Divine Guidance and Symbolic Naming of the Pontiac Division Camps
Published September 3, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Samuel Bent traveled as a member of the Pontiac, Michigan branch division led by Hyrum Smith and Lyman Wight. During their march to join the main body of Zion's Camp, the group experienced specific instances of divine guidance and symbolic naming of their campsites. For example, on May 9, after a night of heavy rain and the loss of horses, Hyrum Smith dubbed the camp 'Ai' (meaning ruin) to reflect their trials. Other sites were given biblical names like 'Engedi' and 'Epah' to reflect the spiritual sentiments of the day. This division successfully navigated the 900-mile journey to join the main camp at Salt River on June 8, 1834, without loss of life.
In Their Own Words
“May 5th. Started from the Huron Branch. Traveled 15 miles. May 6th. Traveled 20 miles. May 7th. Traveled 20 miles. May 8th. Traveled 20 miles. May 9th. Rain in the night. Horses strayed away. Cooked cakes in a spider & bake pan. Slow work. Takes too much time. We want a tin oven. Called the place Ai, for in it we sustained loss. All well and in good spirits. No trouble to travel. May 10th. Traveled 20 miles. May 11th. Sunday. Held a meeting. May 12th. Traveled 20 miles. May 13th. Traveled 20 miles. May 14th. Traveled 20 miles. May 15th. Traveled 20 miles. May 16th. Traveled 20 miles. May 17th. Traveled 20 miles. May 18th. Sunday. Held a meeting. May 19th. Traveled 20 miles. May 20th. Traveled 20 miles. May 21st. Traveled 20 miles. May 22nd. Traveled 20 miles. May 23rd. Traveled 20 miles. May 24th. Traveled 20 miles. May 25th. Sunday. Held a meeting. May 26th. Traveled 20 miles. May 27th. Traveled 20 miles. May 28th. Traveled 20 miles. May 29th. Traveled 20 miles. May 30th. Traveled 20 miles. May 31st. Traveled 20 miles. June 1st. Sunday. Held a meeting. June 2nd. Traveled 20 miles. June 3rd. Traveled 20 miles. June 4th. Traveled 20 miles. June 5th. Traveled 20 miles. June 6th. Traveled 20 miles. June 7th. Traveled 20 miles. June 8th. Arrived at the Salt River, and joined the main camp.”
— Elijah Fordham, Journal of the Branch of the Church of Christ in Pontiac, 1834
Sources & References
Journal of the Branch of the Church of Christ in Pontiac, . . . 1834: Hyrum Smith's Division of Zion's Camp, ed. Craig K. Manscill, BYU Studies Quarterly 39, no. 1 (2000) — the journal was kept by company historian Elijah Fordham. Full text: https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/journal-of-the-branch-of-the-church-of-christ-in-pontiac-1834-hyrum-smiths-division-of-zions-camp ; PDF: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol39/iss1/13 Full first-person account: Craig K. Manscill, ed., "Journal of the Branch of the Church of Christ in Pontiac, . . . 1834: Hyrum Smith's Division of Zion's Camp," BYU Studies Quarterly 39, no. 1 (2000) https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/journal-of-the-branch-of-the-church-of-christ-in-pontiac-1834-hyrum-smiths-division-of-zions-camp
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