Life of Heber C. Kimball, an Apostle. Orson F. Whitney

the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them."

      Oh, the sweetness of those simple words! Oh, the sublimity of the picture they portray! Liberty, equality, fraternity! This is Zion—THE PURE IN HEART!

      But the Saints in Jackson County, Missouri, were not all that the Lord requires of a people chosen to execute a purpose so sacred, so sublime. "There were jarrings, and contentions, and envyings, and strifes, and lustful and covetous desires among them; therefore by these things they polluted their inheritances." Then was the lash of the Philistine applied, and they were driven forth from the goodly land. Satan hath his mission, as well as Christ.

      Be it not inferred, however, that these hapless victims of mobocratic tyranny were utterly wicked and depraved, or that all were equally culpable in the eyes of Him, who, to punish the transgressors, permitted their enemies to come against them. With all their faults they were better far than their oppressors, more than the peers, in every Christian virtue, of the people of the world around them. Yet, judged by the higher law, the Gospel standard, which the world had not received, and were not under the same obligation to obey, these "children of the Light" were found remiss in many things.

      The Kingdom of heaven is likened unto a field of grain, gathered unto the threshing-floor. The purpose of divine punishment is to purify. Upon the wheat and the chaff, alike, fell the iron flail of persecution.

CHAPTER VIII.

       Table of Contents

      THE ZION'S CAMP EXPEDITION—JOSEPH AS A PROPHET-GENERAL—FINDING OF THE BONES OF ZELPH, THE ANCIENT—REBELLION IN THE CAMP—JOSEPH PREDICTS A SCOURGE—HEBER'S FAILURE AS A LAUNDERER—ZION'S CAMP SAVED BY A STORM.

      "Gather up the strength of my house, and go up and redeem Zion!" Such was the burden of God's command to Joseph and his brethren in Kirtland. Such was their interpretation of the divine message and call.

      Bidding farewell to his family and friends, whom he hardly dared hope he would ever meet again in the flesh, Heber enrolled himself in the little band of heroes who set out from Kirtland early in May, 1834. They were about one hundred strong, well armed and equipped, and were led by the Prophet Joseph in person. Subsequently their number increased to two hundred and five souls. But Heber will tell his own story of that eventful pilgrimage. Says he:

      "Brother Joseph received a revelation concerning the redemption of Zion, part of which remains to be fulfilled. He sent messengers to the east and to the west and to the north and to the south, to gather up the Elders, and he gathered together as many of the brethren as he conveniently could, with what means they could spare, to go up to Zion, to render all the assistance that we could to our afflicted brethren. We gathered clothing and other necessaries to carry up to our brethren and sisters who had been plundered; and putting our horses to the wagons, and taking our firelocks and ammunition, we started on our journey; leaving only Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon and a few aged workmen who were engaged on the temple; so that there were very few men left in Kirtland. Our wagons were about full with baggage, etc., consequently we had to travel on foot.

      "We started on the 5th of May, and truly this was a solemn morning to me. I took leave of my wife and children and friends, not knowing whether I would see them again in the flesh, as myself and brethren were threatened both in that country and in Missouri by enemies, that they would destroy us and exterminate us from the land.

      "There were about one hundred brethren in our company who started for Zion. These brethren were nearly all young men, and nearly all Elders, Priests, Teachers and Deacons. The second day we arrived at New Portage, being about forty miles, at which place on the 7th we made regulations for traveling, and appointed a paymaster, whose name was Frederick G. Williams, and put all our moneys into a general fund. Some of the brethren had considerable, and others had little or none, yet all became equal. While here one of my horses received a kick from another horse, which obliged me to trade away my span, and get another span of older horses, from Jonathan Taylor. We then proceeded on our journey twelve miles to the Chippeway River. Here we pitched our tents under a fine grove.

      "The next day we were divided into companies of twelve each, and captains were appointed over each company. I organized my company in the following manner, appointing two to attend to cooking, two to see that fires were made, two to prepare the tent at night and likewise the bedding, and also to strike the tent each morning, two to fetch and provide water, one to do the running, two to attend the horses, see that the wagon was greased and everything prepared for starting. My business was to see that the company was provided for, and that all things were done in order. Our living generally was very good, being able to buy bread from the bakers or inhabitants on the way through the settled part of the country. After this we purchased flour and had to bake our own bread. We sometimes had to live on Johnny cake and corn dodger, and sometimes our living was scant. Every night before we went to bed we united in our tent and offered up our prayers before the Lord for protection. This was done by all the companies, at the sound of a trumpet; and at the sound of a trumpet in the morning, every man was upon his knees, each one being called upon in his turn to be mouth in prayer. The same order was attended to in each tent. There were general officers appointed over the company, viz: Joseph Smith, commander; Dr. F. G. Williams, quartermaster and historian of the camp; Zerubbabel Snow and Nathan Tanner, commissaries of subsistence; Sylvester Smith, adjutant; and Roger Orton, captain of the guard.

      "On the 8th we started on our journey, and on Saturday the 10th we passed through Mansfield, and camped for the Sabbath in Richfield. On Sunday the 11th Brother Sylvester Smith preached and the sacrament of bread and wine was administered to the company. On Monday the 12th we crossed over the Sandusky plains, and through the Indian settlements. We then passed through a long range of beech woods where the roads were very bad. In many instances we had to fasten ropes to the wagons to haul them out of the sloughs and mud holes by hand. While passing through the woods the brethren scattered on each side of the road and went to hunting for wild game. We came to Belle Fontaine, where we first discovered refractory feelings in Sylvester Smith.

      "We passed through a very pleasant country to Dayton, Ohio, where we crossed the Miami river, which is a very beautiful stream; the water being only about two and a half feet deep, most of the brethren waded it. We arrived at this place on Friday the 16th. The brethren were in good spirits, and the Lord was with us. On Saturday the 17th we passed into Indiana, just over the line betwixt the States of Ohio and Indiana, where we camped for the Sabbath, having traveled forty miles that day; our feet were very sore and blistered, and our stockings were wet with blood, the weather being very warm. I walked most of the journey, letting the lame and footsore ride in my stead. I frequently invited the Prophet to ride, seeing him lame and footsore. On such occasions he would bless me and my team with a hearty good will. My team performed the journey very well.

      "During the night a spy from the enemy attempted to get into our camp, but was stopped by the guard. We had our sentinels or guards appointed every night, on account of spies continually harrassing us. This evening there was quite a difficulty between some of the brethren and Sylvester Smith, on occasion of which Brother Joseph was called to decide the matter. Finding quite a rebellious spirit in Sylvester Smith, and to some extent in others, he said they would meet with misfortunes, difficulties and hindrances, 'and you will know it before you leave this place;' exhorting them to humble themselves before the Lord, and become united, that they might not be scourged. A very singular occurrence took place that night and the next day, concerning our teams. On the following morning when we arose we found almost every horse in the camp so badly foundered that we could scarcely lead them a few rods to the water. The brethren then deeply realized the effects of discord. When Brother Joseph learned the fact he exclaimed to the brethren that for a witness that God overruled and had His eye upon them, that all those who would humble themselves before the Lord should know that the hand of God was in this misfortune, and their horses should be restored to health immediately; and by twelve o'clock the same day the horses were as nimble as ever, with the exception of one of Sylvester Smith's