Picturing history: Wabash River

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As Joseph Smith's division of Zion's Camp worked its way West in 1834, the group came upon the Wabash River near the Indiana-Illinois border on May 25-26. The river is large enough that the members of the camp had to be ferried across and that process took several days. For whatever reason, on that occasion, the Prophet felt the need to teach them how prayers are to be offered. Joseph counseled them to "cultivate through life a modest and graceful demeanor, avoiding vulgarity". He also instructed them in the proper manner of kneeling for prayer (many members of the expedition assumed unseemly positions, he said). When we kneel we should be in a graceful manner, such as could not cause a disgusting impression to arise in the mind of any spectator. The group finished crossing the Wabash on Sunday the 26th and camped just within the Illinois border.

Kenneth Mays,

Summary

As Joseph Smith's division of Zion's Camp worked its way West in 1834, the group came upon the Wabash River near the Indiana-Illinois border on May 25-26. The river is large enough that the members of the camp had to be ferried across and that process took several days.

For whatever reason, on that occasion, the Prophet felt the need to teach them how prayers are to be offered. Joseph counseled them to "cultivate through life a modest and graceful demeanor, avoiding vulgarity. He also instructed them in the proper manner of kneeling for prayer (many members of the expedition assumed unseemly positions, he said). When we kneel we should be in a graceful manner, such as could not cause a disgusting impression to arise in the mind of any spectator."

The group finished crossing the Wabash on Sunday the 26th and camped just within the Illinois border. There they rested and attended to various tasks before continuing on their way.