Nauvoo Miracle

This is a follow-up to the story, “Daddy, Do Not Leave Me Here”, where Israel Barlow moved his firstborn’s grave from their Nauvoo farm to the Old Nauvoo Burial Grounds at his wife’s request. Supposedly, the exact gravesite was not known, but I recently read a Nauvoo missionary couple’s blog where they witnessed one of Israel Barlow’s descendants find the grave in 2013. The descendant, Elizabeth Hemple from St. Louis and an Olympic hopeful, came to Nauvoo to visit the grave. She was originally directed to another cemetery, but didn’t feel right there. But when she went to the Old Nauvoo Cemetery and walked around it, she was prompted to go to the far corner of the cemetery.

The Nauvoo missionary couple saw her sobbing in the far corner of the cemetery and carefully approached her. She told them why she was there and that she felt that THIS was the spot where he was buried. They introduced her to Elder Mengel, who has been researching the cemeteries and mapping out the graves. He told her that this spot was not likely because it was out of the boundary of the cemetery. She said, “I don’t know why, but I feel the Spirit telling me that this is the correct place. Elder Mengel had her use the dowsing technique and it verified there was a small grave.

This account, which they have submitted for publication in the Ensign, says that in the 1840’s the entrance to the cemetery was at this far corner. Israel Barlow quickly entered the cemetery and buried his child just inside the entrance rather than go deeper inside. There was no official record of him doing this and therefore the location was lost until Elizabeth Hemple found it by the Spirit’s promptings.

The blog is found here: http://ririenauvoomission.blogspot.com/
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