Revelation, 30 August 1831 [D&C 63]
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Source Note
Revelation, , OH, 30 Aug. 1831; copied [ca. 30 Aug. 1831]; handwriting of ; three pages; Newel K. Whitney, Papers, BYU. Includes docket and archival marking.Bifolium (a single sheet folded once to form two leaves) measuring 12⅜ × 7¾ inches (31 × 20 cm). At one time, the document was folded in half three more times—possibly for an initial pocket folding. At another time, the document was folded in half and then trifolded in the conventional filing pattern, and a docket was added by in graphite: “31 Augt. 1831—revelation | to Church & & | to Visit Church”.This and several other revelations, along with many other personal and institutional documents kept by , were inherited by his daughter Mary Jane Whitney, who married Isaac Groo. This collection was passed down in the Groo family and donated by members of the family to the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University during the period 1969–1974.
Footnotes
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1
Andrus et al., “Register of the Newel Kimball Whitney Papers, 1825–1906,” 5–6.
Andrus, Hyrum L., Chris Fuller, and Elizabeth E. McKenzie. “Register of the Newel Kimball Whitney Papers, 1825–1906,” Sept. 1998. BYU.
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Historical Introduction
Three days after JS arrived in , Ohio, from , Jackson County, Missouri, a 30 August revelation provided information about the gathering of the Saints to . As a later JS history explained, the identification of Independence as the “centre place” of made “‘the land of Zion’ . . . the most important temporal object” to church members. Despite Zion’s importance, much uncertainty still surrounded the process of gathering to Zion. Funds were required to purchase lands in and around Independence for the gathering. A 1 August 1831 revelation had intimated that not all of the Saints would migrate to Zion at once, and some members may have questioned how leaders would determine who would move. That same revelation also instructed that an epistle and subscription “be presented unto all the Churches to obtain money to be put into the hands of the ,” but who would take these documents to the different churches had not been determined. Compounding the problem of this uncertainty, JS, , and discovered upon their return to that “many [had] apostitized” in their absence. Coming on the heels of the antagonism that JS had apparently experienced from some of his company of on the return trip to Ohio, the knowledge that many others had fallen away was distressing: “We could not help beholding,” a later JS history recounts about this time period, “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.”The 30 August revelation addressed many of the issues JS faced on his return to , providing instruction on how those who were to move to Zion would be selected, how quickly the Saints should gather to Zion, and how to prepare for Christ’s return to the earth. It condemned the wicked both in and out of the church, especially sign seekers and adulterers, and appointed and to raise money for Zion. As wrote the next day, the revelation gave instruction on how to “escape . . . the day of tribulation which is coming on the earth.” A passage in this revelation addressed the church members residing on “this farm,” indicating that JS dictated the revelation on the farm, where he had left his family in June and where many of the Saints traveling to in 1831 relocated.served as scribe for this revelation. had a copy of the revelation in Cowdery’s handwriting, which may be the original inscription. However, the handwriting is so compact and neat that it is likely a fair copy made by Cowdery. He may have made it for Whitney and himself to take with them as they traveled together to the different churches. Whitney endorsed his copy with the date of 31 August 1831, likely an incorrect date. Other early copies of the revelation inscribed around this same time—including one that made in Revelation Book 1 and one that made in his book of revelations—bear the date of 30 August.
Footnotes
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1
Revelation, 20 July 1831 [D&C 57:3]; JS History, vol. A-1, 146.
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2
Revelation, 1 Aug. 1831 [D&C 58:44, 51–52].
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3
Whitmer, History, 33.
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4
Ezra Booth, “Mormonism—No. VII,” Ohio Star (Ravenna), 24 Nov. 1831, [1]; JS History, vol. A-1, 146.
Ohio Star. Ravenna. 1830–1854.
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5
Sidney Rigdon, Kirtland, OH, “to the Churches,” 31 Aug. 1831, copy, Sidney Rigdon, Collection, 1832–1858, CHL.
Rigdon, Sidney. Collection, 1831–1858. CHL. MS 713.
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6
Backman, Heavens Resound, 70; Staker, Hearken, O Ye People, 309–310.
Backman, Milton V., Jr. The Heavens Resound: A History of the Latter-day Saints in Ohio, 1830–1838. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983.
Staker, Mark L. Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith’s Ohio Revelations. Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2009.
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Similar fold markings are evident in Whitney’s copy of the revelation and a copy he owned of a letter Rigdon wrote to church congregations to encourage donations, which suggests that the two documents were carried together. (Sidney Rigdon, Kirtland, OH, “to the Churches,” 31 Aug. 1831, copy, Sidney Rigdon, Collection, 1832–1858, CHL.)
Rigdon, Sidney. Collection, 1831–1858. CHL. MS 713.
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8
Revelation Book 1, p. 104; Gilbert, Notebook, [45]–[54]. When William W. Phelps published this revelation in the February 1833 issue of The Evening and the Morning Star, he also dated it 30 August 1831. (“A Revelation Given, August 30, 1831,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Feb. 1833, [6]–[7].)
Gilbert, Algernon Sidney. Notebook of Revelations, 1831–ca. 1833. Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL. MS 4583, box 1, fd. 2.
The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.
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Document Transcript
Footnotes
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1
See Isaiah 49:26; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 56, 75 [1 Nephi 21:26; 2 Nephi 6:18].
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2
A March 1831 revelation similarly warned against an individual asking “for a sign” in order to “consume it upon his lusts.” (Revelation, ca. 8 Mar. 1831–A [D&C 46:9]; see also Matthew 12:38–39; Mark 8:11–12; and Luke 11:16, 29.)
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3
See Mark 16:17; Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 537, 547 [Mormon 9:24; Ether 4:18]; and Revelation, 1 Aug. 1831 [D&C 58:64].
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4
A July 1830 revelation instructed JS to “require not Miracles except I shall command you.” (Revelation, July 1830–A [D&C 24:13].)
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5
See Hebrews 11:6.
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6
See 2 Timothy 3:8–9.
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7
See Matthew 5:28; Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 481 [3 Nephi 12:28]; and Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:23].
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8
See Revelation 21:8; 22:14–15.
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9
This passage seems to promise further information on transfiguration. The only extant record of such comes from JS’s Bible revision. When JS revised Matthew 17:1–13, sometime between 7 April and 19 June 1831, he added clarifying information about the identity and mission of Elias, who appeared on the mount at the time that Christ was transfigured. (Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 66; New Testament Revision 1, pp. 41–42 [Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 17:8–14].)
Faulring, Scott H., Kent P. Jackson, and Robert J. Matthews, eds. Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible: Original Manuscripts. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2004.
New Testament Revision 1 / “A Translation of the New Testament Translated by the Power of God,” 1831. CCLA. Also available in Scott H. Faulring, Kent P. Jackson, and Robert J. Matthews, eds., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible: Original Manuscripts (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2004), 153–228.
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10
See John 4:10–14.
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11
See Revelation, 7 May 1831 [D&C 49:25]; and Revelation, 13 Aug. 1831 [D&C 62:4].
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12
According to Webster’s 1828 dictionary, “pestilence” denotes not only infectious disease but also “corruption or moral disease destructive to happiness.” (“Pestilence,” in American Dictionary [1828].)
An American Dictionary of the English Language: Intended to Exhibit, I. the Origin, Affinities and Primary Signification of English Words, as far as They Have Been Ascertained. . . . Edited by Noah Webster. New York: S. Converse, 1828.
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13
See Luke 20:25.
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14
See Revelation, 20 July 1831 [D&C 57:4–5]; and Revelation, 1 Aug. 1831 [D&C 58:52].
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15
See Revelation, 1 Aug. 1831 [D&C 58:53].
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16
A March 1831 revelation explained that Zion would be a “City of refuge,” protecting those living therein, who would “be the only people that shall not be at war one with another.” (Revelation, ca. 7 Mar. 1831 [D&C 45:66, 69].)
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17
See Matthew 3:12; and Luke 3:17.
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18
See Isaiah 11:5; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 98, 117 [2 Nephi 21:5; 30:11].
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19
The Morley farm.
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20
Before leaving for Missouri in June 1831, Isaac Morley gave his brother-in-law Titus Billings power of attorney over his farm. Billings finalized the sale of portions of Morley’s farm in October 1831 while Morley remained in Missouri. (Geauga Co., OH, Deed Records, 1795–1921, vol. 14, pp. 583–584; vol. 15, pp. 492–494, microfilms 20,235 and 20,236, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL; see also Minute Book 2, 25–26 Oct. 1831; and Edward Partridge, Independence, MO, to Lydia Clisbee Partridge, 5–7 Aug. 1831, Edward Partridge, Letters, 1831–1835, CHL.)
U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.
Partridge, Edward. Letters, 1831–1835. CHL. MS 23154.
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21
Three revelations dictated consecutively in August appear to be the only others that contain the phrase “it mattereth not unto me.” (Revelation, 8 Aug. 1831 [D&C 60:5]; Revelation, 12 Aug. 1831 [D&C 61:22]; Revelation, 13 Aug. 1831 [D&C 62:5].)
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22
As assigned in a July 1831 revelation, Edward Partridge, bishop in Zion, and Sidney Gilbert, agent to the church, were responsible for receiving money and making land purchases in Missouri. (Revelation, 20 July 1831 [D&C 57:6–7].)
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23
An earlier revelation in August indicated that not all elders were to migrate to Missouri at once, stating that some were not to receive their inheritance in Zion for many years. This same revelation also indicated that conferences of elders would help regulate who moved to Missouri. Here, JS receives instruction that he should decide who will go and who will stay in Kirtland, Ohio. Therefore, at least two parties—JS and conferences of elders—had authority to make such decisions. The day after this revelation was dictated, JS dictated another “by the voice of the Spirit,” indicating that John Burk, David Elliott, and Erastus Babbitt should “Journey this fall to the land of Zion.” A few months later, Reynolds Cahoon appeared before a conference of elders to receive direction on whether to go or stay. (Revelation, 1 Aug. 1831 [D&C 58:44]; Revelation, 31 Aug. 1831; Minutes, 11 Nov. 1831.)
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24
The N. K. Whitney & Co. white store (so named for its color). Whitney established a store in Kirtland, Ohio, by 1824 (known as the red store) and built another store in 1827 (the white store), after which the red store was used as a residence. By the beginning of 1827, he had partnered with Sidney Gilbert to form N. K. Whitney & Co. (Staker, Hearken, O Ye People, 209, 214, 217–218.)
Staker, Mark L. Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith’s Ohio Revelations. Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2009.
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25
In company with Oliver Cowdery in September 1831, Whitney raised money from other church members to send to Missouri. He also partnered with Sidney Gilbert to establish a store in Missouri in 1832 under the name Gilbert & Whitney. (Whitmer, History, 37; Jackson Co., MO, Deed Records, 1827–1909, vol. B, pp. 32–33, 20 Feb. 1832, microfilm 1,017,978, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL; Eakin and Eakin, Jackson County Missouri Court Minutes Book 1, 144, 196.)
U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.
Eakin, Joanne C., and O. B. Eakin, comp. Jackson County Missouri Court Minutes Book 1, 1827–1833, with Index; and Jackson County Missouri Death Register, 1883–1891. Independence, MO: By the author, 1988.
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26
A 1 August 1831 revelation declared, “let there be an agent appointed by the voice of the Church.” This direction apparently applied to the church in Ohio since Sidney Gilbert had already been appointed an agent for Missouri. Whitney was ordained an “agent unto the Disciples” in Ohio at a conference in Kirtland on 1 September 1831 and in that role gathered money to send to Missouri. (Revelation, 1 Aug. 1831 [D&C 58:49, 51]; Minutes, 1 Sept. 1831; see also Whitmer, History, 37.)
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27
According to Sidney Rigdon, Cowdery and Whitney would read to the Saints the revelations touching on the “way and means of possessing” the land of Zion as they visited the churches. John Whitmer later recorded that “the disciples truly opened their hearts” to Cowdery and Whitney, enabling them to obtain money “for the purpose of buying lands for the Saints according to commandments.” (Whitmer, History, 36–37.)
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28
See Revelation 14:13.
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29
See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 566–567 [Ether 13:8–9]; and Revelation, Sept. 1830–A [D&C 29:22–24].
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30
A 7 August 1831 revelation explained that the faithful who died in Zion would “receive a crown in the mansions of my Father.” (Revelation, 7 Aug. 1831 [D&C 59:2].)
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31
See Isaiah 65:20; and Revelation, ca. 7 Mar. 1831 [D&C 45:58–59].
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32
See 1 Corinthians 15:51–52; Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 510 [3 Nephi 28:8]; and Revelation, Feb. 1831–A [D&C 43:32].
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33
See Matthew 25:1–13.
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34
See Revelation, ca. 7 Mar. 1831 [D&C 45:68–71].
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35
See Matthew 13:30; and Revelation, 2 Jan. 1831 [D&C 38:12].
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36
Ezra Booth, who had become disaffected from the church by this time, implied that Rigdon had exaggerated the character of the land in his first draft of the description of Zion, which a 1 August 1831 revelation had commanded him to write. According to Booth, Rigdon’s description differed markedly from one that Edward Partridge had composed. In 1844, Jedediah M. Grant, who was not acquainted with Rigdon in 1831, declared that “men of the strictest veracity” had told him that Rigdon’s original draft was “extravagant in [its] description of the upper country.” According to Grant, Rigdon “expatiated on the beauties of Jackson county in such a profuse manner, that fears were entertained by the brethren that it would cause the saints from the east to apostatize, as soon as they should arrive, not finding things as set forth by Elder R.” (Ezra Booth, “Mormonism—No. VII,” Ohio Star [Ravenna], 24 Nov. 1831, [1]; Grant, Collection of Facts, [4], 7.)
Ohio Star. Ravenna. 1830–1854.
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37
A January 1831 revelation counseled the elders to “let your preaching be the warning voice evry man to his Neighbour in mildness & in meekness.” (Revelation, 2 Jan. 1831 [D&C 38:41].)
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38
See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 585 [Moroni 9:26].
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39
These titles for Jesus Christ were used in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and earlier JS revelations. (See, for example, Revelation 1:8, 11; Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 473–474 [3 Nephi 9:18]; and Revelation, ca. Summer 1829 [D&C 19:1].)
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40
Since JS was living on the Morley farm (which the revelation instructed should be sold), he needed to find a new residence.
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41
See 2 Corinthians 4:17.