What is “the stake of Zion”?

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.

What is “the stake of Zion”?

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 an abandoned house 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.