Revelation given to Joseph Smith
:
1 Verily thus saith the Lord, unto you my servant Joseph Smith,
I am well pleased with your offering and acknowledgments which
you have made; for unto this end have I raised you up, that I might
shew forth my wisdom through the weak things of the earth.
Your prayers are acceptable before me, and in answer to them,
I say unto you, that you are now called immediately to make
a solemn proclamation of my gospel and of this stake which
I have planted to be a corner stone of Zion, which shall be
polished with that refinement which is after the similitude of
a palace. This proclamation shall be made to all the kings
of the world to the four corners thereof—To the honorable president
elect, and the high minded governors of the nation in which you live
and to all the nations of the earth scattered abroad. Let it be
written in the spirit of meekness, and by the power of the Holy
Ghost which shall be in you at the time of the writing of the
same; for it shall be given you by the Holy Ghost to know my
will concerning those kings and authorities, even what shall befall
them in a time to come. For, behold! I am about to call upon
them to give heed to the light and glory of Zion, for the set
time has come to favor her.
2 Call ye, therefore, upon them with loud proclamation and
with your testimony, fearing them not, for they are as grass,
and all their glory as the flower thereof which soon falleth,
that they may be left also without excuse, and that I
may visit them in the day of visitation, when I shall
unveil the face of my covering, to appoint the portion of
the oppressor among hypocrites, where there is gnashing
of teeth, if they reject my servants and my testimony
which I have revealed unto them. And, again I will
visit and soften their hearts, many of them, for your good,
that ye may find grace in their eyes, that they may come to
the light of truth, and the Gentiles to the exaltation or lifting
up of Zion. For the day of my visitation cometh speedily, in
an hour when ye think not of, and where shall be the safety
of my people? and refuge for those who shall be left of them?
3 Awake! O kings of the earth! Come ye, O! come ye with your
gold and your silver, to the help of my people—to the house of
the daughter of Zion.
4 And again, verily I say unto you, let my servant Robert B
Thompson help you to write this proclamation, for I am well pleased
with him, and that he should be with you; let him, therefore,
hearken to your council, and I will bless him with a multiplicity
of blessings; let him be faithful and true in all things from
henceforth, and he shall be great in mine eyes; but let him
remember that his stewardship will I require at his hands.
5 And again, verily I say unto you; blessed is my servant Hyrum
Smith, for I the Lord loveth him, because of the integrity of
his heart, and because he loveth that which is right before
me saith the Lord.
6 Again, let my servant John C. Bennett, help you in your labour,
in sending my word to the kings and peoples of the earth; and stand
by you, even you my servant Joseph Smith, in the hour of affliction,
and his reward shall not fail, if he receive council; and for
his love, he shall be great; for he shall be mine if he does
this, saith the Lord. I have seen the work he hath done, which
I accept, if he continue; and will crown him with blessings and
great glory.
7 And again, I say unto you, that it is my will that my servant
Lyman Wright, should continue in preaching for Zion, in the
spirit of meekness, confessing me before the world, and I will
bear him up as on eagle's wings, and he shall beget glory and honor
to himself, and unto my name, that when he shall finish
his work, that I may receive him unto myself even as I did
my servant David Patten, who is with me at this time, and
also, my servant Edward Partridge, and also my aged servant
Joseph Smith, Sen., who sitteth with Abraham, at his
right hand, and blessed and holy is he, for he is mine.
8 And again, verily I say unto you, my servant George
Miller is without guile, he may be trusted because of the
integrity of his heart; and for the love which he has to my testimony.
I the Lord loveth him. I therefore say unto you, I seal upon
his head the office of a bishoprick, like unto my servant Edward
Partridge, that he may receive the consecrations of mine house,
that he may receive the consecrations of mine house, that he
may administer blessings upon the heads of the poor of my
people saith the Lord. Let no man despise my servant George,
for he shall honor me.
9 Let my servant George, and my servant Lyman, and my
servant John Snider, and others, build a house unto my
name, such an one, as my servant Joseph shall show unto
them, upon the place which he shall show unto them also.
And it shall be for a house for boarding, a house that
strangers may come from afar to lodge therein: therefore,
let it be a good house, worthy of all acceptation, that the weary
traveller, may find health and safety, while he shall contemplate
the word of the Lord, and the corner stone I have appointed for
Zion. This house shall be a healthy habitation, if it be built
unto my name, and if the governor which shall be appointed
unto it, shall not suffer any pollution to come upon it. It shall
be holy, or the Lord your God will not dwell therein.
10 And again, verily I say unto you, let all my saints from afar;
and send ye swift messengers yea chosen messengers, and say unto
them, come ye with all your gold, and your silver, and your precious
stones, and with all your antiquities; and with all ^who have^ knowledge
of antiquities, that will come may come, and bring the box tree
and the fir tree, and the pine tree, together with all the precious
trees of the earth, and with iron, with copper, and with brass,
and with zinc, and with all your precious things of the earth,
and build a house to my name, for the Most High to dwell therein,
for there is not place found on earth, that he may come and restore
again that which was lost unto you, or, which he hath taken away,
even the fulness of the priesthood; for a baptismal font there
is not upon the earth; that they, my saints, may be baptized for
those who are dead; for this ordinance belongeth to my house,
and cannot be acceptable to me only in the days of your
poverty, wherein ye are not able to able to build a house
unto me. But I command you, all ye my saints, to build a
house unto me, and I grant unto you a sufficient time to build
a house unto me; and during this time your baptisms shall be
acceptable unto me.
11 But, behold, at the end of this appointment, your baptisms for
your dead shall not be acceptable unto me, and if you do not these
things, at the end of the appointment ye shall be rejected as a
church with your dead saith the Lord your God. For, verily,
I say unto you, that after you have had sufficient time to build
a house unto me, wherein the ordinance of baptizing for the dead belongeth,
and for which the same was instituted from before the foundation of
the world, your baptisms for your dead cannot be acceptable unto me,
for therein are the keys of the holy priesthood ordained, that you
may receive honor and glory. And after this time, your baptisms for
the dead, by those who are scattered abroad, are not acceptable unto
me, saith the Lord; for it is ordained that in Zion and in her stakes,
and in Jerusalem, those places which I have appointed for refuge,
shall be the place for your baptisms for your dead.
12 And again, verily I say unto you, how shall your washing be
acceptable unto me, except ye perform them in a house which you
have built to my name? For, for this cause I commanded
Moses that he should build a tabernacle, that they should bear
it with them in the wilderness, and to build a house in the land
of promise, that those ordinances might be revealed, which had
been hid from before the world was; therefore verily I say unto
you, that your anointings, and your washings, and your baptisms for
the dead, and your solemn assemblies, and your memorials for your sacrifices,
by the sons of Levi, and for your oracles in your most holy places,
wherein you receive conversations, and your statutes, and judgments,
for the beginning of the revelations and foundation of Zion, and for
the glory, honor, and endownment of all her municipals, are ordained
by the ordinance of my holy house, which my people are always
commanded to build unto my holy name.
13 And verily I say unto you let this house be built unto my
name, that I may reveal mine ordinances therein unto my people;
for I deign to reveal unto my church, things which have been kept
hid from before the foundation of the world; things that pertain
to the dispensation of the fulness of times, and I will shew
unto my servant Joseph, all things pertaining to this house, and
the priesthood thereof, and the place whereon it shall be built;
and you shall build it on the place where you have contemplated
building it; for that is the spot which I have chosen for you to
build it. If you labour with all your mights, I will consecrate
that spot, that it shall be made holy; and if my people will
hearken unto my voice, and unto the voice of my servants whom
I have appointed, to lead my people, behold verily I say unto
you, they shall not be moved out of their place. But if they
will not hearken to my voice nor unto the voice of these men
whom I have appointed, they shall not be blest, because they
pollute mine holy grounds, and mine holy ordinances, and charters,
and my holy words, which I give unto them.
14 And it shall come to pass, that if you build a house
unto my name, and do not the things that I say, I will not
perform the oath which I make unto you, neither fulfil
the promises which ye expect at my hands, saith the Lord
for instead of blessings, ye, by your own works, bring cursings,
wrath indignation, and judgments upon your own heads by your
follies, and by all your abominations which you practise before
me saith the Lord.
15 Verily, verily I say unto you that when I give a commandment
unto any of the sons of men, to do a work unto my name, and those
sons of men go with all their mights, and with all they have,
to perform that work, and cease not their diligence, and their
enemies come upon them, and hinder them from performing
that work: behold it behooveth me to require that work no
more at the hands of those sons of men, but to accept of their
offerings; and the iniquity and transgression of my holy laws
and commandments, I will visit upon the heads of those
who hindered my work, unto the third and fourth generation,
so long as they repent not and hate me saith the Lord God.
Therefore, for this cause have I accepted the offerings of those
whom I commanded to build up a city and a house unto
my name in Jackson county, Missouri, and were hindered by
their enemies, saith the Lord your God: and I will answer
judgment, wrath and indignation, wailing and anguish and
gnashing of teeth, upon their heads, unto the third and fourth
generation, so long as they repent not, and hate me saith the Lord
your God.
16 And this I make an ensample unto you for your consolation
concerning all those who have been commanded to do a work,
and have been hindered by the hands of their enemies, and by
oppression, saith the Lord your God, for I am the Lord your God, and
will save all those of your brethren, who have been pure in
heart, and have been slain in the land of Missouri saith
the Lord.
17 And again, verily I say unto you, I command you again
to build a house to my name even in this place, that you may
prove yourselves unto me, that ye are faithful in all things
whatsoever I command you, that I may bless you, and crown
you with honor, immortality and eternal life.
18 And now, I say unto you, as pertaining to my boarding house,
which I have commanded you to build for the boarding of strangers;
let it be built unto my name; and let my name be named
upon it, and let my servant Joseph and his house have place
therein from generation to generation: For this anointing have
I put upon his head, that his blessing shall also be put
upon the heads of his posterity after him, and as I said unto
Abraham concerning the kindreds of the earth, even so I say
unto my servant Joseph, in thee and in thy seed shall the kindreds
of the earth be blessed. Therefore let my servant Joseph and his
seed after him, have place in that house from generation to
generation, for ever and ever saith the Lord, and let the
name of that house be called the Nauvoo House, and let it
be a delightful habitation for man, and a resting place
for the weary traveller, that he may contemplate the glory
of Zion, and the glory of this the corner stone thereof; that
he may receive, also, the counsel from those whom I have set to be
as plants of renown, and as watchmen upon her walls.
19 Behold! verily I say unto you let my servant George
Miller and my servant Lyman Wight, and my servant
John Snider, and my servant Peter Haws, organize
themselves, and appoint one of them to be a president over
their quorum for the purpose of building that house. And
they shall form a constitution whereby they may receive
stock, for the building of that house. And they shall not
receive less than fifty dollars for a share of stock in
that house, and they shall be permitted to receive
fifteen thousand dollars from any one man for stock in
that house; but they shall not be permitted to receive over
fifteen thousand dollars stock, from any one man; and
they shall not be permitted to receive under fifty dollars
for a share of stock from any one man in that house, and
they shall not be permitted to receive any man as a stock
holder in that house, except the same shall pay his stock into
their hands at the time he receives stock, and in proportion
to the amount of stock he pays into their hands, he shall
receive stock in that house; but if he pay nothing into
their hands, he shall not receive any stock in that house.
And if any man pay stock into their hands it shall be
for stock in that house, for himself and for his generation
after him from generation to generation, so long as he, and
his heirs shall hold that stock, and do not sell or convey
that stock away out of their hands by their own free will
and act: if you will do my will saith the Lord your God.
20 And again verily, I say unto you, if my servant
George Miller and my servant Lyman Wight, and my
servant John Snider, and my servant Peter Haws, receive
any stock into their hands, in monies or in properties, wherein
they receive the real value of monies, they shall not appropriate
any portion of that stock to any other purpose, only in that
house; and if they do appropiate any portion of that stock,
any where else, only in that house, without the consent of the
stockholder, and do not repay four fold, for the stock which
they appropriate any where else, only in that house, they
shall be accursed, and shall be moved out of their place
saith the Lord God, for I the Lord am God, and cannot be
mocked in any of these things.
21 Verily I say unto you let my servant Joseph pay stock
into their hands for the building of that house as seemeth him
good, but my servant Joseph cannot pay over fifteen thousand
dollars stock in that house, nor under fifty dollars neither
can any other man saith the Lord.
22 And there are others also, who wish to know my will
concerning them; for they have asked it at my hands: Therefore
I say unto you concerning my servant Vinson Knight, if he will
do my will let him put stock into that house for himself and
for his generation after him, from generation to generation,
and let him lift up his voice long and loud in the midst of
the people, to plead the cause of the poor and the needy, and
let him not fail neither let his heart faint, and I will accept
his offerings: for they shall not be unto me as the offerings of Cain,
for he shall be mine saith the Lord. Let his family rejoice
and turn away their hearts from affliction, for I have
chosen him and anointed him, and he shall be honored
in the midst of his house, for I will forgive all his sins, saith
the Lord: Amen.
23 Verily I say unto you, let my servant Hyrum put
stock into that house as seemeth him good for himself and
his generation after him, from generation to generation
24 Let my servant Isaac Galland put stock into that house,
for I the Lord loveth him for the work he hath done, and
will forgive all his sins, therefore, let him be remembered
for an interest in that house from generation to generation.
Let my servant Isaac Galland be appointed among
you, and be ordained by my servant William Marks,
and be blessed of him, to go with my servant Hyrum to
accomplish the work that my servant Joseph shall point
out unto them, and they shall be greatly blessed.
25 Let my servant William Marks pay stock into that house
as seemeth him good for himself, and his generation from
generation to generation.
26 Let my servant Henry G. Sherwood pay stock into that
house as seemeth him good for himself and his seed after
him from generation to generation.
27 Let my servant William Law pay stock into that house
for himself and his seed after him, from generation to
generation. If he will do my will let him not take his
family unto the eastern lands, even unto Kirtland, nevertheless
I the Lord will build up Kirtland, but I the Lord have a scourge
prepared for the inhabitants thereof. And with my servant Almon
Babbitt there are many things with which I am not well pleased;
behold he aspireth to establish his council instead of the council
which I have ordained, even the presidency of my church, and
he setteth up a golden calf for the worship of my people.
Let no man go from this place who has come here essaying to
keep my commandments. If they live here let them live unto me,
and if they die, let them die unto me; for they shall rest from
all their labors here and shall continue their works.
Therefore let my servant William put his trust in me, and
cease to fear concerning his family because of the sickness of
the land. If ye love me keep my commandments, and the
sickness of the land shall redound to your glory.
28 Let my servant William go and proclaim mine everlasting
gospel, with a loud voice, and with great joy as he shall be moved
upon by my spirit unto the inhabitants of Warsaw and also
unto the inhabitants of Carthage and also unto the inhabitants of
Madison and await patiently and diligently for further
instructions at my general conference saith the Lord. If he
will do my will let him, from henceforth, hearken to the counsel
of my servant Joseph, and with his interest support the cause
of the poor, and publish the new translation of my holy word
unto the inhabitants of the earth; and if he will do this, I will
bless him, with a multiplicity of blessings, that he shall not be forsaken
nor his seed be found begging bread.
29 And again, verily I say unto you, let my servant William
be appointed, ordained, and anointed as a councillor unto my
servant Joseph, in the room of my servant Hyrum; that my servant
Hyrum may take the office of Priesthood and patriarch, which
was appointed unto him by his father by blessing and also by
right, that from henceforth he shall hold the keys of the
patriarchal blessings upon the heads of all my people, that whoever
he blesses shall be blessed and whoever he curseth shall be
cursed: that whatsoever he shall bind on earth shall be bound
in heaven, and whatsoever he shall loose on earth, shall be
loosed in heaven; and from this time forth, I appoint unto
him, that he may be a prophet, and a seer, and a revelator unto
my church, as well as my servant Joseph, that he may act in
concert also, with my servant Joseph, and that he shall receive
counsel from my servant Joseph, who shall shew unto him the keys,
whereby he may ask and receive, and be crowned with the same
blessings. I crown upon his head, the bishoprick, and blessing,
and glory, and honor and priesthood, and gifts of the priesthood,
that once were put upon him that was servant Oliver Cowdery;
that my servant Hyrum, may bear record of the things which
I shall shew unto him, that his name may be had in honorable
rememb[r]ance from generation to generation, for ever and ever.
30 Let my servant William Law, also receive the keys by which
he may ask and receive blessings; let him be humble before me,
and be without guile and he shall receive of my spirit,
even the comforter, which shall manifest unto him the truth
of all things, and shall give him in the very hour, what he
shall say, and these signs shall follow him: he shall heal
the sick, he shall cast out devils, and shall be delivered from
those who would administer unto him deadly poison, and he
shall be led in paths where the poisonous serpent cannot lay hold
upon his heel, and he shall mount up in the imagination of his
thoughts as upon Eagles wings; and what if I will that he should
raise the dead, let him not withhold his voice: Therefore, let my
servant William cry aloud and spare not, with joy and rejoicing,
and with hosannas to him that sitteth upon the throne for ever
and ever, saith the Lord your God.
31 Behold! I say unto you, I have a mission in store for my servant
William, and my servant Hyrum, and for them alone, and let my
servant Joseph tarry at home, for he is needed; the remainder I will
shew unto you hereafter, even so: Amen.
32 And again verily I say unto you, if my servant Sidney
will serve me and be councillor unto my servant Joseph, let him
arise, and come up and stand in the office of his calling and
humble himself before me; and if he will offer unto me an acceptable
offering and acknowledgments, and remain with my people; behold
I the Lord your God will heal him that he shall be healed, and he
shall lift up his voice again on the mountains, and be a spokesman
before my face. Let him come and locate his family in the
neighborhood in which my servant Joseph resides, and in all
his journeyings let him lift up his voice as with the sound of a
trump and warn the inhabitants of the earth to flee the wrath to
come, let him assist my servant Joseph; and also let my servant
William Law assist my servant Joseph in making a solemn
proclamation unto the kings of the earth, even as I have before said
unto you. If my servant Sidney will do my will, let him
not move his family unto the eastern lands, but let him change
their habitation even as I have before said unto you. If my
servant Sidney will do my will, let him not move his
family Behold it is not my will that he shall seek to find
safety and refuge out of the city which I have appointed
unto you even the city of Nauvoo. Verily I say unto you,
even now, if he will hearken to my voice it shall be well
with him, even so: Amen.
33 And again, verily I say unto you, let my servant
Amos Davis pay stock into the hands of those whom I have
appointed to build a house for boarding, even the Nauvoo
House; this let him do if he will an have an interest; and let
hearken unto the counsel of my servant Joseph, and labor
with his own hands that he may obtain the confidence of men,
and when he shall prove himself faithful in all things
that shall be entrusted unto his care, yea even a few
things, he shall be made ruler over many: let him therefore
abase himself, that he may be exalted even so: Amen.
34 And again, verily I say unto you, if my servant Robert D.
Foster will obey my voice, let him build a house for my servant
Joseph according to the contract which he has made with him, as
the door shall be open to him from time to time; and let him repent
of all his folly, and clothe himself with charity, and cease to do evil
and lay aside all his hard speeches, and pay stock also into the
hands of the quorum of the Nauvoo House, for himself and for
his generation after him, from generation to generation and hearken
unto the counsel of my servant Joseph and Hyrum and William
Law, and unto the authorities which I have called to lay the foundation
of Zion and it shall be well with him, for ever and ever; even so:
Amen.
35 And again, verily I say unto you, let no man pay stock to the
Quorum of the Nauvoo House, unless he shall be a believer
in the Book of Mormon; and the revelations I have given unto
you saith the Lord your God: for that which is more or less than
this cometh of evil and shall be attended with cursing and not
blessings saith the Lord your God, even so: Amen.
36 And again verily I say unto you, let the quorum of the Nauvoo
House have a just recompense of wages for all their labors which
they do in building the Nauvoo House, and let their wages be as shall
be agreed among themselves as pertaining to the price thereof; and
let every man who pays stock bear his proportion of their wages,
if it must needs be for their support saith the Lord, otherwise their
labours shall be accounted unto them for stock in that
House even so: Amen.
37 Verily I say unto you I now give unto you the offices
belonging to my Priesthood that ye may hold the keys thereof
even the priesthood which is after the order of Melchisedek, which
is after the order of my only begotten Son.
38 For I give unto you Hyrum Smith to be a patriarch unto
you to hold the sealing blessings of my church, even the Holy
Spirit of Promise, whereby ye are sealed up unto the day of redemption
that ye may not fall, notwithstanding the hour of temptation that
may come upon you.
39 I give unto you my servant Joseph to be a presiding Elder over
all my church, to be a Translator, a Revelator, a Seer, and Prophet:
I give unto him for Councillors my servant Sidney Rigdon,
and my servant William Law, that these may constitute a quorum,
and first presidency to receive the oracles for the whole church.
40 I give unto you my servant Brigham Young to be a president
over the Twelve Travelling Council, which twelve hold the
keys to open up the authority of my kingdom upon the four
corners of the earth, and after that to send my word to every creature
they are Heber C Kimball, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, Orson
Hyde, William Smith, John Taylor, John E. Page, Wilford
Woodruff, Willard Richards, George A. Smith,: David
Patten I have taken unto myself, behold his priesthood no man
taketh from him, but verily I say unto you, another may be
appointed unto the same calling.
41 And, again, I say unto you, I give unto you a High
Council for the corner stone of Zion, viz. Samuel Bent, H. G.
Sherwood, George W. Harris, Charles C Rich, Thomas
Grover, Newel Night, David Dort, Dunbar Wilson:
Seymour Brunson I have taken unto myself no man
taketh his; but another may be appointed unto the same
priesthood in his stead, (and verily I say unto you let my
servant Aaron Johnson be ordained unto this calling in his
stead) David Fulmer, Alpheus Cutler, William Huntington.
42 And again I give unto you Don C Smith to be a
president over a Quorum of high priests: which
ordinance is instituted for the purpose of qualifying
those who shall be appointed standing presidents or
servants over different stakes scattered abroad, and
they may travel also if they choose, but rather be ordained
for standing presidents, this is the office of their calling
saith the Lord your God. I give unto him Amasa Lyman
and Noah Packard for councillors that they may preside
over the quorum of high priests of my church saith the Lord.
43 And again I say unto you, I give unto you John A. Hicks,
Samuel Williams, and Jesse Baker which priesthood is
to preside over the quorum of Elders which quorum is instituted
for standing ministers nevertheless they may travel, yet they are
to be ordained for ^to be^ standing ministers to my church saith
the Lord.
44 And, again, I give unto you Joseph Young, Josiah
Butterfield, Daniel Miles, Henry Herriman, Zera
Pulsipher, Levi Hancock, James Foster, to preside over the
quorum of seventies, which quorum is instituted for travelling
elders to bear record of my name in all the world, wherever
the travelling high Council, my Apostles, shall send them
to prepare a way before my face. The difference between
this quorum and the quorum of Elders is, that one is to
travel continually, and the other is to preside over the
churches from time to time, the one has the responsibility
of presiding from time to time and the other has no
responsibility of presiding saith the Lord your God.
45 And again I say unto you I give unto you Vinson
Knight, Samuel H. Smith, and Shadrack Roundy if he
will receive it to preside over the Bishopric, a knowledge of
said Bishopric is given unto you in the Book of Doctrine
and Covenants.
46 And again, I give unto you Samuel Rolfe and
his Councillors for Priests, and the president of the Teachers
and his Councillors, and also the president of the Deacons
and his Councillors and also the president of the stake and
his Councillors: the above offices I have given unto you,
and the keys thereof for helps and for governments, for the
work of the ministry, and the perfecting of my saints, and a
commandment I give unto you that you should fill all
these offices and approve of those names which I have
mentioned or else disapprove of them at my general
conference, and that ye should prepare rooms for all these
offices in my house when you build it unto my name saith the
Lord your God. even so: Amen.
Revelation
to
Joseph Smith
Jany 19th 1841
Wilford Woodruff