TODAY IN CHURCH HISTORY: 19 June

[Hemidakota]

1831 - The Prophet Joseph Smith, along with Sidney Rigdon, Martin Harris, Edward Partridge, William W. Phelps, Joseph Cox, Algernon S. Gilbert and his wife, left Kirtland, Ohio, for their first journey to Missouri as commanded by the Lord. They had been promised by the Lord that if they were faithful, when they arrived in Missouri, they would learn where the city of the New Jerusalem was to be built. (History of the Church, 1:188).

1834 - Feeling they were camped in a dangerous position, the Prophet counseled Zion's Camp to move quickly, which they did, traveling about nine miles before stopping for breakfast. They had breakfast near a farm house, whose owner provided plenty of milk to go with their meal. The farmer stated that it was a "shame that every man can't come up and enjoy his religion, and everything else without being molested." The Camp continued forward to meet up with the Clay county brethren, but had equipment problems with there wagons. They ended up camping on an elevated piece of land between Little Fishing and Big Fishing rivers. While preparing the camp, five men "armed with guns rode into our camp, and told us we should 'see hell before morning'." They told the Camp that several hundred men were coming to destroy them. As the men were leaving the camp, a storm began. While the members of Zion's Camp had some wind and heavy rain, the storm around them was so strong it kept the mob from attacking. Hail destroyed crops and broke off tree limbs. The incessant lightening lit up the Camp like day and the rain feel in torrents causing the Big Fishing river, only ankle deep when they arrived, to rise forty feet deep and the Little Fishing river thirty feet. Many of the men from Zion's Camp found shelter in an old meetinghouse while the mob was literally kept from their plans by the destructive storm. Many "declared that if that was the way God fought for the Mormons, they might as well go about their business" (History of the Church, 2:102-105).

1844 - Under martial law, the Mayor, Joseph Smith, ordered members of the Nauvoo Legion to post a guard on all the roads leading out of the city. Guards were also posted on the streets of Nauvoo and on the river bank. It was reported that there were several hundred men gathering is various locations throughout Hancock County preparing to attack Nauvoo.

1853 - The first branch in Iceland is organized on Westmann Island.

1880 - Louise Bouton Felt is called as the first General President of the Primary and Elmina Shepherd Taylor is called as the first General President of the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association.

1955 - The first stake in Louisiana is organized at New Orleans.