“They Must Needs Be Chastened and Tried, Even as Abraham” Pre-Class Post

This week's class examines three revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants dealing with the early persecution of the saints in Missouri (from late 1833 to the summer of 1834), culminating in the march of Zion's Camp [see D&C 101, 103, and 105].

The scripture I have chosen to focus on for this Sunday's lesson will be D&C 103: 36 -- "All victory and glory is brought to pass unto you through your diligence, faithfulness, and prayers of faith" or "Toda victoria y toda gloria os es realizada mediante vuestra diligencia, fidelidad y oraciones de fe."

What a glorious and powerful promise from the Lord to His son's and daughters. This scripture was actually a favorite of my mission president, President Rómulo J. Casós, who would routinely quote it to us missionaries in the Peru Arequipa Mission. I think it is interesting to contrast the situation of developing leadership among 19-21 year-old missionaries with that of the preparation of future church leaders through the Zion's Camp march. In both cases, important learning was taking place that would benefit the church membership for many years to follow.

Whether it is the missionary work today, or as in the case of Zion's Camp, what separates the faithful members of the church from the unfaithful are their prayers of faith and their diligence. As the hymn says: "While the enemy asaileth, shall we shrink or shun the fight?" Spiritually speaking, this was what the Prophet Joseph Smith hoped to learn about his new group of would be leaders. The long march was difficult, and the group experienced many trials. The weather was hot and humid and the roads were bad. Their route westward included areas near the modern cities of Dayton, Indianapolis, and Springfield (near the I-70 freeway path today), but in 1834 they had to cross rivers and swamps without bridges on terrible roads (some so narrow their wagons would not easily pass). Their feet became sore and blistered and often bled. The men had trouble obtaining enough good food and drinking water. They often had to eat spoiled food and sometimes had to strain their water to remove insects before drinking it. Because of these hardships, quarreling and contention occurred among some of the men. Some men blamed Joseph Smith for the hardships.

One evening there was an argument between Sylvester Smith (who was not related to the Prophet) and some of the other men. They asked the Prophet to settle the argument. Because Sylvester Smith and some of the other men were so rebellious, the Prophet told them, they would have more problems before they left the place where they were currently camped. The next morning almost every horse in camp was sick. The Prophet told the men that if they repented and humbled themselves before the Lord, their horses would be made well again. The men did repent, and by noon all of the horses were well except Sylvester Smith’s, which died.
When Zion’s Camp reached Missouri, Joseph Smith sent Parley P. Pratt and Orson Hyde to the state capital to meet with Governor Dunklin. When these two brethren returned, they reported that the governor had changed his mind and now refused to help the Saints regain their homes and property. The governor suggested that the Saints give up all their property in Missouri and find another place to live. Despite this discouraging news, Zion’s Camp continued on toward Jackson County.

As they marched, members of Zion’s Camp were spied on and bothered by members of the Missouri mobs. One mob leader named James Campbell swore that “the eagles and turkey buzzards shall eat my flesh if I do not fix Joe Smith and his army … before two days are passed.” Campbell and his companions tried to cross the Missouri River, but their boat sank in the middle of the river and James Campbell and six other men drowned. Campbell’s body floated downstream, and eagles, buzzards, and other birds and animals ate his flesh before his remains were found. (See History of the Church, 2:99–100.)

One night Zion’s Camp stopped by the Fishing River. As the men were setting up camp, five mobbers armed with guns rode into the camp and threatened them, warning that the mob was going to attack. Some members of Zion’s Camp wanted to fight against the mob, but Joseph Smith told them to trust in the Lord’s protection. Very soon a terrible storm came up. Rain and hail fell and the earth trembled. Lightning flashed continuously and thunder roared. The storm soaked the mob’s ammunition, frightened their horses into running away, tore holes in their hats, and even broke some of their rifles. The rain raised the level of the river so much that the mob could not cross it and attack the men of Zion’s Camp.

Early in the march Joseph Smith gave Zion’s Camp a prophetic warning. He told the people in the camp that if they quarreled and complained and did not keep the Lord’s commandments, a scourge (a great affliction or illness) would come upon the camp. The Prophet even prophesied that some people would die because of the scourge. But he also said that if the people would humble themselves and repent, most of the scourge would be turned away.

About three weeks later this prophecy came to pass when a violent illness called cholera hit the camp. The illness attacked those who had been obedient as well as those who had quarreled and complained. Even the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum became sick. Joseph and Hyrum were so sick they thought they were going to die, and they tried several times to pray for help. Suddenly Hyrum sprang to his feet and exclaimed, “Joseph, we shall return to our families. I have had an open vision, in which I saw mother kneeling under an apple tree; and she is even now asking God, in tears, to spare our lives. … The Spirit testifies, that her prayers, united with ours, will be answered” (quoted in Lucy Mack Smith, History of Joseph Smith, p. 229).
After eight days of illness in the camp, Joseph met with many of the group and said that if they would humble themselves before the Lord and covenant to keep his commandments, the cholera would leave immediately. The men raised their hands and covenanted with the Lord, and the illness stopped. About sixty-eight people of Zion’s Camp had suffered from the disease while the group was encamped in Burket's field near what was then the home of Algernon Sidney Gilbert. It was about two miles east and south of Liberty, Clay County, Missouri. Fifteen of them died: John S. Carter, Alfred Fisk, Algernon Sidney Gilbert, Seth Hitchcock, Warren Ingalls, Edward Ives, Noah Johnson, Jesse B. Lawson, Robert McCord, Phebe Murdock (a child), Betsy Parrish, Erastus Rudd, Jesse J. Smith, Elial Strong, and Eber Wilcox. Some of their remains are now in Mound Grove Cemetery.

While at Fishing River, Joseph received Doctrine & Covenants 105 stating that "it is expedient in me that mine elders should wait for a little season for the redemption of Zion" [D&C 105: 9]. Subsequently, Zion's camp was officially disbanded on July 3, 1834. Nevertheless, the instruction and experience many of the early leaders of the Church received during Zion's Camp became invaluable to further establish the Church. All but three members of the original Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the original First Quorum of the Seventy participated in Zion's Camp.

In speaking about his experience in Zion's Camp, Brigham Young expressed that watching Joseph's leadership during Zion's Camp was "the starting point of my knowing how to lead Israel" [Quoted in Susan Evans McCloud's, Brigham Young, A Personal Portrait (American Fork, Ut.: Covenant Communications, 1996]. President Young would later lead the Saints out of Missouri to Illinois while Joseph was incarcerated in Liberty Jail and eventually out of Illinois to the Salt Lake Valley.

For more first hand descriptions of what happened during the Zion's Camp march see:
http://www.mormonhistoricsitesregistry.org/USA/missouri/daviess/zionsCamp/complete.pdf