IN SEARCH OF ZION.
The conference of The Church appointed for the 6th of June assembled
on that date, in Kirtland. It was an occasion of great importance. In
what way it was done is not recorded, but the Prophet in speaking of
the matter says: "The Lord displayed his power in a manner that could
not be mistaken." He further recounts that the Man of Sin was revealed,
and the authority of the Melchisedek Priesthood was manifested and
conferred for the first time upon several of the elders. "It is clearly
evident," says the Prophet, "that the Lord gives us power in proportion
to the work to be done, and strength according to the race set before
us, and grace and help as our needs require."
The day following (June 7th), the Lord, in a revelation given through
the Prophet, appointed the next conference to convene in Missouri,
"upon the land which I will consecrate unto my people, which are a
remnant of Jacob, and them who are heirs according to the covenant.
Wherefore, verily I say unto you, let my servants Joseph Smith, Jr.,
and Sidney Rigdon take their journey as soon as preparations can be
made to leave their homes, and journey to the land of Missouri. And
inasmuch as they are faithful unto me, it shall be made known unto them
what they shall do; and it shall also, inasmuch as they are faithful,
be made known unto them the land of your inheritance."
This announcement caused great joy to the conference. The place for
the Zion of God--the New Jerusalem--was to be made known! It was to be
the land of their inheritance! The city which Enoch, the seventh from
Adam, saw in its splendor--the city of refuge for the righteous in the
last days; the city of peace; the joy of the godly; the terror of the
wicked--this city was to be located, and they were to be instruments
in the founding of it! Small wonder if the thought of it exalted them
until even the weak felt strong, and the strong yet more powerful.
Twenty-eight elders in all were called by name to go in different
directions through the western states, two by two--"preaching by the
way in every congregation, baptizing by water and the laying on of
hands by the water's side." They were to meet in western Missouri in
a conference appointed at that place, and there learn the location of
Zion.
Soon after the close of the conference the elders started upon this
mission, some going on foot, others going part way by stage and
steamboat. The Prophet, in company with Sidney Rigdon, Martin Harris,
Edward Partridge, W. W. Phelps, Joseph Coe, A. S. Gilbert and wife,
left Kirtland for Missouri _via_ Cincinnati and St. Louis.
At Cincinnati the Prophet Joseph had an interview with Rev. Walter
Scott, the associate of Alexander Campbell in founding the sect of
"The Disciples," or "Campbellites." It was with these gentlemen that
Sidney Rigdon was associated in a religious reform movement, to which
reference has already been made. Their design was to re-establish
primitive Christianity. This object they proposed to achieve by
discarding all man-made creeds and accepting the Bible alone--and
especially the New Testament--as the authority and groundwork of
their faith. Their cardinal doctrines were, faith in God and in Jesus
Christ, repentance of sin, and baptism by immersion for the remission
of sins, followed by righteousness of life. This unquestionably was a
good beginning in the way of restoring the primitive Christian faith.
Most of the fundamentals of the Christian faith are here; and if
Sidney Rigdon, as the Lord declared, was sent forth even as John the
Baptist to prepare the way before the Lord Jesus and Elijah--though
he knew it not--then undoubtedly Alexander Campbell and Walter Scott,
who were engaged in the same work, were also sent forth to prepare
the way before the Lord. Certain it is that Alexander Campbell did a
great work among the Protestant sects of the United States in getting
them to turn from the creeds of men to the scriptures; and the elders
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have found in the
sect of "The Disciples" more who would listen to their teachings, and a
greater proportion of them who would accept the fullness of the gospel,
than among any other sect. And those among them who have rejected the
fullness of the gospel when it was presented to them, have failed to
understand aright the meaning of the Campbell-Scott-Rigdon reform
movement--they have failed to recognize in that movement merely a
preparation for the incoming of the fullness of the gospel.
That their teaching was not a complete return to the Christianity of
the New Testament ought to have been clear to them, especially to the
originators of the movement. They lacked divine authority--divine
commission from God to administer the sacraments of the gospel. They
baptized only with water for the remission of sins. The baptism
of the Holy Ghost--apparently unknown to them--is equally a vital
part of primitive Christianity, and is as plainly taught in the New
Testament as an essential to salvation as water baptism. They lacked
the organization of the primitive Church--apostles, prophets, bishops,
elders, teachers, deacons, etc., etc.; and especially were they lacking
in the enjoyment of those spiritual gifts of the gospel, so prominent a
characteristic of the primitive Christian Church.
Unfortunately, and very unlike Sidney Rigdon, both Mr. Campbell and
Mr. Scott violently opposed the work of God brought forth by Joseph
Smith. Alexander Campbell, through his "Millennial Harbinger," bitterly
assailed both the Book of Mormon and the character of Joseph Smith; and
Mr. Scott in this Cincinnati interview with the Prophet, opposed the
work strenuously for that it set forth that men accepting the gospel
of Jesus Christ were now entitled to the same spiritual powers and
gifts as were enjoyed in the primitive Church. "Before the close of
our interview," says the Prophet, "he manifested one of the bitterest
spirits against the doctrine of the New Testament, (that these signs
shall follow them that believe, as recorded in the 16th chapter of the
Gospel according to St. Mark), that I ever witnessed among men."
From St. Louis, those who continued in the company of the Prophet made
the journey on foot to Independence, where they arrived about the
middle of July.
In a few days the other elders of this mission through the western
states began to arrive. These men had suffered all the hardships
incident to a long journey performed for the most part on foot through
a sparsely settled country and in the hot summer months; but the
consciousness that they were seeking the place of the city of Zion;
that they had been promised, on condition of their faithfulness, that
its location would be revealed to them; that it should be the land of
their inheritance--sustained them in every trial and made the journey
pleasant to them.
The meeting between these brethren from the eastern states and the
elders of the Indian mission who had remained at Independence since
the departure of Elder Pratt to report their operations to the Prophet
at Kirtland, was a memorable one. Those from the east could tell
their brethren of the west of the expansion of The Church both in
numbers and in doctrine; of the commandment of The Church to gather
from New York to Ohio; of the appointment of a Bishop in The Church;
of the revelation of the prophecy of Enoch, in which they had learned
more about the city of Zion; of the other revelations that had been
given upon that same subject--the city of Zion--the promise of God
to reveal the place where eventually it is to be founded; the laws
that must govern its inhabitants; of the glory which at last it shall
possess; and finally of their God-commanded journey toward the place
where it had been indicated its location was, and all the incidents
that had happened on the way westward. All these and a thousand other
things--their hopes for the advancement of the Kingdom; the peace of
Zion that shall be; the safety, the glory;--all these were interesting
themes for conversation.
Of their meeting the Prophet himself said:
The meeting with our brethren who had long waited our arrival, was
a glorious one, and moistened with many tears. It seemed good and
pleasant for brethren to meet together in unity. But our reflections
were great, coming as we had from a highly cultivated state of society
in the east, and standing now upon the confines or western limits
of the United States, and looking into the vast wilderness of those
that sat in darkness; how natural it was to observe the degradation,
leanness of intellect, ferocity and jealousy of a people that were
nearly a century behind the times, and to feel for those who roamed
about without the benefit of civilization, refinement or religion;
yea, and to exclaim in the language of the prophets: When will the
wilderness blossom as the rose? When will Zion be built up in her
glory, and where will Thy temple stand, unto which all nations shall
come in the last days?
The brethren were not long left in doubt upon this subject, for within
a day or two--the date of the revelation is not definitely known
further than the fact that it was given in July--a revelation was given
in which the Lord made known that Missouri was the land which the
Lord had appointed and consecrated for the gathering of his people:
"Wherefore this is the land of promise," said the Lord, "and the place
for the city of Zion," and "behold, the place which is now called
Independence, is the center place, and a spot for the temple is lying
westward, upon a lot which is not far from the court house." [A]
[Footnote A: Doc. & Cov. Sec. 57.]
The Saints were commanded to purchase this land, and that lying
westward to the extent of their ability, that they might "obtain it as
an everlasting inheritance."
Sidney Gilbert was appointed an agent to The Church to receive money
and to purchase lands, and also to engage in the business of a general
merchant, the proceeds of which business were to be used in the
purchase of lands.
Edward Partridge, by virtue of his office as bishop, was to divide to
the Saints their inheritance as the lands were purchased.
W. W. Phelps was to be established as a printer and publisher to The
Church in Zion, assisted by Oliver Cowdery.
Immediate preparations were to be made by the bishop and his agents for
settling the families then on their way from the east to settle in Zion.
The first Sunday after the arrival of the elders of this western
mission, a public meeting was held over the western boundary of the
United States. Such a congregation was present as was only possible
in an American frontier district--Indians, Negroes (then slaves),
and all classes and conditions of people from the surrounding
counties--Universalists, Atheists, Deists, Presbyterians, Methodists,
Baptists, both priests and people--a motly crowd, truly! At the
conclusion of the services two were baptized, but they were not the
fruits of this meeting as they previously believed the gospel.
During the week following, the Colesville branch of The Church, which
had emigrated bodily from Colesville, Broome County, State of New York,
arrived and settled in the edge of an extensive prairie about twelve
miles west of Independence, and in what must now be the suburbs of
Kansas City. It is worth while observing as we pass, that this branch
of The Church was made up wholly of northern people, and therefore
constituted a different class of settlers from the old inhabitants of
Independence, who came chiefly from the south. They had been commanded
to come to western Missouri in a body, with a view to permanently
settling in the land of Zion, when that place should be designated;
and in this their mission differed from that given to the twenty-eight
elders who were commanded to travel two and two, preaching the gospel
through the western states en route for Missouri.
These people were unquestionably plunged into new conditions. They
had been reared in a district of New York where the land was heavily
timbered, and where to clear a farm for cultivation took well-nigh the
lifetime of one generation. But here they found alternate woodland
and prairie, great stretches of open country which only needed to be
fenced to be ready for plowing, and doubtless their hearts swelled with
gratitude when they contemplated the possibilities and prosperity that
could come to the industrious in such a goodly land.
They soon set about their work of founding Zion, for on the 2nd day
of August they began the erection of a log house. The first log was
carried and placed by twelve men--of whom the Prophet was one--in honor
of the twelve tribes of Israel; and Sidney Rigdon who had arrived at
Independence sometime after the Prophet, from whom he separated at St.
Louis, dedicated the land of Zion for the gathering of God's people.
"It was a season of joy to those present," writes the Prophet, "and
afforded a glimpse of the future which time will yet unveil to the
satisfaction of the faithful."
Sidney Rigdon was also commanded to write a description of the land of
Zion, but of that more later.
It will be remembered that a site for the temple in Zion was also
revealed at the time Independence was declared to be the center place
thereof, and that it was described as lying a short distance west from
the court house. A scant half mile from the latter place one comes to
the summit of a hill--
A gentle hill of mild declivity
--the crown of which is about an acre and a half in area, perhaps more.
On the 3rd day of August, 1831, upon this spot then covered with a rich
growth of timber, the Prophet and a number of the brethren, among whom
were Sidney Rigdon, Edward Partridge, W. W. Phelps, Oliver Cowdery,
Martin Harris and Joseph Coe--assembled to dedicate the place as the
temple site in Zion. In the course of the impressive ceremonies then
conducted, the 87th Psalm was read:
His foundation is the holy mountains.
The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.
I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me; behold
Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia: this man was born there.
And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her; and
the Highest himself shall establish her.
The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people, that this man was
born there.
As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all
my springs [i. e. hopes] are in thee.
The Prophet Joseph then dedicated the spot where the temple is to be
built--a temple, by the way, on which the glory of God shall visibly
rest; yea, the Great God hath so declared it, saying: "Verily this
generation shall not all pass away until an house shall be built unto
the Lord, and a cloud shall rest upon it, which cloud shall be even
the glory of the Lord, which shall fill the house; * * * the sons of
Moses and also the sons of Aaron shall offer an acceptable offering
and sacrifice in the house of the Lord, which house shall be built
unto the Lord in this generation, upon the consecrated spot as I have
appointed." [B]
[Footnote B: Doc. & Cov. Sec. 84:4-6, 31.]
On the 4th of August a conference was held at the house of Joshua
Lewis, in Kaw Township, Jackson County, among the Colesville saints.
This was the conference that was appointed to convene by the revelation
received on the 7th of June, directing the elders to go westward in
search of Zion.
Thus the work of building up the center place of Zion was commenced,
and although the commencement was humble in the extreme, the final
result shall be the erection of a city that shall be the crowning glory
of the western world--a city from which shall go forth the law of the
Lord unto all nations, for it is written: "The law shall go forth from
Zion." [C]
[Footnote C: Isaiah 2:3.]
It shall be a city of refuge, for the Lord has said that "every man
that will not take his sword against his neighbor, must needs flee unto
Zion for safety." [D]
[Footnote D: Doc. & Cov. Sec. 45:68.]
The wicked will consider her inhabitants terrible, while the righteous
out of every nation will come unto her with songs of everlasting joy in
their hearts.[E]
[Footnote E: Doc. & Cov. Sec. 45:69-71.]