PREPARING TO GO UP TO ZION—FIRST MEETING WITH PRESIDENT YOUNG—CAMP OF ZION STARTS—NUMBERS MAGNIFIED IN THE EYES OF BEHOLDERS—REMARKABLE DELIVERANCE—SELFISHNESS, AND ITS REWARD.
I arrived at Kirtland on the 25th of April, 1834, and for the first time saw the Prophet Joseph Smith. He invited me to his house. I spent about a week with him, and became acquainted with him and his family, also with many of the Elders and Saints living in Kirtland, quite a number of whom were preparing to go up to Zion.
On Sunday, the 27th of April, I attended a meeting in a school-house in Kirtland, and for the first time heard Elders Sidney Rigdon, Orson Hyde, Orson Pratt and others speak and bear testimony to the work of God, and much of the Spirit of God was poured out upon the Saints.
It was the 26th of April, 1834, that I was first introduced to Elders Brigham Young and H. C. Kimball. When I met Brother Brigham, he had his hands full of butcher knives; he gave me one, and told me to go and put a good handle on it, which I did. I also had a good sword, which Brother Joseph wanted, and I gave it to him. He carried it all the way in Zion's camp to Missouri, and when he returned home he gave it back to me.
When I was called to go on a mission to the South I left the sword and knife with Lyman Wight. When he was taken prisoner at Far West, with Joseph and Hyrum, he had both the sword and the knife with him. All their weapons were taken from them, so were the arms of many of the Saints at Far West, under promise that they should be returned to them when they were prepared to leave the State. When the brethren went to get their arms, Father James Allred saw my sword, which Lyman Wight had laid down, and took it and left his own, and afterwards gave it to me and I still have it. I prize it because the Prophet Joseph carried it in Zion's Camp. The knife I never regained.
The first day of May, 1834, was appointed for the Camp of Zion to start from Kirtland to go up to Missouri for the redemption of their brethren. Only a small portion of the Camp was ready. The Prophet told those who were ready, to go to New Portage and wait for the remainder. I left, in company with about twenty men, with the baggage wagons. At night we pitched our tents. I went to the top of the hill and looked down upon the camp of Israel. I knelt upon the ground and prayed. I rejoiced and praised the Lord that I had lived to see some of the tents of Israel pitched, and a company gathered by the commandment of God to go up and help redeem Zion.
We tarried at New Portage until the 6th, when we were joined by the Prophet and eighty-five more men. The day before they arrived, while passing through the village of Middlebury, the people tried to count them; but the Lord multiplied them in the eyes of the people, so that those who numbered them said there were four hundred of them.
On the 7th, Brother Joseph organized the camp, which consisted of about one hundred and thirty men. On the following day we continued our journey. We pitched our tents at night and had prayers night and morning. The Prophet told us every day what we should do.
We were nearly all young men, gathered from all parts of the country, and strangers to each other; but we got acquainted very soon, and had a happy time together.
It was a great school for us to be led by a Prophet of God a thousand miles, through cities, towns, villages, and through the wilderness.