| 450 must be preached unto every creature, with signs following them that believe. And behold the Son of Man cometh: Amen.
On the second day of August, I assisted the Colesville branch of the church to lay the first log, for a house, as a foundation for Zion in Kaw township, twelve miles west of Independence. The log was carried and placed by twelve men, in honor of the twelve tribes of Israel . At the same time, through prayer, the land of Zion was consecrated and dedicated for the gathering of the saints, by elder Rigdon: and it was a season of joy to those present, and afforded a glimpse of the future, which time will yet unfold to the satisfaction of the faithful. As we had received a commandment for elder Rigdon to write a description of the land of Zion, we sought for all the information necessary to accomplish so desirable an object.-Unlike the timbered states in the east, except upon the rivers and watercourses; which were verdantly dotted with trees from one to three miles wide, as far as the eye can glance. The beautiful rolling prairies lay spread around like a sea of meadows. The timber is a mixture of oak, hickory, black walnut, elm, cherry, honey locus, [honey locust] mulberry, coffee bean, hackburry, [hack berry], box elder and bass wood, together with the addition of cotton wood, button wood, pecon [pecan], soft and hard maple, upon the bottoms. The shrubbery was beautiful; and consisted in part of plums, grapes, crab apples, and parsimmons [persimmons]. The prairies were decorated with a growth of flowers that seemed as gorgeous and grand as the brilliancy of stars in the heavens, and exceed description. The soil is rich and fertile; from three to ten feet deep, and generally composed of a rich black mould, intermingled with clay and sand. It produces in abundance, wheat, corn, and many other commodities, together with sweet potatoes and cotton. Horses, cattle and hogs, though of an inferior breed, are tolerable plenty, and seem nearly to raise themselves by grazing in the vast prairie range in summer, and feeding upon the bottoms in winter. The wild game is less plenty where man has commenced the cultivation of the soil, than it is a little distance further in the wild prairies. Buffaloe, [buffalo] elk, deer, bear, wolves, beaver, and many lesser animals roam at pleasure. Turkies, [turkeys] geese, swans, ducks, yea a variety of the feathered race are among the rich abundance that graces the delightful regions of this goodly land of the heritage of the children of God. Nothing is more fruitful, or a richer stockholder in the blooming prairies, than the honey bee; honey is but about twenty-five cents per gallon.
The season is mild and delightful nearly three quarters of the year, and as the land of Zion, situated at about equal distances from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as from the Alleghany [Allegheny] and Rocky mountains, in the thirty-ninth degree of north latitude, and between the tenth and seventeenth degrees of west longitude. It bids fair to become one of the most blessed places on the globe, when the curse is taken from the land, if not before. The winters are milder than in the Atlantic states, of the same parallel of latitude; and the weather is more agreeable, so that were the virtues of the inhabitants only equal to the blessings of the Lord, which he permits to crown the industry and efforts of those inhabitants; there would be a measure of the good things of life: for the benefit of the saints, full, pressed down and running over, even an hundredfold. The disadvantages here, like all new counties are self-evident, lack of mills and schools, together with the natural privations and inconveniences, which the hand of industry, and the refinement, of society with the polish of science overcome. But all these impediments vanished, when it is recollected that the prophets have said concerning Zion in the last days: how the glory of Lebanon is to come upon her; the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of his sanctuary, that he may make the place of his feet glorious, where for brass he will bring gold, and for iron he will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron; and where the feast of fat things will be given to the just; yea, when the splendor of the Lord is brought to one consideration, for the good of his people: the calculations of men and the vain glory of the world vanishes; and we exclaim: God will shine-the perfection of beauty out of Zion.
On the third day of August, the spot for the Temple, a little west of Independence, was dedicated in presence of eight men, among whom were myself, Sidney Rigdon, Edward Partridge, W. W. Phelps, Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris, and Joseph Coe. The 87th Psalm was read, and the scene was solemn and impressive. On the 4th I attended the first conference in the land of Zion. It was held at the house of brother Joshua Lewis, in Kaw township, in presence of the Colesville branch of the church. The spirit of the Lord was there. On the 7th I attended the funeral of sister Poly Knight, the wife of Joseph Knight, Sen. This was the first death in the church in this land, and I can say a worthy member sleeps in Jesus till the resurrection.-I also received the following
Revelation given in Zion, August, 1831.
Behold, blessed, saith the Lord, are they who
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