Meaning Still up for Grabs

196 DIALOGUE : A JOURNAL OF MORMON THOUGHT God-fearing virtue, bristling with guns and trying to live by the light of the gospel, one burdened with guilt; and those who were day at a time" (p. 275). Meaning Still Up for Grabs Zion's Camp: Expedition to Missouri, storm which the Mormons ascribed to 1834 by Roger D. Launius (Independence: divine intervention. Three days later, near Missouri: Herald Publishing House, 1984), Liberty, Joseph Smith issued the "Fishing 206 pp., $11. River Revelation," chastising the Saints for Reviewed by Richard E. Bennett, head, disobedience and disbanding the camp, Department of Archives and Special Col- thereby postponing indefinitely the eventual lections, University of Manitoba, Winni- Mormon reclamation of Jackson County. peg, Manitoba, Canada. Zion's Camp never officially fired a shot upon its enemies. The few deaths reported FIRMLY ESTABLISHED in Mormon history is among the Missourians came mainly by Joseph Smith's 1834 crusade from Kirt- drowning, and those among the Mormons land, Ohio, to the borders of Jackson from cholera. County, Missouri, to "redeem Zion." Its Some money and supplies did eventu- purpose was to assist Latter-day Saints ally reach a few scattered destitute Mor- lately driven from their homes, protect mon families in the area but little else was them from further bloodshed, and, if pos- accomplished. And though some enlistees sible, restore them to their lands and prop- remained in the region to assist in resettling erties. Proclaiming divine revelation in efforts, most returned in small groups to support of his plan, Joseph Smith and Ohio. Clearly the mission fell far short of many of his most trusted advisors set out to its announced goals. In fact, it served only recruit 500 men for the expedition. In to intensify local distrust of the Mormons, what now reads like a "Who's Who" in which culminated four years later in their early Church history, the camp roster expulsion from the state. Yet Zion's Camp eventually included the names of Brigham did succeed in bonding the Ohio and Mis- and Joseph Young, Orson and Parley P. souri Mormon camps, in identifying Jo- Pratt, Hyrum Smith, Charles G. Rich, seph's most loyal followers (many of whom George A. Smith, Heber C. Kimball, and later rose to high levels of ecclesiastical some 200 others including a handful of prominence) and, paradoxically, in elevat- women and children. Armed and drilled ing the prophetic image of Joseph Smith. for conflict, this "army of God," now for- ever remembered as Zion's Camp, left Kirt- For students of the Restoration move- land 1 May 1834 and covered the 900 miles ment who are interested in the facts and across Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois to Lib- figures, people and places of Zion's Camp, erty, Missouri in under fifty days. Roger D. Launius has performed a valu- Concerned with the smaller-than- able service. It's almost all there. In ten expected number of fighting men in the chapters of 206 pages complete with maps camp and later crestfallen at the refusal and appendices is everything the beginner of Missouri Governor Daniel Dunklin to needs to know: membership lists, breakfast support the Mormon foray with state menus, toll road charges, routes and rendez- troops, Joseph finally concluded his chances vous points, pistols and firearms, contenders of success, if ever seriously held, were and arbitrators, dreams and revelations, minimal. A possibly decisive battle with sickness and death. the "Jackson Countians" was aborted 19 Andrew Jenson, B. H. Roberts, Wil- June by a devastating thunder-and-hail burn Talbot, Wayne A. Jacobsen, Leonard REVIEWS 197 J. Arrington, and others have been over the search. An immediate overview of the au- same road before. What is important here thor's sources is not possible since the book is that finally someone has published in one fails to include a bibliography, but despite readily available, easily readable volume the many footnotes one is unconvinced that the big picture, which until now was the the author consulted all available sources, domain of obscure theses, diverse articles, particularly those in the Historical Depart- hard-to-find manuscripts, and otherwise ment of the LDS Church. fragmented partial accounts. Had Launius By far the more damaging criticism is also seized the opportunity to tell what it not what the book says but rather what it all meant, rather than simply what it was, does not say, themes and analyses that are his book might have held real promise. but faintly stated and poorly developed. Even in his quest for completeness, While his purpose is, admittedly, to write Launius failed to incorporate all the avail- narrative and not interpretive history, surely able data. Written originally as a thesis in with the knowledge and understanding at 1978, the book came out six years later his command, Launius could have been with only minor revisions and lacks the less timid, less restrained. The relatively polish and additional research a final study few arguments advanced, it seems to me, deserves. For instance, relying heavily on lack sufficient development. early newspaper accounts, often at the ex- For example, at the book's end (pp. pense of original unpublished sources, his 171-72), Launius agrees with Klaus Han- membership roster (pp. 174-76) omits Al- sen that Zion's Camp "bequeathed a heri- bert and Ada Clements, Lewis Zobriskie, tage of militancy to the church" and points Levi GifFord, and two children, Eunice and without amplification to "future Mormon John P. Chidister. military organizations" as evidence. In the More disappointing is his omission of absence of fuller development, is this single Wayne A. Jacobsen's valuable though tenta- military movement sufficient to establish a tive 1976 prosoprographical study of the heritage of church "militancy"? Likewise 206 men involved, their place of origin, the author's reference to the camp's legacy place of and age at recruitment, and future of "humanitarianism" is undeveloped. Are Church activity and faithfulness. Other we really to believe that the spirit of char- puzzling misstatements of fact include ref- itable service in the Church began with erences to Wilford Woodruff as "a young Zion's Camp? What of the earlier Law of man from Canada" (p. 88) when in fact Consecration? What of earlier sacrifices? he was born in Connecticut, and to Luke Finally, the author agrees that Zion's Johnson's unsuccessful effort to cross the Camp developed camaraderie, brother- Missouri River only to be forced back to hood, unity, and a high level of loyalty and the Clay County side from which "he fired allegiance to Joseph Smith. Precisely how several shots at the other [Jackson Co.] Joseph accomplished this is not specified, shore" (pp. 152-53). Johnson and his although the author leads us to think it brother Lyman in fact crossed the river had something to do with his powers of where they "discharged" three rounds of revelation. For instance, one participant ammunition before being forced back reported that Joseph related "some of the across the river (Luke Johnson, "History of visions of his early youth, interspersing his Luke Johnson," May 1834, Historical De- narrative with maxims of incalculable value partment Archives, Church of Jesus Christ to the hearers" (p. 60). By "revelation" of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, the camp was organized and disbanded Utah). (D&C 102, 105); by "revelation" Joseph Such little errors and omissions, though identified the bones of "Zelph," the ancient more bothersome than damaging, underline white Lamanite warrior; by "revelation" the nagging suspicion of incomplete re- the scourge of cholera was predicted. Yes,.

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