Revelation to Sidney Rigdon, Parley P. Pratt, and Leman Copley, given March, 1831.[[9]]
1. Hearken unto my word, my servants Sidney, and Parley, and Leman, for behold, verily I say unto you, that I give unto you a commandment that you shall go and preach my Gospel which ye have received, even as ye have received it, unto the Shakers.
2. Behold, I say unto you, that they desire to know the truth in part, but not all, for they are not right before me and must needs repent;
3. Wherefore I send you, my servants Sidney and Parley to preach the Gospel unto them;
4. And my servant Leman shall be ordained unto this work, that he may reason with them, not according to that which he has received of them, but according to that which shall be taught him by you my servants, and by so doing I will bless him, otherwise he shall not prosper.
5. Thus saith the Lord, for I am God, and have sent mine Only Begotten Son into the world for the redemption of the world, and have decreed that he that receiveth Him shall be saved, and he that receiveth Him not shall be damned.
6. And they have done unto the Son of man even as they listed; and He has taken His power on the right hand of His glory, and now reigneth in the heavens, and will reign till He descends on the earth to put all enemies under His feet, which time is nigh at hand:
7. I, the Lord God, have spoken it, but the hour and the day no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven nor shall they know until He comes.
8. Wherefore I will that all men shall repent, for all are under sin, except those which I have reserved unto myself, holy men that ye know not of.
9. Wherefore I say unto you, that I have sent unto you mine everlasting covenant, even that which was from the beginning
10. And that which I have promised I have so fulfilledand the nations of the earth shall bow to it; and, if not of themselves, they shall come down, for that which is now exalted of itself shall be laid low of power;
11. Wherefore I give unto you a commandment that ye go among this people, and say unto them, like unto mine Apostle of old, whose name was Peter;
12. Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus, who was on the earth, and is to come, the beginning and the end,
13. Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, according to the holy commandment, for the remission of sins;
14. And whoso doeth this shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, by the laying on of the hands of the Elders of the Church.
15. And again, verily I say unto you, that whoso forbiddeth to marry is not ordained of God, for marriage is ordained of God unto man;
16. Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation.
17. And that it might be filled with the measure of man, according to his creation before the world was made.
18. And whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats, that man should not eat the same, is not ordained of God;
19. For, behold, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which cometh of the earth, is ordained for the use of man for food and for raiment, and that he might have in abundance:
20. But it is not given that one man should possess that which is above another, wherefore the world lieth in sin;
21. And wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need.
22. And again, verily, I say unto you, that the Son of Man cometh not in the form of a woman, neither of a man traveling on the earth.
23. Wherefore be not deceived, but continue in steadfastness, looking forth for the heavens to be shaken, and the earth to tremble and to reel to and fro as a drunken man, and for the valleys to be exalted, and for the mountains to be made low, and for the rough places to become smooth; and all this when the angel shall sound his trumpet.
24. But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose.
25. Zion shall flourish upon the hills and rejoice upon the mountains, and shall be assembled together unto the place which I have appointed.
26. Behold, I say unto you, go forth as I have commanded yourepent of all your sins, ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you:
27. Behold, I will go before you and be your rearward; and I will be in your midst, and you shall not be confounded;
28. Behold, I am Jesus Christ, and I come quickly. Even so. Amen. [[10]]
Inquiry on Spiritual Manifestations.
During the month of April, I continued to translate the Scriptures as time would allow. In May, a number of Elders being present, and not understanding the different spirits[[11]] abroad in the earth, I inquired and received from the Lord the following:
Revelation, given May, 1831.[[12]]
1. Hearken, O ye Elders of my Church, and give ear to the voice of the living God, and attend to the words of wisdom which shall be given unto you, according as ye have asked and are agreed as touching the Church, and the spirits which have gone abroad in the earth.
2. Behold, verily, I say unto you, that there are many spirits which are false spirits, which have gone forth in the earth, deceiving the world;
3. And also Satan hath sought to deceive you, that he might overthrow you.
4. Behold, I the Lord have looked upon you, and have seen abominations in the Church that profess my name;
5. But blessed are they who are faithful and endure, whether in life or in death, for they shall inherit eternal life.
6. But wo unto them that are deceivers and hypocrites, for thus saith the Lord, I will bring them to judgment.
7. Behold, verily I say unto you, there are hypocrites among you, who have deceived some, which has given the adversary power, but behold such shall be reclaimed;
8. But the hypocrites shall be detected and shall be cut off, either in life or in death, even as I will; and wo unto them who are cut off from my Church, for the same are overcome of the world;
9. Wherefore, let every man beware lest he do that which is not in truth and righteousness before me.
10. And now come, saith the Lord, by the Spirit, unto the Elders of His Church, and let us reason together, that ye may understand:
11. Let us reason even as a man reasoneth one with another, face to face:
12. Now when a man reasoneth he is understood of man, because he reasoneth as a man, even so will I the Lord, reason with you, that you may understand;
13. Wherefore, I, the Lord, ask you this question, Unto what were ye ordained?
14. To preach my Gospel by the Spirit, even the Comforter which was sent forth to teach the truth;
15. And then received ye spirits which ye could not understand, and received them to be of God, and in this are ye justified?
16. Behold ye shall answer this question yourselves; nevertheless I will be merciful unto you; he that is weak among you hereafter shall be made strong.
17. Verily I say unto you, he that is ordained of me and sent forth to preach the word of truth by the Comforter, in the Spirit of truth, doth he preach it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?
18. And if it be by some other way, it is not of God.
19. And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?
20. If it be some other way it is not of God:
21. Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know that he that receiveth the word by the Spirit of truth, receiveth it as it is preached by the Spirit of truth?
22. Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.
23. And that which doth not edify is not of God and is darkness;
24. That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light, and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.
25. And again, verily I say unto you, and I say it that you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you;
26. He that is ordained of God and sent forth, the same is appointed to be the greatest, notwithstanding he is the least and the servant of all.
27. Wherefore, he is possessor of all things; for all things are subject unto him, both in heaven and on the earth, the life and the light, the Spirit and the power, sent forth by the will of the Father, through Jesus Christ, His Son.
28. But no man is possessor of all things except he be purified and cleansed from all sin;
29. And if ye are purified and cleansed from all sin, ye shall ask whatsoever you will in the name of Jesus, and it shall be done:
30. But know this, it shall be given you what you shall ask, and as ye are appointed to the head, the spirits shall be subject unto you.
31. Wherefore, it shall come to pass, that if you behold a spirit manifested that you cannot understand, and you receive not that spirit, ye shall ask of the Father in the name of Jesus, and if he give not unto you that spirit, then you may know that it is not of God:
32. And it shall be given unto you power over that spirit, and you shall proclaim against that spirit with a loud voice that it is not of God;
33. Not with railing accusation, that ye be not overcome, neither with boasting, nor rejoicing, lest you be seized therewith.
34. He that receiveth of God, let him account it of God, and let him rejoice that he is accounted of God worthy to receive.
35. And by giving heed and doing these things which ye have received, and which ye shall hereafter receive: and the kingdom is given you of the Father, and power to overcome all things which are not ordained of Him.
36. And behold, verily I say unto you, blessed are you who are now hearing these words of mine from the mouth of my servant, for your sins are forgiven you.
37. Let my servant, Joseph Wakefield, in whom I am well pleased, and my servant, Parley P. Pratt go forth among the churches and strengthen them by the word of exhortation;
38. And also my servant John Corrill, or as many of my servants as are ordained unto this office, and let them labor in the vineyard; and let no man hinder them doing that which I have appointed unto them:
39. Wherefore in this thing my servant Edward Partridge is not justified; nevertheless let him repent and he shall be forgiven.
40. Behold, ye are little children, and ye cannot bear all things now; we must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.
41. Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me;
42. And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost:
43. And the Father and I are one: I am in the Father and the Father in me: and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you;
44. Wherefore I am in your midst, and I am the Good Shepherd, and the Stone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall.
45. And the day cometh that you shall hear my voice and see me, and know that I am.
46. Watch, therefore, that ye may be ready. Even so. Amen. [[13]]
Arrival in Ohio of the New York Saints.
Not long after the foregoing was received, the Saints from the State of New York began to come on, and it seemed necessary to settle them; therefore at the solicitation of Bishop Partridge, I inquired, and received the following:
Revelation, given May, 1831.[[14]]
1. Hearken unto me, saith the Lord your God, and I will speak unto my servant Edward Partridge, and give unto him directions, for it must needs be that he receive directions how to organize this people;
2. For it must needs be that they be organized according to my lawsotherwise, they will be cut off.
3. Wherefore, let my servant Edward Partridge, and those whom he has chosen, in whom I am well pleased, appoint unto this people their portions, every man equal according to his family, according to his circumstances, and his wants and needs.
4. And let my servant Edward Partridge, when he shall appoint a man his portion, give unto him a writing that shall secure unto him his portion, that he shall hold it, even this right and this inheritance in the Church, until he transgresses and is not accounted worthy by the voice of the Church, according to the laws and covenants of the Church, to belong to the Church:
5. And if he shall transgress and is not accounted worthy to belong to the Church, he shall not have power to claim that portion which he has consecrated unto the Bishop for the poor and needy of my Church; therefore, he shall not retain the gift, but shall only have claim on that portion that is deeded unto him.
6. And thus all things shall be made sure, according to the laws of the land.
7. And let that which belongs to this people be appointed unto this people;
8. And the money which is left unto this people, let there be an agent appointed unto this people, to take the money to provide food and raiment, according to the wants of this people.
9. And let every man deal honestly, and be alike among this people, and receive alike, that ye may be one, even as I have commanded you.
10. And let that which belongeth to this people not be taken and given unto that of another church;
11. Wherefore, if another church would receive money of this church, let them pay unto this church again according as they shall agree;
12. And this shall be done through the Bishop or the agent, which shall be appointed by the voice of the Church.
13. And again, let the Bishop appoint a storehouse unto this Church; and let all things both in money and in meat, which are more than is needful for the wants of this people, be kept in the hands of the Bishop.
14. And let him also reserve unto himself for his own wants, and for the wants of his family, as he shall be employed in doing this business.
15. And thus I grant unto this people a privilege of organizing themselves according to my laws.
16. And I consecrate unto them this land for a little season, until I, the Lord, shall provide for them otherwise, and command them to go hence;
17. And the hour and the day is not given unto them, wherefore let them act upon this land as for years, and this shall turn unto them for their good.
18. Behold, this shall be an example unto my servant Edward Partridge, in other places, in all churches.
19. And whoso is found a faithful, a just and a wise steward, shall enter into the joy of his Lord, and shall inherit eternal life.
20. Verily, I say unto you, I am Jesus Christ, who cometh quickly, in an hour you think not. Even so. Amen.
Footnotes
[1]. This earthquake in China is a matter of some interest in connection with the history of the church, since it was the means of bringing Simonds Ryder, a somewhat noted preacher of the Campbellite faith, into the Church. According to Hayden's History of the Disciples on the Western Reserve (a Campbellite book), Mr. Ryder was much perplexed over "Mormonism," and for a time was undecided whether to join the Church or not. "In the month of June," (1831) writes Mr. Hayden, "he read in a newspaper an account of the destruction of Pekin in China, and he remembered that six weeks before, a young 'Mormon' girl had predicted the destruction of that city." J. H. Kennedy, in his Early Days of Mormonism (Scribner's & Sons, 1888), refers to the same thing, and adds: "This appeal to the superstitious part of his nature was the final weight in the balance and he threw the whole power of his influence upon the side of 'Mormonism.' His surrender caused an excitement almost equal to that which followed the fall of Rigdon," (pp. 103-4). It was doubtless this prophecy and the conversion connected with it that led the papers mentioned in the text to refer to it as "Mormonism" in China. The discrepancy in dates, Hayden and Kennedy referring to the published accounts of the events as appearing in June, and the Prophet making reference to it previous to the 7th of March, need cause no confusion. It will be seen that the Prophet alludes to it in connection with a number of other things as taking place "at this age of the Church"a very indefinite reference as to the time in which a thing may have occurred.
[2]. Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 45.