On 31 August 1831, JS dictated a revelation instructing three church members—, , and —to travel to the land of in the fall of that year. The revelation was probably dictated in , Ohio, where JS had dictated another revelation the day before. The 31 August revelation did not provide further information about what the three men were to do in , whether they were to relocate or just visit, or what prompted this instruction, nor did JS provide any background to the revelation. But a revelation dictated 1 August, when JS was in Missouri, directed, “In as much as there is lands obtained let there be workmen sent forth of all kinds unto this land to labour for the saints of God.” Burk, Babbitt, and Elliott had mechanical skills that may have been useful in Missouri as the Saints strove to build the : Babbitt was a carpenter and millwright, Elliott was a blacksmith, and Burk may have been trained in sawmill operations. This 31 August revelation may be an instance of JS acting on the promise from the previous day’s revelation that the Lord would give “power” to JS “to descern by the spirit those who shall go up unto the land of & those of my that shall tarry.” It appears, however, that none of the men followed the revelation’s instructions immediately.

The scribe for the original manuscript of this revelation is unknown, but copies may have been made for each recipient. The only extant copy, which retained in his possession, is in ’s handwriting.