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Revelation, 9 February 1831 [D&C 42:1–72]
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The Laws of the Church of Christ
Principles given to the church and its members in February 1831 revelations. In January 1831, a revelation promised the saints in New York that the law would be given after they gathered in Ohio. Once in Ohio, on 9 and 23 February 1831, JS dictated two revelations...
View GlossaryKirtland Geauga Ohio May 23d 18311
A Commandment to <the> Elder[s]
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...
More InfoThis date possibly indicates when Symonds Rider copied the text into his journal; alternatively, it may have been intended to indicate 23 February, the date the second portion of the revelation was dictated. The copy published in the Western Courier suggests that this was the date of transcription. (Historical Introduction to Revelation, 23 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:74–93]; “Secret Bye Laws of the Mormonites,” Western Courier [Ravenna, OH], 1 Sept. 1831, [1].)
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Western Courier. Ravenna, OH. 1826–1833.
[First Shall the Church come to gether into one place or continue in seperate establishments?]2
Text supplied from Revelation Book 1. Another other early version of this revelation includes a similar question: “Question 1st—Shall the Church come together into one place or remain as they are in separate bodies?” (Revelation Book 1, p. 62; Gilbert, Notebook, [13].)
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Gilbert, Algernon Sidney. Notebook of Revelations, 1831–ca. 1833. Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL.
Hearken oh! ye Elders of my Church who have assembled yourselves together in my name even Jesus Christ the Son of God the living God the Saveiour of the world in as much as they believe on my name & keep my commandments again I say unto you hearken & hear & obey the laws which I Shall give unto you for verily I say as ye have assembled yourselves together according to the commandment wherewith I commanded you and are agreed as touching this one thing & have asked me in my name even so ye shall receive3
Behold verily I say unto you I give unto you this first Commandment that ye shall go forth in my name every one of you except my servant Joseph & Sidny [Sidney Rigdon] & I give unto them a commandment that they shall go forth for a little Season & it shall be given by the power of my spirit when they Shall return & ye Shall go forth in the power of my Spirit preaching my Gospel two by two in my name lifting up your voices as with the voice of a trump declaring my word like unto Angels of God & ye shall go forth bap tizing with water <saying> repent ye repent ye for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand & from this place ye shall go forth in to the regions westward & in as much as ye shall find my deciples ye shall build up my church in every region4
untill the time shall come when it Shall be revealed unto you from on high & the City of the New Jerusalam Shall be prepared that ye may [p. [1]]
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...
View GlossaryGenerally, 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...
View GlossarySee Revelation, 4 Feb. 1831, herein [D&C 41:2–3]. John Whitmer wrote that in preparation for this revelation, “the Elders were called together, and united in mighty prayer, and were agreed as touching the reception of the Law.” (Whitmer, History, 12.)
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Whitmer, History / Whitmer, John. “The Book of John Whitmer Kept by Commandment,” ca. 1838–1847. CCLA.
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...
View Full BioAn ordinance in which an individual is immersed in water for the remission of sins. The Book of Mormon explained that those with necessary authority were to baptize individuals who had repented of their sins. Baptized individuals also received the gift of...
View GlossaryJohn Whitmer later recorded that “after the above law or Revelation was receivd, the elders went forth to proclaim repentance according to commandment, and there were numbers added to the church.” John Corrill later wrote that he and his preaching companion “went to New London, about one hundred miles from Kirtland, where we built up a Church of thirty-six members in about three weeks time. . . . Other elders proceeded to erect churches in various places, and the work increased very fast.” (Whitmer, History, 17; Corrill, Brief History, 17.)
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Whitmer, History / Whitmer, John. “The Book of John Whitmer Kept by Commandment,” ca. 1838–1847. CCLA.
Corrill, John. A Brief History of the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints, (Commonly Called Mormons;) Including an Account of Their Doctrine and Discipline; with the Reasons of the Author for Leaving the Church. St. Louis: By the author, 1839.
A late December 1830 revelation first directed members of the Church of Christ to migrate from New York to Ohio, and at a church conference a few days later, another revelation declared, “There [in Ohio] I will give unto you my law.”1 Within a month, JS himself relocated to Ohio, and immediately after his arrival in Kirtland, the church received on 4 February 1831 the revelatory promise, “By the prayer of your faith ye shall receive my law that ye may know how to govern my Church.”2 Less than a week later, on 9 February, JS dictated the revelation featured here during the course of a meeting of twelve elders who were “called together, and united in mighty prayer.”3
John Whitmer titled it “The Laws of the Church of Christ.”
Located in northeast region of U.S. Area settled by Dutch traders, 1620s; later governed by Britain, 1664–1776. Admitted to U.S. as state, 1788. Population in 1810 about 1,000,000; in 1820 about 1,400,000; in 1830 about 1,900,000; and in 1840 about 2,400,...
More InfoFrench explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Partitioned from Northwest Territory and admitted as state, 1803. Bordered by Lake Erie on ...
More InfoLocated 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...
More InfoWhitmer, History, 12.
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Whitmer, History / Whitmer, John. “The Book of John Whitmer Kept by Commandment,” ca. 1838–1847. CCLA.
27 Aug. 1802–11 July 1878. Farmer, stock raiser, newspaper editor. Born in Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Member of German Reformed Church, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, most likely in Seneca...
View Full BioOutside of Revelation Book 1, there are few extant manuscript copies of most of JS’s early revelations. The 9 February 1831 revelation, however, is an exception: five early manuscript copies survive.4
In addition, this was one of the earliest revelations to be published, printed in part by two Ohio newspapers only a few months after its dictation.5
The most complete version of the revelation (presented here) is in the handwriting of early church member Symonds Rider and was possibly created 23 May 1831, the date Rider inscribed on the manuscript. This is likely the earliest of the five early surviving manuscripts, although it is possible that the partial copy found in Revelation Book 1 was recorded first.
In addition to the Rider manuscript featured here, four other early handwritten versions of this revelation are extant. The versions are in Revelation Book 1, pp. 62–67; Gilbert, Notebook, [13]–[23]; Coltrin, Diary, [11]–[18]; and Hyde and Smith, Notebook, [12]–[22].
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Gilbert, Algernon Sidney. Notebook of Revelations, 1831–ca. 1833. Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL.
Coltrin, Zebedee. Diary, 1832–1833. Zebedee Coltrin, Diaries, 1832–1834. CHL.
Hyde, Orson, and Samuel Smith. Notebook of Revelations, 1832. Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL.
French explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Partitioned from Northwest Territory and admitted as state, 1803. Bordered by Lake Erie on ...
More Info“Secret Bye Laws of the Mormonites,” Western Courier (Ravenna, OH), 1 Sept. 1831, [1]; “Secret Bye Laws of the Mormonites,” Painesville (OH) Telegraph, 13 Sept. 1831, [1].
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Western Courier. Ravenna, OH. 1826–1833.
Painesville Telegraph. Painesville, OH. 1831–1838.
20 Nov. 1792–1 Aug. 1870. Farmer, teacher, minister. Born in Hartford, Windsor Co., Vermont. Son of Joshua Ryder and Marilla. Moved to Hiram, Portage Co., Ohio, 6 Jan. 1814. Married Mahitable Loomis, 12 Nov. 1818, in Portage Co. Served as captain in Ohio ...
View Full BioThe earliest extant copies of this revelation suggest that “the Law” may have originally been a compilation of five distinct revelatory commandments, each given in response to a practical question posed by the twelve elders present at the 9 February 1831 meeting.6
The elders apparently asked questions of JS, who then dictated revelatory answers, closing each answer with the words “even so Amen.” The Rider document featured here collates the revelations into a single document divided into five sections. Although it is unknown whether the initial writing captured the texts as a single document, early manuscripts confirm that the individual answers were originally understood as separate commandments. For example, when John Whitmer copied what he titled “The Church Law” into Zebedee Coltrin’s diary he included only the second section, and in September 1831 local newspapers published the first and second sections as “the Law.”7
Further, although only the second of the five sections was titled “the Law” in the early manuscripts, the composite document, including all five sections, also came to be known as “the Law.”8 When the revelation was published in the Book of Commandments, it was introduced as “A Revelation given to twelve elders assembled in Kirtland, Ohio; and also the law for the government of the church, given in the presence of the same.” By describing the revelation in two parts, the heading suggests that the second through fifth sections of the text were considered together as “the Law.”9
The five questions answered in this revelation, as found in other early copies of the text, are, “Shall the Church come to gether into one place or continue in seperate establishments?”; “The Law regulating the Church in her present situation till the time of her gathering”; “How the Elders are to dispose of their families while they are proclaiming repentance or are otherwise engaged in the service of the Church[?]”; “How far it is the will of the Lord that we should have dealing with the world & how we should conduct our dealings with them[?]”; and “What preperations we shall make for our brothren from the East & where & how[?]” All of these questions are found in Revelation Book 1, except the second, which is found in the Sidney Gilbert copy. In place of the second question, Revelation Book 1 has “The Law.” When John Whitmer copied the revelation into Revelation Book 1, the questions served as introductory headings to each section. However, when the revelation was later prepared for publication, Oliver Cowdery crossed out the questions. (Revelation Book 1, pp. 62, 63, 66, 67; Gilbert, Notebook, [15].)
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Gilbert, Algernon Sidney. Notebook of Revelations, 1831–ca. 1833. Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL.
27 Aug. 1802–11 July 1878. Farmer, stock raiser, newspaper editor. Born in Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Member of German Reformed Church, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, most likely in Seneca...
View Full Bio7 Sept. 1804–21 July 1887. Born at Ovid, Seneca Co., New York. Son of John Coltrin and Sarah Graham. Member of Methodist church. Married first Julia Ann Jennings, Oct. 1828. Baptized into LDS church by Solomon Hancock, 9 Jan. 1831, at Strongsville, Cuyahoga...
View Full BioColtrin, Diary, [11]–[18]; “Secret Bye Laws of the Mormonites,” Western Courier (Ravenna, OH), 1 Sept. 1831, [1]; “Secret Bye Laws of the Mormonites,” Painesville (OH) Telegraph, 13 Sept. 1831, [1].
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Coltrin, Zebedee. Diary, 1832–1833. Zebedee Coltrin, Diaries, 1832–1834. CHL.
Western Courier. Ravenna, OH. 1826–1833.
Painesville Telegraph. Painesville, OH. 1831–1838.
Four of the five early manuscripts reference “the Law” in titling the second section.
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...
More InfoBook of Commandments 44.
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A Book of Commandments, for the Government of the Church of Christ, Organized according to Law, on the 6th of April, 1830. Zion [Independence], MO: W. W. Phelps, 1833.
On 23 February, two weeks after the initial dictation of this text, JS and seven elders met to determine “How the Elders of the church of Christ are to act upon the points of the Law,” and JS dictated several additional paragraphs of instruction.10 Analysis of the early manuscripts of the 9 February revelation and the 23 February revelation suggests that “the Law” was a working document, meant to be revised or expanded as new circumstances raised new questions. In three of the five early manuscripts, the 23 February revelation was included at the end of the 9 February text.11
The 9 February and 23 February revelations appeared separately in the Book of Commandments in 1833, but the two revelations were combined when published in the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. (Book of Commandments 44, 47; Doctrine and Covenants 13, 1835 ed.)
Only the Symonds Rider manuscript (featured below) includes the entirety of both texts. Revelation Book 1 includes the first four sections of the 9 February 1831 revelation and the last section of the 23 February revelation; Orson Hyde includes parts two, three, and four of the 9 February revelation, and the last two parts of the 23 February revelation. The Gilbert and Coltrin copies do not include the 23 February text (Revelation Book 1, pp. 62–67; Hyde and Smith, Notebook, [12]–[22]; Gilbert, Notebook, [13]–[23]; Coltrin, Diary, [11]–[18]; see also Revelation, 23 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:74–93].)
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Hyde, Orson, and Samuel Smith. Notebook of Revelations, 1832. Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL.
Gilbert, Algernon Sidney. Notebook of Revelations, 1831–ca. 1833. Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL.
Coltrin, Zebedee. Diary, 1832–1833. Zebedee Coltrin, Diaries, 1832–1834. CHL.
The historical context for the 9 February revelation included the recent conversion of a significant number of Ohio members and the imminent arrival of church members from New York, a migration the Ohio converts first learned of from John Whitmer when he arrived in Ohio in mid-January.12
The elders’ first question was whether the various communities should gather “into one place or continue in seperate establishments.” This question was answered in conjunction with a commandment that called the elders to preach “to the regions westward” and “build up my Church in every region.”
French explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Partitioned from Northwest Territory and admitted as state, 1803. Bordered by Lake Erie on ...
More InfoLocated in northeast region of U.S. Area settled by Dutch traders, 1620s; later governed by Britain, 1664–1776. Admitted to U.S. as state, 1788. Population in 1810 about 1,000,000; in 1820 about 1,400,000; in 1830 about 1,900,000; and in 1840 about 2,400,...
More Info27 Aug. 1802–11 July 1878. Farmer, stock raiser, newspaper editor. Born in Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Member of German Reformed Church, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, most likely in Seneca...
View Full BioWhitmer explained, “The Lord manifested himself to Joseph the Revelater and gave commandment for me to go to the Ohio, and carry the commandments and revelations, with me, to comfort and strengthen my brethren in that land.” (Whitmer, History, 10.)
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Whitmer, History / Whitmer, John. “The Book of John Whitmer Kept by Commandment,” ca. 1838–1847. CCLA.
Second, the elders inquired about the “Law regulating the Church in her present situation till the time of her gathering.” The revelatory response codified basic matters of authority, moral conduct, and economic organization, addressing specific concerns among the membership. In the first six months after the organization of the Church of Christ, questions had arisen in New York about authority13 and also about who could receive revelation for the church.14
Converts in Ohio asked similar questions. Many had been baptized by Cowdery and his companions, but the missionaries’ departure for Missouri at the same time Sidney Rigdon left Kirtland to meet JS in New York left the new converts without experienced leaders.15 In the absence of such leadership, several charismatic individuals offered their own revelations to bolster their self-declared authority.16
Located in northeast region of U.S. Area settled by Dutch traders, 1620s; later governed by Britain, 1664–1776. Admitted to U.S. as state, 1788. Population in 1810 about 1,000,000; in 1820 about 1,400,000; in 1830 about 1,900,000; and in 1840 about 2,400,...
More InfoSeveral months earlier, Hiram Page reported receiving a number of revelations that were taken seriously by Oliver Cowdery and the Whitmers. (See Knight, History, 145–147; JS History, vol. A-1, 53–54; see also Historical Introduction to Revelation, Sept. 1830–B [D&C 28].)
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Knight, Newel. History. Private possession. Copy in CHL.
French explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Partitioned from Northwest Territory and admitted as state, 1803. Bordered by Lake Erie on ...
More Info3 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...
View Full BioArea 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...
More Info19 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...
View Full BioLocated 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...
More InfoSee Whitmer, History, 10; and George A. Smith, in Journal of Discourses, 15 Nov. 1864, 11:2–4; see also Historical Introduction to Revelation, Feb. 1831–A [D&C 43].
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Whitmer, History / Whitmer, John. “The Book of John Whitmer Kept by Commandment,” ca. 1838–1847. CCLA.
Journal of Discourses. 26 vols. Liverpool: F. D. Richards, 1855–1886.
In addition, the second section responded to the form of communalism that many Ohio converts had previously embraced. In their effort to strictly apply the New Testament passage calling for believers to have “all things common,” they formed a communal group called “the Family,” with several families sharing Isaac and Lucy Morley’s home and farm.17
However, “the Law” modified the Ohio members’ communal ownership of property. It commanded members to “conscrate all [their] propertys,” which in the religious terminology of the day meant to “set apart, dedicate, or devote, to the service and worship of God” one’s possessions.18
This vision of consecration shared similarities with practices of other utopian communities, such as the Shakers and the Owenites.19
This revelation not only provided a guideline for economic organization directed by the church but also outlined a code of conduct to which members of the church were expected to adhere, as well as procedures for casting out those who did not.
French explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Partitioned from Northwest Territory and admitted as state, 1803. Bordered by Lake Erie on ...
More Info11 Mar. 1786–24 June 1865. Farmer, cooper, merchant, postmaster. Born at Montague, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Thomas Morley and Editha (Edith) Marsh. Family affiliated with Presbyterian church. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, before 1812. Married...
View Full BioActs 2:44; see also “Fanaticism,” Connecticut Courant (Hartford), 12 July 1831, [1]. JS had recently dictated, as part of his Bible revision, an account of the people of Enoch, who were “of one heart and of one mind” and who had “no poor among them.” (Old Testament Revision 1, p. 16 [Moses 7:18].)
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The Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments Translated Out of the Original Tongues: And with the Former Translations Diligently Compared and Revised, by His Majesty’s Special Command. Authorized King James Version with Explanatory Notes and Cross References to the Standard Works of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1979.
Connecticut Courant. Hartford, CT. 1764–.
Old Testament Revision 1 / “A Revelation Given to Joseph the Revelator June 1830,” 1830–1831. CCLA. Also available in Scott H. Faulring, Kent P. Jackson, and Robert J. Matthews, eds., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible: Original Manuscripts (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2004), 75–152.
French explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Partitioned from Northwest Territory and admitted as state, 1803. Bordered by Lake Erie on ...
More Info“Consecrate,” in American Dictionary.
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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.
See Brewer, “Shakers of Mother Ann Lee,” 37–56; and Pitzer, “New Moral World of Robert Owen,” 88–134; see also May, “Communal Life and Values among the Mormons,” 135–158.
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Smith, Joseph. Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. Brewer, Priscilla J. “The Shakers of Mother Ann Lee.” In America's Communal Utopias, edited by Donald E. Pitzer, 37–56. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1997.
Pitzer, Donald E. “The New Moral World of Robert Owen and New Harmony.” In America's Communal Utopias, edited by Donald E. Pitzer, 88–134. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1997.
May, Dean L. “One Heart and Mind: Communal Life and Values among the Mormons.” In America's Communal Utopias, edited by Donald E. Pitzer, 135–158. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1997.
Third, knowing that many members of the church would leave their homes to preach, the elders then inquired about the welfare of their families while they were “proclaiming repentance or are otherwise engaged in the service of the Church.” This concern was initially raised in New York in late September and early October 1830, when several members were called to proselytizing missions.20 This revelation answered that they should “go forth in the power of my spirit preaching my Gospel two by two in my name” and that their families would be supported by the consecrated properties held by the church.
Located in northeast region of U.S. Area settled by Dutch traders, 1620s; later governed by Britain, 1664–1776. Admitted to U.S. as state, 1788. Population in 1810 about 1,000,000; in 1820 about 1,400,000; in 1830 about 1,900,000; and in 1840 about 2,400,...
More InfoSee Historical Introductions to Revelation, Oct. 1830–A [D&C 32]; and to Revelation, Oct. 1830–B [D&C 33].
While the first three questions addressed in the 9 February revelation involved relationships within the church, the fourth question asked, perhaps with some urgency given the previous commandment to consecrate their property, “How far it is the will of the Lord that we Should have dealings with the wo[r]ld & how we Should conduct our dealings with them?” The brief answer was to avoid becoming indebted to the world but to counsel together and seek the Spirit in whatever dealings were necessary.
The elders’ final question addressed the concerns of Ohio members about the expected influx of members gathering from New York: “What preperations we shall make for our Brethren from the East & when & how?” The revelation called for single residences for each family, located as close together as possible, and instructed the bishop, Edward Partridge, to appoint individuals who would assist him in procuring and distributing the land.
French explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Partitioned from Northwest Territory and admitted as state, 1803. Bordered by Lake Erie on ...
More InfoLocated in northeast region of U.S. Area settled by Dutch traders, 1620s; later governed by Britain, 1664–1776. Admitted to U.S. as state, 1788. Population in 1810 about 1,000,000; in 1820 about 1,400,000; in 1830 about 1,900,000; and in 1840 about 2,400,...
More Info27 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...
View Full BioThe text of this revelation, together with the church’s founding “Articles and Covenants,” may have served to unify the Ohio and New York membership into a single community of believers by organizing them under the same laws and regulations.21 The New York members had been promised such a commandment as soon as they united with the Ohio members, and the questions asked at the 9 February meeting were followed by revelations that brought the two groups together under one law.22
French explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Partitioned from Northwest Territory and admitted as state, 1803. Bordered by Lake Erie on ...
More InfoLocated in northeast region of U.S. Area settled by Dutch traders, 1620s; later governed by Britain, 1664–1776. Admitted to U.S. as state, 1788. Population in 1810 about 1,000,000; in 1820 about 1,400,000; in 1830 about 1,900,000; and in 1840 about 2,400,...
More InfoOn 22 February 1831, JS wrote to Martin Harris: “We have received the laws of the Kingdom since we came here and the Disciples in these parts have received them gladly.” (Letter to Martin Harris, 22 Feb. 1831.)
For additional research about “the Law,” see Underwood, “Laws of the Church of Christ,” 108–141.
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Underwood, Grant. “‘The Laws of the Church of Christ’ (D&C 42): A Textual and Historical Analysis.” In The Doctrine and Covenants: Revelations in Context, edited by Andrew H. Hedges, J. Spencer Fluhman, and Alonzo L. Gaskill, 108–141. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2008.
Revelation, Kirtland Township, OH, [9 Feb.] 1831. Featured version, titled “The Laws of the Church of Christ,” copied May 1831; handwriting of Symonds Rider; six pages; Revelations Collection, CHL. Includes archival markings.
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...
More Info20 Nov. 1792–1 Aug. 1870. Farmer, teacher, minister. Born in Hartford, Windsor Co., Vermont. Son of Joshua Ryder and Marilla. Moved to Hiram, Portage Co., Ohio, 6 Jan. 1814. Married Mahitable Loomis, 12 Nov. 1818, in Portage Co. Served as captain in Ohio ...
View Full BioEach of the three leaves, measuring 7½ × 6½–6¾ inches (19 × 17 cm), has a similar jagged cut on the left edge of the recto. Also running along the left edge of each recto are eight small holes, likely used for sewing the booklet together. Based on comparison of the cuts and tears of the pages, these pages, along with copies of Articles and Covenants, circa April 1830 [D&C 20], and Revelation, 23 February 1831 [D&C 42:74–93], were part of a notebook of at least sixteen leaves, likely created by Symonds Rider. It is unknown when these pages were removed from the notebook.
20 Nov. 1792–1 Aug. 1870. Farmer, teacher, minister. Born in Hartford, Windsor Co., Vermont. Son of Joshua Ryder and Marilla. Moved to Hiram, Portage Co., Ohio, 6 Jan. 1814. Married Mahitable Loomis, 12 Nov. 1818, in Portage Co. Served as captain in Ohio ...
View Full BioSymonds Rider likely supplied a copy of this revelation to the Western Courier (Ravenna, OH), which first published it 1 September 1831.1
The manuscript version featured here was possibly created 23 May 1831, the date found on the manuscript and the date given by the Western Courier. However, the same manuscript that includes a copy of the 9 February 1831 revelation also includes a copy of Revelation, 23 February 1831 [D&C 42:74–93], and gives the correct date of the latter revelation. It is possible that when he inscribed “May 23d 1831” near the top of the 9 February revelation, Rider was trying to write “February 23d 1831” but gave May as the month rather than February. This possible error may hint that the copy was created simply sometime in May of 1831.
20 Nov. 1792–1 Aug. 1870. Farmer, teacher, minister. Born in Hartford, Windsor Co., Vermont. Son of Joshua Ryder and Marilla. Moved to Hiram, Portage Co., Ohio, 6 Jan. 1814. Married Mahitable Loomis, 12 Nov. 1818, in Portage Co. Served as captain in Ohio ...
View Full Bio“Secret Bye Laws of the Mormonites,” Western Courier (Ravenna, OH), 1 Sept. 1831, [1]. When introducing the document, the editor of the Courier stated, “A responsible and intelligent individual, who has devoted much time to make himself acquainted with the principles, practices and objects of the Mormonite leaders, and at whose request we publish the following, assures us that it is a correct copy of the regulations to which the deluded followers are compelled to assent, after joining the church.” Because the Courier version appears to be textually dependent on the Rider manuscript, and because both the Rider manuscript and the Courier version have the same date (23 May 1831) in the heading of the revelation, Rider is probably the individual referred to in the Courier.
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Western Courier. Ravenna, OH. 1826–1833.
Of the many extant versions of this text, the Rider manuscript is likely the earliest, save the incomplete version found in Revelation Book 1.2 According to a letter filed with this manuscript, this document, with several other manuscript revelations, was donated to the Church Historian’s Office in the early 1960s by a descendant of Symonds Rider. The rolled-up papers were discovered by the Rider family in 1958, having presumably been held by the family since Rider obtained them circa 1831.3
20 Nov. 1792–1 Aug. 1870. Farmer, teacher, minister. Born in Hartford, Windsor Co., Vermont. Son of Joshua Ryder and Marilla. Moved to Hiram, Portage Co., Ohio, 6 Jan. 1814. Married Mahitable Loomis, 12 Nov. 1818, in Portage Co. Served as captain in Ohio ...
View Full Bio[Earl E. Olson], Note, [27 May 1964], in Revelations Collection, CHL; Faulring, “Examination of the 1829 ‘Articles of the Church of Christ’ in Relation to Section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants,” 87–88n70.
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Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL.
Faulring, Scott H. “An Examination of the 1829 ‘Articles of the Church of Christ’ in Relation to Section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants.” BYU Studies 43, no. 4 (2004): 57–91.
