Revelation, February 1831–B [D&C 44]

  • 46th Commandment Febu. 1831

    A Revelation to Joseph & Sidney [Rigdon] Receivd at  Kirtland Geauga Ohio a call to the Eldrs of this Church &c  Church &c

    Blehold thus saith the Lord unto you my Servents  it is expedient in me that the Elders of my Church  should be called to gether from the East & from the  West & from the North & from the South by letter or  some other way & it shall come to pass that I will pour  out my Spirit upon them in the day that they assemble  themselves together & it shall come to pass that they  shall go forth unto the regions round about & preach  repentance unto this People & many shall be converted  insomuch that ye shall obtain power to organize  yourselves according to the laws of man that  your enemies may be under your feet in all  things that ye may be enabled to keep my laws  that evry band may be broken wherewith the  enemy seeketh to destroy my People Behold I say unto [p. 70]

In response to a revelation directing church members to move to Ohio, Joseph and Emma Smith arrived in Kirtland, Ohio, in early February 1831. Within days, a revelation counseled JS and a dozen elders, setting forth the laws that were to govern the church (Revelation, 9 February 1831 [D&C 42:1–72]). That revelation required the elders to go two-by-two to preach and to build up the church.

This revelation urged those elders to congregate in Kirtland as soon as possible, directing that they be called together “by letter or some other way,” and promising that the Holy Spirit would be present in their assembly, empowering them to bring many into the church.

John Whitmer copied this text into Revelation Book 1, where it is designated “46th Commandment Febry 1831,” sometime between March and June 1831. The 1833 Book of Commandments dates this revelation to February 1831 at Kirtland, Ohio. The 1835 Doctrine and Covenants gives the same date but no location.

Facts

Editorial Title
Revelation, February 1831–B [D&C 44]
ID #
6503