Our Brilliant Jill Brim

Last week my sister, Marlene was visiting Nauvoo, IL with my niece Mackenna. Marlene asked me the question, "If there were 12,000 residents of Nauvoo in it's heyday, where did they all go to church? Did they meet in wards and have multiple buildings? Recognizing that many of them just met outside, what did they do about the winter?"  I didn't know so I sent an email to Jill. Within a few minutes this is the answer I received.  From now on I will forego Google and just write Jill:

Good morning, Joyce,

"Going to church" in the 1840's was decidedly different than the system in place now.

There were 4 general wards in Nauvoo, originating from the political ward for voting

here in Illinois.  The general wards were mainly used for building assignments

and other temporal activities that the 4 "general bishops" directed.  The women

did visit in the general wards, starting the first "visiting committees."

For the Sabbath day, people generally collected in open spaces to hear sermons.

The only building constructed primarily for worship was in Ramus, Illinois,

where my husband's family lived.  It is about 10 miles from Carthage.

That chapel even had a bell.  That wood building no longer remains.

Homes, the Masonic Hall (now Cultural Hall), and the

Red Brick Store were the next buildings that held significant meetings.

Love always,

Jill

This answer reminded me of when we moved to New Jersey from CA in 1983. I had been referred to a realtor by the stake president's wife. The realtor wasn't available the weekend we were looking for a home so I was referred again to another realtor (who later became a great friend). I told her how important the ward was to us, yet she continued to emphasize the schools and the character of the community. Over lunch as we were reviewing the possibilities for purchase and I asked her again which ward our number one choice was in, she finally asked, quite softly, "Are you Democrat or Republican?"  What? Only then did my husband and I realize that our realtor was not a member of the church and was trying so hard to help us find our political voting district. Since then I've been a realtor for the past 25 years and to this day I still laugh about what she must have thought of these strange Californian's who were so concerned about where they were going to vote.