The Carthage Walk - Take Two! The Nauvoo Discovery Program does it again.

Oct 21, 20248 min read

Updated: Jan 23

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The Nauvoo Discovery participants walk from Nauvoo to Carthage, then drive the route another day for two different experiences on the Martyrdom Trail.

The Nauvoo Discovery Participants and the beginning of the Martyrdom Trail in Nauvoo, Illinois — NDP at the beginning of the Martyrdom Trail in Nauvoo, Illinois

NDP arrives in Carthage, Illinois after their walk from Nauvoo

The Walk

On September 21st, 2024, the Nauvoo Discovery Program participants started at the Nauvoo Visitor’s Center at 7 am to embark on the 21 miles to Carthage Jail where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were martyred by an angry mob on June 27th, 1844. It’s not the exact path that the four men [John Taylor, Willard Richards, Joseph, and Hyrum Smith] who were incarcerated within Carthage would have taken to get there because in 1844 it was a straight shot on the diagonal. They also rode horses, and we walked, but that’s a whole other thing.

While it’s hard to tell, from the picture, you can see the path the men would have originally taken to get to Carthage, along with the modern-day path people take today in order to follow the Martyrdom Trail in honor of the sacrifice made by those men.

I will be perfectly honest, when I heard about the plan to walk from Nauvoo to Carthage in honor of Joseph and Hyrum Smith’s sacrifice, my first thoughts were: “Why on earth would we do that? What’s the point of putting ourselves through that? This seems unnecessary.” But the more I thought about it, and read the testimonies and experiences of those who were able to go on the walk itself, the more I realized that while, yes, it is unnecessary, it’s not pointless:

“The Carthage Walk is what you make it. This can either be a great experience or a bad one. But I know I chose to walk the whole way no matter what came. After 12 miles in shoes that would give me blisters that took up most of the bottom of my feet. Not an exaggeration. My best friend gave me a pair of sneakers and I walked the rest. Limping every step. But I wouldn't trade the experience for anything because of the things I learn personally from my Savior.” Carson Wells

“During the walk, I got the chance to walk and talk with others and, at times, walked alone. I was reminded that, at times, we walk with others and need others in our lives, but at other times, God removes people from our lives so that we can refocus our lives on Him. Walking through the beautiful scenery, I realized that as the world is created piece by piece to become a beautiful masterpiece, God created us each as a piece in a beautiful masterpiece of children of God.” Ashlyn Walker

“I enjoyed building relationships and becoming closer to others that were there. It was difficult, but I found that as we struggled together, we grew together, especially those that helped others in need. I liked walking and talking, but I also liked walking by myself in silence because I was able to think of what Joseph and Hyrum were thinking, knowing they knew and that they still went, sacrificing themselves for the cause.” Brandon Colvin

Mary & Bethany Coming down the homestretch in Carthage. Walking from Nauvoo, Illinois to Carthage, Illinois — Mary & Bethany, come down the homestretch in Carthage.

“The Carthage Walk was just as riveting and enjoyable as the one we did last semester! The spiritual nature and physical exertion shared alongside friends—old and new—was a tender and lovely experience. I'm so happy this is an opportunity that is offered by the Nauvoo Discovery Program!” Mary Roberts

That’s not to say the trip wasn’t without its trials. Some people didn’t have the right shoes and got all manner of nasty blisters, some of which still haven’t fully healed (as I’m writing this on October 18th). Some people didn’t prepare well enough beforehand with water and food intake and so they were miserable and close to passing out more than once. Then you have to think about the fact that they walked 21 miles. Not everyone can just wake up one day and decide they’re going to do that. I know I couldn’t. It would take me a few weeks of walking and training before I could even think about doing something like that, so that also took its toll on our walkers. Then, of course, there was the weather. Our intrepid adventurers got soaked to the bone while walking as the sky decided it needed to relieve itself and rain. Which would have been fine, if it hadn’t been humid and gross afterward, making it next to impossible to dry off after the rain was finished.

But still, they persevered, and they all made it to Carthage in one piece and with all their limbs intact, although some of them probably wished their legs had fallen off by the end, just to put an end to their suffering.

The Drive

As is the case with most things, because not everyone went on the Carthage Walk, we decided to go back to Carthage the following week (September 27th) only this time, we took cars. We still went on the same path as the walk and stopped along the way at various points for little devotionals where people who went on the walk could talk about the experiences they had as they walked.

We started the day with a historical lesson from Joseph Johnstun, who is the resident Joseph Smith, and Nauvoo history nerd. He knows more about the Martyrdom than I honestly thought we had information about, and if you ever get the chance to just listen to him talk about that and this history of Nauvoo, I highly recommend and encourage it, because it’s well worth it. He’s knowledgeable and a good speaker to boot, which is a hard combination to find. And the way you know he’s a good speaker who also knows what he’s talking about, is none of us are on our phones and are paying attention (even me).

After that, we loaded up into the vans and we headed off towards Carthage. And there we ran into our first problem: None of the stops we chose had actual addresses. And one would think all we needed to do was follow the Carthage Walk signs from the week before, but things never go that easy or smoothly. Half of us didn’t know where we were going and the half that did forgot how caravanning works and just gunned it. So, already we weren’t off to the best start. Should we have had people who knew the way to be drivers? Possibly, but hindsight is 20-20 and there’s nothing we can do about it now but reflect on it and remember for next time.

But transportation troubles aside, those who shared their testimonies and the experiences they had while walking to Carthage were amazing to listen to and experience secondhand. We can’t ever really and truly know what those four men were thinking and feeling as they made their way to Carthage, we just can’t. Even if we can take our own experiences of making that trek, with all the struggles we faced along the way, either internal or external, we won’t even come close to understanding that pain and suffering, but it is a way we can honor him.

And you know what? Even with all those things that happened before we got to the jail, we still made it in one piece, with all limbs still attached, just as before, and we were able to have a great experience within:

“Driving the trail, we walked to Carthage was amazing. We got to hear our friends’ experiences of walking to and listen to them bear their testimonies of Joseph Smith and our Savior, Jesus Christ. I was able to share my experience of walking to Carthage with people that have become some of my closest friends. We could feel the Spirit with us throughout the whole trip and I knew that Joseph Smith was aware of us remembering him and what he did to restore Jesus Christ’s church back on the Earth.” Mischa Steele

Mischa shares her experience with NDP about the walk to Carthage

“The drive to Carthage was a pleasant one. The day was fair, our cars were primed with gas, and we set off with adventure in view. We started at the martyrdom marker next to the visitors’ center. Joseph Johnstun shared some insight into Joseph Smith's goodbye to Nauvoo. He shared that Brother Joseph said goodbye to his family multiple times- always returning to them when he had a chance. I was able to appreciate the love the prophet had for his family and for his people. We stopped at various spots on the trail and listened to people's experiences while they walked the trail. I felt the spirit as we shared our testimonies, making the whole experience (regardless of miscommunication) well worth it.” Rachel Clayton

The Jail

“… Essentially here’s one thing I learned from the Carthage trip. How special the relationship is between God and one of God's children when they will willingly sacrifice themselves for Him. And how special it is when that child of His understands that He sees every little thing that unfolds from that desire of theirs to love Him.” Netane Moleni

“I’ll be honest, before we took the tour of the jail, I was not in a good mood. I was frustrated at what I felt was an inefficient way of handling things I felt there were things that could have been planned better. However, once we went inside the Visitor’s Center and started the tour of the jail, none of that seemed to matter anymore, because what I was feeling was a fleeting moment in time that ultimately wasn’t important. The thing that was important about that day was the sacrifice made by Joseph and Hyrum Smith and how it shaped the coming days for our church. We should never, we can never forget what those two men died for and why they died for it because it is the truth and will be what saves us in the end.” Becca Gordon-Ross

While we were in the jail, we had a unique opportunity. Usually, when you take the tour and you’re in the room where Joseph and Hyrum died, you simply listen to a recording of “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief” someone recorded for the purposes of the tour, as it was the song Joseph requested be sung in order to lift the spirits of the men in the jail. However, we have several gifted musicians in our program and one of them, Joe Blake, decided he was going to sing for us in the jail. In the jail itself, he only was able to sing the first, second, and seventh verses, but when we went outside after the tour, he sang it again, this time in its entirety. Both times he sang that song, the Spirit was so undeniably strong it was almost tangible. There’s a reason we sing hymns in church and so many of us are musicians. Music is a powerful aid to the Holy Ghost, and He does some of his best work while there’s music in the air and in our hearts.