NAUVOO, Illinois — A cold wind swept across the frozen Mississippi River on Saturday as more than 200 people gathered in Historic Nauvoo to commemorate the 180th anniversary of the start of the Latter-day Saint exodus from the city on February 4, 1846. The event served as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as they began their westward journey.
Attendees, many carrying badges inscribed with the names of their ancestors who participated in the original migration, braved the frigid temperatures to walk the same path to the river’s edge. The commemoration began with a breakfast prepared by missionaries serving at the Illinois Historic Sites, followed by remarks from Sister Karen Thurman, matron of the Nauvoo Illinois Temple. She encouraged those present to persevere through their own trials, drawing parallels to the arduous journey faced by the early Saints.
A procession led by youth dressed as members of the Nauvoo Legion and carrying flags representing the nationalities of Nauvoo’s residents in the 1840s, marched south before turning west on Parley Street toward the Mississippi. Sixteen-year-old Gavin Cheney, drumming for his ancestor James Sanderson, who was also a drummer during the exodus, kept the cadence. The procession included wagons, some replicas of those used by families during the original migration.
The Ballard family, from Iowa City, Iowa, participated for the first time, having researched ancestors who were roughly the same age as their seven children during the 1846 exodus. “Being here really brings it home,” said Justine Ballard. “Thinking about leaving here with a 1-year-old and 3-year-old in the winter is really tough, so it puts your problems into perspective.”
The march culminated at the Pioneer Memorial overlooking the river. Nauvoo Illinois Temple President Richard A. Thurman addressed the youth, reading words spoken by Joseph Smith shortly before his death in Carthage Jail in 1844. He also spoke to them as if they were about to cross the river, acknowledging the challenges and blessings that lay ahead.
Elliott Watts, of Galesburg, Illinois, walked in honor of his great-great-grandfather, Joseph Leland Heywood, who had joined the Church in Nauvoo and was among those left behind to sell properties when the Saints were forced to leave. “When I think about his life, it helps me put in perspective what our life is like and the things they built as a foundation for us,” Watts explained.
Many participants ventured to the river’s edge, some even stepping onto the frozen surface, contemplating the hardships faced by their ancestors. Dane Cotton, a youth from Kansas City, Missouri, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “I just think it’s super cool that I get to walk the same trail as my ancestors and reenact this and carry a flag.”
The Nauvoo Illinois Temple, a reconstruction of the original temple completed in 2002, stood as a backdrop to the commemoration. The original temple, built between 1841 and 1846, was largely destroyed by arson and a tornado after the Latter-day Saints left the area, according to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website. The temple is not open to the public, but visitors are permitted on the grounds. The temple operates an accelerated summer schedule to accommodate the influx of tourists, including those attending the Nauvoo Pageant, a tribute to Joseph Smith.
As the event concluded, participants reflected on the courage and faith of those who left Nauvoo 180 years ago, acknowledging the difficulties of replicating their experience while expressing gratitude for the legacy they left behind.
