The Miraculous Crossing of the Frozen Mississippi River

In February 1846, as the first groups of Saints were forced to leave Nauvoo in extreme cold, the Mississippi River froze over completely. This allowed hundreds of wagons to cross the ice safely into Iowa. This event was viewed by the pioneers as a divine intervention that facilitated their escape from mobs and allowed them to begin their westward journey when the ferry system would have been too slow and dangerous due to floating ice.