Revelation, 1 March 1832 [D&C 78]

  • Kirtland March 1◊ 1832

    Hearken unto me saith the Lord your God O ye who are  ordained unto the High Priesthood of my church who have assem bled yourselves together & listen to the councel of him who has ordai ned you from on high who shall speak in your ear the  words of wisdom that salvation may be unto you in that  thing which you have presented before me saith the  Lord God for verily I say unto you the time has come and  and is now at hand and behold & lo it must needs be  that there be an organization of the Literary and Merchantile  establishments of my church both in this place and in the  land of Zion for a perminent and everlasting establish ment and firm unto my church to advance the cause wh ich ye have espaused [espoused] to the salvation of man and to the  glory of your Father who is in heaven that you may  be equal in the bonds of heavenly things yea and  earthly things also for the obtaining of heavenly of  heavenly things for if ye are not equal in earthly  things ye cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly thing[s]  for if ye will that I give unto you a place in the celest iel world you must prepare yourselves by doing <the> thing  which I have commanded & required of you & now verily  thus saith the Lord it is expedient that all things be done  unto my glory that ye should who are joined together in  this firm or in other words that my Servant Newel [K. Whitney] and  my servant Joseph and my servant Sidney [Rigdon] sit in coun cel with the saints who are in Zion otherwise satan  seeketh to turn there hearts away from the truth that  they become blinded & understand not the things wh ich are prepared for them wherefore a commandment  I give unto you to prepare an[d] organize yourselves by an  everlasting covinent which cannot be broken & he who breaketh  it shall loose his office & standing in the church and shall  be delivered over unto the buffitings of satan untill the  day of redemption Behold this is the perperation  wherewith I prepare you and the foundation & the [p. [1]]

In February 1831, a revelation known as the “the Law” gave specific instructions to church leaders concerning economic equality. These principles were also to undergird the governance of church resources. In November 1831, a small group of leaders were given joint stewardship for church publishing activities and were designated the “Literary Firm.”

This revelation built on the creation of the Literary Firm and encouraged greater coordination between the two early church centers in Ohio and Missouri. It also called for the organization of a “mercantile” corporation, later known as the “United Firm,” with membership to be drawn from leaders in both centers. JS, Sidney Rigdon, and Newel K. Whitney were directed to travel to Missouri to organize the United Firm and to resolve a conflict between the Ohio and Missouri authorities.

Frederick G. Williams recorded this text in Ohio in March 1832. Williams then sent the document to Newel K. Whitney at Kirtland, Ohio. Williams also made a copy in Revelation Book 2 sometime after 8 March 1832 but before 1 April 1832. John Whitmer later copied the text into Revelation Book 1, where it is designated “Revelation given Kirtland 1 March 1832.” The 1835 Doctrine and Covenants included this revelation, giving the date of March 1832 but no location.

Facts

Editorial Title
Revelation, 1 March 1832 [D&C 78]
ID #
1472