Oxen - In Nauvoo?

Oxen are a big part of the history of Nauvoo. Aren't they cute?

We took part of our P-Day to complete our assignment to clean the reader-boards at the "ox-wagon ride" here in Nauvoo. This is Bryce - isn't he cute! (Our task was not laborious because it had rained in the last two days!)

We enjoyed the various stories about the early Saints leaving Nauvoo with their teams of oxen. This story of Mary Smith really shows her pluck and strength! We often talk about the great faith the Saints had in Jesus Christ that enabled them to travel west, suffereing terrible hardships on the way, to an essentially unknown place.  I think that God also blessed them with an abundance of determination, fortitude, and sheer grit. 

This board compares the advantages of using oxen instead of horses. It says that even a child could handle oxen even though they weighed 1,000-3,000 pounds.  

This one is Duke.

This is Ike. I've included a video of the oxen that was taken around Novemeber (I think). They were getting ready for the Exodus Re-enactment and we happened to be at the right place at the right time to catch a short ride in the wagon.