Answers to Questions, between circa 4 and circa 20 March 1832 [D&C 77]

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Answers to Questions, between circa 4 and circa 20 March 1832 [D&C 77]
Source Note

Answers to Questions, [
Hiram Township
Area settled by immigrants from Pennsylvania and New England, ca. 1802. Located in northeastern Ohio about twenty-five miles southeast of Kirtland. Population in 1830 about 500. Population in 1840 about 1,100. JS lived in township at home of John and Alice...
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, OH, ca. Mar. 1832]. Featured version, titled “Revelation Explained,” copied [between 26 Apr. and ca. Aug. 1832] in Revelation Book 1, pp. 141–144; handwriting of
John Whitmer
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...
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; CHL. Includes redactions. For more complete source information, see the source note for Revelation Book 1.
Historical Introduction
As JS continued his revision of the New Testament in February and March 1832, he reached the book of Revelation with its abundance of symbolic language. “About the first of march, in connection with the
translation
To produce a text from one written in another language; in JS’s usage, most often through divine means. JS considered the ability to translate to be a gift of the spirit, like the gift of interpreting tongues. He recounted that he translated “reformed Egyptian...
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of the
scriptures
The sacred, written word of God containing the “mind & will of the Lord” and “matters of divine revelation.” Members of the church considered the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and JS’s revelations to be scripture. Revelations in 1830 and 1831 directed JS to ...
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,” a later JS history explains, “I received the following explanation of the Revelations of Saint John.”
1
JS History, vol. A-1, 192.
Given that JS was in
Kirtland
Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Latter-day Saint missionaries visited township, early Nov. 1830; many residents joined Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and...
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, Ohio, and was not working on the New Testament revisions between 29 February and 4 March 1832, this document was likely written sometime between 4 March and 20 March, when another revelation told JS and
Sidney Rigdon
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...
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(who was serving as JS’s scribe) to “omit the translation for the present time” so that they could travel to
Missouri
Area 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. Latter-day Saint ...
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.
2
Revelation, 20 Mar. 1832.
By the night of 24–25 March 1832, when the pair was attacked by a group of men in
Hiram
Area settled by immigrants from Pennsylvania and New England, ca. 1802. Located in northeastern Ohio about twenty-five miles southeast of Kirtland. Population in 1830 about 500. Population in 1840 about 1,100. JS lived in township at home of John and Alice...
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, Ohio, JS and Rigdon were working on the eleventh chapter of the book of Revelation, the last chapter mentioned in the explanation.
3
Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 422.
Comprehensive Works Cited
Faulring, Scott H., 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.

Because he was inscribing the New Testament revision,
Rigdon
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...
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probably served as the original scribe for the explanation, but
Jesse Gause
Ca. 1784–ca. Sept. 1836. Schoolteacher. Born at East Marlborough, Chester Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Gause (Goss) and Mary Beverly. Joined Society of Friends (Quakers), 1806. Moved to Fayette Co., Pennsylvania, 1808; to Chester Co., 1811; and to Wilmington...
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could have been the scribe instead.
4
Gause apparently served as scribe for JS’s Bible revision between 8 March and 20 March, during which time JS revised the first and second chapters of the book of Revelation. (Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 70; Jennings, “Consequential Counselor,” 183.)
Comprehensive Works Cited
Jennings, Erin B. “The Consequential Counselor: Restoring the Root(s) of Jesse Gause.” Journal of Mormon History 34 (Spring 2008): 182–227.
The earliest surviving copy is an undated one made by
John Whitmer
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...
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in Revelation Book 1, where it is identified only as “Revelation Explained.” Whitmer, who was residing in
Missouri
Area 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. Latter-day Saint ...
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at the time, probably made the copy sometime after April 1832, when JS likely brought a copy of the original document to Missouri along with copies of revelations dictated in March.
5
See Historical Introduction to Revelation Book 1.
Footnotes
[1]
JS History, vol. A-1, 192.
[2]
Revelation, 20 Mar. 1832.
[3]
Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 422.
[4]
Gause apparently served as scribe for JS’s Bible revision between 8 March and 20 March, during which time JS revised the first and second chapters of the book of Revelation. (Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 70; Jennings, “Consequential Counselor,” 183.)
Jennings, Erin B. “The Consequential Counselor: Restoring the Root(s) of Jesse Gause.” Journal of Mormon History 34 (Spring 2008): 182–227.
[5]
See Historical Introduction to Revelation Book 1.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Answers to Questions, between circa 4 and circa 20 March 1832 [D&C 77] Revelation Book 1 Answers to Questions, between circa 4 and circa 20 March 1832, as Recorded in Richards, Pocket Companion [D&C 77] History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834] “History of Joseph Smith” Answers to Questions, between circa 4 and circa 20 March 1832, Howard Coray Copy [D&C 77:2–12a] Answers to Questions, between circa 4 and circa 20 March 1832, as Recorded in Richards, Notebook [D&C 77]
Page 144
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Q What is to be understood by the two witnesses in the eleventh Chapt. of Rev.?
20
The two witnesses were to prophesy for 1,260 days. They were to have “power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy.” After this period, they would be killed and their bodies would lie in the street “of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified” for three and a half days. They would then come back to life and ascend to heaven in a cloud. (Revelation 11:3–12.)
A They are two prophets that are to be raised up to the Jewish nation in the last days at the time of the restoration and to prophesy to the Jews after they are gathered and have built the city of Jerusalem in the Land of their Fathers

[p. 144]
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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Answers to Questions, between circa 4 and circa 20 March 1832 [D&C 77]
ID #
6728
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D2:208–213
Handwriting on This Page
John Whitmer
Footnotes
[20]
The two witnesses were to prophesy for 1,260 days. They were to have “power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy.” After this period, they would be killed and their bodies would lie in the street “of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified” for three and a half days. They would then come back to life and ascend to heaven in a cloud. (Revelation 11:3–12.)