Visiting Zarahemla

There has been and still is a lot of controversy over the use of the name Zarahemla in the Doctrine and Covenants. Was it a commandment or name recommended by the Lord; Was it a name suggested by Joseph Smith; or was it simply a name brought into common use by the early Saint who settled there. Heartland theorists want to claim it was a Commandment and that translates to the same location as the Book of Mormon city. However, there are other answers.

Which sign do we follow?

 

As an example, in 1839, on July 2, Joseph Smith accompanied by other church leaders visited the site of Zarahmla across the river from Nauvoo near Montrose, Iowa. The entry published in the History of the Church reads as follows:

“Spent the forenoon of this day on the Iowa side of the river. Went, in company with Elders Sidney Rigdon, Hyrum Smith, and Bishops Whitney and Knight, and others, to visit a purchase lately made by Bishop Knight as a location for a town, and advised that a town be built there, and called Zarahemla” (Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, vol.3, edited by Brigham H. Roberts, Deseret Book, Salt Lake City, 1957, p382).

It is important to understand that because of poor schooling, Joseph Smith often did not write the remarks often attributed to him in such works as these because his grammar, spelling, and general writing ability lacked that level of writing required. He used scribes to convey events, his thoughts, and memories into the official church record. In addition, every so often one of the Quorum of Twelve was assigned to act as Historian of the Church and assigned to update or correct the official church history. In this case, Elder Willard Richards served as Second Counselor to Church President Brigham Young in the First Presidency from 1847 until his death in 1854. 

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Note: Willard Richards was the record keeper of the Quorum of the Twelve as the inaugural Apostolic Interregnum; Note Apostle Willard Richards (2^nd  from left—large inset) who was the record keeper of the Quorum of the Twelve, here depicted in the picture keeping notes of the meeting

 

Richards became Joseph Smith's private secretary in December 1841 when he was also made Recorder of the Nauvoo Temple—the following year ,in 1842, Richards was called to be the Church Historian and Recorder. In these two capacities, Richards maintained Smith's schedule and recorded most of his activities. As church historian, he subsequently wrote a total of 1,884 pages on the history of Joseph Smith, which was later incorporated into The History of the Church, later edited by B.H. Roberts. All of these pages were written by personal secretaries and scribes of Joseph Smith, and those called as Church Historians.

With all that in mind, it is important to know that the last three words of the entry above, "and called Zarahemla," were not written by Joseph Smith but were written into the "Manuscript History of Joseph Smith" by Elder Willard Richards when he recorded the history for that date sometime after the Prophet's death in 1844 (“Manuscript History of Joseph Smith,” Church History Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City,” 2 July 1839;  see also History of the Church, vol.3, p382; and the writing of Dean C. Jessee, "The Writing of Joseph Smith's History," BYU Studies vol.11, no.4, Summer 1971, pp 439–473; and Howard C. Searle, "Willard Richards as Historian," BYU Studies 31/2, Spring 1991, pp41–62).

The numerous references is to show that this point is well covered and documented.

It should also be noted that the Saints were already referring to the settlement as Zarahemla before the March 1841 revelation, and is verified by other historical evidence showing that the Saints already referred to the site by that name. 

 

Brigham Young’s journal began in 1839

 

Brigham Young, who began keeping a regular journal in early 1839, recorded that on 2 July 1839 "Brothers Joseph, Hyrum and others came over the river to Montrose, and went out on the prairie and looked out the sight for a city for the Saints, which was called Zarahemla.” (Elias Smith, His Journal, 24 June 1839, Church History Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City).

Elias Smith, a cousin of Joseph Smith, born in the year before Joseph, recorded in his journal for 24 June 1839, that he moved from Commerce to Lee County, Iowa; recorded the death the Prophet's brother, Don Carlos; and wrote in his journal that there was a "Conference at Zarahemla" on that day.” This is one of several early references to the name of the Iowa settlement previous to March 1841 indicate that the Saints referred to it as Zarahemla long before the reve­lation in question.

There are no references within the scriptural record or the historical data that these early sources were based upon revelation or even that it was Joseph Smith's idea. On the other hand, the references seem obvious that the Lord was referencing a location already known among the Saints by that name, and the Lord was likely counseling the Saints to gather at the appointed place and not, as the Heartland theorists claim.

It should be understood that the early Church members did what they often did—name places they lived in after places mentioned in the Book of Mormon or the Bible. There is simply no persuasive reason to associate the Iowa settlement with ancient Zarahemla.

Thus, the site called "Zarahemla" was called that by early Saint settlers long before the revelation referred to that name. Only stubborn, uninformed theorists will, in light of this information cling to this belief.