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Revelation, 2 August 1833–A [D&C 97]

Source Note

Revelation, , Geauga Co., OH, 2 Aug. 1833. Featured version copied [ca. 6 Aug. 1833] in Revelation Book 2, pp. 61–64; handwriting of ; Revelations Collection, CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Revelation Book 2.

Historical Introduction

In accordance with counsel given in a revelation sent to earlier in 1833, members of the in , Missouri, organized a “” in summer 1833 to further their ministerial education. By early July 1833, they desired to know God’s will concerning the school and sent two letters—one from , written 9 July 1833, and one from “the breatheren composing the school,” written likely in early July—to JS. In these letters, Cowdery and others requested JS to inquire “of the Lord . . . concerning the school in ,” though their exact questions about the school are unknown. Before receiving these letters, JS dictated a revelation that gave further instructions on constructing a in , Ohio, which was to be the meeting place for the School of the Prophets. On 25 June, the along with sent a letter to that included plans drawn by for a religious and educational house, or , to be “built immediately” in Zion, with accompanying explanations. Those items, however, had not yet arrived in by early July, when the leaders in Missouri sent their queries to JS in Kirtland.
In response to the two letters from , the presidency of the high priesthood wrote a letter to leaders on 6 August that included three revelations. The presidency referred to the first revelation—the text featured here—as “the communication which we received from the Lord concerning the school in .” Following up on the plans for the Missouri sent on 25 June, the revelation directed church members to build “speedely” the House of the Lord, an edifice in which to hold the school as well as their public worship. The revelation also called for , who had been engaged in missionary work in and around Jackson County while conducting the Missouri school of the prophets, to “continue to preside over the school.” Finally, the revelation provided a brief glimpse of ’s promised future glory “if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her,” a sentiment similar to the one found in a March 1833 revelation that promised that Jesus Christ would chasten Zion “untill she overcome and are clean before me for she shall not be moved out of her place.” The 2 August revelation featured here further warned that if the members of the church did not observe divine , they would suffer “sore afflictions with pestilence with plague with sword with vengence with devouring fire,” but if Zion sinned “no more none of these things shall come upon her.”
Unbeknownst to JS, at the time he dictated this revelation, church members in were already suffering “sore afflictions.” Other county residents demanded that Mormons leave their homes, destroyed the church’s , and tarred and feathered and . The 2 August revelation instructed church members to chastise the wicked among them and to repent completely to avoid further violence and suffering. According to ’s later autobiography, “This revelation was not complied with by the leaders and church in , as a whole; notwithstanding many were humble and faithful. Therefore, the threatened judgment was poured out to the uttermost, as the history of the five following years will show.”
Several copies of this revelation were made: one was included in the body of the aforementioned letter sent to on 6 August 1833, which also included copies of two other revelations. Another was inscribed in Revelation Book 2, which is the version transcribed here. Insufficient evidence exists to determine which is the earliest extant copy. Because the 6 August letter is published in its entirety later in this volume, the version featured here is from the manuscript revelation book. Significant differences between these two early texts are noted.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    See Revelation, 27–28 Dec. 1832 [D&C 88:1–126]; Letter to William W. Phelps, 11 Jan. 1833; and Pratt, Autobiography, 100–101.

    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.

  2. [2]

    Letter to Church Leaders in Jackson Co., MO, 6 Aug. 1833.

  3. [3]

    Revelation, 1 June 1833 [D&C 95].

  4. [4]

    Letter to Church Leaders in Jackson Co., MO, 25 June 1833.

  5. [5]

    Letter to Church Leaders in Jackson Co., MO, 6 Aug. 1833. The two other revelations copied into the 6 August letter were Revelation, 2 Aug. 1833–B [D&C 94]; and Revelation, 6 Aug. 1833 [D&C 98].

  6. [6]

    This instruction parallels the direction found in the revelation JS dictated on 1 June 1833. (See Revelation, 1 June 1833 [D&C 95:16–17].)

  7. [7]

    Pratt had instructed a class of about sixty men once a week beginning earlier in the summer of 1833. (Pratt, Autobiography, 100.)

    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.

  8. [8]

    Revelation, 8 Mar. 1833 [D&C 90:36–37].

  9. [9]

    See Letter from John Whitmer, 29 July 1833; [Edward Partridge], “A History, of the Persecution,” Times and Seasons, Dec. 1839, 1:18; and Vienna Jaques, Statement, 22 Feb. 1859, CHL.

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

    Jaques, Vienna. Statement, 22 Feb. 1859. CHL. MS 3172.

  10. [10]

    Earlier revelations and letters from Kirtland warned Missouri church members of wickedness and frequently called them to repentance. (See Revelation, 22–23 Sept. 1832 [D&C 84:54–61]; Letter to William W. Phelps, 11 Jan. 1833; and Letter to Edward Partridge et al., 14 Jan. 1833.)

  11. [11]

    Pratt, Autobiography, 102.

    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.

  12. [12]

    Letter to Church Leaders in Jackson Co., MO, 6 Aug. 1833.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. Letter to Church Leaders in Jackson County, Missouri, 6 August 1833 *Revelation, 2 August 1833–A [D&C 97] Revelation Book 2 Revelation Book 1 Doctrine and Covenants, 1835 History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834] Doctrine and Covenants, 1844 “History of Joseph Smith”

Page 63

and the sacrifice which I the Lord require at the hand of there hands that there may be an built unto me for the salvation of for a place of thanksgiving for all saints and for a place of instruction for all those who are called to the work of the ministry in all their several callings and offices that they may be perfected in the understanding of their ministry in theory in principle and in doctrine in all thing[s] pertaining to the Kingdom of God on the earth the of which kingdom have been confered upon you and inas much as my people build an unto me in the name of the Lord and do not suffer any unclean thing to come into it that it be not defiled my glory shall rest upon it yea and my presence shall be therefor I will come into it and all the pure in heart that shall come into it shall see God but if it be defiled I will not come into it and my glory shall not be there for I will not come into unholy and now behold if Zion do these things she shall prosper and spread herself and become very glorious very great and very tereble and the Nations of the earth shall honor her and shall say surely Zion is the city of our God and surely Zion cannot fall neithe[r] be mooved out of her place for God is there and the hand of the Lord is there and he hath sworn by the power of his might to be her salvation and her high tower therefore verily thus saith [p. 63]
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Page 63

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Revelation, 2 August 1833–A [D&C 97]
ID #
2968
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D3:198–203
Handwriting on This Page
  • Frederick G. Williams

Footnotes

  1. [15]

    “Tithing,” as used here, suggests performing a sacrificial duty to do the works that God asked of faithful church members, rather than the giving of a tenth of one’s annual increase, as church members later understood the practice. A September 1831 revelation stated that “it is a day of Sacrifice & a day for the tithing of my People for he that is tithed shall not be burned.” Just over a year later, JS explained that God viewed consecration of property as the way to tithe his people “to prepare them against the day of vengence and burning.” The practice of giving a tenth of one’s increase as a form of tithing began in late November 1834, and the annual contribution of “one tenth of all their interest” became a church mandate in a revelation dictated on 8 July 1838. (Revelation, 11 Sept. 1831 [D&C 64:23]; Letter to William W. Phelps, 27 Nov. 1832; see also JS, Journal, 29 Nov. 1834; and Revelation, 8 July 1838–C, in JS, Journal, 8 July 1838 [D&C 119:4].)

  2. [16]

    The “pattern” of the House of the Lord called for a lower-floor assembly hall to be used for public worship and an upper-floor hall to “be dedicated unto me for the school of mine Apostles.” (Revelation, 1 June 1833 [D&C 95:16–17]; Plan of the House of the Lord, between 1 and 25 June 1833.)

  3. [17]

    See Revelation, 6 May 1833 [D&C 93:1]. In January 1833, JS sent a copy of the “Olive Leaf” revelation to Missouri and explained that it “commanded us in Kirtland to build an house of God, & establish a school for the Prophets, this is the word of the Lord to us, & we must— yea the Lord helping us we will obey, as on conditions of our obedience, he has promised us great things, yea even a visit from the heavens to honor us with his own presence.” (Revelation, 27–28 Dec. 1832 [D&C 88:1–126]; Letter to William W. Phelps, 11 Jan. 1833.)

  4. [18]

    See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 159, 241 [Mosiah 2:37; Alma 7:21].

  5. [19]

    See Revelation 21:24.

  6. [20]

    Instead of “mooved,” the copy of this revelation found in the 6 August letter has “removed.” (Letter to Church Leaders in Jackson Co., MO, 6 Aug. 1833 [D&C 97:19].)

  7. [21]

    The dramatic language about Zion’s future in the first part of this paragraph parallels other revelatory assurances given before the gathering to Missouri began. (See Revelation, ca. 7 Mar. 1831 [D&C 45:64–71].)

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