Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple
My journey to the Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple started in the Dollar General parking lot in Keokuk Iowa. Having made it back successfully across the Mississippi River from the Nauvoo Illinois Temple, the 350 mile drive across Iowa to Winter Quarters Nebraska was now ahead of me. Time is of the essence: the final session starts at 7:30 pm and the GPS says I’m going to arrive around 7:20. This would be the pivotal point in my two day journey.
The Drive to Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple
I love the country roads and the speed limits in Iowa. Going 75 miles an hour for five hours made me feel like an Indy driver.
I forgot just how much corn there is growing in Iowa. It is everywhere and it runs for miles and miles.
As a sped across Iowa I periodically checked the distance remaining on my GPS and the corresponding arrival time. That arrival time was around 7:20 when I left; yet I actually made it to Winter Quarters by 6:55. I was thrilled! This would be my third temple in one day and also my third endowment session.
The Winter Quarters Hardships
There is a beautiful oil painting inside this temple that depicts what life was like for the hundreds of people who lived here in the winter of 1846. Some of my relatives were in that group.
The painting shows people living inside of covered wagons. It also shows people trying to build a log home. It further depicts people living inside tents. Incredibly,The winterWinter quarters Is inter tThe wintering Was T hiirde oud iody all of this was in the cold and snowy winter. How they survived is beyond me.
There is some unique stained glass inside this temple as well. I’ll leave it at that for the description; you simply should check this out for yourself.
A Size Comparison
The Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple is one of the smallest that I’ve ever seen. It particularly looks small when you just came from the Nauvoo Illinois Temple which is quite large. The size of the temple is of course irrelevant. What is important is the work that gets done inside.
I made the 350 mile trip from Nauvoo to Winter Quarters in less than five hours. Those wonderful saints in 1846 took months to make the same journey. Some of my relatives named Garner were actively involved with this group. It is truly a remarkable story of faith and endurance.
The Winter Quarters Temple is the 61st temple I have visited since January 2017. It was now dark and the toughest part of my trip is behind me. I pointed my rental car south and started out on the 172 mile journey back to Kansas City Missouri where I started. My plan was to find a hotel along the way, get some sleep, and in the morning go to either the 9:30, 10:30, or 11:30 session at the Kansas City Missouri Temple.
I made a quick stop at Taco Bell and grabbed some tacos and some Dr Pepper for my trip. A very kind temple worker told me that I was a very good man for putting forth the effort to visit three temples in one day. His complement made me feel really good.