Revelation, , OH, 1 Nov. 1831. Featured version, titled “70 A Revelation to Orson Luke Lyman & William,” copied [ca. Nov. 1831] in Revelation Book 1, pp. 113–114; handwriting of and ; CHL. Includes redactions. For more complete source information, see the source note for Revelation Book 1.
Historical Introduction
On 1–2 November 1831, ten convened a in , Ohio, to discuss the publication of the Book of Commandments, a compilation of JS’s revelations. According to a later JS history, four of the conference attendees—, , , and —approached JS during the conference and requested to know the Lord’s will concerning them. This revelation came in response to their inquiry. The revelation provided more information about the evangelizing duties of the four men specifically and of elders in general. While Hyde, McLellin, and Luke Johnson were all to the at a conference held in , Cuyahoga County, Ohio, a week earlier, Lyman Johnson was ordained to the high priesthood at the Hiram conference on 2 November.
After closing the portion of the revelation addressed specifically to the four men with an “Amen,” the document shifts its audience to the church in general and gives additional information about the office of , as well as counsel to members of the church “in ” about teaching and their children and avoiding idleness and greed. The text may originally have been dictated as two discrete revelations, which, like some other revelations closely related in time or content, were then copied together and presented as a single, unified text. All extant copies of the text—whether in manuscript or published form—present both parts as one revelation.
The original manuscript of the revelation is not extant, and the conference minutes do not mention the revelation. However, the copy in Revelation Book 1 is dated 1 November 1831 and a heading states that it was “given in Nov. 1. 1831.” and copied the revelation into Revelation Book 1, probably soon after its dictation.
JS History, vol. A-1, 163. A few days earlier, JS had dictated a revelation to McLellin regarding God’s will for him, but McLellin and his copetitioners apparently desired more direction. (Revelation, 29 Oct. 1831 [D&C 66].)
A 2 November date for the revelation cannot, however, be ruled out. A later JS history places the revelation as the final event of the two-day conference. (JS History, vol. A-1, 157–163.)
The mind & will of the Lord as made known by the voice of the spirit made <known to> a held November first 1831 concerning certain who requested of the Lord to kno◊ his will concerning them & also certain items as made known in addition to the & commandments which have been given to the firstly my servant was called by his ordinance to proclaim the everlasting Gospel by the spirit of the living God from people to people & from land to land from <in the> congregtions of the wicked in their Synagogues reas[o]ning with & expounding all scriptures <un>to them & behold & lo this is an ensample unto all those who were unto this whose mission is appointed unto them to go forth & this is the ensample unto them that they shall speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost & whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be Scripture shall be the will of the Lord shall be the mind of the Lord shall be the voice of the Lord & shall be the power of God unto Salvation behold this is the promise of the Lord unto you o ye my servants wherefore be of good cheer & do not fear for I the Lord am with you & will stand by you & you <ye> shall bear record of me even Jesus christ that I am the Son of God that I was that I am & that I am to come this is the word of the Lord unto you my Servant & also to my servant & unto my servant & unto my servant & unto all the faithful Elders of my church go ye unto all the world preach the gospel to every creature acting in the authority which I have given you in the name of the Father & of the Son & of <of the> Holy Ghost & he that believeth & is baptised shall be saved & he that believeth not shall be damned & he that believeth shall be blessed with signs following even as it is written & unto you it shall be given to know the signs of the times & the signs of the coming of the Son of man & of as many as the Father shall bear record to you it shall be given to seal them up unto Eternal life Amen—
And now conc[e]rning the items in addition to the & commandments they are these there rema[i]neth hereafter in the due [p. 113]
This heading may not have appeared in the original manuscript; it may have been added by Oliver Cowdery when he copied the revelation into Revelation Book 1.
“Ordinance” likely refers to Hyde’s ordination to the high priesthood. “Ordinance”—which, according to Webster’s 1828 dictionary, could mean “appointment”—was changed to “ordination” in the 1921 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. Hyde later recalled that, at the same conference where this ordination occurred, he was “appointed on a mission to Elyria and Florence [Ohio] in connection with Bro. Hyrum Smith.” (Doctrine and Covenants 68:1, 1921 ed.; “Ordinance,” in American Dictionary [1828]; “History of Orson Hyde,” 8, Historian’s Office, Histories of the Twelve, ca. 1858–1880, CHL.)
The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Containing Revelations Given to Joseph Smith, the Prophet; with Some Additions by His Successors in the Presidency of the Church. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1921.
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.
Historian’s Office. Histories of the Twelve, 1856–1858, 1861. CHL. CR 100 93.
Although “synagogue” refers specifically to a Jewish house of worship, it is also used in the Book of Mormon to denote a general place of worship. (Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 492 [3 Nephi 18:32].)
Former church member Ezra Booth claimed that it was JS’s responsibility to determine whether revelations received by other individuals were “from the Lord or the devil.” A September 1830 revelation declared that JS was the only one “appointed to Receive commandments & Revelations” for the church. (Ezra Booth, “Mormonism—No. II,” Ohio Star [Ravenna], 20 Oct. 1831, [3]; Revelation, Sept. 1830–B [D&C 28:2]; see also Revelation, Feb. 1831–A [D&C 43:2–4].)
The minutes of the conference held in Orange, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, a week earlier record that “Br. Joseph Smith jr. said that the order of the High priesthood is that they have power given them to seal up the Saints unto eternal life.” (Minutes, 25–26 Oct. 1831.)