As you study the Doctrine and Covenants in Come, Follow Me this year, you can deepen your understanding by exploring the stories and viewing photos of places where sacred events occurred. This is one in a series of articles about key Church history sites.

Several historic Church history sites in Illinois have been preserved by the Church for visitors to enjoy either in person or virtually.

Nauvoo Temple

In the two years following the martyrdom, the Saints completed construction of the Nauvoo Temple and performed sacred ordinances that bound them to God and one another. But they knew their time in their beloved temple city was drawing to an end. By the end of 1846, thousands of Saints had departed Nauvoo with the hope that they could build a more peaceful Zion home in the west.

The Church reconstructed the Nauvoo Temple from 999–2002. See the page Historic Nauvoo Illinois and Carthage Jail for information about visiting.

Historic Nauvoo, Illinois

Historic Nauvoo, located in west central Illinois, is an important historic site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During the winter of 1838–1839, Latter-day Saints were driven from their homes in Missouri, and many eventually found their way to the area in and around what would be renamed the city of Nauvoo. Through revelation, Jesus Christ called upon the people of Nauvoo to become a “cornerstone of Zion,” providing a strong foundation from which the Church could grow. The focal point in the city’s landscape and in the lives of the Latter-day Saints was the Nauvoo Temple. Under the prophetic leadership of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, this Latter-day Saint community gathered not only to build this temple city but also to make sacred covenants with God and each other through temple ordinances.

In addition to seeing the rebuilt Nauvoo Illinois Temple, the Church has re-created historic homes and buildings to give visitors a glimpse into the lives of early Latter-day Saints. There are cultural performances, tours, and pioneer games and activities, including wagon rides. The Nauvoo Visitors’ Center features exhibits, films and interactive displays.

See the page Historic Nauvoo Illinois and Carthage Jail for information about visiting.

Carthage Jail

Carthage Jail, located about 20 miles southeast of Nauvoo, is the restored historic site where the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were killed by a mob on June 27, 1844. The martyrdom of the Prophet and Patriarch was devastating to the Latter-day Saints. Nevertheless, as the Saints mourned these great losses, they also followed the surviving apostles’ lead to carry on the work of restoring the gospel of Jesus Christ in the latter days.

See the page Carthage Jail for schedule, photos, and information about visiting.

Learn more about the Church’s historic sites at history.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Related articles:

• “Introduction to Historic Nauvoo and Carthage Jail“
• “What to Expect in Historic Nauvoo“
• “Serve at Historic Nauvoo”
• “A Guide to Historic Sites of the Latter-day Restoration” published by the Church News.