History
As mentioned in the Nauvoo Post, followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints used the Red Brick Store for church purposes as well as a general store for the public. Initially, as saints moved to Nauvoo, homes were used as gathering spots for worship and study but as meeting sizes outgrew homes, the upper room of the Red Brick Store operated by Joseph Smith Jr.’s–constructed in 1841–became one of the congregation meeting spots.
Utilization of the Red Brick Store’s upper room would fluctuate depending on the series of events that transpired in Nauvoo over the next 30 years. Obviously, as thousands left their homes to travel to Utah in 1846, the store was not required to the same extent for church purposes. With the grouping of members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints under Joseph Smith III, the use of the building for church meetings was again needed. However, attendance at the upper floor of the store would again dwindle when in 1867 Joseph Smith III moved his family to Plano, Illinois, and meetings in Nauvoo’s congregation eventually disbanded in 1875. 15 years later the Red Brick Store was sold and razed, and the bricks were used for the Hudson Meat Market, and are now a part of Hotel Nauvoo on the upper bluff in the city.
Key Events
- In March 1842, the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo was established.
- In May 1842, Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, and others received an endowment,, a sacred ceremony that includes instructions, covenants, and promised blessings on the store’s upper floor.
- Joseph Smith Jr. received the revelations that now comprise Doctrine & Convents Sections 127, 129, and 132.
Tips & Logistics
It is free to explore the Red Brick Store on your own–including the upper room. Photographs are allowed inside.
Hours of Operation:
Monday through Saturday – 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Sunday – 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Directions
Sources
General Information:
- https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/historic-sites/illinois/nauvoo/red-brick-store?lang=eng
Relief Society:
- https://www.ldsliving.com/The-Relief-Society-and-the-Book-of-Abraham-Highlight-Newest-Joseph-Smith-Papers-Volume/s/91694
Endowments in the Red Brick Store:
- https://emp.byui.edu/satterfieldb/Rel341/TempleOrdinances%20Red%20Brick%20Store.html
- https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/event/endowment-ceremony-in-red-brick-store
- https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/search?lang=eng&query=endowment&highlight=true&page=1
Departure from Nauvoo:
- https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/departure-from-nauvoo?lang=eng