Jacob Gates' Revelation to Join Zion's Camp

Jacob Gates documented that his participation in the Zion's Camp expedition was prompted by direct revelation. In his personal history, he noted that he and his wife Mary departed from St. Johnsbury, Vermont, on April 11, 1834, "in fulfillment of a Revelation given Feb. 24, 1834 in regard to the redemption of Zion." This journey of over a thousand miles to join Joseph Smith's company was undertaken as a matter of religious duty and spiritual guidance, following the command for the Saints to gather and assist those driven from Jackson County.