Revelation, , Geauga Co., OH, 2 Aug. 1833. Featured version copied [ca. 6 Aug. 1833] in Revelation Book 2, pp. 61–64; handwriting of ; Revelations Collection, CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Revelation Book 2.
Historical Introduction
In accordance with counsel given in a revelation sent to earlier in 1833, members of the in , Missouri, organized a “” in summer 1833 to further their ministerial education. By early July 1833, they desired to know God’s will concerning the school and sent two letters—one from , written 9 July 1833, and one from “the breatheren composing the school,” written likely in early July—to JS. In these letters, Cowdery and others requested JS to inquire “of the Lord . . . concerning the school in ,” though their exact questions about the school are unknown. Before receiving these letters, JS dictated a revelation that gave further instructions on constructing a in , Ohio, which was to be the meeting place for the School of the Prophets. On 25 June, the along with sent a letter to that included plans drawn by for a religious and educational house, or , to be “built immediately” in Zion, with accompanying explanations. Those items, however, had not yet arrived in by early July, when the leaders in Missouri sent their queries to JS in Kirtland.
In response to the two letters from , the presidency of the high priesthood wrote a letter to leaders on 6 August that included three revelations. The presidency referred to the first revelation—the text featured here—as “the communication which we received from the Lord concerning the school in .” Following up on the plans for the Missouri sent on 25 June, the revelation directed church members to build “speedely” the House of the Lord, an edifice in which to hold the school as well as their public worship. The revelation also called for , who had been engaged in missionary work in and around Jackson County while conducting the Missouri school of the prophets, to “continue to preside over the school.” Finally, the revelation provided a brief glimpse of ’s promised future glory “if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her,” a sentiment similar to the one found in a March 1833 revelation that promised that Jesus Christ would chasten Zion “untill she overcome and are clean before me for she shall not be moved out of her place.” The 2 August revelation featured here further warned that if the members of the church did not observe divine , they would suffer “sore afflictions with pestilence with plague with sword with vengence with devouring fire,” but if Zion sinned “no more none of these things shall come upon her.”
Unbeknownst to JS, at the time he dictated this revelation, church members in were already suffering “sore afflictions.” Other county residents demanded that Mormons leave their homes, destroyed the church’s , and tarred and feathered and . The 2 August revelation instructed church members to chastise the wicked among them and to repent completely to avoid further violence and suffering. According to ’s later autobiography, “This revelation was not complied with by the leaders and church in , as a whole; notwithstanding many were humble and faithful. Therefore, the threatened judgment was poured out to the uttermost, as the history of the five following years will show.”
Several copies of this revelation were made: one was included in the body of the aforementioned letter sent to on 6 August 1833, which also included copies of two other revelations. Another was inscribed in Revelation Book 2, which is the version transcribed here. Insufficient evidence exists to determine which is the earliest extant copy. Because the 6 August letter is published in its entirety later in this volume, the version featured here is from the manuscript revelation book. Significant differences between these two early texts are noted.
Pratt, Parley P. The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry and Travels, with Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from His Miscellaneous Writings. Edited by Parley P. Pratt Jr. New York: Russell Brothers, 1874.
Pratt had instructed a class of about sixty men once a week beginning earlier in the summer of 1833. (Pratt, Autobiography, 100.)
Pratt, Parley P. The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry and Travels, with Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from His Miscellaneous Writings. Edited by Parley P. Pratt Jr. New York: Russell Brothers, 1874.
Pratt, Parley P. The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry and Travels, with Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from His Miscellaneous Writings. Edited by Parley P. Pratt Jr. New York: Russell Brothers, 1874.
in I the Lord am well pleased that there should be a in Zion and also with my servant 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 and I will bless him with a multiplicity of blessings in expounding all and mysteries to the Edefication of the school and of the church in and to the residue of the school I the Lord am willing to shew mercy nevertheless there are those that must needs be chastened and their work shall be mad[e] known, the ax is laid at the root of the trees and evry tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire I the Lord hath spoken it, 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 by sacrifice yea every sacrifice which I the Lord shall command they are all accepted of me for I the Lord will cause them to bring forth as a very fruitful tree which is planted in a goodly land by a pure stream that yealdeth much precious fruit, Verely I say unto you that it is my will that an should be built unto me in the Land of like unto the pattern which I have given you yea let it be built speedely by the of my people behold this is the tithing [p. 62]
No official records exist concerning the organization of the school of the prophets in Missouri or of Parley P. Pratt’s call to be the teacher. A June 1833 letter from the church presidency, however, contains a possible reference to the school and to Pratt’s appointment: “We commend the plan highly of your choossing a teacher to instruct the High Priests that they may be able to silence gainsayers.” Pratt wrote in his autobiography that he was called to preside over a “school of Elders” in the summer of 1833. It is uncertain if these two references are about the same school. Nevertheless, a school was organized in Missouri, and Pratt further explained that approximately sixty men attended the school once a week “in the open air, under some tall trees, in a retired place in the wilderness, where we prayed, preached and prophesied, and exercised ourselves in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” (Letter to Church Leaders in Jackson Co., MO, 25 June 1833; Pratt, Autobiography, 99–100.)
Pratt, Parley P. The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry and Travels, with Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from His Miscellaneous Writings. Edited by Parley P. Pratt Jr. New York: Russell Brothers, 1874.
Likening the righteous individual to a fruitful tree planted by a river is a common biblical metaphor. (See, for example, Psalm 1:3; and Jeremiah 17:8.)