I have always wondered how it will be when the Latter Day Saints are called to build the New Jerusalem in Jackson County. Recently I found some quotations from some of the Latter Day Prophets concerning this topic which were of great interest to me.

Elder Orson Pratt said concerning the saints eventual return to Jackson County, "and they will march forward, the glory of God overshadowing their camp by day in the form of a cloud, and a pillar of flaming fire by night."

President Joseph F. Smith also explained how he saw the return to Jackson County, "When God leads the people back to Jackson County, how will he do it? let me picture to you how some of us may be gathered and led to Jackson County. I think I see two or three hundred thousand people wending their way across the great plain enduring the nameless hardships of the journey and defending themselves and little ones from foes on the right hand and on the left, as when they came here (Utah). They will find the journey back to Jackson County will be as real as when they came out here. They will think there are a great many hardships to endure in their manifestation of the power of God, and it will be left, perhaps to their children to see the glory of their deliverance, just as it is left for us to see the glory of our former deliverance, from the hands of those who sought to destroy us. Some might ask what will become of the railroads? I fear that the sifting process would be insuffiecient were we to travel by railroads. We are apt to overlook the manifestations of the power of God to us because we are participators in them, and regard them as commonplace events. But when it is written is history, it will be shown forth to future generations as one of the most marvelous, unexampled and unprecedented accomplishments that has ever been known to history."

We obviously don't know if we will be called to be part of that great journey but it gives you a lot to think about. President Smith said that we won't use railroad to get there becuase the hard journey is part of the sifting process. Will there be such devistation in our country that we won't be able to take public transportation to Missouri or will we just be asked to walk to prove our faith? Will we be asked to give up all that we have here? Will we be willing to leave our comfortable living conditions to face what the pioneers faced?

I think that we all would say that we would do it but imagine if you had to go next week. Would you be willing to just drop everything and go?