418 Four Missionaries to the Lamanites

D&C 32
And I myself will go with them and be in their midst; and I am their advocate with the Father, and nothing shall prevail against them. D&C 32:3

The Lord directs the missionary work of His Church. He calls men and women to bring His gospel, sometimes under difficult conditions, to all His children throughout the earth.

In October 1830, just a few months after The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, the elders of the Church had a strong desire to take the gospel to the Lamanite people. As a result of their prayers on this subject, Joseph Smith, after receiving revelation from the Lord, called Parley P. Pratt, Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer Jr., and Ziba Peterson to "declare my gospel" and go "into the wilderness among the Lamanites" (D&C 32:12).

The four left Fayette, New York, on 18 October 1830 and traveled to the western borders of Missouri, preaching the gospel and leaving copies of the Book of Mormon along the way. The journey was very difficult; the missionaries walked about 1,500 miles, mostly during the winter through deep snow. Although the missionaries had limited success with the Lamanite people, they brought the gospel to many in the Kirtland, Ohio, area and converted several people who would play important roles in the future of the Church.

Summary

In October 1830 four men were called by the Lord to go on a mission to the Lamanites in New York, Ohio, and Missouri. They walked about 1,500 miles through snow and ice. The missionaries found Lamanites who were happy to hear about the gospel and their ancestors in the Book of Mormon. The missionaries also preached the gospel to other people in Ohio and Missouri who later became some of the leaders of the Church.

Artist, Robert T. Barrett

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