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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 61

2d. of August 1833—
The word of the Lord unto Joseph and , verely I say unto you my friends I speak unto you with my voice even the voice of my spirit that I may shew unto you my will concerning your brethren in the Land of many of whom are truly humble and are seeking dilligently to Learn wisdom and to find truth, verely verely I say unto you blessed are all such for they shall obtain for I the Lord sheweth mercy unto all the meek and upon all whomsoever I will that I may be justified when I shall bring them into judgment behold I say unto you concerning [the ] [p. 61]
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Page 61

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. [1]

    See John 15:14–15.

  2. [2]

    See Isaiah 35:10; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 77 [2 Nephi 8:11].

  3. [3]

    Missing text supplied from the copy of this revelation found in the 6 August 1833 letter. Frederick G. Williams later inserted “the School” in the Revelation Book 2 copy. (Letter to Church Leaders in Jackson Co., MO, 6 Aug. 1833 [D&C 97:3]; Revelation Book 2, p. 61 [D&C 97:3].)

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