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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 118

unto the Children of Ephraim my servents & the boundaries of the everlasting hills shall trembl at their presence & these shall thy fall down & be crowned with glory even in by the hands of the Servents of the Lord even the children of Ephraim & they shall be filled with songs of everlasting Joy behold this is the blessing of the everlasting God upon the heads of the tribes of Israel & the richer blessing upon the head of Ephraim & his fellows & they also on [of] the tribe of Judah after their pain shall be Sanctified in holiness before the Lord to dwell in his presenc[e] day & night forever & ever & now verily saith the Lord that these things might be known among you oh inhabitants of the Earth I have sent forth mine Angel flying throug[h] the midst of heaven having the everlasting Gospel who hath appeared unto some & hath committed it unto man who shall appear unto many that dwell on the Earth & this gospel shall be preached unto every Nation & kindred & tongue & People & the Servents of God shall go forth saying with a loud voice fear God & give glory to him for the hour of his Judgement is come & worship him that made Heaven & earth & the Sea & the fountain of waters calling upon the Lord day & night saying oh that thou wouldst rend the heavens that thou wouldest come down that the mountains would flow down at thy presence & it shall be answered upon their heads for the presence of the Lord shall be as the melting fire that burneth & as the fire that causeth the waters to boil oh Lord thou shalt come down to make known thy name to thine advisary & all nations shall trembl at thy presence when thou doeth terabl things things that they look not for yea when thou comest down & the Mountains flow down at thy presenc[e] thou shalt meet him that rejoiceth & worketh righteousness who remember thee in thy ways for sinc[e] the begining of the world have not man heard nor perceived by the Ear neither hath the eye seen O God besides thee how great things thou prepared for him that waiteth for thee & [it] shall be said who is this that cometh [p. 118]
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Source Note

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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. [21]

    Speaking about the inhabitants of Zion, a September 1831 revelation proclaimed that “the rebelious are not of the blood of Ephraim” and would not “inherit the Land.” An October 1831 revelation stated that the revelation was “given to Wm. E. McLelin a true decendant from Joseph who was sold into Egypt down through the loins of Ephraim his son.” (Revelation, 11 Sept. 1831 [D&C 64:35–36]; Revelation, 29 Oct. 1831 [D&C 66].)

  2. [22]

    See Genesis 49:26.

  3. [23]

    See Isaiah 35:10; Old Testament Revision 1, p. 18[Moses 7:53]; Revelation, ca. 7 Mar. 1831 [D&C 45:71]; and Revelation, 29 Oct. 1831 [D&C 66:11].

  4. [24]

    See Deuteronomy 33:15–17.

  5. [25]

    John the Revelator prophesied that in the last days an angel would “fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth.” An article reprinted in the Painesville Telegraph in December 1830 recounted that church members believed that “an Angel of light” had given JS the “new Gospel”—identified as the gold plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated. (Revelation 14:6; “Beware of Impostors,” Painesville [OH] Telegraph, 14 Dec. 1830, [2].)

    Painesville Telegraph. Painesville, OH. 1822–1986.

  6. [26]

    See Revelation 14:6–7.

  7. [27]

    See Isaiah 64:1–5.

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