Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple & Mormon Trail Center.

When we moved cross country 12 years ago I didn't realize that there was a temple in Nebraska. I was so bummed knowing that it was on the way, and that we didn't stop by. As we were figuring out places to go, and temples to see on our way back to Utah over the summer I made sure that we were going to this temple. So after our pit stop in Nauvoo we made sure our timing would be perfect that way we would arrive in Winter Quarters first thing in the morning. 

And we did.  

I forgot how boring driving through Nebraska was, but knowing that there would be a small temple to go to where the saints settled after they left Nauvoo had me anxious, and excited. And it was extremely humbling to have been there. 

We literally spent half the day here! The temple grounds are beautiful, and all the flowers that were planted were so colorful! I love how well they maintained the grounds especially when they have actual graves of some of the pioneers here. 

We toured the Mormon Trail Center which is right across the street from the temple, and I absolutely appreciated it. The tour consisted of real life journal entries from the pioneers once they arrived. They have artifacts, and original antiques that belonged to the pioneers. Some were replicas. They even had a handcart which you can pull. You can see Noah attempting to pull it in this little video, and it was so fun watching him use all his strength to pull it! It truly was humbling to imagine how hard it was for them to pull a handcart through inclement weather for days that weighed a ton. I loved listening to all the recorded journal entries of the pioneers especially the one about William Clayton. He was a gifted violinist who wrote the hymn "come, come ye saints." It was interesting to hear, and read all about how he became inspired to write it. 

Many of the wonderful stories about our pioneer heritage are at this center, and I'm so glad that we stopped, and made the time for the long tour even if it added extra hours of driving to Utah. It was worth the time to ponder, walk around and seriously listen and understand what these wonderful pioneers went through, and to read it through their words.

This temple trip was definitely one for the books which is why I've documented it on here. I hope my kids will look back with appreciation and remember what the pioneers did here in Nebraska. Their stories are ones that go back generations, and ones that can lift, and inspire, and remind us of what it took for them to get here so that we can learn all about the gospel of Jesus Christ.