The revelation to featured here, as well as the two that follow (directed to Peter Whitmer Jr. and John Whitmer, respectively), originated during the second of the , held in , New York, in late September 1830. In describing that conference, JS’s history stated that “peace, and faith, and hope, and charity abounded in our midst” and then added, “Before we separated we obtained the following, Revelation to David Whitmer, Peter Whitmer Jr. and John Whitmer.” Although these three texts were treated as separate revelations in Revelation Book 1 and the 1833 Book of Commandments, they were combined into a single revelation in the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants.

According to the conference minutes, “Br. [was] appointed to keep the Church records until the next Conference,” which was scheduled for January 1831. The revelation itself did not mention that appointment; rather, it declared that Whitmer “feared man” and gave no “heed unto my Spirit & to those who were set over thee.” Whether this rebuke alluded to Whitmer’s support of in his recent challenge to JS’s authority—a topic discussed at the conference—is not clear. In any case, this revelation instructed Whitmer to stay at his ’s house and preach nearby. In what way or to what extent Whitmer fulfilled the mandate to “attend to the ministery in the Church & before the world & in these regions round about” during the ensuing fall and winter is unknown.