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Revelation, 3 November 1831 [D&C 133]

Source Note

Revelation, , OH, 3 Nov. 1831. Featured version, titled “72 A Revelation Recd. Nov 3, 1831,” copied [ca. Nov. 1831] in Revelation Book 1, pp. 116–121; handwriting of ; CHL. Includes redactions. For more complete source information, see the source note for Revelation Book 1.

Historical Introduction

According to a later history, JS dictated this revelation on 3 November 1831 in answer to ’ questions about “the ” and “preaching the gospel to the inhabitants of the earth.” The history indicates that this revelation was dictated following the two-day in , Ohio, which focused on the publication of JS’s revelations in the Book of Commandments. This revelation, which was later designated as the “appendix” to the Book of Commandments, followed the 1 November dictation of the “preface” to that book. The preface placed JS’s revelations in a millenarian context, and this 3 November revelation continued in that millenarian theme. Beginning with a call for the Saints to prepare for the second coming of Jesus Christ by leaving Babylon and gathering to , the revelation then extended this message to all people. It warned of Christ’s imminent return to the earth in power and glory and of the events that would precede and accompany that return. It also provided an explicit statement that God wanted JS’s revelations to go to the world to prepare the inhabitants of the earth for Christ’s return.
Because two early copies of this revelation bear different dates, there is some uncertainty about the exact date of this revelation. When copied it into Revelation Book 1, likely before leaving for on 20 November 1831, he dated it 3 November. JS’s later history also places this revelation after the 1–2 November conference. However, another copy of the revelation in ’s handwriting was inserted into Revelation Book 1 as a loose copy, bearing the endorsement “s Nov 2 1831” in unidentified handwriting, suggesting it may have been written during the 1–2 November conference, which Johnson attended. Because Rigdon transcribed this copy on loose leaves, it is difficult to determine exactly when the copy was made. It may have been placed into Revelation Book 1 before Whitmer left for Missouri, but it could have been inserted much later as well. Whitmer, on the other hand, likely copied the revelation into the bound book before Whitmer and took the book to Missouri on 20 November 1831. Whitmer’s copy is apparently an earlier transcript than the Rigdon copy and therefore more reliable regarding the date—a conclusion corroborated by the fact that the 1–2 November conference minutes do not mention this revelation, and no other sources confirm its presentation on either 1 or 2 November.
Although the 3 November revelation does not refer to itself as an “appendix,” it may have been dictated specifically to serve as an appendix to JS’s revelations—much like the 1 November revelation was presented as the preface. The copy contains the endorsement “An appendix to Revelation,” suggesting an early designation of the revelation as an appendix. When the revelation was first published in the May 1833 issue of The Evening and the Morning Star, explained that it was known as “the close” or “the Appendix,” indicating it had received that designation at least by the spring 1833. According to a later JS history, it was called the appendix because of “its importance, and for distinction.”

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS History, vol. A-1, 166.

  2. [2]

    JS History, vol. A-1, 166; Minutes, 1–2 Nov. 1831.

  3. [3]

    Revelation, 1 Nov. 1831–B [D&C 1].

  4. [4]

    Whitmer, History, 38.

  5. [5]

    JS History, vol. A-1, 166.

  6. [6]

    Revelation, 3 Nov. 1831, [5], in JSP, MRB:403 [D&C 133]. The date of the revelation’s dictation is also given as 2 November at another location in this document, although an unknown scribe later changed that date to 3 November.

    Revelation Book 1 / “A Book of Commandments and Revelations of the Lord Given to Joseph the Seer and Others by the Inspiration of God and Gift and Power of the Holy Ghost Which Beareth Re[c]ord of the Father and Son and Holy Ghost Which Is One God Infinite and Eternal World without End Amen,” 1831–1835. CHL.

  7. [7]

    See “Proposed Sixth Gathering of the Book of Commandments.”

  8. [8]

    Historical Introduction to Revelation Book 1; Whitmer, History, 38.

  9. [9]

    See Minutes, 1–2 Nov. 1831.

  10. [10]

    “Revelations,” The Evening and the Morning Star, May 1833, [1]; Appendix 1: Revelation, 3 Nov. 1831, [6], in JSP, MRB:405 [D&C 133].

    The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.

    Revelation Book 1 / “A Book of Commandments and Revelations of the Lord Given to Joseph the Seer and Others by the Inspiration of God and Gift and Power of the Holy Ghost Which Beareth Re[c]ord of the Father and Son and Holy Ghost Which Is One God Infinite and Eternal World without End Amen,” 1831–1835. CHL.

  11. [11]

    JS History, vol. A-1, 166. The revelation was never published in the Book of Commandments, probably because it was to be one of the last items printed and the printing of the book was halted by violence in Missouri. The revelation was labeled as the appendix in the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. (See “Proposed Sixth Gathering of the Book of Commandments;” Doctrine and Covenants 100, 1835 ed., 247–250.)

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Revelation, 3 November 1831 [D&C 133] Revelation Book 1 Appendix 1: Revelation, 3 November 1831, Sidney Rigdon Copy [D&C 133] Revelations printed in The Evening and the Morning Star, June 1832–June 1833 Doctrine and Covenants, 1835 Revelations printed in Evening and Morning Star, January 1835–June 1836 Revelation, 3 November 1831, as Published in Times and Seasons [D&C 133] History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834] Doctrine and Covenants, 1844 “History of Joseph Smith”

Page 117

From the midst of wickedness which is spiritual babylon But verily thus saith the Lord let not your flight not be in h◊ste but let all things be prepared before you & he that goeth let him not [look?] back— lest sudden distruction shall come upon him hearken & hear oh ye inhabitants of the Earth & listen ye of my together & hear the voice of the Lord for he calleth upon all men & he comandeth all men every where to repent for behold the Lord God hath sent forth the Angel with the everlasting gospel crying through the midst of Heaven saying prepare ye the way of the Lord & make his paths strait for the hour of his coming is nigh when the Lamb Shall stand upon Mount Zion & with him a hundred & forty four thousand having his fathers name written in their foreheads— wherefore prepare ye for the coming of the Bride-groom go ye g[o] y◊◊ out to meet him for Behold he shall stand upon the Mount of Olivet & upon the mighty Ocean even the great deep & upon the Islands of the Sea & upon the Land of & he shall utter his voice out of Zion & he shall speak from Jerusalem & his voice shall be heard among all people & it shall be as the voice of many waters & as the voice of a great thunder which shall break down the Mountains & the valies shall not be found he shall command the great deep & it shall be driven back into the North countries & the Islands shall become one land & the land of Jerusalem & the Land of Zion shall be turned back into their own place & the earth Shall be like as it was in the days before it was before it was divided & the Lord even the Saviour shall stand in the midst of his people <​& shall reign​> over all the Earth flesh & they which who are in the North countries shall come in rememberanc before the Lord & their Prophets shall hear his voice and shall no longer stay themselves & they shall smite the rocks & the ice shall folow down at their presenc[e] & an high way shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep their enemies shall become a prey unto them & <​in​> the barren deserts there shall come forth pools of living water & the parched ground shall <​no​> longe[r] be a thirsty land & they shall bring forth th[e]ir rich treasures [p. 117]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Revelation, 3 November 1831 [D&C 133]
ID #
6532
Total Pages
6
Print Volume Location
JSP, D2:114–121
Handwriting on This Page
  • John Whitmer

Footnotes

  1. [13]

    See Isaiah 52:12. The “Elders of the Church” in conferences were also supposed to supervise “the work of the gethering” as they obtained “knoweledge” from “the Bishop or the agent of the Church” about “the priveliges of the lands.” (Revelation, 1 Aug. 1831 [D&C 58:55–56]; Revelation, 30 Aug. 1831 [D&C 63].)

  2. [14]

    See Acts 17:30; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 81, 478 [2 Nephi 9:23; 3 Nephi 11:32].

  3. [15]

    See Revelation 14:6–7; Matthew 3:3; Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 22 [1 Nephi 10:8]; and Revelation, 30 Oct. 1831 [D&C 65:1].

  4. [16]

    See Revelation 7:3–4; 14:1, 3.

  5. [17]

    See Revelation, 30 Oct. 1831 [D&C 65:3].

  6. [18]

    Both the Sidney Rigdon copy and the version published in The Evening and the Morning Star have “ye” here. (Appendix 1: Revelation, 3 Nov. 1831, [2]; “Revelations,” The Evening and the Morning Star, May 1833, [1].)

    Revelation Book 1 / “A Book of Commandments and Revelations of the Lord Given to Joseph the Seer and Others by the Inspiration of God and Gift and Power of the Holy Ghost Which Beareth Re[c]ord of the Father and Son and Holy Ghost Which Is One God Infinite and Eternal World without End Amen,” 1831–1835. CHL.

    The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.

  7. [19]

    See Zechariah 14:4. An earlier revelation explained some of what would occur when Jesus Christ stepped on the mount. (Revelation, ca. 7 Mar. 1831 [D&C 45:48–53].)

  8. [20]

    See Genesis 10:25.

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