4. Zion's Camp.--The excited Saints found a temporary abode in Clay County--the next county north of Jackson--and in the meantime the Lord commanded the Prophet Joseph to gather up the strength of the Lord's house--the young and middle-aged men in the church--for the purpose of going to the assistance of their brethren in Missouri, and to redeem Zion.[84] In the spring of 1834, therefore, about one hundred and fifty of the brethren from the churches in the eastern states assembled at New Portage, Ohio, about fifty miles from Kirtland; and this number was increased to about two hundred by the time the camp reached Missouri. They took with them money to purchase lands, food and clothing to assist their destitute brethren, and it was also the determination of the camp to help their exiled friends maintain their possessions when the governor of Missouri re-instated them upon their lands.[85] But en route to Missouri the brethren did not live up to the requirement made of the camp. Some of them were disobedient, {332} even rebellious towards the prophet, and the Lord was not well pleased with them. 5. As the camp approached Jackson county it was met by delegations inquiring into their designs for approaching Jackson county. Various reports had been spread abroad in respect to their intentions, and some of them were of a character to create alarm. In order to correct these false reports the brethren made the following statement: In the first place it is not our intention to commit hostilities against any man, or set of men; it is not our intention to injure any man's person or property except in defending ourselves. * * * It is our intention to go back upon our lands in Jackson county by order of the executive of the state, if possible. We have brought our arms with us for the purpose of self-defense, as it is well known to almost every man of the state, we have every reason to put ourselves in an attitude of defense, considering the abuse we have suffered in Jackson county. We are anxious for a settlement of the difficulties existing between us, upon honorable and constitutional principles.[86] 6. The brethren also made a proposition to submit their losses to a committee of impartial arbitrators, and another to buy out those of the old settlers who could not live with them. But before matters were brought to an investigation and adjustment the Lord in a revelation to the prophet,[87] gave instructions which led to the abandonment of any attempt at that time to redeem Zion.