"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness." --Declaration of Independence as originally written by Thomas Jefferson, 1776

I love this country, I love our heritage. Though we may not have a perfect record today or in our past, our country still continues to be populated by wonderful, honest people seeking peace and justice.

Those that suffered much and risked even more to establish this country should never be forgotten. May we also remember our Divine Creator that inspired these men and women and blessed their efforts.

Here are a few quotes from one of my favorite early presidents, Thomas Jefferson.

"I sincerely pray that all the members of the human family may, in the time prescribed by the Father of us all, find themselves securely established in the enjoyment of life, liberty, and happiness." --Thomas Jefferson: Reply to Ellicot Thomas, et al., 1807. ME 16:290

"The constitutions of most of our States assert that all power is inherent in the people; that... it is their right and duty to be at all times armed." --Thomas Jefferson to John Cartwright, 1824. ME 16:45

"One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them." --Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, 1796. ME 9:341

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY AMERICA

Nauvoo, Illinois

The idea to take a trip to Nauvoo interested me a great deal. I had never visited this place before, and the proposition of touring the location with family and no kids made the idea 'golden'.

Before the trip was to begin, I planned on reading a couple of books so I could appreciate the sights more fully. But, with work and other distractions, the preparation never took place. I would have to rely on maps and memory for my insights.


First, let me introduce you to Nauvoo, in case you didn't know. Nauvoo was once a small county named Commerce, Illinois, until in 1839 the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, led by Joseph Smith began purchasing land. The idea was to build a town that they could develop under their own city ordinances and away from persecution. Prior to Nauvoo, the Saints, or members of the church, had been driven out of New York, Ohio, and Missouri by violent persecution of others. Joseph Smith renamed the land and town, Nauvoo.

Soon, the town of Nauvoo began to thrive. Located on banks of the Mississippi River, Nauvoo became an important part of Illinois as newly baptized members of the Church traveled from very far away lands to gather with the Saints and Joseph Smith. Soon the population of Nauvoo swelled to over 12,000, rivaling Chicago as the largest city in Illinois.
The Saints even began construction of a temple, or House of God in Nauvoo in 1841. The temple was eventually finished and later dedicated in May 1846 (though it was being used prior to then).

Persecution did not end however for the Saints, and soon Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith were arrested and brought to a small town named Carthage where they would await trail for treason. A few other friends of Joseph and Hyrum stayed with them in the Jailhouse. The Governor had promised Joseph safe passage until the trial would be held. However, that was a very difficult promise to keep since the Church had many enemies throughout the land. On June 27, 1844, Joseph and Hyrum were murdered by a lawless mob that rushed the jailhouse and shot the prisoners. Two others were in the jailhouse at the time, John Taylor and Willard Richards. Bro. Taylor received four bullets, but lived (he would later become the 3rd president of the Church), and Bro. Richards were sparred as well without as much as a scratch.

This photo was taken outside the jailhouse in Carthage, Illinois. On the left is Joseph Smith, and the right is his older brother Hyrum Smith.

After the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum, the Saints departed from Nauvoo led by Brigham Young. There eventual destination was to be the Salt Lake Valley, which Joseph Smith had earlier seen in a vision as the land that the Saints would receive their desired peace and rest from persecution. Nauvoo was left behind with nearly fully furnished homes, since the Saints could not carry their belongings on the long journey. If they could sell their homes, they did... but most did not. The Nauvoo Temple was burned and destroyed.

For decades, the Church of Jesus Christ didn't have a presence in Nauvoo other than grave sites and memories. Finally, over time, the Church began to purchase some of the old homes and land once owned by members. Today, Nauvoo has been partially restored and invites tourists from all over the world to experience life of the 1840s.

Our family visit was wonderful. We were fortunate enough to have temperatures in the high 70s and relatively low humidity. For three days, we saw as many sites as time would allow. On Saturday night (our final night), I longed for another day or two. My lovely wife and I have committed to returning in a few years when our two young boys could appreciate the history (and control themselves a little bit more).

If you live near the area, or find yourself a short distance from the area, I would encourage you to visit. These individuals truly lived a life of faith and discipline. Their testimonies of Jesus Christ and His restored Gospel are evident in the legacy they left behind. How grateful and thankful I am for their courage and long-suffering. I had family that lived in Nauvoo and later followed Brigham Young to the Salt Lake Valley (David Cluff). A short time after arriving in Salt Lake, my family was asked by President Young to settle in Northern Arizona (eventually Safford, Central, Thatcher area). I am humbled by their example. One day I will write about them...

At World's End... and 'At Wits End'

My good wife and I finally had a chance to see Pirates last night. We thoroughly enjoyed the first installment. It was written well, characters were interesting, the acting was fantastic, and the experience was fun and fresh. The second movie didn't impress us too much, since it felt very long and lacked a compelling story. However, we left excited about the third movie, considering 'Capt. Barbossa' was making his return.


Expectations drastically lowered...
"That's a long time to watch dirty Pirates", a friend on mine told me after he and his wife attended The Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End opening night. "I just kept looking at my watch, hoping the end was coming soon." Not a ringing endorsement. And, he wasn't alone. It seemed that everyone held the same opinion; 'it was OK, just too long'.

Spoiler Alert
Wow, they were correct. I believe I looked at my watch every 6 min or so, wishing I had a remote in my hand to change the channel. The acting was decent. The special effects were... well, special. However, the script was thin, the dialogue/jokes were predictable, and the movie was about 60 min too long. I felt as if the writers realized their error in plot, and struggled with plot filler. The most frequently used writer ploy: trick the viewer over and over into guessing what was going to happen and who's side is who on. How about this guess - guess who left during the film to visit the bathroom, grab a hot dog and milkshake and loiter in the halls staring at coming attraction posters... just to avoid going back into the theatre?

The ending was just terrible. After 8 hours of film, we are back to square one. Jack is without a boat, abondonded by his crew and Barbosa. The couple of 'romantic interest' (that is a stretch as well) are still compelled to live seperately, forever. And finally, pirates terrorize the seas... seemingly, unopposed. Isn't that where we started 5 years ago? Also, how about the 'Uber-villan', Lord Beckett failing to take any action at the end. That was just moronic.

I enjoyed Johnny Depp's depiction of the crazy pirate Jack Sparrow. I wanted to enjoy the cameo by Keith Richards, but it was canned and lame. I absolutely love Geoffry Rush's character, Captain Barbossa. Although, it seems the writters warn us in scene one, he won't be the brash scroundrel enjoyed in the first movie. He tells Elizabeth Swann, "Sao Feng (chinese pirate played by Chow Yun-fat) is like me without mercy and sense of fair-play." Translation to audience, "I'm not going to be the villian like I was in the first movie, but rather the good guy. Therefore, expect that I won't be very tough or dynamic." With that declaration, I knew I was in for a long movie.

If I had to rank this movie according to ROI, I would say it was very low yield. Knowing that you need to see it, so as not to come off as a 'less than in-touch' person in pop-culture, save yourself some money and go to the theatre during matinee prices. Also, purchase some candy that can last three hours. I recommend Milk Dudds, you can chew on one for several minutes.

Memo to Hollywood: Special effects / action sequences are horrible plot filler... are you reading this, producers of Live Free or Die Hard?