MormonTimes.com: Nauvoo on flood watch; church members filling sandbags

Volunteers are filling sandbags in and around Nauvoo, Ill., to protect historic church landmarks in the event of flooding on the Mississippi River.

The National Weather Service issued flood warnings for areas along the Mississippi that stretch through Illinois and Missouri.

BYU Folk Dancers, young performing missionaries, young sister missionaries, Nauvoo Restoration Incorporated employees and missionaries, and Illinois Nauvoo senior missionaries are working together to fill sandbags and protect the historic Nauvoo house and Niota, a small neighboring community.

The area of Nauvoo closest to the Mississippi river is dotted with historic buildings originally built by Mormon settlers in the early 1800s. Restoration projects are operated by both The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Communities of Christ church.

"I felt so lucky to be able to help the community prepare for the floods and protect the Community of Christ properties of Joseph Smith," said Kelsie Wagstaff of Holladay, Utah.

Additional coverage of volunteer work in the Nauvoo area will be available online Wednesday and in the Saturday edition of the LDS Church News.