Zion's Camp

On May 5, 1834 Joseph Smith, prophet and leader of the Mormon Church, led 85 men out of Kirtland, Ohio towards Missouri. Their purpose was to help the Mormons in Missouri whose land, homes and possessions had been taken from them by mobs. As they marched, recruits joined them. When the last grouop of recruits arrived there were a little over 200 men, 12 women and 9 children. The oldest volunteer was Samuel Baker who was 79, and the youngest was George A. Smith, Joseph Smith’s cousin, he was only 16.

The men of Zion’s Camp walked the 900 mile one-way trip. They usually walked between 20 and 40 miles per day. Brigham Young, second Mormon president, who also went on the trek said, “it was seldom that I ever laid down to rest before eleven or twelve o’clock at night, and we always rose very early in the morning [usually around 3 or 4 in the morning].” The group always camped on Sundays, held Church meetings, and had the sacrament so that they could obey the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy.

On June 18th, the Prophet had feelings of danger and woke the camp early. As they marched through the city of Richmond a woman warned them “there is a company of men lying in wait here, who are calculating to kill you this morning as you pass through.” The company was only able to march nine miles because of broken wagon wheels but they were never attacked. They had intended to reach Liberty but instead set up camp between two forks of the Fishing River. The following is what happened as recorded in Church History in the Fullness of Times.

Joseph learned that mobs were preparing to attack, he knelt and prayed again for divine protection. Joseph’s fears were confirmed when five armed Missourians rode into camp, cursing, and swore that the Mormons would “see hell before morning.” They boasted that nearly four hundred men had joined forces from Ray, Lafayette, Clay, and Jackson counties and were then preparing to cross the Missouri River at Williams Ferry and ‘utterly destroy the Mormons.’ Sounds of gunfire were heard, and some of the men wanted to fight, but the Prophet promised that the Lord would protect them. He declared, ‘Stand still and see the salvation of God.

A few minutes after the Missourians left, a small black cloud appeared in the clear western sky. It moved eastward, unrolling like a scroll, filling the heavens with darkness. As the first ferry load of mobbers crossed the Missouri River to the south, a sudden squall made it nearly impossible for the boat to return to pick up another load. The storm was so intense that Zion’s Camp abandoned their tents and found shelter in an old Baptist meetinghouse nearby. When Joseph Smith came in, he exclaimed, ‘Boys, there is some meaning to this. God is in this storm.’ It was impossible for anyone to sleep, so the group sang hymns and rested on the rough benches.

One camp member recorded that ‘during this time the whole canopy of the wide horizen was in one complete blaze with terrifying claps of thunder.’ Elsewhere the beleaguered mobbers sought any refuge they could. The furious storm broke branches from trees and destroyed crops. It soaked and made the mobbers’ ammunition useless, frightened and scattered their horses, and raised the level of the Fishing River, preventing them from attacking Zion’s Camp. The Prophet recalled, ‘It seemed as if the mandate of vengeance had gone forth from the God of battles, to protect His servants from the destruction of their enemies.’”

Parley P. Pratt and Orson Hyde, who later became Apostles were sent to the Missouri capital to discuss the Mormons' position with Governor Daniel Dunklin. In their meeting, they were told that Governor Dunklin had decided against sending out the state militia to help them because he was afraid of starting a civil war. Parley P. Pratt and Orson Hyde returned to camp and reported this to Joseph Smith. They knew that without the help of the state they would not be able to return the driven and persecuted Mormons to their homes.

On July 3, in a general meeting for the Missouri Saints and Zion’s Camp, the camp was disbanded, divided into smaller groups, and sent home. Joseph Smith stayed in Missouri until July 12, uplifting and helping the Mormons in Missouri.

The trek was a time of trial and tribulation. Although Zion’s Camp was not able to complete their purpose or stop the hostilities and persecutions the Saints were experiencing in Missouri Zion’s Camp was not a failure. While many of the men complained about the poor conditions, those who pressed forward and continued in their faith were strengthened. The trials were for their benefit and learning, nine of the Twelve Apostles called in these dayws were a part of Zion’s Camp, and all of the members of the Quorum of the Seventy had marched with it.

Other Links: See Zion's Camp on Wikipedia.