As Zion's Camp passed "incognito" through Jacksonville, Illinois, Joseph Smith (going by Squire Cook) recalled "We had preaching," and many of the inhabitants of the town came to hear them that Sunday. The townspeople were told the preachers consisted of a Baptist, Cambellite, Reformed Methodist and a Restorationer.
George A. Smith recalled:
SUNDAY, June 1. At half-past 10 this morning our trumpet, a common brass, French Horn, sounded in the Camp for preaching. There were some two or three hundred of the people from Jacksonville [Illinois] and the surrounding country gathered under the trees within our camp, and a chest was brought out for the accommodation of the speakers, when Squire Cook (Joseph Smith) took the stand professing to be a liberal free-thinker. . . .
The free-thinker was followed by Elder John S. Carter, who delivered a very eloquent discourse on "Practical Piety." Elder Joseph Young spoke on the principle of free salvation, followed by [his brother] Elder Brigham Young, who set forth baptism as necessary for salvation. Elder Lyman E. Johnson also spoke.
After a few minutes recess, at 2 o'clock p.m., the trumpet again sounded, and a large congregation from Jacksonville and the surrounding country again assembled in the grove, many of whom expressed a desire to hear "That Methodist man" again. So President Smith called Brother Joseph Young into his tent and requested him to preach an animated sermon on free grace, and told him he should have the Spirit.
He then sent for Elder Amasa Lyman and said to him, "I understand, Mr. Lyman[,] you are a Restorationer.
"Yes," said he, "I believe in that doctrine."
"Well," said Joseph, "I wish you would make a few remarks to the people on that subject after Mr. Young has done."
Elder Orson Pratt was also sent for and went into the Prophet's tent, who said to him, "Brother Orson, when these brethren get through speaking to the people, I want you to make a few remarks, reasoning on the importance of a union of all the different sects and denominations."
These brethren did as they were requested. . . .
After the services of the day were closed many strangers made remarks on the preaching they had heard. They thought Joseph Young was a Methodist, and were anxious he should stay in that country and preach. . . .
[Times and Seasons 6:20 (January 1, 1846), p. 1076; George A. Smith, "My Journal" in The Instructor 81 (1946), pp. 182-83, "abridged from holograph in LDS Church Archives. Grammar has been standardized."; Grunder, Rick, Mormon Parallels: A Bibliographic Source]
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