BYU NewsNet - BYU Says Farewell Nauvoo

After 12 years of operation, the BYU Board of Trustees announced in December they're saying farewell to BYU Semester at Nauvoo.

While no official reason is given by the board, the outdated Joseph Smith Academy may be part of the reason, said Evan Ivy, the BYU Study program director.

"The facility is very old, the pipes are rusty and leaking, boilers are very old and the windows have become inefficient," Ivy said. "It is estimated that it would cost $10 million to renovate."

Since the announcement has been given about BYU Nauvoo closing, many of the 1,200 students who attended the program throughout the years are disappointed, as are Nauvoo residents, many of which are afraid the facility will be torn down, said Holly Hansen, Nauvoo program administrator.

Although they understand there is a need for it to be renovated to meet current safety standards, they still want the building to remain a part of their community, Ivy said. A large auditorium in the building, which seats up to 600 people, is used by the community for many events.

"There is a lot of sentimental attachment to the program and facilities used in Nauvoo," Ivy said. "Some three to four generations have come to the program and use the building."

According to the Semester at Nauvoo Web site, the program "has changed many lives and has brought us all closer to the lives and sacrifices of our common pioneer heritage, the spirit of Joseph, and the true gospel of Jesus Christ. As faculty and staff of the Semester at Nauvoo it has been a pleasure to serve and get to know so many of you. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity that has enriched us all."

The BYU Semester at Nauvoo started in 1994 by BYU history and religion professor Milton Backman. The program teaches students about pioneer life, American history, literature, composition and the Prophet Joseph Smith. Students also took field trips to U.S. history and church history sites.

The LDS Church originally purchased the Joseph Smith Academy Building in 1998 when it was St. Mary's All Girls' School in order to house the students who attended Semester at Nauvoo. Previous to the purchase of the building, the program was located in various buildings in Nauvoo.

The city of Nauvoo was founded by the Prophet Joseph Smith and grew quickly between 1839 and 1846 when it became the religious, governmental and cultural center of the LDS Church. When persecution grew fierce in 1846, the saints left their Nauvoo homes and temple and began the trek to the valley of the Great Salt Lake.

There are no plans yet to start another program to replace the Nauvoo study program.

"I hope we can resurrect the program," Backman said.

Not only will the program be missed but also the hundreds of students and faculty that made it all possible.

"It was a great experience to be with the young people, and the people here in Nauvoo will also miss them," said missionary John Larson, who is currently serving in the Nauvoo Visitor Center.