TODAY IN CHURCH HISTORY: 28 July

[Hemidakota]

1837 - The Prophet Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Thomas B. Marsh, left in the evening as they again tried to leave on their mission to Canada. They traveled through the night "in Brother S. B. Stoddard's wagon to Ashtabula, a distance of thirty miles and arrived there a little after daybreak" (History of the Church, 2:502). They were again accompanied by Brigham Young and Albert P. Rockwood who were traveling to their mission to the Eastern States.

1838 - The Prophet Joseph Smith, in company with Sidney Rigdon, travel from Far West, Missouri, to Adam-ondi-Ahman, Missouri, to transact some Church business and to take some Canadian Saints to settle there. He comments on how quickly Saints are emigrating to the area of Northern Missouri.

1839 - Even though many of the Saints camped along the river in Commerce, Illinois, were still sick, Sunday meetings were held. Elder Parley P. Pratt and Elder Orson Pratt spoke. The Prophet Joseph spoke and "admonished the members of the Church individually to set their houses in order, to make clean the inside of the platter, and to meet on the next Sabbath to partake of the Sacrament, in order that by our obedience to the ordinances, we might be enabled to prevail with God against the destroyer, and that the sick might be healed" (History of the Church, 4:4-5).

1847 - After spending the night at Black Rock, Brigham Young and his group travel south along the base of the Oquirrh Mountains for about ten miles. They then turn east and cross the valley returning to the pioneer camp on City Creek. Late in the afternoon, Brigham Young identifies the site for the Salt Lake Temple to be built. They also decide to lay out the city in ten-acre blocks with wide streets and sidewalks.

1856 - The fifth handcart company leaves Iowa City for the Salt Lake Valley. It contained 576 people, 146 handcarts, and 7 wagons. Most had crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the ship Horizon, leaving from Liverpool, England. Returning missionary Edward Martin was chosen as the Captain. Time delays and the need to supply so large a group resulted in the late start of the Martin Handcart company leaving Iowa City. After great difficulties and many deaths, they would arrive in Salt Lake Valley on November 30.

1984 - The first missionaries, Elder Ralph and Sister Aileen Tate, arrive in the island nation of Antigua.

1985 - President Gordon B. Hinckley speaks at the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Angel Moroni Monument at the Hill Cumorah.

1996 - The PBS television series Searching for God in America features an interview with Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.