Perhaps another view is also admissible. Had the members of Zion's Camp been more faithful--less contentious--more united; and had the saints in the eastern branches had more faith--faith to send up to Zion more men and more money with which to strengthen the hands of the saints on the land of Zion--the history of Zion's Camp might have been different. But thus it is: what men and great movements might attain to is often defeated, sometimes by the actions of enemies, sometimes by the lack of devotion and faith and energy on the part of those into whose hands great enterprises are committed. While God's general purposes will never ultimately be defeated by man, still upon each side of the general purposes of God a margin somewhat wide seems to have been left in which those both for and against those purposes may write what history they please--one that will meet with the approval of God, or one that will meet only with condemnation--herein is the agency of man. But in the exercise of that agency God's purposes will not be thwarted, for man's agency will not extend so far as that--if it did it would interfere with God's agency and decrees. Joseph Smith and his brethren, on hearing that the governor of Missouri was afraid to execute the laws by returning the exiled saints to their homes, again covenanted that they would never cease their exertions until Zion was redeemed, and truth, justice and law should triumph over falsehood, injustice, and mobocracy,--a covenant which they called upon the God of their fathers to witness, and which they engaged to fulfill either in this life or the life to come. But standing above all human resolutions, as the heavens stand above the earth, is Jehovah's own decree that he will execute justice and judgment, and that he will not give to wickedness a lasting victory. Zion will be redeemed. God has decreed it. "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, for ye are the children of Israel, and of the seed of Abraham, and ye must needs be led out of bondage with power, and with a stretched out arm: and as your fathers were led at the first, even so shall the redemption of Zion be." [A] [Footnotes A Doc. & Cov. Sec. 103:15-18.] CHAPTER XXIV. ATTEMPT AT ARBITRATION.