Revelation, 6 June 1831 [D&C 52]

  • 55th. Commandment given at Kirtland June 6th. 1831

    Directions to the Elders of the Church of Christ &c

    Behold thus saith the Lord unto the Elders whom he hath called & chosen  in these last days by the voice of his Spirit saying I the Lord will make  known unto you what I will make known that ye sh◊◊ld do from this  time untill the next conference which shall be held in Missorie upon  the land which I will consecrate unto my People which are a remnant of  Jacob & those who are heirs according to the covenant wherefore verily I say  unto you let my Servents Joseph & Sidney [Rigdon] take their Journey as Soon as  preperations can be made to leave their homes & Journey to the land of  Missorie & in as much as they are faithfull unto me it shall be made  known unto them what they shall do & it shall also in as much as they  are faithfull be made known unto them the land of your inheritance  & in as much as they are not faithfull they shall be cut off even as I will  as Seemeth me good & again verily I say unto you let my Servent  Lyman (Wight) & my Servent John (Corrill) take their Journey speedily  & also my Servent John (Murdock) & my Servent Hyram [Hyrum] (Smith) take  their Journey unto the Same place by the way of Detroit & let them  Journey from thence preaching the word by the way saying none  other things than the Prophets & Apostles have written & that which is [p. 87]

In June 1831, a church conference brought together nearly all of those ordained to the priesthood in the year-old Church of Christ. During the conference a series of important events took place, including dramatic spiritual experiences and the first ordinations to the new office of high priest. At the conference’s close this revelation directed many of the elders present to undertake a journey to Missouri, where the location of Zion was expected to be revealed. Zion was the New Jerusalem, to which church members were to gather.

John Whitmer copied this text, addressed to the church elders, into Revelation Book 1, where it is designated “55th Commandment given at Kirtland June 6th 1831,” sometime during June 1831. Symonds Rider also copied the text in June 1831. The 1833 Book of Commandments dates the revelation to June 1831 at Kirtland, while the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants gives the same date but no location.

Facts

Editorial Title
Revelation, 6 June 1831 [D&C 52]
ID #
6513