Joseph Smith Travels to Missouri
On June 19, 1831, Joseph Smith left Kirtland, Ohio, to travel to Missouri. He was accompanied by Sidney Rigdon, Edward Partridge, Martin Harris, Joseph Coe, William W. Phelps, Algernon S. Gilbert and his wife. Before leaving on this trip, Joseph had received a revelation from God in which he was told that if they were faithful and obedient it would be revealed to them where Zion, or the New Jerusalem, should be built, and that this land would be a place for the members of the Mormon Church to gather.The group traveled to Cincinnati. In Cincinnati they boarded a steamer, which took them to Louisville, Kentucky. During the trip, the group made it a rule to read from the Bible everyday and to pray together. In Kentucky the group had to wait three days for a steamer that would take them to St. Louis, Missouri. In St. Louis Joseph decided that he would like to walk the rest of the way to Independence so that he could see the land. He was accompanied by Martin Harris, William W. Phelps, Edward Partridge and Joseph Coe on the 300 mile walk. They arrived in Independence in the middle of July.When the group arrived they were happy to meet up with missionaries who had been sent to teach the Native Americans, and a couple of days later, members of the Church who were moving from Colesville, New York, to Missouri.
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