JACKSONVILLE. ILL.

In observance of the 1834 Zion's Camp expedition, the Jacksonville Area Conference of Churches, comprising 12 denominations, gathered for a Family Festival on June 13 at a community park.

Family Festival quilt was made by participating churches, including LDS, Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian and other faiths.

"The goal of this festival was to bring the churches and families of Jacksonville together in support of each other," said Mark Greene, cochairman of the event and a member of the Jacksonville Ward, Springfield Illinois Stake.

"The theme was 'faith and family, a powerful combination for good in the community.'"

The event commemorated a May 31, 1834, incident, when Zion's Camp stopped one mile east of Jacksonville, Brother Greene said.

At Family Festival put on by Jacksonville Area Conference of Churches in Illinois, a family group marches in Family Name Flag Parade. Event commemorated a Sunday worship service held by members of Zions Camp involving various faiths.

"Accepting Frederick G. Williams' invitation, 250 citizens of Jacksonville from various denominations joined the members of Zion's Camp for Sunday worship the next day," he said. "Orson Hyde summarized the talks given that day and concluded that all should be one true religion. Eleazer Miller's final speech so unified the congregation that they all sang, prayed and partook of the sacrament together as though they were one true religion. This unified Sabbath worship was described in Zion's Camp journals as the most unusual of the entire journey."

Brother Greene said the June 13 commemoration started with a family name flag parade led by a Scout troop from Centenary Methodist Church, carrying Christian and U.S. flags, with marching music provided by the Nauvoo Brass Band.

On a wagon towed during Family Name Flag Parade, the Nauvoo Brass Band performed for spectators at Jacksonville Area Conference of Churches Family Festival. The group is based in Historic Nauvoo where its 1840s namesake was formed.

"About 400 people with a variety of family name flags marched the one-mile parade route following the band," he said. "After the parade, pastime and modern games such as stick pulling, stilt walks, tug-of-war and parachute games were organized for the family participants. A lunch was then provided in the park pavilion, where demonstrations on how families are supported by community and church organizations were presented."

The finale was a dinner and program for 200 people, with talks by local Methodist and LDS representatives. After the dinner program, local ministers from nine churches joined hands, and each said a prayer for the churches and families of Jacksonville. "To end the day, multi-colored helium balloons filled with individual family wishes were tied together and released in a cluster of rainbow colors," Brother Greene said.