Sioux City Academy of Science and Letters. 109 
Thompson in 1857 published a book of about 210 
pages entitled “The Law and Covenants,” which con- 
tained ali the proclamations, revelations and covenants, 
including those for his new congregation. It was divided 
into chapters and sections, the latter numbered up to 
746. It had anindex. It was pocket size, its pages about 
24 inches by 4 inches. This book is a veritable medley, a 
combination of the writings of the Bible, the Book of 
Mormon, church government, orders and decrees, and is 
hopelessly entangled, and judiciously interlarded with 
commands as to the authority of Chas. B. Thompson in 
things spiritual and temporal. 
After he made his settlement under the old order of 
schools of Preparation, his new plan was to be in force. 
Hitherto it had only been preparation; now his disciples 
were fully educated in these schools and were graduates 
in the ministry, and were fully ordained in the order of 
the ‘Travelling Ministry of the Congregation of Jehovah’s 
Presbytery of Zion,” and each were “Travelling Presby- 
ters” ready to go out on missions, chiefly to organize new 
congregations of Jehovah’s Presbyteries of Zion, the peo- 
ple at Preparation forming the first of such congrega- 
tions. Then on paper Thompson had got the title to and 
possession of all the personal property except household 
goods and such tools and teams as were in the hands of 
the family stewards and they were paying rent for the 
land to all of which he had title. 
Most of the parties after proving up on their claims 
had moved back into Preparation, preferring to live in 
town, so the religious congregation composed of his ten- 
ants could go on, but they still clung to his oral promises 
that after these sacrifices of the fast they should come 
into their inheritanace and something had to be done to 
divert their minds. 
Thompson still found it hard to control them all, 
from what he said in confidence to some, as appeared 
from their testimony later in the suits, it seems prob- 
able that he thought it advisable to send the leaders out 
on their missions to different parts of the country, while 
he managed affairs at home getting ready for departure. 
It is said these commands to go on these missions were 
