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Revelation, 4 February 1831 [D&C 41]

Source Note

Revelation, , OH, 4 Feb. 1831. Featured version, titled “44 Commandment given Feb. 4th. 1831,” copied [ca. Mar. 1831] in Revelation Book 1, pp. 61–62; handwriting of ; CHL. Includes redactions. For more complete source information, see the source note for Revelation Book 1.

Historical Introduction

This revelation was dictated the same day JS arrived in , Ohio, from . According to ’s headnote, inscribed a few months later in spring 1831, the revelation was a response to JS’s prayer regarding an offer made by new convert to provide JS and “houses & provisions” on his farm in , Ohio, about twenty miles east of JS and his family were in need of housing because of their recent move, and Sidney and Phebe Rigdon had lost a house apparently being built for them by his former Campbellite congregation in nearby , Ohio, when he converted to the Church of Christ. Early published versions of this revelation did not include Whitmer’s headnote, and in their later histories neither JS nor Whitmer connected Copley’s offer to this revelation. Both histories instead place the revelation in the context of concerns about religious excesses among the new church members in . The revelation, however, does not explicitly address this matter.
In setting the scene for the revelation, wrote in his history: “About these days Joseph the Prophet and arrived at to the joy and satisfaction of the Saints. The disciples had all things common, and were going to destruction very fast as to temporal things: for they considered from reading the that what belonged to a brother belonged to any of the brethren, therefore they would take each others clothes and other property and use it without leave: which brought on confusion and disappointments: for they did not understand the scripture. After Joseph lived here a few days the word of the Lord came.” JS’s history gave a similar introduction: “The branch of the church in this part of the Lord’s vineyard, which had increased to nearly one hundred members, were striving to do the will of God, so far as they knew it; though some strange notions and false spirits had crept in among them. With a little caution, and some wisdom, I soon assisted the brethren and sisters to overcome them. The plan of ‘common stock,’ which had existed in what was called ‘the family,’ whose members generally had embraced the ever lasting gospel, was readily abandoned for the more perfect law of the Lord: and the false spirits were easily discerned and rejected by the light of revelation.”
The revelation instructed church members that JS “should have a house built in which to live & ” and that “should have a comfortable Room to live in.” Though silent about ’s offer of assistance, JS’s history explained that upon their arrival in JS and “were kindly received and welcomed into the house of brother .” The history continues, “I and my wife lived in the family of Brother Whitney several weeks, and received every kindness and attention, which could be expected, and especially from .” Although neither JS nor Sidney Rigdon accepted Copley’s offer to live in , Copley made a similar offer a few months later to the group of church members migrating to from , New York.
’s headnote in Revelation Book 1 listed another purpose for this revelation: “pointing at [out] the office of ,” who the revelation commanded to be as the church’s first . This is the first extant document that uses bishop as an office in the church. JS first met businessman and hatter Edward Partridge in December 1830 in , New York. Partridge had accompanied recent convert on a trip to to meet JS. On 9 December, JS dictated a revelation calling Partridge to “preach my Gospel as with the voice of a Trump,” and Partridge was by JS two days later. Partridge spent the next month and a half sharing his new faith with relatives and friends in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, an effort that his daughter Emily later characterized as unsuccessful. He returned to from in time to join JS, , and Sidney Rigdon in their move to Ohio during the last week of January 1831.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Revelations dated 30 December 1830 and 2 January 1831 directed church members to gather in Ohio. According to an article in the Painesville Telegraph, Sidney Rigdon arrived on 1 February and JS arrived three days later. (Revelation, 30 Dec. 1830 [D&C 37:1, 3]; Revelation, 2 Jan. 1831 [D&C 38:32]; [Matthew S. Clapp], “Mormonism,” Painesville [OH] Telegraph, 15 Feb. 1831, [1].)

    Painesville Telegraph. Painesville, OH. 1822–1986.

  2. [2]

    Copley was formerly a member of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, more commonly known as Shakers. (See Historical Introduction to Revelation, 7 May 1831 [D&C 49].)

  3. [3]

    Rigdon’s son later recalled that his father’s congregation in Mentor, Ohio, had “bought him a little farm . . . and were engaged in building him a house on it” when Oliver Cowdery and Parley P. Pratt introduced him to the Book of Mormon. After Sidney and Phebe Rigdon were baptized, the family moved in with other converts in the Kirtland area. (Rigdon, “Lecture on the Early History of the Mormon Church,” 14, 19–20.)

    Rigdon, John Wickliff. Lecture on the Early History of the Mormon Church, [1906]. CHL. MS 3516.

  4. [4]

    Book of Commandments 43; Doctrine and Covenants 61, 1835 ed.

  5. [5]

    Whitmer, History, 11; see also Acts 2:44–45.

  6. [6]

    JS History, vol. A-1, 93.

  7. [7]

    JS History, vol. A-1, 92–93.

  8. [8]

    Knight, Autobiography and Journal, 29–30; see also Historical Introduction to Revelation, 20 May 1831 [D&C 51].

    Knight, Newel. Autobiography and Journal, ca. 1846. CHL. MS 767.

  9. [9]

    Revelation, 9 Dec. 1830; [D&C 36:1] JS History, vol. A-1, 94; Young, “Incidents,” 3.

    Young, Emily Dow Partridge. “Incidents of the Life of a Mormon Girl,” ca. 1884. CHL. MS 5220.

  10. [10]

    Young, “Incidents,” 3–4; see also Partridge, Genealogical Record, 5–6.

    Young, Emily Dow Partridge. “Incidents of the Life of a Mormon Girl,” ca. 1884. CHL. MS 5220.

    Partridge, Edward, Jr. Genealogical Record. 1878. CHL. MS 1271.

  11. [11]

    Revelation, 30 Dec. 1830 [D&C 37:1]; Young, “Incidents,” 5.

    Young, Emily Dow Partridge. “Incidents of the Life of a Mormon Girl,” ca. 1884. CHL. MS 5220.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Revelation, 4 February 1831 [D&C 41]
Revelation Book 1 Book of Commandments, 1833 Revelation Book 2 Doctrine and Covenants, 1835 John Whitmer, History, 1831–circa 1847 History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834] “History of Joseph Smith” Doctrine and Covenants, 1844

Page 61

44 given Feb. 4th. 1831
at Geauga County Ohio given to the in these parts it pointing at the office of &c & there was a man by the name of in the Township of who had requested <​his​> Brother [JS] & & to live with him & he would furnish them houses & provisions &c then By Joseph enquired of the lord & Received as follows
Hearken & hear oh! my People saith your lord & your God ye whom I delight to bless with the greatest of blessings ye that hear me & ye that hear me not will I curse with that have professed my name with the heaviest of all cursings hearken oh ye of my Church whom I have called Behold I give unto you a commandment that ye shall assemble yourselves to gether to agree upon my my word & by the prayer of your faith ye shall receive my that ye may know how to govern my Church Church & have all things right before me & I will be your ruler & ye shall see that my law is kept he that Receiveth my law & doeth it the same is my Deciple & he that saith he Receiveth it & Doeth it not the same is not my Deciple & shall be cast out from among you for it is not meet that the things which belong to the [p. 61]
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Source Note

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Page 61

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Revelation, 4 February 1831 [D&C 41]
ID #
6501
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D1:241–245
Handwriting on This Page
  • John Whitmer

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    The word “at” was crossed out and “out” was inserted in its place by John Whitmer sometime after his initial inscription of the manuscript. (Revelation Book 1, p. 61.)

  2. [2]

    Text supplied based on John Whitmer’s later insertion in the manuscript. (Revelation Book 1, p. 61.)

  3. [3]

    John Whitmer likely created this heading when he copied the text into Revelation Book 1.

  4. [4]

    The 2 January 1831 revelation directing the members in New York to remove to Ohio had promised the reception of “my law” in Ohio. The first part of a revelation titled in Revelation Book 1 “The laws of the Church of Christ” was received five days after this 4 February revelation. (Revelation, 2 Jan. 1831 [D&C 38:32]; Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:1–72].)

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