the Brigham Young University – the campus where the MTC is located. I remembered this motto from years ago when I entered BYU as a student (a hundred years ago). That was, “Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve”. That’s what we were doing!
Elder and Sister Hunt at the MTC
We were ushered into the office facility of the MTC. I was in awe that the building is named for Wilford Woodruff – the fourth prophet of the Church and one of the greatest missionaries of all time. There is beautiful painting or photo of him in the center lobby. I have a special love for Wilford Woodruff – since two of my own fourth great grandfathers were the missionaries who tracted out and baptized Wilford (Zera Pulsipher and Elijah Cheney).
President Wilford Woodruff
In a script that we would use later in the week, (preparing us to give historic tours in Nauvoo), we were told that Wilford can be compared to the four royal sons of King Mosiah who taught for 14 years among the Lamanites – and who baptized 1,000’s of their brethren. Those men are some of my own favorite characters in the Book of Mormon. I love to read of their missionary labors (Alma chapters 16 to 26).
We did not have our luggage with us. We knew that we could connect with it later.
We were placed in a holding line – while the MTC personnel determined who we were. This was further complicated by the fact that there were THREE HUNT COUPLES who were all entering the MTC – all on the same day – and all of us going to Nauvoo. Talk about confusing! More on my “cousins” later.
Once the folks determined our identity, we were led into a large room where we saw a multitude of other such “senior couples” We were directed to a table that had four or so ladies waiting for us. Each one had their specific function to perform. And we were put onto a large serpentine function that wove us around to various stops for various tasks.
MTC Name Tags
We were first given the famous missionary black badges – to tell the world who we now are and what our function will be. It was so exciting to put on our badges that tell the world that we are now official representatives of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We were happy to take upon ourselves this sacred designation. They gave us three varieties of badges – to accommodate all kinds of suit coat situations.
We were given an official “Ministerial Certificate” – officially signed by Russell M. Nelson, our current church prophet, and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We were told that we could take these to the MTC copy center to have them laminated – for a longer shelf-life. We later made our way over there and left the cards there for their lamination. And yes, they lost our cards in their process. (They suggested that maybe one of the other Hunt couples got ours by mistake – but not so.)
Sister volunteers asked about our travel plans for getting to the mission. Like most missionary couples serving in the U.S., we brought our own vehicle. We presented our travel plans and when we would plan to get to our Nauvoo mission.
At another table, a sister reviewed the cafeteria scenario and we talked of dietary issues. We had none! Wow! Look at us! We were told about available exercise facilities at the MTC but ultimately, we did not have time to use this equipment. We were just too busy.
We were given fresh fruit and a choice of a variety of finger breads.
And by this time, it was time for us to enter the cafeteria for our first MTC lunch. Wow! What a collection of food options. And seeing that throng of young missionary Elders and Sisters, as well as a large crowd of Senior Couples – all holding on to each other and practicing their “Senior Shuffle” – everyone dressed in white shirts and ties, and suits – and fancy (simple but very beautiful) dresses for the ladies. That is when “magnificent” hit me.
MTC Cafeteria
SENIOR ORIENTATION
Senior Couple In-Processing
After our lunch, we returned to our former orientation room – to find the full place now filled with seats for our auditorium gathering. (They do fast work for such things here).
We were introduced to the couples who serve as the Presidency of the MTC operation. We met President Kevin Calderwood (good name!) and his wife, Sydnee. After an opening song and prayer, we were invited to introduce ourselves. Each couple got a moment to tell who we are, where we are from, where we are going, and the number of children and grandchildren we have. (I think we were the most blessed in that activity!)
It was interesting to note that in that gathering, there were 124 senior missionaries reporting for duty. There were six single sisters, and the rest were couples. We came from all over the United States, and we were leaving to serve all around the world! That is where “Totally Awesome” began to sink in. We found that there were 13 couples who are all heading together to Nauvoo and of those 13, eight of them are going to serve as “Teamsters” – managing oxen and horses and giving historic tours along the routes of the wagon teams. It suddenly became “really cool” to be wagon teamsters. (And that’s a blog for another day … More on them later!) We were told that the MTC presently had over a thousand missionaries – with 240 more scheduled to arrive on Wednesday. We were told that of the crowd, 51% of the group are young “Sister Missionaries” – and that in June, this would reverse – with about 85 per cent to be Young Elders.
And just a note … that was our first time to get a look at the three Hunt cousins. I tried to memorize their faces so that we could connect after the meeting.
We were then given some general instructions. These complete, we were greeted by a young brother – actually employed by the MTC. He had more general stuff for us to know. This gathering event seemed to take most of the afternoon.
It was soon time for dinner. And another look at all of those magnificent missionaries.
ASSOCIATION WITH THE HUNDREDS OF MISSIONARIES
Everywhere we walked, met, or went, we saw hundreds of missionaries – as described above. What a grand missionary force! The cafeteria became the natural “hang-out” place. I don’t know how many folks the place would hold, but I do know that it was a lot.
In the cafeteria, there were a multitude of food stations – each with their food specialty. There was definitely something for everyone! They had a variety of main dish options, a well-stocked salad bar, sandwiches, a fruit bar and more. With my “generations of sweet tooth” things going on with me, of course, I went to the dessert bar first. Yummy. They had new delicacies there every day. Wow.
We were free to eat anywhere we wanted to land ourselves. We tried to sit by new people (young and old) at each meal – in order to make new instant friends. Of course we all asked or answered the three questions: “Who are you, where are you from, and Where are you going to serve?” So easy to start a conversation based upon these questions.
In the MTC (and the cafeteria) we met folks of all sizes and shapes, and people from a multitude of nations and peoples – all appropriately and wonderfully dressed in missionary attire.. This was so exciting and wonderful. That’s where “GRANDEUR AND MAJESTY” became evident. Seeing and being with those hundreds of young people truly was a grand and majestic experience. I thought, “Where else in the world can you find a crowd of young people such as these – all dressed sharp, all committed to serve, and all righteous (having met the very stringent application questions). This truly was a manifestation that the work of the Lord is moving forward! Words cannot describe the image and feeling of being with these men and women of God.
Sister Missionaries at map of the world – Pointing to their Missions
Elders in the hallway
That brings up the four words: “FULL OF THE SPIRIT”. The light and power of Christ – and the presence of the Holy Spirit (the Holy Ghost) was everywhere present – in the cafeteria, in the halls, walking around, in every classroom, and just permeating everywhere. This was such a grand and majestic thing to experience.
And as a side note … we soon found out just “how awesome” it is for us to be going to Nauvoo (and we didn’t even request such an assignment). In every discussion, with folks everywhere on our trail, as we said, “Nauvoo to be site missionaries” we were met with a silent attitude a gasp of awe and wonder. We realized that this is “the ultimate” place that everyone wants to go. We were humbly proud and excited for our special and sacred opportunity to serve in Nauvoo – this “Covenant Community” – the “Cornerstone of Zion.” (Of course, every place is awesome and cool – and people are called to these places by the Lord’s prophet – to accomplish great things according to their own talents and abilities.)
It was fun at the MTC to greet old friends and to make many new friends – both old and young!
Friends from home – Mark and Marlene Ellingson
More Mesa, Arizona Friends – Ray and Sharon Snyder
THE MTC “BOOKSTORE”
We soon discovered that the whole MTC missionary world was drawn to the “bookstore”. We followed the crowd and made our way there. We bought some marking pens and other note-taking necessities. We were anxious to meet Joe Merrill – the Bookstore Manager – since we share four grandchildren with him. It was great visiting with him. Of course, we took several photos with him and us, and sent them pronto to his kids and ours. They used that “Awesome” term when they saw the photos.
NO ROOM AT THE INN
Elder Ronald Rasband, one of our current 12 Apostles, and a great leader in the church, recently gave a talk at the October 2023 General Conference of our Church. In his talk, he invited all senior couples of the Church to review their life situations to see if this might be the time to leave grandkids and to serve a couple mission. He said that couples were greatly needed throughout the world – “and everywhere in between”.
Elder Rasband’s talk must have had a positive effect on many “Elderly” couples. I know that his message had a major effect on Sister Hunt and me.
And because of this enthusiasm to serve the Lord, as he had invited, we arrived at the MTC and were greeted with news that “there was no room in the inn”. They had more couples than they could accommodate. So, we were assigned to stay in the “Residence Inn” (located abut a mile and a half north and west of the MTC) for the full duration of our MTC stay.
Of course, we were not ones to complain … It was really a hard life living in this “apartment” (with cooking equipment, a fridge, dish washer, two TV’s, a couch and chairs, and a king sized bed. Kind of a rough life … but someone has to do it. It was fun coming home to this place each night after the work of the day.
THREE HUNT COUSINS
Of course, the news of three Hunt couples – all here together at the MTC – and going to Nauvoo was interesting to all. I quickly cornered the other two Hunt Elders. We each opened the “Relatives Around Me” app on the FamilySearch program on our phones. We were anxious to find out how we are all related – assuming that we are. As we opened the APP, we learned that we are all (Elder Brad Hunt of Diamond Valley, Utah (by St. George), Elder Jacob Hunt (from Centerville – north of Salt Lake City and me) are all “4th Cousins”. We descend through three different sons of Amos Hunt, our common 3rd Great Grandfather. Amos is probably proud … I hope so! I Took a photo of the Hunt cousins. And we had fun being “cousins” all week long.
Later in the week, we also met a young Elder named Hunt. It was interesting to note that his own first name is Jefferson Hunt (shhhh!). He told us that he comes through the lineage of Jefferson Hunt, Captain of the 1840’s “Mormon Battalion”. We brought him into the family photo with us. And for the record, there is no close connection to our Hunt line with that of Captain Jefferson. As a side note, the other two Elder Hunts are both going to serve in the Teamster group at Nauvoo. They can have their basic ox …!
CLASSES AND TEACHING
The Church recently revised the “old” “Preach My Gospel” study guide for missionaries. The first edition came into Vogue about 20 years ago (as our son was serving his mission in Texas – and he helped to teach this book and its use throughout his mission).
We had training classes each day of our first week at the MTC. We studied the “PMG” book and gleaned some really great insights to the missionary effort and our role in it.
Our AM Study District
Elder and Sister Hunt with other Senior Missionaries – PM Study Group
For our final two days of training – we studied another book – specific to our roles of “Historic Site Missionaries”. This was also excellent training – and was a bit more “hands on”.
For all of these classes, we had different teachers. Two sisters taught in the first week. One taught daily in the morning and the other taught in the afternoon. Both of these sisters had previously served as full-time missionaries. They taught “with the Spirit” (The Holy Ghost”) and they knew their “stuff”. They taught with power and authority. And then in the afternoons, we had another team of equally qualified Sisters. They were all amazing and wonderful
We had Friday night off – after the classes finished at 3 PM. We arranged for the Belcher siblings (seven of the living eight) to get together. We trekked to the Murray, Utah Chuck-A-Rama restaurant and had a great visit together.
Thursday evening was “Temple Night” for everyone. The Provo Temple (adjacent to the MTC) is presently closed for major remodeling. They provided buses for the Young missionaries and the couples found their own rides.
Sister Hunt and I found space for us at the American Fork – Mt. Tiimpanogas Temple.
GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
General Conference in the MTC
Typically, MTC missionaries participate in regular Sunday services – just as they would if at their homes. Ours was a special privilege, however since our stay included the 194th Annual General Conference of the Church. We convalesced at our “Inn” and watched the two morning sessions of the conference there.
Then in the afternoons, we went to the MTC – and viewed the conference with hundreds of missionaries (mostly the young Elders and Sisters). Wow! What a great army. Again, the power of the Holy Ghost radiated everywhere among the majestic crowd. It was fun to view the conference proceedings shoulder to shoulder with these young missionary greats. It was a special blessing and opportunity to hear the inspired words of our Prophets, Apostles, and other General Church authorities. As ever, I took copious notes of the many talks.
Typically, on Tuesday nights at the MTC, missionaries get to hear a talk presented by an Apostle or General Authority of the Church. Because of the General Conference week, we did not have that privilege.
We did have a couple of wonderful evenings of Gospel presentation. One night we learned and basked in the study of the Character of Christ. Then on the other night, we heard messages from the MTC presidency members.
I am a “people watcher” anyway, so I loved looking behind me (behind the seats reserved for us “Seniors”) and seeing the young Elders and Sisters gathered for the events. One Elder in a gold suit wanted to be seen in my photos.
THE FAMOUS MTC MURALS
There are 21 different meeting and residence facilities at the MTC. Throughout all of the buildings, they have on virtually every available wall space, majestic murals of the Life of Christ and His servants – as well as real life missionaries teaching people all over the world. These murals are so awe-inspiring – and they strongly bring the Power of the Holy Ghost to the entire campus.
The “T-4” (teaching building #4) building, is a six-story structure. And throughout this facility they have giant, full-wall murals of Christ and His workers in His kingdom. We were encouraged to go through the facility to view and experience these beautiful murals. Each mural was awe-inspiring, magnificent, and wonderful. These really helped me to feel the Spirit – and the power of the might of Christ, prophets, and others. So magnificent!
Mural of “The Sons of Mosiah” Preaching to the Lamanites
A BIT OF MTC TRIVIA
The MTC was established in the mid-1970’s. My younger brother was one the last Elders to enter the Salt Lake Mission Home. That was September 15, 1978. Today, the MTC trains over 20,000 missionaries each year. And the missionaries are trained in 60 different languages of the world and there are a dozen or more regional MTC facilities located through the world.
I am so old that my “young missionary training (1973) actually precedes the MTC experience. My wife and I actually reported for missionary training and duty at the old Salt Lake City “Mission Home”. Wow! That is really old! This Mission Home was housed in an old school located across the street from 29-story skyscraper of the Church office building. That is an interesting scenario that warrants a study by interested historians. Good stuff. As I was compiling my 20-volume autobiography a couple of years ago, I researched the old Mission Home and included it in one of the volumes. Here is a link for avid historians.
One of my favorite experiences of the MTC was feeling the reverence and awe of the Gospel being taken – with all of these magnificent missionaries – to all countries of the world.
There is a rotunda of flags of the nations to which the Gospel is being taken. They line the sidewalks all around the training buildings. It is so exciting to see these flags. They are rotated daily to include more of the national flags. These flags are a testimony of God’s work spreading over all of the world. Just being here at the MTC is a testimony of God’s work and the truthfulness of the Restoration of the Gospel – wherein God and Christ called Joseph Smith to be their modern prophet and the person through whom their Church was restored for our day.
International Flags at Mission Training Center
In a prior day, I wrote a hymn that expresses my feelings about these flags of the world nations. This is what I wrote:
I look forward to sharing this Gospel and The Restoration with the many visitors who come to experience Nauvoo with us. This should be a grand adventure.
The words of “MAGNIFICENT”, “TOTALLY AWESOME!”, “GRANDEUR AND MAJESTY” and “FULL OF THE SPIRIT” definitely describe our wonderful MTC experience. Ready now for action in Nauvoo.
We take off from the MTC April 10th– though I am “sicker than a dog” at the moment. We go forward in faith! Nauvoo bound! Pray for our safety!
Elder Kevin and Sister Lou Hunt preparing for Missionary Service April 1, 2024
Getting ready to head out on the mission … I announced earlier about the upcoming mission that my wife and I are doing for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The plan is to be gone for 18 months. We have been asked to serve in Nauvoo, Illinois – which is a historic church site in Illinois.
As we prepared to go on the mission, there was much to do. My wife and I both had “To Do Lists” that were a mile long – at least. It was kind of over-whelming. There was so much to do. My wife wanted to organize and clean up the entire house. She cleaned and sorted everything in the house and garage. Everything had to be perfect. She wore herself out in this process.
I had many family history and other computer projects that kept me entertained. I worked hard to get these tasks completed and ultimately got through many – but not all of them. I worked on these projects right up to within a few hours before we were to head out of town.
We were invited to give a talk in church. (See my previous blog, entitled, “Praise to the Man” Check it out!
As we anticipated the church talk, our children decided to come from all over to participate with us. We had a steady stream of family for a couple of weeks as we were trying to make our trip preparations. One daughter, her husband and son, came from Texas and they stayed a week. A daughter came from Idaho with her two boys, and they were with us for two weeks. Another daughter came from Idaho. They made a family trip and came to be with us for two days on their way home. And we had two children come from towns 50 or so miles away. And of course, we have three families who live in our own home town. Two sons-in-law were not able to come – and we missed eleven of the 42 grandchildren. So, this meant that we had a crowd of 50 of our posterity – and many other family and friends gathered with us.
After the church meeting, we gathered to the home of a local son, and we had a great farewell dinner and activities together. And of course, we posed for more family photos than any person should ever have to endure. We got shots of every possible group gathering. It was great! (We have many able photographers in the family … so they are great!)
We had a few challenges in the week before our departure. Our microwave oven gave up the ghost. Our son had an accident in his vehicle. He needed a vehicle while he worked with insurance, etc . We offered to loan him our second vehicle. Then three days later, his wife wrecked our car.
On Thursday before our Saturday departure, the alternator of our vehicle decided to quit. Three sons-in-law worked together to get the alternator changed. They finished at midnight about eighteen hours before we were to head out. They made a great team as they consulted together and tried to loosen all of the bolts, the belt, etc. They called themselves, “Three brothers-in-law, a wrench, and You-Tube”. We were so grateful for their combined efforts.
The night before we were to leave town, a daughter put out an “all hands on deck” call to get her siblings to come to help. Again, there was much to do. Many responded to the call to help us. Son-in-law, Mike helped check out the vehicle to make sure it was road-worthy. Ladies helped with packing and a plethora of other projects. (And meanwhile, my wife and I still tried to complete tasks from our never-ending lists). We said sad good-byes to the local children and grandchildren. It was a happy-sad day as we all knew that it was good-bye for a year and a half. There were a lot of tears and of course, everyone (including us) had to get in “just one more hug”. One daughter sobbed, “How can I survive without you?”
Then came the big day to leave town – Saturday, March 30th. It was a short night before D-day. We each only got about four hours of sleep – not enough, for sure. We had already said our good-byes. One son-in-law came to our home about 6:30 AM to load our two bicycles onto our car rack. I finished packing the already-too-loaded vehicle. (We had packed the vehicle on Thursday and Lou had meticulously packed different suitcases for each phase of our adventure of the next two weeks.) Somehow, we got everything but the kitchen sink – and then some – into the Honda mini-van.
We had wanted to leave at 6:30 in the morning, but it was 8:00 AM when we finally headed out of town. We stopped in Tempe to say goodbye to one more family. And then we were off. We headed north on the I-17 freeway from Phoenix – and headed north toward Flagstaff. We stopped at our usual Sunset Point rest area for “drink and drain”.
As we were just a few miles south of Flagstaff, the lack of sleep caught up with me. I swerved a bit, and we were saved only because of our pre-departure prayer, and the faith of our family. It could have been bad!
We had planned to drive clear north to Salt Lake City – to spend two nights with my wife’s sister. We didn’t make it. We decided that we had to stop for a night – in order to get a full night’s sleep. We had driven north on Highway 89A – as is our usual custom on trips to Utah. We spent a wonderful night in the beautiful Jacob Lake Inn. (Such a great place to stay … Everyone ought to stop there at least once.) Their home-made cookies, alone, are worth the drive, but the drive through the Alpine setting – with a big forest of beautiful pine trees, made the drive most enjoyable.
Then the next morning, we awoke to four or more inches of snow on top of our car and everywhere else. This was a bit of a shock to us desert rats. Somehow we got the snow off of the window – or at least enough to peer out. And getting up and out of the snow was another adventure. We wondered if we would be going anywhere that day. Again, the prayers of faith got us out of the ruts and on our way.
By this time, it was Easter Sunday, and it was not the Easter day that we had anticipated. – to celebrate the Atonement and Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We did rejoice in Him in our interesting circumstance. Our clothes were all packed tightly in the vehicle – such that it was not easy to get to them. We had not planned for church along the way but our desires to attend church en route were foiled. We opted to use our phones to tune in to a video broadcast of a daughter’s Texas local ward (congregation).
We arrived at the home of my wife’s sister and husband, and they had a wonderful meal waiting for us. They are always great hosts, and we love them. We noted with them that they have hosted us five previous times as we have prepared to send off our missionary children. (Two other children also served missions – but they reported directly to foreign MTC facilities. A daughter attended an MTC in England and a son reported directly to the Brazil MTC. It was interesting to now be the parents entering the MTC.
And then, it was April 1st – the day for us to report to the MTC (Mission Training Center) where many out-going missionaries are trained for the work they will do on their various missions. (Stay tuned for our blog about the MTC – to come soon!) We had been anticipating this day for almost two months since we had received our mission calls (assignments) to serve.
We had a leisurely morning – cold cereal and all. I did some last-minute repacking of the vehicle. Always such a fun task. And I even found a few minutes to post the “Praise to the Man” blog post. We dressed in our missionary attire. I was in my black suit and a brand new shirt, socks, shoes, and everything. Sister Hunt wore a beautiful dress that matched my suit (though this was not planned). I think that we looked great – if I do say so ourselves.
We left in plenty of time to get from Salt Lake to Provo, Utah. We had to chuckle a bit. We were given rather specific instructions that said we were to report between 10:30 and 10:40 AM. Wow! They have this reporting system down to a science. Very impressive!
We had about fifteen minutes to kill before our scheduled arrival time. We decided to do a video conference with our many children – located all over the globe. Many of the family members were able to join in with us. My wife manned the phone call as I drove the car into the MTC. We got through the security booth and parked in a parking lot designated for “senior missionaries” like us. Senior missionaries are those (with gray hair and expanded stomachs” who have achieved an advanced age – but who still have some energy to commit to missionary service. We revise the old Primary song, and sing, “We’re glad they’ve called us on a mission … now that we have grown a foot of two.” (Not to brag about the direction of that growth.) Well, anyway, we got one of the last available parking spots. And it even accommodated our mission bikes that were strapped onto the back of our vehicle. We must have looked a sight with the fully packed car, the bikes, the Jacob Lake dirt, snow, and salt, and more. Admittedly, we thought that we had everything that we thought that we needed for the next 18 months.
My wife continued the video call with the family – and they “went” with us right up to the front door. I finally had to tell her and the family that it was time to “be hanging up now”.
We had many service missionary folks there to usher us in to start the mission.
And the adventure begins …! Moving onto the Nauvoo Scouting trail … ! Can’t wait!
Nauvoo, Historic Nauvoo, Senior Mission Couple, Historic Sites, Missionary, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintS
On the Nauvoo Trail 