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Revelation, 8 July 1838–E [D&C 117]

Source Note

Revelation, , Caldwell Co., MO, 8 July 1838. Featured version copied [between 8 July 1838 and 27 May 1840]; handwriting of ; two pages; Revelations Collection, CHL. Includes dockets.
Single leaf measuring 12½ × 7⅞ inches (32 × 20 cm). The document was folded for filing, and then docketed it with “Revelation”. Later, a graphite docket in unidentified handwriting was added: “1838”. Separations at folds have been repaired.
The Historical Department of the LDS church cataloged this version of the revelation in the Revelations Collection in 1983.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Best, “Register of the Revelations Collection,” 19.

    Best, Christy. “Register of the Revelations Collection in the Church Archives, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” July 1983. CHL.

Historical Introduction

On Sunday, 8 July 1838, JS dictated five revelations, each of which concerned church leadership or finances; one of these revelations was directed mainly to and , with some information concerning . Following JS’s departure from , Ohio, in January 1838, Marks was designated to preside over the church there and to act as a financial for JS and in arranging payment of their debts. Whitney was the in Kirtland, overseeing the temporal operations of the church there. It was apparently expected that Marks and Whitney would quickly settle the church’s affairs and then move to in accordance with the 12 January 1838 revelation directing faithful Saints to relocate there, and it seems that Whitney had been planning to move since at least June 1838. Yet, neither Whitney nor Marks departed Kirtland with the “Kirtland Camp,” a large group of emigrating Saints that left Kirtland on 6 July. This revelation was the last of the 8 July revelations that copied into JS’s journal. The content of this revelation suggests it may have come in response to information conveyed by Granger, a church financial agent and a member of the Kirtland , who arrived in , Missouri, by 8 July 1838, probably on church business.
JS apparently dictated this and the other 8 July revelations in the leadership meeting held prior to the Sunday worship services for the day. In a letter to and written the same day, the specified that this revelation was received in the morning. The revelation directed Marks and Whitney to relocate to before winter. Once in Missouri, they were to preside over the Saints in their respective callings, Marks as of the church in Missouri and Whitney as a bishop in . was to return to and continue to act as an agent for the First Presidency in settling remaining business affairs, thereby allowing Marks and Whitney to move to Missouri sooner.
The revelation, which is somewhat personal in nature, may not have been read during the worship services on 8 July, as were at least some of the other revelations dictated that day. JS and his counselors in the First Presidency included a transcript of the revelation in the letter they wrote to and and encouraged the two men to follow the revelation’s direction.
apparently copied the revelation into JS’s journal sometime in mid- or late July. Copies were also made by , , , and , among others. A comparison of the early copies suggests that Partridge’s version most closely represents the wording of the original revelation. Partridge was present when the revelation was dictated and probably made the copy shortly thereafter; the latest possible copying date is 27 May 1840, the day he died.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Some of the content in the revelation can also be read as general direction. When George W. Robinson copied the revelation into JS’s journal, he added a headnote stating, “Revelation Given to Wm. Marks, N[ewel] K, Whitney Oliver Granger & others. Given in Zion. July 8th 1838.” (JS, Journal, 8 July 1838.)

  2. [2]

    On 23 July, Reynolds Cahoon responded to a 21 June letter in which Whitney asked several questions regarding travel to and the economy in Missouri. (Reynolds Cahoon, Far West, MO, to Newel K. Whitney, Kirtland, OH, 23 July 1838, CHL.)

    Cahoon, Reynolds, and Edward Partridge. Letter, Far West, MO, to Newel K. Whitney, Kirtland Mills, OH, 23 and 24 July 1838. CHL.

  3. [3]

    Kirtland Camp, Journal, 6 July 1838.

    Kirtland Camp. Journal, Mar.–Oct. 1838. CHL. MS 4952.

  4. [4]

    JS, Journal, 8 July 1838.

  5. [5]

    The previous year, Granger was appointed an agent for JS. A letter the First Presidency wrote on 8 July indicates Granger was in Far West. (Power of Attorney to Oliver Granger, 27 Sept. 1837; Letter to William Marks and Newel K. Whitney, 8 July 1838.)

  6. [6]

    See Revelation, 8 July 1838–A [D&C 118].

  7. [7]

    See Letter to William Marks and Newel K. Whitney, 8 July 1838.

  8. [8]

    Letter to William Marks and Newel K. Whitney, 8 July 1838.

  9. [9]

    See Historical Introduction to Revelation, 8 July 1838–D [D&C 120].

  10. [10]

    See Revelation, 8 July 1838–E, copy, Revelations Collection, CHL; “Revelation Given 8 July 1838,” BYU; Letter to William Marks and Newel K. Whitney, 8 July 1838; and Revelation, 8 July 1838–E, in Book of the Law of the Lord, 56; see also Richards, “Pocket Companion,” 102.

    Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL. MS 4583.

    “Revelation Given 8 July 1838” [D&C 117]. BYU.

    Richards, Willard. “Willard Richards Pocket Companion Written in England,” ca. 1838–1840. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, box 2, fd. 6.

  11. [11]

    For example, the spelling of Adam-ondi-Ahman in Partridge’s and Granger’s versions seems to reflect an earlier, less refined spelling, copied from the original transcript. Some wording in Partridge’s version apparently retains the original grammar, matched in other independent versions, whereas it was modified in Granger’s version.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Revelation, 8 July 1838–E [D&C 117] Journal, March–September 1838 Letter to William Marks and Newel K. Whitney, 8 July 1838 Revelation, 8 July 1838–E, James Mulholland Copy [D&C 117] Revelation, 8 July 1838–E, Extract, as Recorded in Richards, Pocket Companion [D&C 117:12–15] Journal, December 1841–December 1842 History, 1838–1856, volume B-1 [1 September 1834–2 November 1838] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page [2]

the Lord; therefore let him come up hither speedily unto the land of , and in due time he shall be made a merchant unto my name saith the Lord for the benefit of my people: therefore let no man despise my servant , but let the blessings of my people be upon him forever and ever. Amen.
And again I say unto you let all the saints in the land of remember the Lord their God, and mine to preserve it holy, and to overthrow the money changers in mine own due time said the Lord [3/4 page blank] [p. [2]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Revelation, 8 July 1838–E [D&C 117]
ID #
2918
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D6:191–194
Handwriting on This Page
  • Edward Partridge

Footnotes

  1. [16]

    A revelation JS dictated in 1831 appointed Sidney Gilbert to a similar position. (Revelation, 20 July 1831 [D&C 57:8–10].)

  2. [17]

    See 1 Corinthians 16:11; 1 Timothy 4:12; and Titus 2:15.

  3. [18]

    Granger may have been looked down on by others because of his partial blindness. He had lost much of his eyesight in 1827 from exposure to the cold. (JS History, vol. C-1 Addenda, 11.)

  4. [19]

    This phrasing is an allusion to John 2:13–16 and to attempts by creditors or dissenters to take control of the House of the Lord in Kirtland. (Hepzibah Richards, Kirtland, OH, to Willard Richards, Bedford, England, 18–19 Jan. 1838, Willard Richards, Papers, CHL.)

    Richards, Willard. Journals and Papers, 1821–1854. CHL.

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