Saturday, October 08, 2016 – The Grove Reader Boards, Nauvoo State Bank, New Dress

We started our P-day (Preparation Day) in the “Groves” cleaning each of the “Reader Boards.” Each district in the mission is assigned service projects all around Old Nauvoo. It was our turn to go to the “Groves” and clean the dozen or so, information plaques on a path through the grove of trees. 

The current grove of trees called “The Groves” is a recreation of the original Nauvoo Groves.  In Old Nauvoo there were no large public meeting places until the Nauvoo Temple was finished.  As a result, public meetings, including Sunday worship, were most often held in open air groves of trees.  There were three main groves that were used in the 1840’s.  One was located just west of the Nauvoo Temple on the brow of the hill.  Another was located about a half-mile east of the Temple.  The third was a grove south of the Temple.  I consider these groves of trees to be sacred and hallowed ground. Some of the most famous discourses given by the Prophet Joseph Smith, such as the King Follett Sermon were delivered in the groves.

On our way to Keokuk to do our weekly shopping we stopped at the SBN (State Bank of Nauvoo) to get cash. In the past we’ve always used the ATM’s to get cash but sometimes the ATM fees and our own bank’s fees would be as much as 5% of the withdrawal. That’s expensive to get your own money out of an ATM. We heard that SBN will cash personal checks with no fee. When I finished writing I asked the teller what identification she needed. With a smile she chuckled and said, “your missionary name tag is all the ID you need!”