Joseph Smith and Zion’s Camp See Angels Going Before Them During the 1834 Journey
Published October 4, 2026 at 4:51 AM
Contributed by
Times and Seasons Research
During Zion’s Camp’s 1834 expedition to Missouri, Joseph Smith and the brethren often traveled through unfamiliar territories, facing threats from mobs and the challenges of a long march. A recurring source of comfort and guidance for the company was the belief that they were under divine protection. Joseph Smith specifically testified that the angel of the Lord went before the camp to guide and guard them. This belief was reinforced by a significant experience involving Parley P. Pratt. On May 27, 1834, while Pratt was traveling ahead to recruit members, he became overwhelmed by weariness and fell into a deep sleep in the grass. He was suddenly awakened by a voice, described as more loud and shrill than any he had ever heard, which commanded: 'Parley, it is time to be up and on your journey.' Pratt was instantly aroused, and upon later recounting the incident to the Prophet, Joseph Smith bore testimony that it was the angel of the Lord who had found him and awakened him. Wilford Woodruff further affirmed the company’s spiritual experiences, recording in his own account that the brethren knew angels were their companions, testifying, 'for we saw them.'
In Their Own Words
“I had only slept a few moments, and had not moved from the position in which I first laid down, when a voice, more loud and shrill than I had ever before heard, fell on my ear, and thrilled through every part of my system; it said: 'Parley, it is time to be up and on your journey.' In the twinkling of an eye I was perfectly aroused; I sprang to my feet so suddenly that I could not at first recollect where I was, or what was before me to perform. I looked around, but saw no one; the sun was just rising, and the morning was beautiful. I felt a newness of life and vigor, and a spirit of cheerfulness and courage which I had not felt for many days. I immediately resumed my journey, and traveled with great speed, and with a light heart, and soon overtook the camp.”
— Parley P. Pratt, The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 29 January 1853 (Vol. 15, No. 5). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1853-01-29_15_5 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Times and Seasons (Commerce, later Nauvoo, Illinois, November 1839–February 1846), 1 January 1846 (Vol. 6, No. 20). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1846-01-01_6_20 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Additional sources (periodical research): Marlene C. Kettley, Arnold K. Garr, and Craig K. Manscill, “Zion’s Camp,” in Mormon Thoroughfare: A History of the Church in Illinois, 1830–39 (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2006), 43–62. https://rsc.byu.edu/mormon-thoroughfare/zions-camp Full first-person account: The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry and Travels, with Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from His Miscellaneous Writings. Edited by Parley P. Pratt Jr. New York: Russell Brothers, 1874, pp. 127-128. https://archive.org/details/autobiographyofp1874prat
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