Part 4 (1/2)
”Do you know Brother Heber? No; you do not.”
”Do you know the Twelve? You do not; if you did you would begin to know G.o.d, and learn that those men who are chosen to direct and counsel you, are near kindred to G.o.d and to Jesus Christ, for the keys, power and authority of the kingdom of G.o.d are in that lineage.”
This, then, was the purpose, the divine intending, for which they were now in conjunction; ”n.o.ble and great ones,” great in the heavens and great upon the earth, ordained as ”rulers” ere morning stars sang gladsome greeting, or Sons of G.o.d shouted for joy around the cradle of the infant world. This, the object of their descent from celestial empires; to build up a Kingdom unto G.o.d, and prepare the world for the coming of Him ”whose right it is to reign.” Jewels from Jehovah's diadem, diamonds in the dust, unseen of saint or sinner in all their l.u.s.tre, concealed from a world unworthy of the light it could not comprehend.
Had Heber's inspired mind probed the secret of Joseph's thought, expressed in his own oft-quoted words: ”Would to G.o.d, brethren, I could tell you who I am!”
As Prophet, Seer, and Revelator to the Church of Jesus Christ, its president and earthly head, and holder of the keys of the last dispensation, Joseph was already in the high and holy office for which he was predestined and fore-ordained. Not so, Brigham; not so, Heber; not so their apostolic compeers. A trial of their faith was first necessary, a trial now near at hand, to prove them worthy in the flesh of the great calling whereunto they were called in the eternal councils.
In the month of February, 1834, came a commandment from the Almighty unto His prophet, to ”gather up the strength of His house,” and ”go up and redeem Zion;” in other words, to recover from the hands of a fierce and merciless mob the lands in Jackson County, Missouri, from which the Saints had been driven.
Such were the origin and object of Zion's Camp. Such, the nature of the perilous duty laid upon them.
CHAPTER VII.
THE REDEMPTION OF ZION--ENOCH'S CITY TO RETURN--OBJECT OF THE UNITED ORDER--CAUSE OF THE JACKSON COUNTY EXPULSION--THE WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF.
The redemption of Zion! The building of the new Jerusalem!
Theme of the ancient prophets and glory of the latter days!
Such was the sublime mission given to the Saints of the Most High.
Thus came the word of the Lord concerning it, March, 1831:
”Wherefore, I, the Lord, have said, gather ye out from the eastern lands, a.s.semble ye yourselves together ye elders of my Church; go ye forth into the western countries; * *
”And with one heart and with one mind, gather up your riches that ye may purchase an inheritance which shall hereafter be appointed unto you,
”And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the Saints of the Most High G.o.d;
”And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.
”And it shall come to pa.s.s, among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor, must needs flee unto Zion for safety.
”And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another.
”And it shall be said among the wicked, let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand.
”And it shall come to pa.s.s that the righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy.”
With this glorious object in view, this sublime motive firing their souls and filling their hearts with holy zeal, the Saints, in the summer of 1831, had commenced gathering upon the land of Zion--Jackson County, Missouri, the chosen site of the great city and temple of G.o.d.
Their purpose, to fulfil prophecy, to found the modern Zion, New Jerusalem, capital city of the kingdom of G.o.d. A counterpart of the Zion of Enoch, sanctified of old and taken into the heavens, to return in latter times as a leaven of righteousness, to leaven this lump of clay, the mother earth of our mortality, and make it like unto itself, and in due time a glorified planet, purified, redeemed, and from sin forever free.
To prepare the world for that supreme hour ”when the Lord shall bring again Zion,” was and is the mission of the Saints of latter days. And this that the scripture might be fulfilled, which says:
”The Lord hath brought down Zion from above.