A stake is a Mormon satellite city. The United Order of the Stake of Zion appears to be an attempt by Joseph Smith and other church elders in Kirtland to avoid paying their debts. They dissolved the original United Firm and established two orders, one of them being the United Order of the Stake of Zion.
They intended to pay their debts by going to Salem and breaking into a house they "thought was abandoned" and stealing "treasure", although it doesn't appear that they were able to identify the right house to break into.
Searching the term "Stake of Zion" brings me to this article about Doctrines and Covenants 111 (666?), which is interestingly about witchcraft and "ancient inhabitants", although the ancient inhabitants in this case appear to be puritans from Salem instead of truly ancient people like mound builders.
James J. Strang submitted a positive report to Joseph Smith three months later that the Burlington area would be an excellent place for the Mormons to congregate.On June 18, 1844, Joseph Smith replied to James J. Strang’s letter with the appointment of the Burlington area as a Stake of Zion to be named Voree and appointed Strang to be his successor. This letter arrived at Burlington on July 9, 1844, after his angelic ordination, James J. Strang immediately told acquaintances of his ordination and likewise showed the Letter of Appointment to numerous individuals.
James J. Strang was the only person following the death of Joseph Smith to claim that Joseph appointed him to be his successor in the prophetic office.
A stake is a Mormon satellite city. The United Order of the Stake of Zion appears to be an attempt by Joseph Smith and other church elders in Kirtland to avoid paying their debts. They dissolved the original United Firm and established two orders, one of them being the United Order of the Stake of Zion.
They intended to pay their debts by going to Salem and breaking into a house they "thought was abandoned" and stealing "treasure", although it doesn't appear that they were able to identify the right house to break into.
Searching the term "Stake of Zion" brings me to this article about Doctrines and Covenants 111 (666?), which is interestingly about witchcraft and "ancient inhabitants", although the ancient inhabitants in this case appear to be puritans from Salem instead of truly ancient people like mound builders.
https://www.ldsstrangite.com/history.html