A Concise History of Zion »

When Moses visited Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple and gave him the keys to gather Israel, and when a later revelation from the Lord identified the location of the city of Zion, men, women, and children joyfully left Ohio to gather in their promised land - western Missouri. Independence was the center place, declared the Lord, and hopes were high as thousands of Saints flooded into the state. A printing press was dedicated; the United Order was established; and stores, farms, and homes flourished. But the light of Zion soon faded under the weight of relentless persecution and the apostasy of many early Church leaders. Joseph and others were arrested, jailed, and sentenced to death. And although their lives were spared, the dream of Zion and the eventual gathering of Israel before the great and dreadful day of the Lord was postponed until that future day when the Saints could gather before the throne of their Lord and King.