Good will is gaining in Nauvoo

NAUVOO, Ill. — For skeptics who question the reality of warming relations among historic foes, a glance at Wednesday's edition of the Fort Madison Daily Democrat literally says it all.

A 32-page tabloid insert features a full-cover photo of the reconstructed Nauvoo Temple's bell tower. "Celebrating the new temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," it reads. On Page 2, a half-page color ad by Salt Lake City-based Legacy Constructors nods to local residents.

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BORDER="1"> FACE="Verdana,Helvetica,Arial" SIZE="2">Additional information: FACE="Verdana,Helvetica,Arial" SIZE="2"> Focus: Nauvoo Temple — New centerpiece rises in the 'city beautiful'

"When we think of the citizens and the city of Nauvoo, one word comes to mind: Gratitude. Thank you Nauvoo. You have given us lasting friendships, superb hospitality, quality craftsmanship and a timeless temple."

The adjectives and nouns tell the story.

From 1839, when Latter-day Saints first set foot here, to 1846, when nearly 12,000 of them fled their beloved Nauvoo, the headlines were anything but kind.

As their numbers and political power swelled exponentially, area newspapers often derided "the Mormons." In Nauvoo, the town's own paper often took non-Mormon settlers to task, according to historians.

In fact, it was the 1844 destruction of presses used to print the first edition of the Nauvoo Expositor, founded by Mormon dissidents, that put LDS Church founder Joseph Smith on the road to nearby Carthage and subsequent martyrdom.

So why all the nice-making now? Some say economics, others say greater tolerance, still others credit a decline in self-righteousness on both sides.

And though some vestiges of the old animosity remain, townspeople of every faith are working together — whether eagerly or reluctantly — in unprecedented ways. It hasn't come without challenge.

Nauvoo City Alderman Bob Soland says the most recent relationship between the church and townspeople "started out real bad," remembering everyone's surprise at the 1999 temple rebuilding announcement. Relationships with personnel at church-owned Nauvoo Restoration Inc. continued to deteriorate at the same time plans for the temple ramped up.