Chapter XIII.
Prospects of the Church at the Opening of the Year 1831Removal of the Prophet Joseph from New York to OhioDoctrinal Development.
Prospects of the Church1831.
The year 1831 opened with a prospect great and glorious for the welfare of the kingdom; for on the 2nd of January, 1831, a conference was held in the town of Fayette, New York, at which the ordinary business of the Church was transacted; and in addition, the following revelation was received:
Revelation, given January 2nd, 1831.[[1]]
1. Thus saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, the Great I AM, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the same which looked upon the wide expanse of eternity, and all the seraphic hosts of heaven before the world was made:
2. The same which knoweth all things, for all things are present before mine eyes:
3. I am the same which spake, and the world was made, and all things came by me:
4. I am the same which have taken the Zion of Enoch into mine own bosom; and verily, I say, even as many as have believed in my name, for I am Christ, and in mine own name, by the virtue of the blood which I have spilt, have I pleaded before the Father for them;
5. But behold, the residue of the wicked have I kept in chains of darkness until the judgment of the great day, which shall come at the end of the earth;
6. And even so will I cause the wicked to be kept, that will not hear my voice but harden their hearts, and wo, wo, wo, is their doom.
7. But behold, verily, verily, I say unto you that mine eyes are upon you. I am in your midst, and ye cannot see me;
8. But the day soon cometh that ye shall see me, and know that I am; for the vail of darkness shall soon be rent, and he that is not purified shall not abide the day:
9. Wherefore gird up your loins and be prepared. Behold, the kingdom is yours, and the enemy shall not overcome.
10. verily, I say unto you, ye are clean, but not all; and there is none else with whom I am well pleased.
11. For all flesh is corrupted before me; and the powers of darkness prevail upon the earth, among the children of men, in the presence of all the hosts of heaven.
12. Which causeth silence to reign, and all eternity is pained, and the angels are waiting the great command to reap down the earth, to gather the tares that they may be burned; and, behold, the enemy is combined.
13. And now I show unto you a mystery, a thing which is had in secret chambers, to bring to pass even your destruction in process of time, and ye knew it not.
14. But now I tell it unto you, and ye are blessed, not because of your iniquity, neither your hearts of unbelief; for verily some of you are guilty before me, but I will be merciful unto your weakness.
15. Therefore, be ye strong from henceforth; fear not, for the kingdom is yours:
16. And for your salvation I give unto you a commandment, for I have heard your prayers, and the poor have complained before me, and the rich have I made, and all flesh is mine, and I am no respecter of persons.
17. And I have made the earth rich, and behold it is my footstool, wherefore, again I will stand upon it;
18. And I hold forth and deign to give unto you greater riches, even a land of promise, a land flowing with milk and honey, upon which there shall be no curse when the Lord cometh;
19. And I will give it unto you for the land of your inheritance, if you seek it with all your hearts:
20. And this shall be my covenant with you, ye shall have it for the land of your inheritance, and for the inheritance of your children forever, while the earth shall stand, and ye shall possess it again in eternity, no more to pass away.
21. But verily I say unto you, that in time ye shall have no king nor ruler, for I will be your King and watch over you.
22. Wherefore, hear my voice and follow me, and you shall be a free people, and ye shall have no laws but my laws when I come, for I am your Law-giver, and what can stay my hand?
23. But verily, I say unto you, teach one another according to the office wherewith I have appointed you,
24. And let every man esteem his brother as himself, and practice virtue and holiness before me.
25. And again I say unto you, let every man esteem his brother as himself;
26. For what man among you having twelve sons, and is no respecter of them, and they serve him obediently, and he saith unto the one, Be thou clothed in robes and sit thou here; and to the other, Be thou clothed in rags and sit thou there, and looketh upon his sons and saith I am just.
27. Behold, this I have given unto you as a parable, and it is even as I am: I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one, ye are not mine.
28. And again I say unto you, that the enemy in the secret chambers seeketh your lives.
29. Ye hear of wars in far countries, and you say that there will soon be great wars in far countries, but ye know not the hearts of men in your own land.
30. I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.
31. And that ye might escape the power of the enemy, and be gathered unto me a righteous people, without spot and blameless:
32. Wherefore, for this cause I gave unto you the commandment that ye should go to the Ohio; and there I will give unto you my law; and there you shall be endowed with power from on high;
33. And from thence, whomsoever I will, shall go forth among all nations, and it shall be told them what they shall do; for I have a great work laid up in store, for Israel shall be saved, and I will lead them whithersoever I will, and no power shall stay my hand.
34. And now I give unto the Church in these parts, a commandment that certain men among them shall be appointed, and they shall be appointed by the voice of the Church;
35. And they shall look to the poor and the needy, and administer to their relief, that they shall not suffer; and send them forth to the place which I have commanded them;
36. And this shall be their work, to govern the affairs of the property of this Church.
37. And they have farms that cannot be sold, let them be left or rented as seemeth them good.
38. See that all things are preserved; and when men are endowed with power from on high and sent forth, all these things shall be gathered unto the bosom of the Church.
39. And if ye seek the riches which it is the will of the Father to give unto you, ye shall be the richest of all people, for ye shall have the riches of eternity; and it must needs be that the riches of the earth are mine to give; but beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old.
40. And again I say unto you, I give unto you a commandment, that every man, both Elder, Priest, Teacher, and also member, go to with his might, with the labor of his hands, to prepare and accomplish the things which I have commanded.
41. And let your preaching be the warning voice, every man to his neighbor, in mildness and in meekness.
42. And go ye out from among the wicked. Save yourselves. Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Even so. Amen.
James Covill.
Not long after this conference of the 2nd of January closed, there was a man came to me by the name of James Covill, who had been a Baptist minister for about forty years, and covenanted with the Lord that he would obey any command that the Lord would give to him through me, as His servant, and I received the following:
Revelation to James Covill, given at Fayette, New York, January 5th, 1831.[[2]]
1. Hearken and listen to the voice of Him who is from all eternity to all eternity, the Great I AM, even Jesus Christ,
2. The light and life of the world; a light which shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not:
3. The same which came in the meridian of time unto my own, and my own received me not;
4. But to as many as received me, gave I power to become my sons, and even so will I give unto as many as will receive me, power to become my sons.
5. And verily, verily, I say unto you, he that receiveth my Gospel receiveth me; and he that receiveth not my Gospel receiveth not me.
6. And this is my Gospel: repentance and baptism by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter, which showeth all things, and teacheth the peaceable things of the Kingdom.
7. And now, behold, I say unto you, my servant James, I have looked upon thy works and I know thee;
8. And verily I say unto thee, thine heart is now right before me at this time, and behold, I have bestowed great blessings upon thy head.
9. Nevertheless thou hast seen great sorrow, for thou hast rejected me many times because of pride and the cares of the world;
10. But, behold, the days of thy deliverance are come, if thou wilt hearken to my voice, which saith unto thee, arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on my name, and you shall receive my Spirit, and a blessing so great as you never have known.
11. And if thou do this, I have prepared thee for a greater work. Thou shalt preach the fullness of my Gospel, which I have sent forth in these last days; the covenant which I have sent forth to recover my people, which are of the house of Israel.
12. And it shall come to pass that power shall rest upon thee; thou shalt have great faith, and I will be with thee and go before thy face.
13. Thou art called to labor in my vineyard, and to build up my Church, and to bring forth Zion, that it may rejoice upon the hills and flourish.
14. Behold, verily, verily, I say unto thee, thou art not called to go into the eastern countries, but thou art called to go to the Ohio.
15. And inasmuch as my people shall assemble themselves to the Ohio, I have kept in store a blessing such as is not known among the children of men, and it shall be poured forth upon their heads. And from thence men shall go forth into all nations.
16. Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that the people in Ohio call upon me in much faith, thinking I will stay my hand in judgment upon the nations, but I cannot deny my word;
17. Wherefore lay to with your might and call faithful laborers into my vineyard, that it may be pruned for the last time.
18. And inasmuch as they do repent and receive the fullness of my Gospel, and become sanctified, I will stay my hand in judgment:
19. Wherefore, go forth, crying with a loud voice, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand; crying Hosanna! blessed be the name of the most High God.
20. Go forth baptizing with water, preparing the way before my face, for the time of my coming;
21. For the time is at hand; the day nor the hour no man knoweth; but it surely shall come.
22. And he that receiveth these things receiveth me; and they shall be gathered unto me in time and in eternity.
23. And again, it shall come to pass, that on as many as ye shall baptize with water, ye shall lay your hands, and they shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and shall be looking forth for the signs of my coming, and shall know me.
24. Behold, I come quickly. Even so. Amen.
Why Covill Rejected the Commandment.