History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 2Smith, Joseph, Jr.
History
History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 2
Smith, Joseph, Jr.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844
3. The late President Wilford Woodruff, who was a member of Zion's
camp, speaking at the celebration of the thirty-third anniversary (July
24, 1880,) of the entrance of the Pioneers into Salt Lake valley,
speaking of Zion's camp, said:
"We were followed by spies hundreds of miles to find out the object of
our mission. We had some boys in the camp. George A. Smith was among
the youngest. When they could get him alone they would question him,
thinking that he looked green enough for them to get what they wanted
out of him. The following questions were frequently put and answered:
"'My boy, where are you from?'
"'From the East.'
"'Where are you going?'
"'To the West.'
"'What for?'
"'To see where we can get land cheapest and best.'
"'Who leads the camp?'
"'Sometimes one, sometimes another.'
"'What name?'
"'Captain Wallace, Major Bruce, Orson Hyde, James Allred,' etc.
"This was about the information the spies obtained from any of the camp
that were questioned." ("The Utah Pioneers," p. 18)
4. On this point Elder Parley P. Pratt, in his Autobiography, relates
a most interesting incident. Elder Pratt was chiefly engaged as a
recruiting officer along the line of the camp's march, and would fall
in with the camp from time to time, with additional men, arms, stores,
money, etc., as opportunity afforded. And now his story:
"On one occasion, I had traveled all night to overtake the camp with
some men and means, and having breakfasted with them and changed
horses, I again started ahead on express to visit other branches and do
business, to again overtake them. At noon I had turned my horse loose
from the carriage to feed on the grass in the midst of a broad level
plain. No habitation was near; stillness and repose reigned around
me; I sank down overpowered in a deep sleep, and might have lain in a
state of oblivion till the shades of night had gathered around me, so
completely was I exhausted for want of sleep and rest; but I had only
slept a few moments till the horse had grazed sufficiently, when a
voice, more loud and shrill than I had ever before heard, fell on my
ear and thrilled through every part of my system; it said: 'Parley, it
is time to be up and on your journey.' In the twinkling of an eye I was
perfectly aroused; I sprang to my feet so suddenly that I could not
recollect where I was or what was before me to perform. I related the
circumstance afterwards to Brother Joseph Smith, and he bore testimony
that it was the angel of the Lord who went before the camp who found me
overpowered with sleep, and thus awoke me." (Autobiography of Parley P.
Pratt, pp. 122, 123.)
5. Almon W. Babbitt was born October 1, 1813, in Berkshire county,
Mass. He was the son of Ira and Nancy Babbitt.
6. In addition to confirming the above narrative of the services
on June 1, Elder Heber C. Kimball, in his journal, adds some very
interesting details, as follows:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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