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Letter to Beloved Brethren, 6 August 1833

Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...

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August <6>6th 1833

Beloved Breatheren

Having received br Oliver’s [Oliver Cowdery’s]

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

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letter of July 9th as well as one from the breatheren composing the school

A term occasionally used to refer to a Protestant seminary; specifically used by JS to refer to a school to prepare elders of the church for their ministry. A December 1832 revelation directed JS and the elders of the church in Kirtland, Ohio, to establish...

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we now answer them both in one letter as relates to the school in Zion according to your request we inquired of the Lord and send in this letter the communication which we received from the Lord concerning the school in Zion It was obtained August 2nd and reads thus

The word of the Lord unto Joseph Sidney [Rigdon]

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

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and Fredrick [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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Verily I say unto my friends I speak unto you with my voice, even the voice of my spirit, that I may shew unto you my will concer ning your breatheren in the land of Zion, many of <whom> are trully humble, and are seeking dillegently to learn wisdom, and to find truth. Verily Verily I say unto you blessed are all such for they shall obtain; for I the Lord sheweth mercy unto all the meek, and upon all whom soever I will, that I may be justified when I shall bring them unto jud gement.

Behold I say unto you concerning the school in Zion, I the Lord am well pleased that there should be a school in Zion, and also with my servant Parley [P. Pratt]

12 Apr. 1807–13 May 1857. Farmer, editor, publisher, teacher, school administrator, legislator, explorer, author. Born at Burlington, Otsego Co., New York. Son of Jared Pratt and Charity Dickinson. Traveled west with brother to acquire land, 1823. Affiliated...

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, for he abideth in me and inasmuch as he continue to abide <in> me, he shall continue to preside over the school in the land of Zion, and I will bless him with a multiplicity of blessings in expounding all Scriptures, and mysteries and mysteries to the edification of school and of the church

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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in Zion. And to the residue of the school I the Lord am willing to shew mercy never theless there are those that must needs repent be chastened, and their works shall be made known, the axe is laid at the roots of the trees, and every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire. I the Lord have spoken it [illegible] I the Lord have spoken it. Verily Verily I say unto you; all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenant by sacrafice, yea, every sacrafice which I the Lord shall command

Generally, a divine mandate that church members were expected to obey; more specifically, a text dictated by JS in the first-person voice of deity that served to communicate knowledge and instruction to JS and his followers. Occasionally, other inspired texts...

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them, are all accepted of me; for I the Lord will cause them to bring forth as a very fruitfull tree, which is planted in a goodly land by a pure stream that yealdeth much precious fruit.

Verily Verily I say unto you that it is my will that an house

The sacred edifice in Kirtland, Ohio, since known as the Kirtland temple. Although the term temple in the early days of the church designated a category of buildings, the proper name applied to the structure in Kirtland was “House of the Lord.” JS and the...

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should be built unto me in the land of Zion like unto the pattern which I have given you. (which pattern we have sent to Zion in a former former package) yea, let it be built speedily by the tithing

A free-will offering of one-tenth of a person’s annual interest or income, given to the church for its use. The Book of Mormon and JS’s revision of the Bible explained that “even our father Abraham paid tithes of one tenth part of all he possessed.” Additionally...

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of my people, behold this is the tithing, and the sacrafice which I the Lord require at their hand, that there may be a house built unto me for the salvation of Zion, and for a place of thanksgi ving for all saints and for a place of instruction for all those who are called to the ministry work of the ministry, in all their several offices callings and offices, that they may be perfected in the understanding of their mi nistry, in theory, and principle, and in doctrine, in all things pertaining to [the] kingdom of God on the earth. (the keys of which kingdom have been given to you confered upon you) And inasmuch as my people build an house unto me in the name of the Lord and do not suffer any unclean thing to come into it [p. [1]]

Two letters, no longer extant, to church leaders in Kirtland

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, Ohio, from 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. Mormon missionaries...

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members prompted this lengthy epistle from the presidency of the high priesthood. It contained the text of three revelations (2 August 1833–A, 2 August 1833–B, and 6 August 1833). Sidney Rigdon

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, Frederick G. Williams

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, and JS sent this letter to church leaders in Missouri. Edward Partridge

27 Aug. 1793–27 May 1840. Hatter. Born at Pittsfield, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of William Partridge and Jemima Bidwell. Moved to Painesville, Geauga Co., Ohio. Married Lydia Clisbee, 22 Aug. 1819, at Painesville. Initially a Universal Restorationist...

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received it.

Facts

Editorial Title: Letter to Beloved Brethren, 6 August 1833
ID #: 176