IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH - Carthage, IL

Choice, Tate, Shiloh, and Ryder

Today was a first for us on this trip.  Our visit was to a church, Immanuel Lutheran in Carthage IL.  We put on our Sunday best and made our way towards the chapel to join their congregation for Sunday service.

The beautiful white steeple caught our eye as we approached the building. 




Ryder, Tate, Choice, Juliann, Shiloh, and Rusty



The inside of the chapel was equally stunning.




Immanuel Lutheran Church


It was interesting to see the kid's different reactions to this new environment.  I was nervous they would all be bouncing off walls as they haven't been in many reverent settings over the past few months.  They each had their own way of approaching the situation. 


Tate immediately took to making friends.  He latched on to a little boy named Logan and those two hung together.  It is great to watch Tate's confidence and curiosity grow.  He is a real tender and kind little boy.




Logan and Tate





Logan and Tate



Choice thought it a better idea to run and hide behind the pulpit.  When I approached him to remove him from his hiding spot, he thought we were playing a game.  With that he would squeal and run around.  Not the most reverent child, that's for sure.




Choice

Choice





All of the kids took to Linda, the church secretary.  She was so helpful and compassionate.  A really kind soul.





Tate, Linda, and Shiloh

All of the church members were filled with light and hospitality.  They welcomed us to their congregation and it was evident that the donation made to our family was not outside of the norm for this fabulous group. We were able to visit with them about the details of the donation they blessed us with. 




Tate and Choice with church members

Choice and Tate with church members

Every year they hold an ice cream social at their church.  They decide as a group where they want those funds to go that particular year.  In 2013 they opted to send the money they raised to the families of the Granite Mountain Hotshots.  It just so happened that our visit fell around the time of this year's ice cream social, enabling us to learn of the process that goes into making, scooping, selling, and cleaning up this treat.  Linda shared with us that nearly everyone at the church has their hand in this project in one way or another.  What a testament to the strength of these individuals and the union that brings them together for a common purpose.  They understand charity and the value of blessing the lives of others. 






A beautiful sermon was given by Pastor Rick that allowed a moment for self-evaluation and recommitment. 




Tate, Shiloh, Ryder, Choice, and Juliann

The focus of the message was on judgment.  Not God's judgment on us but the way in which we judge others.  He eloquently reminded us of a lesson we all know but sometimes overlook.  "The red crayon is the best color" he said.  "No way, blue is the best".  Arguments are often made when we pass judgment based on our own personal opinions.  He went on to explain that if you are coloring the sky, blue would be the best crayon.  However, if you'd like to draw the sunset, red would be the color of choice.  There are times and places where everything fits.  Seasons in life and variations in scenery are what color our world with uniqueness and magnificence.  We ought not judge others for their differences but celebrate what they add to the world and see their many strengths.







Pastor Rick, Choice, Juliann, Tate, Ryder, and Shiloh

Immanuel Lutheran Church congregation

Pastor Rick

I appreciate the reminder to BE BETTER in the way we treat others.  I hope the kids took something away from his wisdom today.  Thank you Immanuel Lutheran church members for your loving kindness and for making the world a better place one scoop of ice cream at a time.




Shiloh and Juliann

After leaving Immanuel Lutheran Church, we visited a few church history sites that were familiar to us.  Growing up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gives you a religious bucket list of sorts.  Things to see that hold meaning to you because of your membership in the church and the appreciation you've come to have for events that took place in these locations in history. 


We were happy to be able to visit two of these places this afternoon.  The first is also in Carthage, IL...Carthage Jail.




Choice and Tate

Ryder, Choice, Tate, and Shiloh

Carthage Jail is the place where the prophet of the restoration, Joseph Smith, was martyred by an angry mob.  He and his brother Hyrum (shown below) were shot and killed while being held in this jail. 




Shiloh, Ryder, Choice, and Tate

Shiloh, Ryder, Choice, and Tate

Choice, Tate, Shiloh, and Ryder



Ryder, Choice, Tate, and Shiloh

Ryder, Shiloh, Choice, and Tate

Choice, Shiloh, Ryder, and Tate 

When the prophet Joseph Smith was killed he was shot twice in the chest and twice in the back.  The force of the fire caused him to fall out of the second story window, shown below. 




Tate and Ryder




Tate, Shiloh, Ryder, Choice, and Juliann



Shiloh, Tate, Ryder, and Choice

During his time in the jail, he became friends with the jailer.  In fact, he would eat at this kitchen table with the jailer and his family. 





Tate, Ryder, Shiloh, and Choice

Kitchen table

The first few nights that Joseph was in the jail, he and several friends of his stayed in the room shown below...no furnishings, no beds, simply a hardwood floor.




Tate, Ryder, Shiloh, and Choice

However, it could have been worse.  This dungeon (shown below) is where they kept the really bad criminals whom they thought of as a threat to society.





Dungeon

The anger of the mob was obvious to everyone in the town.  The jailer, who had befriended Joseph, was fearful that the mob would too easily be able to access Joseph and kill him if he remained in the room on the lower level.  For this reason, the jailer gave up his own room to Joseph, Hyrum, and their friends so they would have a better chance at being protected.  They spent the last night of their lives in the jailer's bedroom. 


The mob entered Carthage Jail through this door and up this flight of stairs where they barged into the room where Joseph and Hyrum were staying.




It was here that they were shot and killed and the window shown below is the one that Joseph fell from.




Ryder, Tate, Choice, and Shiloh

Ryder, Tate, and Choice

Ryder, Tate, Shiloh, Choice, and Juliann


A lot of religious history is preserved here.  I was grateful to be able to take the kids here today and demonstrate a legacy of someone who lost their life in the service of God.








Tate, Shiloh, Ryder, Choice, and Juliann

To wrap up this religious expedition, we made one last stop to view the temple in Nauvoo. 


The Nauvoo Temple was the second temple constructed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  The church's first temple was completed in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1836. When the main body of the church was forced out of Nauvoo, Illinois, in the winter of 1846, the church attempted to sell the building, finally succeeding in 1848. The building was damaged by fire and a tornado before being demolished.  In 1937, the LDS Church reacquired the lot on which the original temple had stood. In 2000, the church began to build a temple on the original site whose exterior is a replica of the first temple, but whose interior is laid out like a modern Latter-day Saint temple. On 27 June 2002, a date that coincided with the 158th anniversary of the death of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, the temple was dedicated by the LDS Church as the Nauvoo Illinois Temple.




Ryder

Tate, Shiloh, Choice, and Ryder

Choice, Tate, Shiloh, Juliann, and Ryder

Ryder, Choice, Tate, Shiloh, and Juliann



Tate, Shiloh, Choice and Ryder

Ryder, Shiloh, Tate, and Choice



Flowers on the temple grounds

The temple was exquisite.  It was a beautiful end to our afternoon but the kids were thoroughly exhausted from such a long day.  Time to get these rugrats back on the bus and onto the next adventure.  Thanks again to the great congregation at Immanuel Lutheran Church for allowing us to join you today.  It will be a cherished memory. 




Ryder, Choice, Tate, and Shiloh