“I cried,​ ‘Lord what will thou have me to do?’ And the answer was​ ‘Build up a city and call my saints to this place.’” — Joseph Smith¹

Commerce, Illinois, located on the Mississippi River, was known as Venus before being renamed in 1834.² This area became a focal point for the early Latter-day Saints after they were expelled from Missouri. Although sparsely populated, Commerce was seen as a strategic location by Joseph Smith due to its proximity to the Mississippi River, which provided a navigable route to the ocean.³ After months in jail in Liberty, Missouri, Joseph Smith reunited with the Saints in Illinois and moved to the town of Commerce.^3,4 He began plans to gather the Saints there despite the area’s marshy floodplain. The Lord confirmed Joseph's decision, instructing him to "build up a city" in Commerce.³ By October 1839, a stake was organized with William Marks as its president. The area would later be renamed Nauvoo in April 1840.²

1. Journal, December 1842–June 1844; Book 2, 10 March 1843–14 July 1843, 126, josephsmithpapers.org

2. “Commerce (now Nauvoo), Illinois,” josephsmithpapers.org

3. Saints, Volume 1, Chapter 34, 399-400

4. “Liberty Jail,” churchofjesuschrist.org