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Revelation, circa 7 March 1831 [D&C 45]

Source Note

Revelation,
Kirtland Township

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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, OH, ca. 7 Mar. 1831. Featured version, titled “47 A prophecy March 7th. 1831,” copied [between ca. Mar. and June 1831] in Revelation Book 1, pp. 71–76; 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

JS dictated this revelation, which Revelation Book 1 titles a “prophecy,” sometime around 7 March 1831,
1

John Whitmer copied the text into Revelation Book 1, where it is designated “A prophecy March 7th. 1831.” Edward Partridge and William E. McLellin also made copies in 1831, but they assigned the date of 6 March 1831. The 1833 Book of Commandments dates this revelation to March 1831 and locates it at Kirtland, Ohio, while the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants specifies the date as 7 March but gives no location. (Revelations Collection, CHL; McLellin, Copies of Revelations, [1]–7; Book of Commandments 48; Doctrine and Covenants 15, 1835 ed.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

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

McLellin, William E. Copies of Revelations, early Nov. 1831. In “W. E. Mc.Lellan Jan— 1877,” 1877, William E. McLellin, Papers, 1831–1878. CHL. MS 13538, box 1, fd. 7.

during a period when, according to JS’s history, “many false reports, lies, and fo[o]lish stories were published in the newspapers, and circulated in every direction, to prevent people from investigating the work, or embracing the faith.” JS’s history reported that the revelation was the “joy of the saints who had to struggle against every thing that prejudice and wickedness could invent.”
2

JS History, vol. A-1, 104.


The revelation describes the
New Jerusalem

The Book of Mormon indicated that, in preparation for Jesus Christ’s second coming, a city should be built on the American continent and called the New Jerusalem. The Book of Mormon further explained that the remnant of the seed of Joseph (understood to be...

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and Christ’s second coming, both of which had been prophesied in JS’s
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...

View Glossary
of the Book of Mormon, his previous revelations, and his revision of the Old Testament.
3

See, for example, Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 501 [3 Nephi 21:23–25]; and Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:9, 35, 62, 67]; see also Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 566 [Ether 13:3–5]. One revelation foretold the destruction to come and urged the gathering of “mine Elect” to a designated place of safety. Another indicated that the sacred city was to be built “among the Lamanites,” or the American Indians. Two months later, in December 1830, JS dictated a passage that described the founding of the city of Zion by the patriarch Enoch and prophesied that there would be another Zion. In that text, God declared that he would “gether out mine own elect from the four quarters of the earth unto a place which I shall prepare an holy City that my people may gird up their loins and be looking fourth for the time of my coming for there shall be my tabernicle and it shall be called Zion a New Jerusalem.” (Revelation, Sept. 1830–A [D&C 29:7]; Revelation, Sept. 1830–B [D&C 28:9]; Old Testament Revision 1, p. 19 [Moses 7:62].)


In particular, it connects the text of Matthew 24, in which Jesus prophesied concerning the last days and the Second Coming, with JS’s 9 February 1831 revelation about the New Jerusalem;
4

Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:8–9].


as the revelation featured here states, “I will shew it plainly as I shewed it unto my Deciples as I stood before them in the flesh.” The revelation also uses Jesus’s New Testament prophecies to explain and reinforce the command to gather to
Ohio

French explored and claimed area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Northeastern portion maintained as part of Connecticut, 1786, and called Connecticut...

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: “Not many years hence ye Shall hear of wars in your own lands wherefore I the Lord have said gether ye out from the Eastern lands [and] assemble ye yourselves together.”
5

Compare Matthew 24:6.


Parts of this text also found in Matthew 24 were among those included in JS’s later work of revising the New Testament, a project that began the day after JS dictated this revelation. Though JS’s inspired Bible revision had focused only on the Old Testament before this time, the revelation instructed him to shift his immediate efforts to the New Testament: “Now behold I say unto you it shall not be given unto you to know any farther then this until the New Testament be
translated

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...

View Glossary
& in it all things shall be made known Wherefore I give unto you that ye may now Translate it that ye may be prepared for the things to come.”
Three early copies of this revelation are extant. The version in Revelation Book 1 (featured here) and a copy in
Edward Partridge

27 Aug. 1793–27 May 1840. Hatter. Born at Pittsfield, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of William Partridge and Jemima Bidwell. Moved to Painesville, Geauga Co., Ohio. Married Lydia Clisbee, 22 Aug. 1819, at Painesville. Initially a Universal Restorationist...

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’s handwriting were created around the same time, likely in spring 1831, and there are no significant differences to indicate which is earlier.
6

Revelation, ca. 7 Mar. 1831, in Revelations Collection, CHL.


Comprehensive Works Cited

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

An additional copy created by
William E. McLellin

18 Jan. 1806–14 Mar. 1883. Schoolteacher, physician, publisher. Born at Smith Co., Tennessee. Son of Charles McLellin and Sarah (a Cherokee Indian). Married first Cynthia Ann, 30 July 1829. Wife died, by summer 1831. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of...

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later in 1831 largely corresponds with the other two versions.
7

McLellin, Copies of Revelations, [1]–7.


Comprehensive Works Cited

McLellin, William E. Copies of Revelations, early Nov. 1831. In “W. E. Mc.Lellan Jan— 1877,” 1877, William E. McLellin, Papers, 1831–1878. CHL. MS 13538, box 1, fd. 7.

Differences between all three versions are noted in the footnotes.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    John Whitmer copied the text into Revelation Book 1, where it is designated “A prophecy March 7th. 1831.” Edward Partridge and William E. McLellin also made copies in 1831, but they assigned the date of 6 March 1831. The 1833 Book of Commandments dates this revelation to March 1831 and locates it at Kirtland, Ohio, while the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants specifies the date as 7 March but gives no location. (Revelations Collection, CHL; McLellin, Copies of Revelations, [1]–7; Book of Commandments 48; Doctrine and Covenants 15, 1835 ed.)

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

    McLellin, William E. Copies of Revelations, early Nov. 1831. In “W. E. Mc.Lellan Jan— 1877,” 1877, William E. McLellin, Papers, 1831–1878. CHL. MS 13538, box 1, fd. 7.

  2. [2]

    JS History, vol. A-1, 104.

  3. [3]

    See, for example, Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 501 [3 Nephi 21:23–25]; and Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:9, 35, 62, 67]; see also Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 566 [Ether 13:3–5]. One revelation foretold the destruction to come and urged the gathering of “mine Elect” to a designated place of safety. Another indicated that the sacred city was to be built “among the Lamanites,” or the American Indians. Two months later, in December 1830, JS dictated a passage that described the founding of the city of Zion by the patriarch Enoch and prophesied that there would be another Zion. In that text, God declared that he would “gether out mine own elect from the four quarters of the earth unto a place which I shall prepare an holy City that my people may gird up their loins and be looking fourth for the time of my coming for there shall be my tabernicle and it shall be called Zion a New Jerusalem.” (Revelation, Sept. 1830–A [D&C 29:7]; Revelation, Sept. 1830–B [D&C 28:9]; Old Testament Revision 1, p. 19 [Moses 7:62].)

  4. [4]

    Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:8–9].

  5. [5]

    Compare Matthew 24:6.

  6. [6]

    Revelation, ca. 7 Mar. 1831, in Revelations Collection, CHL.

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

  7. [7]

    McLellin, Copies of Revelations, [1]–7.

    McLellin, William E. Copies of Revelations, early Nov. 1831. In “W. E. Mc.Lellan Jan— 1877,” 1877, William E. McLellin, Papers, 1831–1878. CHL. MS 13538, box 1, fd. 7.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Revelation, circa 7 March 1831 [D&C 45] Revelation Book 1 Revelation, circa 7 March 1831, Edward Partridge Copy [D&C 45] Revelation, circa 7 March 1831, as Recorded in McLellin, Copies of Revelations [D&C 45] Revelations printed in The Evening and the Morning Star, June 1832–June 1833 Book of Commandments, 1833 Revelations printed in Evening and Morning Star, January 1835–June 1836 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 73

And in this ye say truly for so it is But these things which I have told you shall not pass away but all shall be fulfilled
18

See Matthew 24:35; Luke 21:33; and Mark 13:31.


& this I have told you concerning Jerusalum & when that day shall come shall a remnant shall a be scattered among all Nations but they shall be
gethered

As directed by early revelations, church members “gathered” in communities. A revelation dated September 1830, for instance, instructed elders “to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect” who would “be gathered in unto one place, upon the face of this land...

View Glossary
again but they shall remain untill the times of the
gentiles

Those who were not members of the House of Israel. More specifically, members of the church identified gentiles as those whose lineage was not of the Jews or Lamanites (understood to be the American Indians in JS’s day). Certain prophecies indicated that ...

View Glossary
be fulfelled
19

See Luke 21:24.


& in that day shall be heard of wars & rumours of wars & the whole Earth shall be in commotion
20

See Luke 21:9.


& mens hearts shall fail them & & shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the world & the love of men shall wax cold & inequity shall abound
21

See Matthew 24:12.


& when the times of the gentiles shall be is come in And a light shall break forth
22

See Isaiah 58:8.


among them that sit in darkness & it shall be the fulness of my Gospel but they receive it not for they perceive not the light & they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men
23

See Isaiah 29:13.


& in that generation shall the times of the gentiles be fulfilled & there shall be men standing in that generation that shall not pass untill they shall see an overflowing scourge for a desolating sicknes shall cover the land & shall not be moved but my Deciples shall stand in Holy places & shall not be moved but among the wicked men shall lift up their voices & curse God & die & there shall be earthqakes also in diverse places
24

See Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:11; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 534 [Mormon 8:30].


& many desolations yet men will harden their hearts against me & they will take up the sword one against another & they will kill one another And now when I the Lord had spoken these words unto my Deciples they were troubled for when all these things shall come & I said unto them be not troubled for when all these things shall come to pass ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you shall be fulfilled & when the light shall begin to break forth it shall be with them like unto a Parable which I will shew you ye look & behold the figgtrees & ye see them with your eyes & ye say when they begin to shoot forth & th◊◊◊ [their] leaves are yet tender ye say that summer [p. 73]
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Source Note

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Page 73

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Revelation, circa 7 March 1831 [D&C 45]
ID #
6504
Total Pages
6
Print Volume Location
JSP, D1:274–280
Handwriting on This Page
  • John Whitmer

Footnotes

  1. [18]

    See Matthew 24:35; Luke 21:33; and Mark 13:31.

  2. [19]

    See Luke 21:24.

  3. [20]

    See Luke 21:9.

  4. [21]

    See Matthew 24:12.

  5. [22]

    See Isaiah 58:8.

  6. [23]

    See Isaiah 29:13.

  7. [24]

    See Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:11; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 534 [Mormon 8:30].

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