In the official history of the church, Zion’s camp is portrayed as a way that God used to test the future leaders of his church. He needed to see if they were willing to follow him even when it was difficult. This was always my understanding, since I believed the story as told by the church. However, Zion’s camp was in reality a complete failure that was spun as a success by Joseph. According to the true history, it actually even made things worse for the church and was fundamentally a bad decision in almost every single way.
History
One key difference between Mormonism, and the rest of Christianity, is that in Mormonism it is believed that the city of New Jerusalem will be built on the American continent. In fact, the entire American continent is described as a special land that was hidden away and prepared for the time when the truth could be freely taught. This is described in Ether 13 and was a major driving factor in the growth of the early church. America was seen as a land of promise and opportunity, and now a book of scripture solidified this idea and gave it God’s stamp of approval. Ether 13 mentions:
After the waters had receded from off the face of this land it became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen land of the Lord … and that it was the place of the new Jerusalem
Ether 13:2-3
As of 1830, when the church was organized, the location of Zion was not revealed however it was described as being “among the Lamanites”. This was changed prior to publication because Joseph couldn’t get a license to actually preach to the Indians. Joseph updated the text to read, “on the borders by the Lamanites” according to D&C 28. However, the specific location of Zion was still undetermined according to the church.
Just a year later, in 1831, Joseph received, what is known today as D&C 57. This section described Independence, Missouri, as the location of Zion and the new gathering place for the church. This of course, caused massive excitement in the young church and began the migration of Mormon’s to Jackson County, where they hoped to build God’s future city. D&C 57 reads:
O ye elders of my church … according to my commandments, in this land, which is the land of Missouri, which is the land which I have appointed and consecrated for the gathering of the saints. Wherefore, this is the land of promise, and the place for the city of Zion. … Behold, the place which is now called Independence is the center place
D&C 57:1-3
This rapid migration didn’t go unnoticed by the locals, who saw the Mormon’s as a threat to their existing way of life. About two years after the revelation naming Independence, Missouri as the center place, approximately 1,200 Mormons had relocated to the area and started to establish themselves. This proved to be too much for the residents who met with the Mormon leaders on July 20th, 1833, and demanded that they immediately leave.
It didn’t help that, according to local newspapers at the time, the Mormon’s were announcing themselves as God’s chosen people, and that the locals, who were described as Gentiles, were to be cut off from the land and replaced by the Mormons. The Mormons however were the ones who were cut off and forced to leave. By January 1834, all the Mormons had left Jackson County, Missouri, under the threat of violence, and their plans to build God’s city were abandoned for the time being.
In the minds of the members, there must have been a certain sense of entitlement. They were God’s people and God’s prophet had designated them to help build the city of New Jerusalem. On September 22, 1832, Joseph received a revelation, known today as D&C 84, stating that they were going to build a temple in Missouri, and that it was even going to be built in that generation. God’s presence would fill the temple and after that everything would change for the church. The revelation mentioned:
Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation. For 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
D&C 84:4-5
This temple would never be built by the church and certainly wouldn’t be built in that generation as Joseph mentioned God wanted. Just one year later, the church was forcibly removed from Missouri and would never again have a dominate position there. Zion was just out of their reach, and it appeared God wasn’t helping them to achieve it. Joseph had prophesied of numerous grand things, for the church, yet almost all of them were not actually happening.
At the end of 1833, Joseph received another revelation which stated the reason the members were forced out of Zion and how they could redeem it. This revelation, which is known today as D&C 101, said the members were not righteous enough to achieve Zion. They were “slow to hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God”. This is of course, after they had sacrificed everything they had financially, and trusted in Joseph who they saw as a prophet of God. This didn’t seem to be enough, and they were allowed, by God, to be kicked out of Zion due to their transgressions according to the revelation.
The revelation did however mention, in the form of a parable, that Zion would be redeemed by force. In the parable, a choice spot of land is taken for granted, and the enemy then comes to take over the land. The nobleman finds out about this and then gathers a large group together to retake the land from the enemy. D&C 101 mentions:
I will show unto you a parable, that you may know my will concerning the redemption of Zion. … The lord of the vineyard said unto one of his servants: Go and gather together the residue of my servants, and take all the strength of mine house … and go ye straightway unto the land of my vineyard, and redeem my vineyard … break down the walls of mine enemies; throw down their tower, and scatter their watchmen.
D&C 101:43-57
During this same time, however, Joseph wrote a letter to Edward Partridge, the Bishop of the church, and others informing them that they should retain their land in Missouri and use every legal means of seeking redress. After all the legal avenues were exhausted, then if the land wasn’t returned to the members, God would avenge them of their wrongs and destroy their enemies. Joseph wrote:
Behold he will not fail you! He will come with ten thousand of his saints, and all his adversaries shall be destroyed with the breath of his lips!
Joseph Smith Letter, December 10, 1833
This of course never happened, and the members of that generation, never returned to Jackson County, Missouri. This is even after Joseph himself appealed to the Governor and the President of the United States personally. God never avenged them with a destroying army like Joseph said God would. They had trusted in Joseph, and his revelations, and it seemed to have cost them dearly. Joseph did however attempt to raise this destroying army himself, just two months later.
In February 1834, Joseph received another revelation, known today as D&C 103, which explicitly stated that Zion was now going to be redeemed by force and that the members would conquer all the kingdoms of the world, should they listen to God correctly. This revelation told Joseph that he should start to gather together an army to begin the redemption of Jackson County. D&C 103 mentioned:
Inasmuch as they hearken from this very hour unto the counsel which I, the Lord their God, shall give unto them. Behold they shall, for I have decreed it, begin to prevail against mine enemies from this very hour. … they shall never cease to prevail until the kingdoms of the world are subdued under my feet, and the earth is given unto the saints, to possess it forever and ever. …
Behold, I say unto you, the redemption of Zion must needs come by power; therefore, I will raise up unto my people a man, who shall lead them like as Moses led the children of Israel. …
I say unto you, that my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., is the man to whom I likened the servant to whom the Lord of the vineyard spake in the parable which I have given unto you.
D&C 103:5-21
As we know, Joseph did organize the army to redeem Zion. However, they were not successful, did not prevail “from this very hour” as God said they would, and certainly didn’t “never cease to prevail” like God also said they would. Almost everything surrounding Zion’s Camp turned out to be a failure that was disguised as a success as we will see.
Zion’s Camp
Joseph did begin to gather together his army and left from Kirtland on a march to Zion, three months later, on May 4th, 1834. The idea was that Zion’s camp would be a standing army and help restore the members back to their properties, by force if necessary. On paper this seemed like an excellent idea, however in practice it was quite disastrous. In the young church’s mind, Joseph was now like Moses and going to lead them to a great military victory. They were finally going to achieve what they had long wanted, with the help of God’s prophet.
E.D. Howe, in his 1834 book, Mormonism Unvailed, described how there was an almost fever pitch to collect as many weapons as possible for the conquest. The account also described how others, who couldn’t participate personally, contributed financially or in whatever other ways that they could. They felt that God had finally answered their prayers, and they were now on the verge of a major turning point. The account reads:
Old muskets, rifles, pistols, rusty swords and butcher knives, were soon put in a state of repair and scoured up. … Old men, invalids, and females, not of the ‘strength of mine house,’ who could not endure the toils and hardships of a pedestrian excursion of 1000 miles, felt it to, be a great privilege to contribute liberally, in the way of funds, and the materiel of war. … thereby securing the smiles and blessings of the Lord.
E.D. Howe, Mormonism Unvailed
On May 4th, the group finally left Kirtland on their 900-mile march to Liberty, Missouri. Initially spirits were high, and the group felt they were on a divine mission. However, the positive feelings quickly gave way to the reality that they weren’t soldiers and weren’t prepared for a soldier’s life. After a few days of marching, they camped and practiced military drills in order to be prepared for their eventual battle.
The march was generally tolerable until about two weeks into it when food started to run low. Every company had begun to run short on provisions except Brigham Young’s. Brigham had noticed the low supplies and sent men ahead to purchase provisions for his company. The low provisions caused Sylvester Smith to voice the concerns, of the rest of the camp, and come out in cautious rebellion against the leaders.
One additional point of contention was a large bulldog that Joseph had kept with him. The dog was noted, by several people, as being vicious and a general nuisance. Very few people in camp wrote favorably of Joseph’s dog. In one case the dog attempted to bite Sylvester and Sylvester threatened to shoot the dog in retaliation. This caused open hostility between Joseph and several members of the camp, with Joseph threatening to feed Sylvester to the dog. Animosity died down shortly after this, however the dog was mysteriously shot and killed just a few days later.
Things continued in a tense fashion for some time until June 15th, when news returned to the camp that Governor Dunklin, the governor of Missouri, would not assist Joseph with troops to help restore the property of the affected members. Governor Dunklin has never promised assistance, yet Joseph had been counting on it, since Dunklin had been somewhat sympathetic in his responses. Without Dunklin’s help, then Joseph would have no legal foundation, and the army would be seen as a mob by the local residents. This proved to be a very large problem for Joseph and the Zion’s camp army.
News of the approaching army had reached the local residents and caused them to start preparing for an invasion. This forced Governor Dunklin’s hand and caused him to come out against Joseph and the church. He couldn’t help the church restore their lands now because there was significant opposition, and it was just frankly impractical. Zion’s camp was not a loosely collected band of random members, like the LDS church claims today. It was in fact a determined band of vigilantes who were trained and willing to kill if it helped their cause.
According to a letter from John Corrill, written on June 14th, Missourians were riding from town to town telling everyone that the:
‘Mormons’ are coming upon them, mob like, to kill their women and children.
John Corrill, June 14 1834, Letter
Joseph was now stuck in quite the predicament. He had confidently prophesied, for months, that they would be a destroying army and God would be on their side as they fought for deliverance. However, now they were hopelessly outnumbered and couldn’t expect any assistance from the government at all. Joseph had to of known that continuing into Jackson County would have been a slaughter.
Things continued to remain tense until June 17th, when there was a disagreement of where to camp for the night. Lyman Wight, a general in the army, and Sylvester Smith favored camping in the woods where there would be water, food, and fuel, however Joseph wanted to camp in an open prairie in fear of an ambush. Hyrum mentioned that God wanted them to camp in the prairie, and Joseph agreed, which caused the majority of the camp to walk about 8 miles out of the forest into the open prairie.
The next day when Lyman, Sylvester, and the others rejoined the group they were told to never disobey Joseph again. Sylvester Smith responded by telling Joseph that he “had prohibited the liberty of speech on their journey to Missouri” and that Joseph had “a heart as corrupt as hell”. Joseph responded by throwing a horn at Sylvester which missed him and smashed on the ground. This horn was previously used to call them to prayer and was now seen as an evil omen.
At this point, Joseph had very little options. He had promised to not cross into Jackson County, however even camping near the border was seen as an act of insurrection. Governor Dunklin told Joseph, in no uncertain terms, that he would use his full authority against Joseph should he enter Jackson County. However, the local residents were starting to gather on the border and begin preparations for an attack. Joseph was forced to either trust in God, and his previous revelations, saying Zion was going to be delivered by God’s power, or he could get a new revelation for the new circumstances.
A new revelation is exactly what Joseph received. On June 22nd, 1834, Joseph received, what is known today as D&C 105, which said that God no longer wanted them to fight for Zion. It was all a test of their faith and God was never going to ask them to fight personally. The revelation mentioned:
It is expedient in me that mine elders should wait for a little season, for the redemption of Zion.
D&C 105:13-19
For behold, I do not require at their hands to fight the battles of Zion; for, as I said in a former commandment, even so will I fulfil —I will fight your battles. Behold, the destroyer I have sent forth to destroy and lay waste mine enemies; and not many years hence they shall not be left to pollute mine heritage, and to blaspheme my name upon the lands which I have consecrated for the gathering together of my saints. … it is expedient in me that they should be brought thus far for a trial of their faith.
This of course was very hard for the camp to hear since they had travelled 1000 miles on foot and endured untold suffering just to turn around and return to their families. This was devastating to them physically and spiritually. They had been told by God’s prophet, that God would fight their battles and they would be instrumental in delivering Zion back to God’s people. This was now completely off the table since they were abandoning all hope of their original mission.
Several individuals in the army, such as Lyman Wight called for immediate action. However, there was nothing to be done at this point. Joseph had said they wouldn’t fight and so fighting was no longer a possibility. Joseph did attempt to allay their fears by telling them that in three years they should return, and the Missourians would be completely gone. This seemed to persuade the camp and they accepted their new reality. According to Reed Peck, a member of Zion’s camp, Joseph said:
Within three years they should march to Jackson Co., and there should not be a dog to open his mouth against them.
Joseph Smith, According to Reed Peck, September 18, 1839
This of course didn’t happen, and the church never returned to Jackson County to redeem Zion as Joseph repeatedly said that they would. Zion seemed to be forever lost as the animosity was simply too much between the church and the residents. God also didn’t seem willing to fight for his people as Joseph said that he would be.
After the failure of Zion’s camp, Joseph even set a specific date for the redemption of Zion, which came and went without a whisper. It seems at that point people knew it wouldn’t happen, and then Joseph stopped talking about it entirely. On August 16th, 1834, Joseph wrote a letter to the Kirtland High Council asking them, and the church, to be ready on September 11th, 1836. That was the new appointed day for Zion’s redemption since all the previous attempts had failed. Joseph wrote:
Use every effort to prevail on the churches to gather to those regions and situate themselves to be in readiness to move into Jackson County in two years from the 11th of September next which is the appointed time for the redemption of Zion … Verily I say unto you, if the church with one united effort perform their duties; if they do this, the work shall be complete
Joseph Smith, August 16, 1834, Letter to Kirtland High Council
Zion was never redeemed, and the church never established the city of God that they had wanted to build. After the camp realized they wouldn’t be redeeming Zion, then they were disbanded and almost immediately a cholera epidemic swept through the meager army. This epidemic ultimately resulted in the deaths of 14 people who were willing to sacrifice themselves to redeem Zion. Joseph attempted to heal the afflicted individuals using his priesthood, however mentioned that if he were to do so then God would require his life instead of theirs. After this the sick individuals were left while Joseph, and his selected followers, continued into Clay County, Missouri to meet with the few members that had remained in the area.
Conclusion
Zion’s camp failed to achieve any of the objectives that it originally set out to achieve. It failed to restore the lands to the members. It failed to elevate the hearts and minds of the Missourians, and it failed to help establish the prophesied city of God. In reality it made everything worse. Governor Dunklin wanted to help the church and was thinking about possibilities, however marching an army to the borders didn’t help in the slightest. This actually made everything more tense and forced the situation against the church.
It is very unfortunate that the Missourians couldn’t coexist with the members. However, it didn’t help that the members of the church openly told the Missourians that God was going to sweep them off the land, and that the members of the church were now God’s chosen people. An attitude like this is prideful and against the gospel of Christ, which they claimed to believe in. If the church was God’s chosen people, then shouldn’t they be demonstrating that by showing the love of God to their neighbors? Wasn’t this the message of Christ, to love God and love our neighbors?
Joseph may have really believed that God would avenge the church of their lost property and possessions, since they wanted to build the prophesied city of God. However, this didn’t seem to be God’s will. For the members, hearing almost constant prophecies from Joseph, about the redemption of Zion, and how God was going to destroy their enemies, must have been a challenge when these prophecies repeatedly failed time and time again. Zion was never redeemed even though Joseph prophesied that it would be and even marched an army to Missouri, in the name of God, in order to redeem it.
Every time there was a failure there was a simple explanation. The people weren’t good enough, or the people didn’t want it enough, or the people didn’t trust God enough. After the repeated failures, and false prophecies, then the church gave up the notion of redeeming Zion altogether. Today, this entire event is spun as a secret test by God so that he could simply pick leaders for the church. This massive simplification completely ignores almost the entire story and instead explains it away with a wave of the hand.
This is the same with many of the glaring issues, of the time, which caused almost all of the founding members to leave the church. Many now saw Joseph, and the church, different than they originally did. They had a choice to make. They could continue, and ignore this new information, or they could simply admit that they had been wrong and now seek to be right. This is the same choice that we have to make today when we continue to understand things better.
