ZELPH.
After crossing the Illinois River Zion's Camp passed many of those
mysterious earth mounds so common in that section. Mysterious mounds!
No, not mysterious to them, for they had with them the record of the
peoples who erected them--the Nephites and Lamanites, or, more likely
still, the people of Jared.
While encamped on the western bank of the Illinois, Joseph and several
others ascended one of these high mounds from which they could overlook
the tops of the trees, and see the prairies beyond. On the top of the
mound were three stone altars, erected one above the other, "according
to the ancient order," said Joseph. Human bones were scattered about
on the surface of the ground; and after removing about a foot of the
soil at the crown of the mound, they found the skeleton of a man nearly
complete. Between his ribs was an Indian arrowhead which, doubtless,
had produced his death. The visions of Joseph's mind the day following
were opened, and he learned that this man whose skeleton they had found
was named Zelph. He was a white Lamanite; the curse of the black skin
had been taken from him because of his righteousness. He was a noted
character, a warrior and chieftain under the great prophet Omandagus,
who was known from the hill Cumorah to the Rocky Mountains. He was
killed in the last great struggle of the Lamanites and Nephites by the
arrow-head found between his ribs.[A]
[Footnotes A: President Brigham Young took possession of the
arrow-head.]