During the conference, Joseph Smith the Prophet was led to say, "that John the Revelator was then among the ten tribes of Israel who had been led away by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, to prepare them for their return from their long dispersion." The Elders Called to Missouri The spirit of prophecy was abundantly manifest and during the sessions of this conference a number of revelations were received. Many of the elders were called to take their journey through the western country, going two by two, preaching the Gospel, and were to assemble again in Jackson County, Missouri, where the next conference was to be held. The Lord said to them: "And thus, even as I have said if ye are faithful, ye shall assemble yourselves together to rejoice upon the land of Missouri, which is the land of your inheritance, which is now the land of your enemies. But, behold, I the Lord, will hasten the city in its time, and will crown the faithful with joy and with rejoicing." The Thompson Branch The members of the Church from Colesville, New York, on their arrival in Ohio, were located at a place called Thompson, about sixteen miles northwest of Kirtland. Here, as we have learned, they were directed to live according to the Lord's law, that is, the order of stewardship and consecration of properties. Among these people there resided a man named Leman Copley, who was a member of the "Shaking Quakers" before he joined the Church. He owned a large tract of land which he agreed to turn over to the Colesville branch to occupy in this manner of stewardship, agreeable with the revelation they had received. It appears that Copley had not been fully converted to the Gospel and he, with some others, later rebelled and broke the covenant of consecration. This caused confusion among the Colesville Saints and placed them at the mercy of their enemies, as well as in jeopardy before the Lord. In their distress they sent Newel Knight, who was in charge of the branch at Thompson, to the Prophet to learn what they should do. The Lord spoke unto them saying that their covenant had been broken and therefore was of no effect, and it would have been better for the one who was responsible for the offense, "had he been drowned in the depth of the sea." The members of the branch were now commanded to journey to Missouri, "unto the borders of the Lamanites," and there they were to seek "a living like unto men," until the Lord might prepare a place for them. Almost immediately they took their departure under the guidance of Newel Knight, for Missouri. A Letter from Missouri