Revelation, given August, 1831.[[8]]
1. Behold, and hearken O ye Elders of my Church, saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, your advocate, who knoweth the weakness of man and how to succor them who are tempted;
2. And verily mine eyes are upon those who have not as yet gone up unto the land of Zion; wherefore your mission is not yet full;
3. Nevertheless ye are blessed, for the testimony which ye have borne, is recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon, and they rejoice over you, and your sins are forgiven you.
4. And now continue your journey. Assemble yourselves upon the land of Zion, and hold a meeting and rejoice together, and offer a sacrament unto the Most High;
5. And then you may return to bear record, yea, even all together, or two by two, as seemeth you good, it mattereth not unto me, only be faithful, and declare glad tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, of among the congregations of the wicked.
6. Behold, I, the Lord, have brought you together that the promise might be fulfilled, that the faithful among you should be preserved and rejoice together in the land of Missouri. I, the Lord, promised the faithful and cannot lie.
7. I, the Lord, am willing, if any among you desire to ride upon horses, or upon mules, or in chariots, he shall receive this blessing, if he receive it from the hand of the Lord, with a thankful heart in all things.
8. These things remain with you to do according to judgment and the directions of the Spirit.
9. Behold, the kingdom is yours. And behold, and lo, I am with the faithful always. Even so. Amen.
Arrival of the Prophet and Party at Kirtland.
After this meeting with the Elders, Sidney Rigdon, Oliver Cowdery, and myself, continued our journey by land to St. Louis, where we overtook Brothers Phelps and Gilbert. From this place we took stage, and they went by water to Kirtland, where we arrived safe and well on the 27th [August]. Many things transpired upon this journey to strengthen our faith, and which displayed the goodness of God in such a marvelous manner, that we could not help beholding the exertions of Satan to blind the eyes of the people, so as to hide the true light that lights every man that comes into the world.
Anxiety of the Saints to Receive the Word of the Lord.
In these infant days of the Church, there was a great anxiety to obtain the word of the Lord upon every subject that in any way concerned our salvation; and as the land of Zion was now the most important temporal object in view, I enquired of the Lord for further information upon the gathering of the Saints, and the purchase of the land, and other matters, and received the following:
Revelation, given in Kirtland, August, 1831.[[9]]
1. Hearken, O ye people, and open your hearts and give ear from afar; and listen, you that call yourselves the people of the Lord, and hear the word of the Lord and His will concerning you:
2. Yea, verily, I say, hear the word of Him whose anger is kindled against the wicked and rebellious;
3. Who willeth to take even them whom He will take, and preserveth in life them whom He will preserve;
4. Who buildeth up at His own will and pleasure; and destroyeth when he pleases, and is able to cast the soul down to hell.
5. Behold, I, the Lord, utter my voice, and it shall be obeyed.
6. Wherefore, verily I say, let the wicked take heed, and let the rebellious fear and tremble; and let the unbelieving hold their lips, for the day of wrath shall come upon them as a whirlwind, and all flesh shall know that I am God.
7. And he that seeketh signs shall see signs, but not unto salvation.
8. Verily, I say unto you, there are those among you who seek signs, and there have been such even from the beginning;
9. But, behold, faith cometh not by signs, but signs follow those that believe.
10. Yea, signs come by faith, not by the will of men, nor as they please, but by the will of God.
11. Yea, signs come by faith, unto mighty works, for without faith no man pleaseth God: and with whom God is angry He is not well pleased; wherefore, unto such He showeth no sign, only in wrath unto their condemnation.
12. Wherefore, I, the Lord, am not pleased with those among you who have sought after signs and wonders for faith, and not for the good of men unto my glory;
13. Nevertheless, I gave commandments, and many have turned away from my commandments and have not kept them.
14. There were among you adulterers and adulteresses; some of whom have turned away from you, and others remain with you that hereafter shall be revealed.
15. Let such beware and repent speedily, lest judgment shall come upon them as a snare, and their folly shall be made manifest, and their works shall follow them in the eyes of the people.
16. And, verily, I say unto you, as I have said before, he that looketh upon a woman to lust after her, or if any shall commit adultery in their hearts, they shall not have the Spirit, but shall deny the faith and shall fear:
17. Wherefore I, the Lord, have said that the fearful, and the unbelieving, and all liars, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie, and the whoremonger, and the sorcerer, shall have their part in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death.
18. Verily I say, that they shall not have part in the first resurrection.
19. And now, behold, I, the Lord, say unto you, that ye are not justified because these things are among you;
20. Nevertheless he that endureth in faith and doeth my will, the same shall overcome, and shall receive an inheritance upon the earth when the day of transfiguration shall come;
21. When the earth shall be transfigured, even according to the pattern which was shown unto mine apostles upon the mount; of which account the fulness ye have not yet received.
22. And now, verily, I say unto you, that as I said that I would make known my will unto you, behold I will make it known unto you, not by the way of commandment, for there are many who observe not to keep my commandments.
23. But unto him that keepeth my commandments, I will give the mysteries of my kingdom, and the same shall be in him a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life.
24. And now, behold, this is the will of the Lord your God concerning His Saints, that they should assemble themselves together unto the land of Zion, not in haste, lest there should be confusion, which bringeth pestilence.
25. Behold, the land of Zion, I, the Lord, hold it in mine own hands;
26. Nevertheless, I, the Lord, render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's:
27. Wherefore, I, the Lord, will that you should purchase the lands that you may have advantage of the world, that you may have claim on the world, that they may not be stirred up unto anger;
28. For Satan putteth it into their hearts to anger against you, and to the shedding of blood.
29. Wherefore the land of Zion shall not be obtained but by purchase or by blood, otherwise there is none inheritance for you.
30. And if by purchase, behold you are blessed;
31. And if by blood, as you are forbidden to shed blood, lo, your enemies are upon you, and ye shall be scourged from city to city, and from synagogue to synagogue, and but few shall stand to receive an inheritance.
32. I, the Lord, am angry with the wicked; I am holding my Spirit from the inhabitants of the earth.
33. I have sworn in my wrath, and decreed wars upon the face of the earth, and the wicked shall slay the wicked, and fear shall come upon every man,
34. And the Saints also shall hardly escape; nevertheless, I, the Lord, am with them, and will come down in heaven from the presence of my Father, and consume the wicked with unquenchable fire.
35. And behold, this is not yet, but by and by;
36. Wherefore, seeing that I, the Lord, have decreed all these things upon the face of the earth, I will that my Saints should be assembled upon the land of Zion;
37. And that every man should take righteousness in his hands and faithfulness upon his loins, and lift a warning voice unto the inhabitants of the earth; and declare both by word and by flight, that desolation shall come upon the wicked.
38. Wherefore let my disciples in Kirtland arrange their temporal concerns, who dwell upon this farm.
39. Let my servant Titus Billings, who has the care thereof, dispose of the land, that he may be prepared in the coming spring to take his journey up unto the land of Zion, with those that dwell upon the face thereof, excepting those whom I shall reserve unto myself, that shall not go until I shall command them.
40. And let all the monies which can be spared, it mattereth not unto me whether it be little or much, be sent up unto the land of Zion, unto them whom I have appointed to receive.
41. Behold, I, the Lord, will give unto my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., power that he shall be enabled to discern by the Spirit those who shall go up unto the land of Zion, and those of my disciples who shall tarry.
42. Let my servant Newel K. Whitney retain his store, or in other words, the store yet for a little season.
43. Nevertheless let him impart all the money which he can impart, to be sent up unto the land of Zion.
44. Behold, these things are in his own hands, let him do according to wisdom.
45. Verily I say, let him be ordained as an agent unto the disciples that shall tarry, and let him be ordained unto this power;
46. And now speedily visit the churches, expounding these things unto them, with my servant Oliver Cowdery. Behold, this is my will, obtaining moneys even as I have directed.
47. He that is faithful and endureth shall overcome the world.
48. He that sendeth up treasures unto the land of Zion, shall receive an inheritance in this world, and his works shall follow him, and also a reward in the world to come:
49. Yea, and blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth, when the Lord shall come, and old things shall pass away, and all things become new, they shall rise from the dead and shall not die after, and shall receive an inheritance before the Lord, in the holy city.
50. And he that liveth when the Lord shall come, and has kept the faith, blessed is he; nevertheless it is appointed to him to die at the age of man.
51. Wherefore, children shall grow up until they become old, old men shall die; but they shall not sleep in the dust, but they shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye.
52. Wherefore, for this cause preached the apostles unto the world the resurrection of the dead.
53. These things are the things that ye must look for, and, speaking after the manner of the Lord, they are now nigh at hand, and in a time to come, even in the day of the coming of the Son of Man.
54. And until that hour there will be foolish virgins among the wise; and at that hour cometh an entire separation of the righteous and the wicked; and in that day will I send mine angels to pluck out the wicked and cast them into unquenchable fire.
55. And now behold, verily I say unto you, I the Lord, am not pleased with my servant Sidney Rigdon, he exalted himself in his heart, and received not counsel, but grieved the Spirit;
56. Wherefore his writing is not acceptable unto the Lord, and he shall make another and if the Lord receive it not, behold he standeth no longer in the office which I have appointed him.
57. And again, verily I say unto you, those who desire in their hearts, in meekness, to warn sinners to repentance, let them be ordained unto this power.
58. For this is a day of warning, and not a day of many words. For I, the Lord, am not to be mocked in the last days.
59. Behold, I am from above, and my power lieth beneath. I am over all, and in all, and through all, and search all things, and the day cometh that all things shall be subject unto me.
60. Behold, I am Alpha and Omega, even Jesus Christ.
61. Wherefore let all men beware how they take my name in their lips;
62. For, behold, verily I say, that many there be who are under this condemnation, who use the name of the Lord, and use it in vain, having not authority.
63. Wherefore, let the Church repent of their sins, and I, the Lord, will own them, otherwise they shall be cut off.
64. Remember that that which cometh from above, is sacred, and must be spoken with care, and by constraint of the Spirit, and in this there is no condemnation, and ye receive the Spirit through prayer; wherefore, without this there remaineth condemnation.
65. Let my servants, Joseph Smith, Jun., and Sidney Rigdon, seek them a home, as they are taught through prayer by the Spirit.
66. These things remain to overcome through patience, that such may receive a more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, otherwise, a greater condemnation. Amen.
Preparations to Move to Hiram.
The early part of September was spent in making preparations to remove to the town of Hiram, and renew our work on the translation of the Bible. The brethren who were commanded to go up to Zion were earnestly engaged in getting ready to start in the coming October. On the 11th of September I received the following:
Revelation, given in Kirtland.[[10]]
1. Behold, thus saith the Lord your God unto you, O ye Elders of my Church, hearken ye and hear, and receive my will concerning you;
2. For verily I say unto you, I will that ye should overcome the world; wherefore I will have compassion upon you.
3. There are those among you who have sinned; but verily I say, for this once, for mine own glory, and for the salvation of souls, I have forgiven you your sins.
4. I will be merciful unto you, for I have given unto you the kingdom:
5. And the keys of the mysteries of the kingdom shall not be taken from my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., through the means I have appointed, while he liveth, inasmuch as he obeyeth mine ordinances.
6. There are those who have sought occasion against him without cause;
7. Nevertheless he has sinned but verily I say unto you, I, the Lord forgive sins unto those who confess their sins before me and ask forgiveness, who have not sinned unto death.
8. My disciples, in days of old, sought occasion against one another, and forgave not one another in their hearts, and for this evil they were afflicted, and sorely chastened.
9. Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another, for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses, standeth condemned before the Lord, for there remaineth in him the greater sin.
10. I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men;
11. And ye ought to say in your hearts, let God judge between me and thee, and reward thee according to thy deeds.
12. And him that repenteth not of his sins, and confesseth them not, ye shall bring before the Church, and do with him as the Scripture saith unto you, either by commandment or by revelation.
13. And this ye shall do that God may be glorified, not because ye forgive not, having not compassion, but that ye may be justified in the eyes of the law, that ye may not offend Him who is your Lawgiver.
14. Verily I say, for this cause ye shall do these things.
15. Behold, I, the Lord, was angry with him who was my servant Ezra Booth, and also my servant Isaac Morley, for they kept not the law, neither the commandment;
16. They sought evil in their hearts, and I, the Lord, withheld my Spirit. They condemned for evil that thing in which there was no evil; nevertheless I have forgiven my servant Isaac Morley.
17. And also my servant Edward Partridge, behold, he hath sinned, and Satan seeketh to destroy his soul; but when these things are made known unto them, and they repent of the evil, they shall be forgiven.
18. And now, verily I say, that it is expedient in me that my servant Sidney Gilbert, after a few weeks, shall return upon his business, and to his agency in the land of Zion;
19. And that which he hath seen and heard may be made known unto my disciples, that they perish not. And for this cause have I spoken these things.
20. And again, I say unto you, that my servant Isaac Morley may not be tempted above that which he is able to bear, and counsel wrongfully to your hurt, I gave commandment that his farm should be sold.
21. I will not that my servant Frederick G. Williams should sell his farm, for I, the Lord, will to retain a strong hold in the land of Kirtland, for the space of five years, in the which I will not overthrow the wicked, that thereby I may save some;
22. And after that day, I, the Lord, will not hold any guilty that shall go with an open heart up to the land of Zion; for I the Lord, require the hearts of the children of men.
23. Behold, now it is called today (until the coming of the Son of Man), and verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned (at His coming);
24. For after today cometh the burning: this is speaking after the manner of the Lord; for verily I say, tomorrow all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, for I am the Lord of hosts: and I will not spare any that remain in Babylon.
25. Wherefore, if ye believe me, ye will labor while it is called today.
26. And it is not meet that my servants, Newel K. Whitney and Sidney Gilbert, should sell their store and their possessions here, for this is not wisdom until the residue of the Church, which remaineth in this place, shall go up unto the land of Zion.
27. Behold, it is said in my laws, or forbidden, to get in debt to thine enemies;
28. But behold, it is not said at any time that the Lord should not take when He please, and pay as seemeth Him good:
29. Wherefore, as ye are agents, ye are on the Lord's errand; and whatever ye do according to the will of the Lord, is the Lord's business,
30. And He hath set you to provide for His Saints in these last days, that they may obtain an inheritance in the land of Zion:
31. And behold, I, the Lord, declare unto you, and my words are sure and shall not fail, that they shall obtain it;
32. But all things must come to pass in their time;
33. Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.
34. Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days;
35. And the rebellious shall be cut off out of the land of Zion, and shall be sent away, and shall not inherit the land:
36. For, verily, I say that the rebellious are not of the blood of Ephraim, wherefore they shall be plucked out.
37. Behold, I, the Lord, have made my Church in these last days like unto a judge sitting on a hill, or in a high place, to judge the nations;
38. For it shall come to pass that the inhabitants of Zion shall judge all things pertaining to Zion;
39. And liars and hypocrites shall be proved by them, and they who are not apostles and prophets shall be known.
40. And even the Bishop, who is a judge, and his counselors, if they are not faithful in their stewardships, shall be condemned, and others shall be planted in their stead;
41. For, behold, I say unto you that Zion shall flourish, and the glory of the Lord shall be upon her,
42. And she shall be an ensign unto the people, and there shall come unto her out of every nation under heaven.
43. And the day shall come when the nations of the earth shall tremble because of her, and shall fear because of her terrible ones. The Lord hath spoken it. Amen.