Footnotes
Revelation, 7 Dec. 1830, in Revelations Collection, CHL [D&C 35:13–18]. The opposite side of this revelation fragment contains a few verses of Revelation, 9 Dec. 1830 [D&C 36].
Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL. MS 4583.
“Mormonism,” Ohio Star (Ravenna), 5 Jan. 1832, [3]; Symonds Rider, Letter to the Editor, Ohio Star (Ravenna), 29 Dec. 1831, [3].
Ohio Star. Ravenna. 1830–1854.
Footnotes
Pratt, Autobiography, 50; Anderson, “Impact of the First Preaching in Ohio,” 478.
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.
Anderson, Richard Lloyd. “The Impact of the First Preaching in Ohio.” BYU Studies 11 (Summer 1971): 474–496.
See Revelation, 30 Dec. 1830 [D&C 37:2–3]; and Revelation, 2 Jan. 1831 [D&C 38:32].
See [Matthew S. Clapp], “Mormonism,” Painesville (OH) Telegraph, 15 Feb. 1831, [1] –[2]; Knight, Reminiscences, 8; and Walter Scott, “Mormon Bible.—No. V,” Evangelist, 1 June 1841, 132–136.
Painesville Telegraph. Painesville, OH. 1822–1986.
Knight, Joseph, Sr. Reminiscences, no date. CHL. MS 3470.
Evangelist. Carthage, OH. 1832–1844.
Whitmer, History, 1.
Decades later, David Whitmer described Rigdon’s impact on JS: “He soon worked himself deep into Brother Joseph’s affections, and had more influence over him than any other man living. He was Brother Joseph’s private counsellor, and his most intimate friend and brother for some time after they met. Brother Joseph rejoiced, believing that the Lord had sent to him this great and mighty man Sydney Rigdon, to help him in the work.” (Whitmer, Address to All Believers in Christ, 35.)
Whitmer, David. An Address to All Believers in Christ. Richmond, MO: By the author, 1887.
Eber D. Howe, a vocal critic of JS, interpreted the revelation in this way: “[Rigdon was] very intimate with the scriptures, a close reasoner, and . . . was forthwith appointed to promulgate . . . Mormonism, ‘and call on the Holy Prophets to prove’ all the words of Smith.” An early account of JS prophesying and Rigdon “proving” his words from the Bible is found in John Whitmer’s history. Whitmer wrote that after this revelation was dictated, “Joseph prophesied saying: God is about to destroy this generation, and Christ will descend from heaven in power and great glory, with all the holy angels with him, to take vengeance upon the wicked, and they that know not God: Sidny preached the gospel and proved his words from the holy prophets: and so powerful were thier words, that the people who heard them speak were amazed, and trembled, and knew not whereunto this thing would grow.” (Howe, Mormonism Unvailed, 110; Whitmer, History, 5.)
Howe, Eber D. Mormonism Unvailed: Or, A Faithful Account of That Singular Imposition and Delusion, from Its Rise to the Present Time. With Sketches of the Characters of Its Propagators, and a Full Detail of the Manner in Which the Famous Golden Bible Was Brought before the World. To Which Are Added, Inquiries into the Probability That the Historical Part of the Said Bible Was Written by One Solomon Spalding, More Than Twenty Years Ago, and by Him Intended to Have Been Published as a Romance. Painesville, OH: By the author, 1834.
See Luke 21:28; 12:32.
See, for example, Revelation 3:11; 27:7, 12, 20. This phrase was also used in the October 1830 revelation commanding specific church members to evangelize. (Revelation, Oct. 1830–B [D&C 33:18]; see also Revelation, 4 Nov. 1830 [D&C 34:12].)