Revelation, 26 December 1835 [D&C 108]

Source Note

Revelation, [
Kirtland Township
Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Latter-day Saint missionaries visited township, early Nov. 1830; many residents joined Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and...
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, Geauga Co., OH], 26 Dec. 1835. Featured version copied [ca. 26 Dec. 1835] in JS, Journal, 1835–1836, p. 90; handwriting of
Frederick G. Williams
28 Oct. 1787–10 Oct. 1842. Ship’s pilot, teacher, physician, justice of the peace. Born at Suffield, Hartford Co., Connecticut. Son of William Wheeler Williams and Ruth Granger. Moved to Newburg, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, 1799. Practiced Thomsonian botanical system...
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; JS Collection, CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for JS, Journal, 1835–1836.
Historical Introduction
On the morning after Christmas Day in 1835,
Lyman Sherman
22 May 1804–ca. 15 Feb. 1839. Born at Monkton, Addison Co., Vermont. Son of Elkanah Sherman and Asenath Hurlbut. Married Delcena Didamia Johnson, 16 Jan. 1829, at Pomfret, Chautauque Co., New York. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
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, one of the presidents of the
Seventy
A priesthood office with the responsibility to travel and preach and assist the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, similar to the seventy in the New Testament. In February and March 1835, the first members of the Seventy were selected and ordained. All of those...
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, asked JS to petition God for a revelation that “should make known [his] duty.”
1
JS, Journal, 26 Dec. 1835.
In response, JS dictated this revelation.

Sherman
22 May 1804–ca. 15 Feb. 1839. Born at Monkton, Addison Co., Vermont. Son of Elkanah Sherman and Asenath Hurlbut. Married Delcena Didamia Johnson, 16 Jan. 1829, at Pomfret, Chautauque Co., New York. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
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, then thirty-one years old, had distinguished himself as a faithful
Latter-day Saint
The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...
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prior to his request. He joined the church in western
New York
Located in northeast region of U.S. Area settled by Dutch traders, 1620s; later governed by Britain, 1664–1776. Admitted to U.S. as state, 1788. Population in 1810 about 1,000,000; in 1820 about 1,400,000; in 1830 about 1,900,000; and in 1840 about 2,400,...
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in January 1832 and relocated his family 120 miles west to
Kirtland
Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Latter-day Saint missionaries visited township, early Nov. 1830; many residents joined Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and...
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, Ohio, sometime around June 1833.
2
Johnson, Reminiscences and Journals, 16–17. Lyman Sherman married Delcena Johnson in 1829 and was presumably living with or nearby his in-laws when missionaries converted several members of the family. Sherman likely arrived in Ohio at the same time that the rest of the Johnson family moved to Kirtland. (Johnson, “A Life Review,” 9.)
Comprehensive Works Cited
Johnson, Joel Hills. Reminiscences and Journals, 1835–1882. 3 vols. Joel Hills Johnson, Papers, 1835–1882. CHL. MS 1546, fds. 1–3.
Johnson, Benjamin Franklin. “A Life Review,” after 1893. Benjamin Franklin Johnson, Papers, 1852–1911. CHL. MS 1289 box 1, fd. 1.
Sherman marched to
Missouri
Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...
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in May 1834 with about two hundred others as part of the
Camp of Israel
A group of approximately 205 men and about 20 women and children led by JS to Missouri, May–July 1834, to redeem Zion by helping the Saints who had been driven from Jackson County, Missouri, regain their lands; later referred to as “Zion’s Camp.” A 24 February...
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expedition.
3
Minutes, Discourse, and Blessings, 14–15 Feb. 1835.
In February 1835, he was called as one of seven presidents over the Seventy, a newly established
priesthood
Power or authority of God. The priesthood was conferred through the laying on of hands upon adult male members of the church in good standing; no specialized training was required. Priesthood officers held responsibility for administering the sacrament of...
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office. In his ordination blessing, Sherman was told, “Your ministry shall be great and you shall proclaim to various nations. Your faith shall be unshaken and you shall be delivered from great afflictions.”
4
Minutes and Blessings, 28 Feb.–1 Mar. 1835.
At a May 1835 conference, church leaders voted that Sherman, along with the other presidents of the Seventy, should “hold himself in readiness to go at the call of the
Twelve
Members of a governing body in the church, with special administrative and proselytizing responsibilities. A June 1829 revelation commanded Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer to call twelve disciples, similar to the twelve apostles in the New Testament and ...
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, when the Lord opens the way.”
5
Minutes and Discourse, 2 May 1835.
Sherman likely left Kirtland during summer 1835 to preach in local communities, though he may have remained in Kirtland and prepared himself to preach as he had been instructed.
6
Though Sherman probably left with other elders to preach during the summer of 1835, minutes of the Kirtland high council indicate that he was in Kirtland during early May and late October. (Minutes and Discourse, 2 May 1835; Minutes, 29 Oct. 1835.)

On 26 December,
Sherman
22 May 1804–ca. 15 Feb. 1839. Born at Monkton, Addison Co., Vermont. Son of Elkanah Sherman and Asenath Hurlbut. Married Delcena Didamia Johnson, 16 Jan. 1829, at Pomfret, Chautauque Co., New York. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
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called on JS as he was studying Hebrew with
Frederick G. Williams
28 Oct. 1787–10 Oct. 1842. Ship’s pilot, teacher, physician, justice of the peace. Born at Suffield, Hartford Co., Connecticut. Son of William Wheeler Williams and Ruth Granger. Moved to Newburg, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, 1799. Practiced Thomsonian botanical system...
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and
Warren Parrish
10 Jan. 1803–3 Jan. 1877. Clergyman, gardener. Born in New York. Son of John Parrish and Ruth Farr. Married first Elizabeth (Betsey) Patten of Westmoreland Co., New Hampshire, ca. 1822. Lived at Alexandria, Jefferson Co., New York, 1830. Purchased land at...
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. According to JS’s journal, Sherman entered the room in which they were studying and asked “to have the word of the lord” through JS. “I have been wrought upon to make known to you my feelings and desires,” he told JS, adding that he had been promised by the Lord that “I should have a revelation which should make known my duty.”
7
JS, Journal, 26 Dec. 1835.
Sometime before the end of the day, JS dictated a revelation—presumably to Williams, who was acting temporarily as JS’s scribe—that addressed Sherman’s concerns.
8
JS, Journal, 19–26 Dec. 1835.
Williams later copied the revelation into JS’s journal. That copy, which is the earliest extant version, is featured here.

Footnotes
1. 1
  JS, Journal, 26 Dec. 1835.
2. 2
  Johnson, Reminiscences and Journals, 16–17. Lyman Sherman married Delcena Johnson in 1829 and was presumably living with or nearby his in-laws when missionaries converted several members of the family. Sherman likely arrived in Ohio at the same time that the rest of the Johnson family moved to Kirtland. (Johnson, “A Life Review,” 9.)
  
  Johnson, Joel Hills. Reminiscences and Journals, 1835–1882. 3 vols. Joel Hills Johnson, Papers, 1835–1882. CHL. MS 1546, fds. 1–3.
  Johnson, Benjamin Franklin. “A Life Review,” after 1893. Benjamin Franklin Johnson, Papers, 1852–1911. CHL. MS 1289 box 1, fd. 1.
3. 3
  Minutes, Discourse, and Blessings, 14–15 Feb. 1835.
4. 4
  Minutes and Blessings, 28 Feb.–1 Mar. 1835.
5. 5
  Minutes and Discourse, 2 May 1835.
6. 6
  Though Sherman probably left with other elders to preach during the summer of 1835, minutes of the Kirtland high council indicate that he was in Kirtland during early May and late October. (Minutes and Discourse, 2 May 1835; Minutes, 29 Oct. 1835.)
7. 7
  JS, Journal, 26 Dec. 1835.
8. 8
  JS, Journal, 19–26 Dec. 1835.

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The following is a revelation given to this day 26 Dec 1835

Verily thus saith the Lord unto you my servant your sins are forgiven you because you have obeyed my voice in coming up hither this morning to receive councel of him whom I have appointed

Therefore let your soul be at rest concerning your spiritual standing, and resist no more my voice, and arise up, and be more careful henceforth in observing your vows which you have made and do make, and you shall be blessed with exceding great blessings. Wait patiently untill the time when the shall be called of my servants then you shall be numbered with the first of mine and receive right by with the rest of mine elders whom I have chosen

Behold this is the promise of the father unto you if you continue faithful—

and it shall be fulfilled upon you in that day that you shall have right to preach my gospel wheresoever I shall send you from henceforth from that time, Therefore strengthen your brethren in all your conversation in all your prayers, and in all your exhortations, and in all your doings, and behold and lo I am with you to bless you and deliver you forever Amen [p. 90]