The early Saints in Nauvoo, Illinois worked to build up the Kingdom of God despite difficulties. In 1839, many Saints fell ill with malaria after settling on swampy land along the Mississippi River. Joseph Smith was prompted to arise and heal many through priesthood blessings. Around this same time, some apostles were called on missions abroad despite illness, helping strengthen the Church through their sacrifices. Their missionary work in Britain resulted in thousands of converts and helped gather Saints to Nauvoo.

1. Building the Kingdom of God in
Nauvoo, Illinois
Gospel Doctrine Class, Lesson # 29

2. The purpose of our lesson is…..
• To teach about how the early Saints
worked to build the kingdom of God in
Nauvoo and to encourage us to follow in
their example.

3. Where did these things occur?
• The doctrine of baptism for the dead
was revealed.
• Temple endowments were first
performed.
• The Relief Society was organized.

4. Nauvoo, Illinois

5. The Saints sought refuge in Illinois
While Joseph Smith was in jail at Liberty,
Missouri, the main responsibility for directing
the Saints’ flight from Missouri fell upon
Brigham Young, President of the Quorum of
the Twelve Apostles. To escape their
persecutors, the Saints began crossing the
Mississippi River into Illinois in late 1838

6. Nauvoo, Illinois
• The Saints gathered first in Quincy, Illinois. After
Joseph Smith returned from Liberty Jail, they
moved about 35 miles up the Mississippi River to
what was then the small village of Commerce.
The Saints quickly started draining the swampy
land, planting crops, and building homes. During
the summer of 1839, the Prophet renamed the
place Nauvoo. He said, “The name of our City
(Nauvoo) is of Hebrew origin, and signifies a
beautiful situation, or place, carrying with it, also,
the idea of rest” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph
Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 182).

7. Nauvoo, Illinois
• In December 1840 the state of Illinois
granted Nauvoo a charter that allowed the
city to establish a militia, a municipal court,
and a university. Nauvoo became the
second largest city in Illinois as the Church
grew rapidly and new converts gathered
there.

8. Nauvoo City layout

9. Original photograph

10. Early painting of Nauvoo

11. Sickness and a Day of God’s Power
• In the summer of 1839 the swamp area on the
Nauvoo peninsula had not yet been drained. While
the Saints gathered, cleared, drained, built, and
planted, they were oblivious to the danger of the
Anopheles mosquito. This tiny insect, which bred
profusely in the swampland and along the
Mississippi riverbank, transmitted parasites to the
red blood cells of humans by its bite. The disease
this caused, characterized by periodic attacks of
chills and fever, is now known as malaria, but
people in the nineteenth century called it and
diseases with similar symptoms
the ague (pronounced `a gyu).

12. Nauvoo sickness
• Scores of Church members on both sides of
the river fell ill. The residents of the
temporary tent city surrounding the Prophet’s
home were stricken by the disease as were
the Saints staying in his home. Emma nursed
the people night and day, while Joseph’s six-
year-old son carried water for the sick until he
also caught the disease. The pestilence was
indiscriminate, affecting all ages and classes.

13. Joseph Administers
• Eventually Joseph Smith also became ill, but after
several days confinement he was prompted to
arise and extend help to others. The day of 22
July was, in the words of Wilford Woodruff, “a
day of God’s power” in Nauvoo and Montrose.
That morning the Prophet arose and, being filled
with the Spirit of the Lord, administered to the
sick in his house and in the yard outside. More
sick people were down by the river, and there too
he administered with great power to the faithful.

14. Joseph Administers
• One such, Henry G. Sherwood, was near
death. Joseph stepped to the door of Brother
Sherwood’s tent and commanded him to rise
and come out; he obeyed and was healed.
Elder Heber C. Kimball and others
accompanied the Prophet across the river to
Montrose. One by one they visited the homes
of the Twelve and administered to those who
needed a blessing. Brigham Young, Wilford
Woodruff, Orson Pratt, and John Taylor then
joined Joseph in his mission of mercy.

15. Early Nauvoo timeline 1
• 26 Jan. 1839
• Committee on Removal was organized by
Brigham Young
• Feb. 1839
• Large-scale migration from Missouri began

16. Early Nauvoo Timeline 2
• 22 Mar. 1839
• Joseph Smith wrote from Liberty Jail urging Saints
not to scatter
• 22 Apr. 1839
• Joseph Smith arrived in Quincy, Illinois, after
months of imprisonment in Missouri

17. Early Nauvoo Timeline 3
• 30 Apr. 1839
• Joseph Smith negotiated land purchases in both
Iowa and Illinois
• 22 July 1839
• A “day of God’s power” was manifested in many
healings in Nauvoo and Montrose

18. Early Nauvoo Timeline 4
• Nov. 1839
• Joseph Smith met with President Martin Van Buren in
Washington, D.C.
• 16 Dec. 1839
• The Nauvoo Charter was signed in Springfield, Illinois
• 1 Feb. 1841
• John C. Bennett was elected the first mayor of Nauvoo

19. Missionary Service
• Many Church members in Nauvoo,
including the members of the Quorum of
the Twelve, were called to serve as
missionaries.

20. Missionary Service
• In 1839, the early members of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lived in
Nauvoo, Illinois. That summer, many Saints
fell ill with malaria, including the Prophet
Joseph Smith and most of the members of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. During
this time, Joseph Smith was commanded by
God to send some of His Apostles to serve in
England and in other far away countries.
Joseph was able to heal many Saints from
the illness, but some of the Apostles were
asked to leave while they were still sick.

21. Nauvoo, Illinois
• The Church was strengthened by the
sacrifices and efforts of the missionaries
who served in England. Elder Harold B.
Lee summarized what happened during
this remarkable time……

22. Missionaries from Nauvoo
• “In one year, 1840 to 1841—one year and fourteen
days, to be exact—nine members of the twelve were
called to labor in the British Mission. If you remember
the history [in Nauvoo], those years marked the period
of some of the severest persecution that the Church
was to undergo in this dispensation. In that one year
and fourteen days the nine members of the twelve,
with their associates, established churches in every
noted town and city in the kingdom of Great Britain.
They baptized between 7000 and 8000 converts. They
printed 5000 copies of the Book of Mormon, 3000
hymnbooks, and 50,000 tracts, … and [they] emigrated
1000 souls to America”

23. The Heart and a Willing Mind