Revelation to Parley P. Pratt, member of the Quorum of the Twelve, received between Chicago and Nauvoo, Illinois, in [circa 1-11] July 1844
The Spirit said unto me:
Lift up your head and rejoice;
for behold! it is well with my servants Joseph and Hyrum
[Smith]. My servant Joseph [Smith] still holds the keys of my kingdom in this dispensation, and he
shall stand in due time on the earth, in the flesh, and fulfil that to which he is appointed. Go and
say unto my people in Nauvoo, that they shall continue to pursue their daily duties and take care
of themselves, and make no movement in Church government to reorganize or alter anything until
the return of the remainder of the Quorum of the Twelve. But exhort them that they continue to
build the House of the Lord which I have commanded them to build in Nauvoo.
(Parley P. Pratt [Jr.], ed., Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1994], 294, quotation marks omitted.)
Revelation to Brigham Young, President of the Quorum of the Twelve, received at Nauvoo, Illinois, on 24 January 1845
I inquired of the Lord whether we should stay here [Nauvoo] and finish the temple
the ansure [answer] was we
should
(Brigham Young Journal, 24 Jan. 1845, LDS archives, typed copy)
Revelation to Heber C. Kimball, member of the Quorum of the Twelve, received at Nauvoo, Illinois, on 25 January 1845
The same Ev[e]ning I sat down in my hous[e] in the presents [presence] of my wife and inquired of the Lord by the Rod as follows, If we should finish the Temple,
it was ver[i]ly yes, that my sins
ware [were] fore given [forgiven] and that I should over
come,
and get my Ap[p]ointment of my inheritence [inheritance] while in the probation and that the
Temple
commity [committee] ware [were] not Enimes [Enemies] to the Twelve Apostles.
(Heber C. Kimball Journal, 25 Jan. 1845 as cited in Stanley B. Kimball, ed., On the Potter's Wheel: The Diaries of Heber C. Kimball [Salt Lake City: Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, 1987], 93; original journal in LDS archives. Stanley B. Kimball wrote concerning the rod that Heber C. Kimball used in obtaining this revelation, "This was a rod about three and a half feet in length given to Kimball by Joseph Smith" [65n9].)
Revelation to Brigham Young, President of the Quorum of the Twelve, received at Nauvoo, Illinois, on 30 January 1846
yesterday [30 January] I had some conversation with Rubin [Reuben] Miller of Norway- [Ottawa, Illinois] he being considerably bewildered by Strang new- fangled Revelation- rendered him almost devoid of Reason although apparently honest in what he was doing - & said that the word of the Lord would- be decidedly satisfactorily to him- where upon I- said
thus saith the Lord unto
Reuben Miller through Brigham Young- that [James J.] Strang is
a
wicked & corrupt man & that his revelations are as false as he is - therefore
turn away from
his folly- & never let it be said of Reuben Miller- that he ever was led away &
entangled-
by such nonsense
Thus saying I left him my time being to precious- to be spent in hearing and even talking about-such trash---
(Brigham Young Journal, 31 Jan. 1846, typed copy, original LDS archives)
Revelation to Orson Hyde, member of the Quorum of the Twelve, received at Nauvoo, Illinois, on 14 March 1846
In my meditations, this morning, the Spirit of the Lord came upon me, and I was moved to write: and being grieved in my spirit on account of false pretences [pretenses] by evil designing persons to gain power, and lead away the flock of God; It whispered me and said:
Evil men, ambitious of power,
must needs arise among you, and they shall be led by their
own
self-will and not by me. Yet they are instruments in my hands, and are permitted to try my
people,
and to collect from among them those who are not the elect, and such as are unworthy of eternal
life.
Grieve not after them, neither mourn nor be alarmed. My people know my voice and also the
voice
of my spirit, and a stranger they will not follow, therefore such as follow strangers are not my
people.
Behold James J. Strang hath cursed my people by his own spirit and not by mine. Never at any
time
have I appointed that wicked man to lead my people, neither by my own voice, nor by the voice of
my servant Joseph Smith, neither by the voice of mine angel: but he hath sought to deceive and
Satan
helpeth him; but before of old was he one that was ordained to gather the tares of the field, and
mine
angels have chosen him to do it because he was a wicked man, even as Judas was chosen to
betray
his Lord. But his spirit and ambition shall soon fail him, and then shall he be called to judgment
and
receive that portion which is his mete, and his treacherous followers, who have forsaken the
counsel
of their brethren and turned from the covenants of their God, and have cast asunder the tenderest
ties,
must drink from a bitter cup.
Let no man who putteth his
trust in me be troubled about his rights. The worthy shall
have
their rights and no power can prevent it, for I will give them the hearts of my people, and their
voice
is my voice, even as my voice is the voice of my father; and what they bind on earth I will bind in
heaven. But the unworthy have no rights except these, repentance or condemnation. If they act
upon
the former, behold they are justified, but if not, they must suffer the consequences of the
latter.
By this you may know the
unworthy among my people: for whomsoever they reject, the
same
are rejected of me. And woe to such as shall follow him who hath been rejected by my people. If
my
people sin I will correct and chasten them because I love them, yet I will not reject them, neither
give
my kingdom to other people, for behold the end draweth nigh, and judgement will I pour out
upon
your oppressors and upon those who accuse you to hide their own iniquity and their shame, and
to
get power for unholy purposes and not for the building up of my kingdom. Let such beware lest
they
fall by the hand of the destroyer, whose arrows are plague and pestilence, before their designs are
accomplished.
Let my saints gather up with all
consistent speed and remove westward, except such as are
counselled to tarry and must needs remain to settle the[i]r business according to the counsel of my
servant JOSEPH SMITH, in the day that he was with you in the flesh, and also to the counsel of
my
servants, the Twelve whom I have chosen, and who have abode in me.
Let there be no more disputes
or contentions among you about doctrine or principle,
neither
who shall be greatest, but hearken to those things which I have spoken unto you, and which have
before been given and you shall rest in my kingdom, and have glory and honour for ever and
ever--Yea! Saith the Spirit, and the Spirit is truth, and the truth abideth for ever: Amen.
("He that hath ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches," Latter-Day Saints' Millennial Star 7 (15 May 1846):157-58, emphasis omitted; also published as a broadside at Nauvoo, Illinois, 14 March 1846.)
Revelation to Brigham Young, President of the Quorum of the Twelve, received at Mount Pisgah of the Camp of Israel, Middle Fork of the Grand River, Iowa Territory [about two miles west of present Thayer, Iowa] on 26 May 1846
I told Daniel and Orson Spencer that the Spirit said to me,
Tell Daniel [Spencer] to gather
up what teams, tools, seeds, and men he can and go on
and
let Orson [Spencer] stay and take care of the families and bring them on.
(Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 26 May 1846, typed copy, quotation marks omitted, LDS archives)
Revelation to Brigham Young, President of the Quorum of the Twelve, received at Winter Quarters of the Camp of Israel, Omaha Nation, West Bank of Missouri River [now Omaha, Nebraska] on 14 January 1847
Winter Quarters, Camp of Israel Jany 14 1847
The Word and Will of the Lord concerning the Camp of Israel in their journeyings to the West.
Let all the people of the church
of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, and those who
journey
with them, be organized into Companies, with a covenant and promise to keep all the
commandments
and statutes of the Lord our God: Let the companies be organized with Captains of hundreds,
Captains of fifties, and Captains of tens, with a President and his two Councillors [Counselors] at
their head, under the direction
of the
Twelve Apostles; And this shall be our covenant, that we will walk in all the ordinances of the
Lord.
Let each company provide
themselves with all the Teams, Waggons [Wagons], Provisions,
clothing, and other necessaries for the journey, that they can.
When the Companies are
organized, let them go to with their might, to prepare for those
who
are to tarry.
Let each Company with their
Captains and Presidents, decide how many can go next
Spring;
then choose out a sufficient number of able bodied and expert men, to take Teams, Seeds, and
farming Utensils, to go as Pioneers to prepare for putting in Spring Crops.
Let each company bear an
equal proportion, according to the dividend of their property, in
taking the poor, the Widows, the fatherless, and the families of those who have gone into the
[United States] army, that the cries of the Widow and the fatherless come not up into the ears
of the
Lord against this people.
Let each Company prepare
houses, and fields for raising grain, for those who are to
remain
behind this season. And this is the Will of the Lord concerning his people. Let every man use all
his
influence and property, to remove this people to the place where the Lord shall locate a stake of
Zion;
and if ye do this with a pure heart, in all faithfulness, ye shall be blest, in your flocks, and in your
herds, and in your fields, and in your houses, and in your families.
Let my Servants Ezra T.
Benson and Erastus Snow organize a Company: and let my
Servants
Orson Pratt and Wilford Woodruff organize a Company; Also let my servants Amasa Lyman and
George A. Smith organize a Company; and appoint Presidents; and Captains of hundreds, and of
fifties, and of tens: And let my Servants that have been appointed, go and teach this my Will to the
Saints, that they may be ready to go to a land of peace.
Go thy way and do as I have
told you; and fear not thine enemies; for they sh[all] not have
power to stop my work.
Zion shall be redeemed in mine
own due time, and if any man shall seek to build up himself,
and
seeketh not my Council [Counsel], he shall have no power, and his folly shall be made manifest.
Seek
ye and keep all your pledges one with another; and covet not that which is thy Brother's.
Keep yourselves from evil, to
take the name of thy God in vain; for I am the Lord your
God,
even the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob: I am he who led
the
children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and my arm is stretched out in the last days to save my
people Israel.
Cease to contend one with
another. Cease to speak evil one of another. Cease
Drunkenness,
and let your words tend to edyfying [edifying] one another. If thou borrowest of thy neighbor,
thou
shalt return that which thou hast borrowed; and if thou canst not repay, then go straitway and tell
thy
Neighbor, lest he condemn thee.
If thou shalt find that which thy
neighbor has lost, thou shalt make diligent search, till thou
shalt deliver it to him again. Thou shalt be diligent in preserving what thou hast, that thou mayest
be
a wise steward; for it is the free gift of the Lord thy God, and thou art his Steward.
If thou art merry, praise the
Lord with singing, with music, with Dancing, and with a
prayer
of praise and thanksgiving. If thou art sorrowful, call on the Lord thy God with supplication, that
your souls may be joyful.
Fear not thine enemies, for they
are in mine hands, and I will do my pleasure with them.
My
people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the Glory that I have for
them,
even the glory of Zion, and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom.
Let him that is ignorant, learn
wisdom by humbling himself, and calling upon the Lord his
God, that his eyes may be opened that he may see, and his ears opened that he may hear, for my
Spirit
is sent forth into the world to enlighten the humble and contrite, and to the condemnation of the
ungodly.
Thy Brethren have rejected you
and your testimony, even the nation that has driven you
out;
and now cometh the day of their calamity, even the days of sorrow like a woman that is taken in
travail; and their sorrow shall be great, unless they speedily repent; yea, very speedily! for they
killed
the Prophets, and thy that were sent unto them, and they have shed innocent blood, which crieth
from
the ground against them:
Therefore marvel not at these
things, for ye are not yet pure; thou canst not yet bear my
glory
but thou shalt behold it if ye are faithful in keeping all my words that I have given you from the
days
of Adam to Abraham; from Abraham to Moses; from Moses to Jesus and the Apostles; and from
Jesus and his Apostles to Joseph Smith, whom I did call upon by mine Angels, my ministering
Servants; and by mine own voice out of the heavens, to bring forth my work; which foundation he
did lay, and was faithful, and I took him to myself. Many have marvelled because of his death, but
it
was needful that he should seal his testimony with his blood, that he might be honored, and the
wicked might be condemned.
Have I not delivered you from
your enemies, only in that I have left a Witness of my
name?
Now, therefore, hearken, O ye people of my church; and ye Elders, listen together; you have
received my kingdom, be diligent in keeping all my commandments, lest judgements come
upon you,
and your faith fail you, and your enemies triumph over you.
So no more at present. Amen,
and Amen.
(Manuscript in Newel K. Whitney Collection, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University; copy made for Newel K. Whitney, no. 14; LDS D&C 136)
Revelation to Brigham Young, President of the Quorum of the Twelve, between present Scottsbluff and Henry, Nebraska, on 28 May 1847
I, Brigham, am constrained by
the Spirit to say to you, my brethren, in this Camp of
Pioneers,
who have gone; or who have come out of bondage to find a location for a Stake of Zion, Except
you
repent, and humble yourselves before the Lord, you shall not have power to accomplish your
mission;
And all your toils and labors will prove a curse instead of a blessing unto you. In vain do you
think
that your works will be accepted of the Lord, whilst your hearts are far from him.
The voice of the Spirit of the
Lord, is unto the elders of Israel, prepare ye for the coming
of
the Son of Man in the Clouds of heaven; yea in a pillar of fire, to take vengeance on the ungodly;
Yea,
this is my commandment unto you mine Elders, saith the Lord Almighty, that you speedily repent,
lest judgments overtake you, and you be numbered with the foolish virgins.
Let this suffice; take heed to
your ways, and keep your former covenants; And I the Lord
will
deliver you from all your enemies, saith him who is your Advocate with the Father; even so,
Amen.
(Brigham Young Papers, LDS archives, as cited in Fred C. Collier, comp., Unpublished Revelations of the Prophets and Presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [Salt Lake City: Collier's Publishing Co., 2nd ed., 1981], 1:109)
Revelation to Apostle John Taylor, President of the Quorum of the Twelve, on 19 November 1877 in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory.
I have been asking the Lord to show me how to adjust the property of the Church, held in the name of the late President Brigham Young, so as to do justice to his estate and yet not wrong the Church, and have received the following answer:
You have ask of me, and others
of the Twelve have asked of me, that wisdom might be
given
you to adjust these property matters of the Church; Thus saith the Lord: Be one, be united, be
honest,
act upon the principles of justice and righteousness to the living and to the dead and to my
Church,
and I, the Lord, will sustain you and will acknowledge your labors. Amen.
(Joseph F. Smith Papers, LDS archives, as cited in Fred C. Collier, comp., Unpublished Revelations of the Prophets and Presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [Salt Lake City: Collier's Publishing Co., 2nd ed., 1981], 1:119)
Revelation to Wilford Woodruff, member of the Quorum of the Twelve, in the Wilderness of San Francisco Mountain, Arizona Territory on 26 January 1880
A Revelation given to Wilford Woodruff in the Wilderness of San Francisco Mountain in Arizona On the 26 day of Jan 1880:
Thus saith the Lord unto my
servant Wilford Woodruff. I have heard thy Prayers, And will
answer thy Petitions. I will make Known unto thee my will Concerning the Nation who encumber
the land of promise, And also Concerning Zion and her inhabitants.
I have already revealed my will
Con[cern]ing the Nation through the mouth of my Servant
Joseph [Smith], who sealed his Testimony with his own Blood, which Testimony has been in force
upon all the world from the hour of his death. What I the Lord have revealed in that Testiment
[Testament] and decreed upon this Nation, and all the Nations of the Earth shall be fulfilled, Saith
the Lord of Hosts.
I the Lord have spoken and will
be obeyed. My Purposes shall be fulfilled upon this
Nation,
and No power shall stay my hand. The hour is at the door when my wrath and indignation shall be
poured out upon the wicked of this Nation. Their murders, blasphemies, Lyings, whoredoms and
abominations have Come up before my face and before the heavens and the wrath of mine
indignation
is full. I have decreed Plagues to go forth and lay waste mine Enemies and not many years hence
they
shall not be left to pollute mine heritage. The Devil is ruling over his Kingdom and my spirit has
no
Place in the h[e]arts of the Rulers of this Nation, and the Devil stirs them up to defy my Power,
and
to make war upon my Saints. Therefore let mine Apostles and mine Elders who are faithful obey
my
Commandments which are already written for your profit and guideance [guidance].
Thus saith the Lord unto my
servant John Taylor and my servant Wilford Woodruff and my servant Orson Pratt and to all the
residue of mine Apostles. Have you not gone forth in my name without Purse or scrip and
declared the Gospel of Life and Salvation unto this Nation and the Nations of the Earth and
warned them of the judgments which are to Come as you have been moved upon by the power of
the Holy Ghost and the inspiration of the Lord? You have done this year by year for a whole
Generation as Men Count time. Therefore your garments are Clean of the Blood of this
generation and Esspecially of this Nation.
Therefore as I have Said in a
former Commandment so I the Lord say again unto mine
Apostles go ye alone by your selves whether in heat or in Cold and Clens [Cleanse] your feet with
water pure water. It matters not whether it be by the running stream or in our Clossetts [Closets]
but
bear their testimonies befor[e] the Lord and the Heavenly Hosts.
And when you have all done
this Then gather yourselves to gether in your Holy places and
Cloth yourselves in the Robes of the Holy Priesthood and there offer up your Prayers according
to
my Holy Law. Let him who Presides be mouth and kneel upon the Holy Altar and there let mine
Apostles bring all there [their] testimonies before my face and before the Heavenly Hosts and
before
the justified spirits made perfect.
And thus saith the Lord unto
you mine Apostles when you bring these testimonies before
me
let them be presented by Name as far as the spirit shall present them unto you, The Preside[n]ts of
the United States, The Supreme Court, The Cabinet, The Senate & House of
Con[g]ress of the
United States The Governors of the States and Territories The Judges & Officers sent
unto you
and all men & persons who have taken part in persecuting you or Bringing distress upon
you or
your families or have sought your lives or sought to hinder you from keeping my Commandments
or
from Enjoying the rights which the Constitutional Laws of the Land guarantee unto you.
And what I the Lord say unto
you mine Apostles I say unto my servants the Seventies, The High Priests The Elders and The
Priests And all my Servants who are pure in h[e]art and who have born [bore] testimony unto this
Nation.
Let them go forth & Cle[a]nse their feet in pure water and bear testimony of it unto
your Father
who is in heaven.
And thus saith the Lord unto
mine Apostles and mine Elders when ye do these things with
Purity of heart, I the Lord will hear your Prayers and am bound by oath and Covenant to defend
you
and fight your battles as I have said in a former Commandment it is not my will that mine Elders
should fight the Battles of Zion for I will fight your Battles. Nevertheless Let no Man be afraid to
lay down his life for my sake for He that layeth down his life for my sake shall find it again and
have Eternal life.
The Nation is ripened in
iniquity and the Cup of the wrath of mine indignation is full, and I
will not Stay my hand in Judgment upon this Nation or the Nations of the Earth. I have Decreed
wars
and Judgments upon the wicked and my wrath and indignation are about to be poured out upon
them.
And the wicked and rebellious shall know that I am God. As I the Lord have spoken so will I the
Lord fullfill. I will spare none who remain in babylon but I will burn them up Saith the Lord of
Hosts.
As I the Lord have suffered so will I put all Enemies under my feet, for I the Lord utter my word,
and
it shall be obeyed and the day of wrath and indignation shall Come upon the wicked.
And I say again wo unto that
Nation or House or people, who seek to hinder my People
from
obeying the Patriarchal Law of Abraham which leadeth to a Celestial Glory which has been
revealed
unto my Saints through the mouth of my servant Joseph [Smith] for whosoever doeth these things
shall be damned Saith the Lord of Hosts and shall be broaken [broken] up & washed
away from
under Heaven by the Judgments which I have sent forth and shall not return unto me void.
And thus with the sword and
By Blood shed and with famine & Plagues and
Earthquakes
and the Thunders of Heavens and the vivid lightnings shall this Nation and the Nations of the
Earth
be made to feel the Chast[e]ning hand of an Almighty God untill they are broaken [broken] up and
Destroyed, and wasted away from under heaven, and No power Can Stay my hand. Therefore let
the
wicked tremble. Let them that blasphene [blaspheme] my name hold their lips, for destruction will
swiftly over take them.
All that I the Lord have
Spoken through the Mouth of my Prophets and Apostles since the
world began concerning the Last dispensation and fulness of times, Concerning my Church which
has
been Called out of the wilderness of darkness and Error, and Concerning the Zion and Kingdom
of
God and Concerning Babylon the Great, And what I have spoken through the Mouth of My
servant
Joseph [Smith] shall all be fulfilled. And though Heaven and Earth Pass away my words shall not
pass
away, but shall all be fulfilled Saith the Lord.
These revelations and
testimonies you have before you. Let my Saints search the word of the Lord and treasure up
wisdom and be prepared for that which is to Come. As I have decreed so shall my Judgments
begin at the House of God. There are those in my Church who have a name among you who are
Adulterers and Adulteresses and those who blasphene [blaspheme] my name and those who love
and make a lie, and those
who revel
and Drink with the Drunken. If they do not speedily repent of their wickedness and Abominations
They shall be severed from the ordinances of my house Saith the Lord.
There are many who have need
to repent whose hearts are set upon the things of this
world,
who asspire [aspire] to the honors of men, and do not honor the Priest[h]ood, nor seek to build
up
the Kingdom of God as they Should. Neither do they learn or Comprehend that the rights of the
Priesthood are inseparably Connected with the Powers of heavens and that the powers of heaven
Cannot be Controlled nor handled ownly [only] upon the principles of Righteousness. Such
should
repent and turn unto the Lord and seek for the Holy Spirit to guide them. Judgments will begin at
my
House, and from thence will they go forth unto the wicked, and the wicked Cannot Escape.
Blessed
are the pure in heart, for my Blessings await them in this life and Eternal Life in the world to
Come.
Thus Saith the Lord unto you
my servants the Apostles who dwell in the flesh fear ye not your Enemies. Let not your hearts be
troubled. I am in your midst. I am your Advocate with the Father. I have given mine Angels
Charge Concerning you. Mine Eyes are upon you. And the Eyes of your Heavenly Father and the
Heavenly Hosts, and all Justified Spirits made perfect are a watching over you. Your works are
manifest befor[e] the face of my servants who have sealed their Testimony with their Blood and
before all of my servants of the Twelve Apostles whom I have taken unto myself. The veil is taken
from off their faces and they Know your works. They await your Coming when you have finished
your testimony in the flesh. Therefore be ye faithful untill I Come. My Coming is at the Door.
Call upon the Lord in mighty
Prayer. Ask and you shall receive whatever you agree as touching any thing and ask the Father in
my name it shall be given unto you. Seek dilligently to build Up Zion and magnify your high
Calling and your Enemies shall not prevail over you. Zion shall not be moved out of her Place.
Zion shall prevail against her Enemies. My People shall not be hindered in the building of my
Temples unto my Holy Name if they will h[e]arken to my voice and do as I Command them.
The blood of my servant[s]
Joseph & Hyrum [Smith] and of mine Apostles and
Elders
which have been shed for the word of God & Testimony of Jesus Christ Cries from the
ground
for vengeance upon the Nation who have shed their blood but the Blood shall spe[e]dily be
avenged
and shall scease [cease] to Cry unto me for the hour of God[']s Judgme[n]t is fully Come and shall
be poured out without measure upon the wicked.
But H[e]arken &
hear O ye Apostles Elders & people of my Church to
the word
of the Lord Concerning you that for all the Blessings that I will pour out upon you and the
Inhabitants
of Zion, and the Judgments and destructions upon the wicked that I will be inquired of by you to
ask
the Father in my name to do and to perform these things for you, As I told all the House of Israel
by
my servant Moses that they should ask at my hand for all those blessing[s] which I the Lord had
promised Unto Israel in the Latter Days, And as I the Lord Ordained mine Apostles who were
with
me in my ministry, and Promised them that they should sit upon Twelve Thrones Judging the
Twelve
Tribes of Israel So I say unto you mine Apostles whom I have raised up in these last days that I
have
ordained you to bear Record of my name and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles first
and
then to the House of Israel. I have also Ordained you to set [sit] upon Thrones and Judge the
Gentiles
and all of the inhabitants of the Earth unto whom you have borne Testimony of my name in the
day
and Generation in which you live.
Therefore how great is your
Calling and Responsibility befor[e] me. Therefore gird up the
Loins of your minds and Magnify your Callings in the fear of God and prepare ye for the Coming
of
the Son of Man which is nigh at the Door. No man knoweth the day nor the hour but the Signs of
Both Heaven and Earth indicate his Coming as promised by the Mouth of my deciples [disciples].
The
fig trees are leaving and the hour is nigh. Therefore prepare yourselves O ye Saints of the Most
High
God with Oil in your Lamps, for Blessed is he that watcheth for the Coming of the Son of man
Again
hear ye the word of the Lord O ye mine Apostles whom I have Chosen in these last Days to bear
record of my Name and to Lead my People Israel untill the Coming of the Son of Man.
I the Lord have raised up unto
you my Servant John Taylor to preside over you and to be a Law Giver unto my Church. He has
mingled his Blood with that of the Martered [Martyred] Prophets. Nevertheless while I have
taken
my Servants Joseph & Hyrum Smith unto myself I have preserved My Servant John
Taylor for
a wise purpose in me. I have also taken many others of the Apostles unto Myself for I take whom
I
will take and preserve in life them whom I will preserve according to the Council [Counsel] of my
own will.
And while my servant John
Taylor is your President I wish to ask the rest of my servants
of
the Apostles the Question Although you have one to Preside over your Quorum and over the
Church
which is the order of God in all Generations, Do you not all of you hold the Apostleship which is
the
Highest Authority ever given to man on Earth? You do. Therefore you hold in Common the keys
of the Kingdom of God in all the world. You each of you have power to unlock the veil of
Eternity and hold Convers[ation] with God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ, and to have the
Administration of Angels. It is your right privilege & duty to inquire of the Lord his
mind & will
Concerning yourselves
the inhabitants of Zion and their interest.
And whenever any one of you
receive the word of the Lord Let it be written and Presented in your Councils and whatever by a
united Consent you deem wisdom to be presented unto the people let
it be presented by the Preside[n]t my servant John Taylor as the
word of the Lord. In this way you will uphold him & Strengthen his
hands as all the burthen [burden] should not rest upon one man. For thus Saith the Lord All
of mine
Apostles should be full of the Holy Ghost of Inspiration and Revelation and know the mind
& will of God and be prepared for that which is to Come. Therefore let mine
Apostles keep my Commandments and obey my laws And the Gates of
Hell shall not prevail against you. Fear not for lo I am with you
untill I Come. I Come quickly Even so Amen.
(Scott G. Kenney, ed., Wilford Woodruff's Journal [Midvale: Signature Books, 1985], 7:615-21, entry after "Synopsis of my labors in 1880.")
Revelation to John Taylor at Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, on 25-26 June 1882
Sunday and Monday June 25 and 26, 1882. Celestial Marriage
Question[:] Is the law of
Celestial Marriage a law given to this nation or to the world?
Answer[:] No. In no other
sense than as the Gospel is given, and in accordance with the
laws
thereof. So far as it is made known unto men, it is made known unto them as the Gospel is made
known unto them and is a part of the New and Everlasting Covenant, and it is only those who
receive
the Gospel that are able to, or capable of, entering into this covenant. Have I not said through my
servant Joseph
[Smith]
that "all kingdoms are governed by law," and if they receive not the law of my Gospel they cannot
participate in the blessings of Celestial Marriage which pertains to mine elect.
No person, or people, or nation
can enter into the principle of Celestial Marriage unless
they
come in by me, saith the Lord, and obey the law of my Gospel through the medium of him who is
appointed unto this power as made known unto my people through my servant Joseph [Smith] in
a
Revelation on "The Eternity of the Marriage Covenant, including Plurality of Wives."
I have therein stated that "all
those who have this law revealed unto them must obey the
same;
for behold! I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant,
then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory."
[D&C 132:3-4] Furthermore, "And as pertaining to the new and everlasting covenant, it
was
instituted for the fullness of my glory; and he that receiveth a fullness thereof, must and shall abide
the law, or he shall be damned, saith the Lord God." [D&C 132:6]
It is again written that "all
kingdoms have a law given." [D&C 88:36] The
Celestial
Kingdom including the promise of eternal life pertains to "the Church of the First Born, even of
God
the Holiest of all, through Jesus Christ his Son" [D&C 88:5] Therefore such must be
sanctified
from all unrighteousness that they may be prepared for the Celestial Glory, "for he that is not able
to
abide The Law of a Celestial Kingdom, cannot abide a Celestial Glory; and he who cannot abide
the
law of a Terrestrial Kingdom cannot abide a Terrestrial Glory; and he who cannot abide the law of
a Telestial Kingdom cannot abide a Telestial Glory: therefore he is not meet for a Kingdom of
glory.
Therefore he must abide a Kingdom which is not a Kingdom of Glory." [D&C
88:22-24] Each
of the persons inhabiting these several Kingdoms shall be quickened by the same power that
pertains
to the Kingdom that they are destined to inherit, whether Celestial, Terrestrial or Telestial; and
shall
receive of their respective glories.
And again it is written, "And
again, verily I say unto you, that which is governed by law is
also
preserved by law, and perfected and sanctified by the same. ["]That which breaketh a law, and
abideth
not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether
abideth
in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice, nor judgment." [D&C
88:34-35]
It is further written, speaking
of Celestial Marriage, "And verily I say unto you, that the
conditions of this law are these: - All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows,
performances, connections, associations, or expectations, that are not made, and entered into, and
sealed, by the Holy Spirit of promise, of him who is anointed, both as well for time and for all
eternity, and that too most holy, by revelation and commandment through the medium of mine
anointed, whom I have appointed on the earth to hold this power, (and I have appointed unto my
servant, Joseph [Smith] to hold this power in the last days, and there is never but one on the earth
at
a time, on whom this power and the Keys of this Priesthood are conferred,) are of no efficacy,
virtue,
or force, in and after the resurrection from the dead; for all contracts that are not made unto this
end,
have an end when men are dead." [D&C 132:7] This law is a Celestial law and pertains
to a
Celestial Kingdom. It is a new and everlasting covenant and appertains to thrones, principalities,
powers, dominions, and eternal increase in the Celestial Kingdom of God.
You are not now sent to
proclaim this principle to the United States, nor to the World, nor
to urge it upon them. It is not for them as a nation or nations, only as many as accept the law of
my
Gospel and are governed thereby. Behold, if you were to preach this principle unto them and they
said, We accept it, Could you then administer it unto them? Verily, I say unto you Nay. Have I
not
said, Behold! mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion.
Will
I accept of an offering, saith the Lord, that is not made in my name! Or, will I receive at your
hands
that which I have not appointed? And will I appoint unto you, saith the Lord, except it be by law,
even as I and my Father ordained unto you, before the world was! "I am the Lord thy God,
and I
give unto you this commandment, that no man shall come unto the Father but by me, or by my
word,
which is my law saith the Lord; and everything that is in the world, whether it be ordained of men,
by thrones, or principalities, or powers, or things of name, whatsoever they may be, that are not
by
me, saith the Lord, shall be thrown down, and shall not remain after men are dead, neither in nor
after
the resurrection, saith the Lord your God; for whatsoever things remain, are by me; and
whatsoever
things are not by me shall be shaken and destroyed.
"Therefore, if a man marry him
a wife in the world, and he marry her not by me, nor by my
word, and he covenant with her so long as he is in the world and she with him, their covenant and
marriage are not of force when they are dead, and when they are out of the world; therefore, they
are
not bound by any law when they are out of the world." [D&C 132:9-l5] You ask, what
shall we
do? Thus saith the Lord God, Obey my law, and seek not to become a law unto yourselves, nor
trust
to outside influences; but seek in the way appointed to the Lord your God. Ye are my spokesmen,
I am your God; and as I have before said, I now again say, Henceforeth do as I shall command
you.
Concerning the course taken by
the United States they have the liberty a right to reject this
law themselves, as they have the liberty a right to reject the Gospel; but it is contrary to the
provisions
of the Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, for them to prohibit you from obeying
it.
Therefore abide in my law which I have revealed unto you, saith the Lord God, and contend for
your
rights by every legal and constitutional method and in accordance with the institutions, laws, and
Constitution of the United States. Be humble, be faithful, be diligent, seek unto me and it shall be
made known unto you from time to time what my will is pertaining to this matter. I am the Lord
your
God, hearken to me, and obey my law, and your enemies shall be confounded, and my Kingdom
shall
be victorious. Even so, Amen.
(Manuscript in John Taylor Papers, LDS archives, typed copy)
Revelation to John Taylor at Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, on 27 June 1882
Verily thus saith the Lord, I
have instituted my Kingdom and my Laws, with the Keys and power thereof, and have appointed
you as my spokesman
and my
Constitution, with President John Taylor at your head, whom I have appointed to my Church and
my
Kingdom as Prophet, Seer and Revelator unto my Church and unto my Kingdom, and to preside
over
my Church and over my Kingdom, and to be my mouthpiece unto my Church and unto my
Kingdom,
and I will honor him and he shall speak forth the words that I will reveal unto him from time to
time
by the whisperings of my Spirit, by the revelation of my will and my word or by mine own voice,
as
I will, saith the Lord, and ye shall listen to his words, as my words, saith the Lord your God.
Thus Saith the Lord God who
rules in the heavens above and in the earth beneath, I have
introduced My Kingdom and my Government, even the Kingdom of God, that my servants have
heretofore prophesied of and that I taught my disciples to pray for, saying "Thy Kingdom Come,
thy
will be done on earth as it is in heaven," for the establishment of my rule, for the introduction of
my
law, for the protection of my Church, and for the maintenance, promulgation and protection of
Civil
and religious liberty in this nation and throughout the world;
and all men of every nation, color and Creed shall yet be protected and shielded thereby;
and
every nation and kindred, and people, and tongue shall yet bow the knee to me, and acknowledge
me
to be Ahman Christ to the glory of God the Father.
And my law, and my rule, and
my dominion shall be extend over the whole earth, and no
one
shall stay my hand, or question my authority; for I rule by right in the heavens above, and in the
earth;
and my right, and my rule, and my dominion shall yet be known and extended to all people. And
now,
behold, I speak unto you through my I Servant John [Taylor], whom you have acknowledged and
shall acknowledge as my spokesman.
Thus saith the Lord God, the
Maker of heaven and earth, the Rulers of the Universe,
whose
right it is to rule in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath, behold, I raised up my servant
Joseph
Smith to introduce my Gospel, and to build up my Church, as [and] establish my Kingdom on the
earth; and I gave unto him Wisdom, and Knowledge and revelation, and intelligence pertaining to
the
past, the present, and the future, even to that extent which was not known among men; and I
endued
[endowed] him with power from on high, and Conferred upon him the Priesthood of Aaron, and
also
the Priesthood of Melchizedek, which is after the order of the Son of God, even the holiest of all,
and
after the power of an endless life, and administereth forever in the [this] world and the World to
Come.
He was called and ordained to
this office before the World was. He was called by me; and
empowered by me and sustained by me to introduce and establish my Church and Kingdom upon
the
earth; and to be a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator to my Church and Kingdom; and to be a King and
Ruler over Israel. He was slain for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God; but he yet
lives,
and is with me where I am.
And now I speak unto you who
are members of this Council and my Kingdom, and I say
unto
you, as I said unto my disciples of old, Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen You.
I called you by my servant
Joseph [Smith], and by my servant Brigham [Young], and by
my
Servant John [Taylor]. You did not teach and instruct me, but I have taught and instructed you,
and
organized you according to my eternal laws. Ye are my Constitution, and I am your God; And I
will
be acknowledged and my will and my word and my law shall bear rule in my Kingdom, saith the
Lord.
If it does not, then it is not my Kingdom, and then are [ye not] my spokesmen; for it is not by the
wisdom of man, by the intelligence of man; and under the direction of man, then it is a Kingdom
of
man, and it is not of me, and I will not acknowledge it saith the Lord God.
Have I not instructed you in all
that you know and is not this Kingdom organized and
directed
by revelation from me? Is it, not called the Kingdom of God? If, therefore, it is not my Kingdom,
why
do you make use of my name, and invoke my authority and my aid? Is this Kingdom not called,
"The
Kingdom of God, and His laws, with the Keys and power thereof, and judgment in the hands of
his
servants, Ahman Christ."
And because I am kind and
beneficent to all people, and because I have given to man his
free
agency, and have always maintained that free Agency among all people, and have treated all men
alike
among all nations, and made the sun to shine on the evil and the good, on the just and the unjust,
and
have never controlled the Consciences of men, think ye, therefore, that I have no rights, and will
yield
up all my authority to the dectates [dictates] and caprices of wicked and corrupt men? Verily, I
say
unto you, nay.
Behold, Satan sought to take
away the free agency of man in the beginning, for which
cause
he was thrust out of heaven, and has sought to introduce the same principles upon the earth,
which
principles are opposed to me, to my institutions and my laws, and to the freedom, the welfare and
happiness of man and by which principles the Government of the United States sought to deprive
my
people of their free agency; and because men have been under the influence and power and
dominion of Lucifer, and
because tyranny and oppression and evil have abounded by him, and not by me, saith the Lord
your
God, shall righteousness and justice, and judgement, and truth and virtue, and holiness be forever
trampled under foot? And the principles of tyranny, oppression and misrule, and anarchy -
deception
and fraud for ever prevail? Verily I say unto you Nay; and for this Cause have I introduced my
Church and my Kingdom, that pure and righteous
principles might be inculcated and in [man] by his free agency yield a willing obedience to my law;
for after this testimony and the rejection thereof, I will sweep the earth of evil doers as with the
besom of destruction for this is my right, and while man has his free agency, judgment belongs to
me, saith the Lord.
And I will come out of my
hiding place and vex the nations of the earth because of their
iniquities, their misrule, their tyranny, their oppression, their Corruption, their murders, their
adulteries and fornications, and all their abominations; and because my Servant Joseph [Smith],
whose soul was pained because of their cruelties
and
oppressions, the injustice, fraud and Corruption, and the inhumanity of men, proclaimed himself
the
advocate of human rights, the advocate of liberty, and the friend of man; and because, according
to
my eternal decrees, the free agency of man should be guaranteed to all men, I moved upon him to
introduce into my Kingdom Certain parties not in my Church, for the purpose of exhibiting unto
my
Kingdom that I would still maintain the free agency of man, and that I hold inviolate that
principle,
and will is still maintain it to the end, think ye, therefore, that because they are thus admitted to a
share in my government and
my
laws that they shall be permitted to break their covenants, violate their obligations, and reject me
and
my laws and authority, and seek to overthrow the Kingdom of God, and deprive my people who
are
contending for freedom, and who shall yet maintain it, of their agency, and of my laws? Verily, I
say
unto you nay, They may be admitted to the rights of representation in the manner appointed, after
subscribing to my Covenants and Commandments, and have full and free opportunity of
presenting
their views, interests and principles, and enjoying all the freedom and rights of this Council; but
they
shall acknowledge me and my laws in this Council, saith the Lord God; for my people's rights and
immunities and free agency shall be acknowledged as well as those of all other people, and my
laws
and government shall be sustained, or I will not acknowledge you saith the Lord.
I have invested you with the
Keys and favor of my Kingdom and they cannot be bartered
away
to others. Shall all men be free? Yes, free to do right, free to express their sentiments and
opinions
and have a full, fair and free representation; but no man shall violate his covenants, pervert my
laws,
subvert others' free agency, and trample upon mine authority in this Council, Saith the Lord your
God.
Again I say unto you as I said
before, Henceforth do as I shall Command you, saith the Lord Your God. Even so, Amen.
(Manuscript in John Taylor Papers, LDS archives, typed copy)
Revelation to John Taylor at Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, [circa 27 June - 7 July] 1882
Given through Pres[iden]t. John Taylor the end of June or Very early in July, 1882.
Am I not King of Kings and
Lord of Lords? Do I not rule in the heavens above and in the
earth beneath, as I will saith the Lord? And though men do not acknowledge me yet do I control
them; and I wil[l] Control them according to my will and purpose, and I will make use of the
Kings
of the earth, And the rulers and powers of the earth to accomplish my purposes, saith the Lord
God
your Redeemer, and none shall stay my hand.
And I will build up my
Kingdom as I have heretofore decreed and made Known through
the
mouth of mine holy Prophets, do [so] far as they have declared my purposes pertaining thereto;
and
I have many other things to make known and to proclaim relative to my Church And to my
Kingdom
and to the building up of my Zion on the earth. Behold, you are my Kingdom, and rulers in my
Kingdom and then you are also, many of you, rulers in my Church according to your ordinations
therein.
For are you not of the First
Presidency, and of the Twelve Apostles, and some Presidents
of
Stakes, and some Bishops, and some High Priests and some Seventies and Elders therein? And
are
ye not all of my Church and belong to my holy Priesthood? And then, are ye not all of my
Kingdom,
and do you not belong to my Kingdom, and are ye not the representatives thereof, even my
Constitution? And am I not your God, even your Redeemer and your king?
Behold, I have told you so [to]
do as I command you, and have I not a right to dictate in
the
affairs of my Kingdom, and is it not incumbent upon you to obey me as your Lord, your lawgiver
and
your King? Behold thus saith the Lord, I will be obeyed by my Council, and if they do not
acknowledge me, I will not acknowledge them, saith the Lord of hosts, the God and King of the
whole earth.
Speaking of my Church,
Behold I established my Church that I might reveal unto them my
word, and my will and the law of the Gospel, and the order of the Holy Priesthood, and I set in
order
my Priesthood, even the Aaronic and Melchesidek [Melchizedek], and I have sent forth mine
Elders
to the world to preach this Gospel of the Kingdom to all people, and to gather mine elect from
among
all nations, that a people might be prepared through my Gospel, through the manifestation of my
Spirit, even the Spirit of Truth, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, and through the
teachings
of my holy Priesthood and the revelations of my Will to Comprehend the law of my Gospel, to be
one
with each other, and to be one with me as I am one with the Father, to Comprehend and obey the
principles of righteousness, virtue, holiness, purity, and the love and fear of God, and to assist in
building my Zion unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and to prepare for the salvation and
redemption
of the world, even the living and the dead.
And again, it required this
Gospel, this Priesthood, this revelation, this unity, this Spirit, to
introduce the Kingdom of God, the law of God, the authority and dominion of God, that the will
of
God might be done on earth as it is done in heaven.
I rule now among the nations
but not by their Consent, and the rulers of the earth do not
know me or my law, nor recognize my authority. They have their free agency and use it so have
also
my people, and they use their agency through my Gospel to serve me, to obey my law and to build
up my Church and Kingdom.
For outside of my Church there
is no people on the earth who will listen to my law, and if
there was no people who would listen to my law, how could I have a Kingdom, and how could I
be
their ruler? I have established my Kingdom to be a shield and protection to my Church, to learn
and
Comprehend my law, and to carry out my purposes, that my will may be done on earth as it is
done
in heaven: the Church through the law and Spirit of the Gospel to preserve the virtue and purity
of
the Kingdom; and the Kingdom to preserve and protect the Church from the aggressions of the
wicked and ungodly.
And behold, I do not want my
own will, but the will of my Father; the same is my Father
and
my God, and your Father and your God, and we are one, I in him, and you in me.
Are I and my Father with the
Church? Yes. Are we not also with the Kingdom? Yes. Am I
not your God, your Ahman Christ? You so acknowledge me. My Father is King of Kings and
Lord
of lords. I rule as my Father directs me, And if ye rule and direct according to my will, under the
direction of my servant who is your president and head, are we not one, and is it not the rule and
government of God?
And any Kingdom, or
government, or dominion that is not under my direction, and does
not
acknowledge me, I will not acknowledge, saith the Lord of hosts; and if they fight against me and
my
laws, and my Church, and my Kingdom, they shall be overthrown in mine own due time, for I
have
so decreed. Even so, Amen.
(Manuscript in John Taylor Papers, LDS archives, typed copy)
Revelation to John Taylor at Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, on 13 October 1882
Revelation given throught [through] President John Taylor, at Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, October 13, 1882.
Thus saith the Lord to the
Twelve, and to the Priesthood and people of my Church:
Let my servant[s] George
Teasdale and Heber J. Grant be appointed to fill the vacancies in
the Twelve, that you may be fully organized and prepared for the labors devolving upon you, for
you
have a great work to perform; and then proceed to fill up the presiding q[u]orum of the Seventies,
and assist in organizing that body of my Priesthood who are your co-laborers in the ministry. You
may appoint Seymour B. Young to fill up the vacancy in the presiding quorum of the Seventies, if
he
will conform to my law: for it is not meet that men who will not abide my law shall preside over
my
Priesthood; and then proceed forthwith and call to your aid any assistance that you may require
from
among the Seventies to assist you in your labors in introducing and maintaining the Gospel among
the Lamanites through-out the land.
And then let High Priests be
selected, under the direction of the First Presidency, to
preside
over the various organizations that shall exist, among this people; that those who receive the
Gospel
may be taught in the doctrines of my Church, and in the orginances [ordinances] and laws thereof,
and also in the things pertaining to my Zion and my Kingdom, saith the Lord, that they may be
one
with you in my Church and my Kingdom.
Let the Presidency of my
Church be one in all things; and let the Twelve also be one in all
things; and let them all be one with me as I am one with the Father.
And let the High Priests
organize themselves, and purify themselves, and prepare
themselves
for this labor, and for all other labors that they may be called upon to fulfill.
And let the Presidents of
Stakes also purify themselves, and the priesthood and people of
the
Stakes over which they preside, and organize the Priesthood in their various Stakes according to
my
law, in all the various departments thereof, in the High Councils, in the Elders' Quorums, and in
the
Bishops' and their Councils; and in the Quorums of Priests, Teachers and Deacons, that every
quorum
may be fully organized according to the order of my Church; and, then let them inquire into the
standing and fellowship of all that hold my holy Priesthood in their several Stakes; and if they find
those that are unworthy, let them remove them, except they repent, for my Priesthood whom I
have
called and whom I have Sustained and honored, shall honor me and obey my laws, and the laws of
my holy Priesthood, or they shall not be considered worthy to hold my Priesthood, saith the
Lord.
And let my Priesthood humble
themselves before me, and seek not their own will but my
will;
For if my Priesthood whom I have chosen and called and endowed with the Spirit and gifts of
their
several callings and with the powers thereof, do not acknowledge me I will not acknowledge
them,
saith the Lord; for I will be honored and obeyed by my Priesthood.
And, then, I call upon my
Priesthood, and upon all my people to repent of all their sins and
short comings, of their covetousness and pride and selfwill, and of all their iniquities wherein they
sin
against me; and to seek with all humility to fulfill my law, as my Priesthood, my Saints and my
people.
And I call upon the heads of
families to put their houses in order according to the law of
God,
and attend to the various duties and responsibilities associated therewith, and to purify themselves
before me, and to purge out iniquity from their households.
And I will bless and be with
you, saith the Lord; and ye shall gather together in your holy
places wherein ye assemble to call upon me, and ye shall ask for such things as are right, and I will
hear your prayers, and my Spirit and power shall be with you and my blessing shall rest upon you,
upon your families, your dwellings and your households, upon your flocks and herds and fields,
your
orchards and vineyards, and upon all that pertains to you; and you shall be my people and I will be
your God; and your enemies shall not have dominion over you, for I will preserve you and
confound
them, saith the Lord, and they shall not have power and dominion over you; for my word shall go
forth and my work shall be accomplished, and my Zion shall be established, and my rule and my
power, and my dominion shall prevail among my people, and all nations shall yet acknowledge
me.
Even so, Amen
(Manuscript in John Taylor Papers, LDS archives, typed copy)
Revelation to John Taylor at Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, on 14 April 1883
A Revelation given through President John Taylor, on Saturday, April 14th, 1883, in answer to the question: "Show unto us Thy will o Lord, concerning the organization of the Seventies.["]
What ye have written is my will
and is acceptable unto me; and furthermore,
Thus saith the Lord unto the
First Presidency, unto the Twelve, unto the Seventies, and
unto
all my holy Priesthood, let not your hearts he troubled, neither be ye concerned about the
management and organization of my Church and Priesthood and the accomplishment of my
work.
Fear me and observe my laws,
and I will reveal unto you, from time to time, through the
channels that I have appointed, everything that shall be necessary for the future development and
perfection of my Church, for the adjustment and rolling forth of my Kingdom, and for the building
up
and establishment of my Zion. For ye are my Priesthood, and I am your God Even so, Amen
(Manuscript in John Taylor Papers, LDS archives, typed copy)
Revelation to John Taylor at Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, on 28 April 1883
A Revelation given to President John Taylor, at Salt Lake City, 28th April 1883
You have asked me why your mind was confused and dull within the last two days.
Verily thus saith the Lord, by
the whisperings of his Spirit and the Still small Voice that
the
arrangement which you have contemplated with my Servant, Thomas [Taylor], is not acceptable,
to
me. He should have listened to your offer which would have been profitable to himself and
acceptable
to me[.] when you rejected his offer you did right, and my Spirit was with you; but when you, in
your
zeal to show that you had faith in me and in my word, accepted propositions and assumed
responsibilities which were not in accordance with the order that I showed you, you did wrong,
and
I withdrew my Spirit.
For it is forbidden my
Presidency to go into debt unless I, the Lord, command it, for these
things lead to confusion and bondage. Besides have I not shown unto you, my Servant John
[Taylor],
a way to raise a fund which should be at Your disposal for the accomplishment of my purposes,
and
by which the rights and properties of my people should be preserved in all of these matters? You
must
abide by this principle.
My servant, Thomas [Taylor],
does not understand fully this matter. Confer with him on
this
subject, and if he can see these things and follow council he shall assist you in the developments
contemplated. For you, nor my Servant George Q. Cannon cannot attend to these details; but if
he, Thomas [Taylor], cannot enter freely into this matter without restraint then shall
you
arrange with him according to wisdom, and withdraw from the contemplated arrangement.
Behold, I have shown unto you
many things, and I will Continue to make Known unto you
my will, from time to time, on things temporal as well as spiritual, things pertaining to my Church,
my Kingdom and my Zion, and you shall be my mouthpiece, saith the Lord, And I will greatly
bless
you and lift you up, and exalt you, saith the Lord, for your words and works are acceptable unto
me,
and, I know of your Zeal and integrity in my cause, and you shall be made a blessing to my people
and your name shall be honored in Israel, and in this nation and among the nations of the earth;
for
they that honor me I will honor.
And I will also greatly bless my
servant George Q. Cannon, who is acceptable before me,
and
who is exceedingly desirous to do my will. And I will also bless my servant Joseph F. Smith
whose
heart and spirit is right before me, and who is also desirous to fulfill my law, and these your
Counselors shall be greatly blessed with you; and [you] shall be my mouthpiece unto them, and I
will
also show unto them my will from time to time.
And you shall be one in
Spiritual things, and also in temporal things in due time, and I will
show unto my people and unto the world, that this world is mine, and that I created it by my
power,
and the gold and silver, and copper, and brass, and iron and riches and precious things thereof,
and
all that pertains thereunto are mine; and my people shall know that they are mine, and that they
live
in me, and move and exist by me, and have their being from me, and that all which they possess is
mine, and is obtained of me, and that they are and can only be, stewards over that which I have
given
unto them to possess, and which they could not have only of me and by me, whether it relates to
this
earth and the fullness thereof, to wives, children, and friends, to gold, silver, houses, lands, righes
[riches], and possessions pertaining thereto, or to thrones, principalities, powers, dominions and
exaltations in my eternal Kingdom.
And my presidency shall be
one, and the Twelve shall be one, and the Presidencies of
Stakes
and the High Councils shall be one and all of my holy Priesthood in their several quorums,
standings,
offices, and positions, shall be one and all of my Priesthood shall be united as one, and they shall
be
one with my people, and my people shall be one with them, and they shall be my Church, my
Kingdom and my Zion, and I will be one with them and be their God.
Let every person, therefore, be
diligent and act in their several positions, callings or
Priesthood, and honor and magnify the same, and honor and obey me, the Lord their God, and
respect and obey the Counsels of my holy Priesthood, and I will honor and exalt them, saith the
Lord,
in Time and throughout Eternity.
And as it regards my servant
John Taylor, it is not necessary for him to attend to the
minutia
or details of either spir[i]tual or temporal things, but only to give general directions, or as I may
make
manifest from time to time. And his Councilors are to be his assistants, And the First Presidency
shall
call upon the Twelve, the Presidents of Stakes, the Bishops, and others to assist in these duties,
and
I will raise up wise and prudent men, from time to time, to assist in Temporal as well as Sp[i]ritual
things, for they are all one with me.
And, then let the Twelve call
upon the Seventies; and let the High Priests, the High
Councils,
and Elders, and Bishops and the lesser Priesthood, and all who labor for Zion be diligent and
obedient, and let every man put in his sickle and reap, and fulfill and magnify his calling, office or
Priesthood.
These things belong to my
Priesthood but more properly to the School of the Prophets.
Let
the School of the Prophets be organized, even all such as are worthy, but if they are found
unworthy
they shall not have a place in my school, for I will be honored by My Priesthood, and let my laws
be
made known unto them as may be deemed expedient.
(Manuscript in John Taylor Papers, LDS archives, typed copy)
Revelation to John Taylor at Logan, Utah Territory, in [circa 17-22] May 1884
A Revelation given through President John Taylor, Logan, May 1884.
As thou hast asked me
concerning this Temple, thus saith the Lord: I accept this house which thou
hast built, and also the labors of the Committee, the
Superintendent, and the Architect thereof, and of those who have in anywise Contributed to the
building or beautifying the same, by their labor or by their means; and inasmuch as it shall be
preserved pure and not be defiled my presence shall be there even the power of my Spirit, - the
Gift
of the Holy Ghost; which shall in this house hereafter be more fully understood; and I will
acknowledge the ordinances which shall be administered therein, both for the
living
and the dead; and my blessing shall attend the administration of the orginances [ordinances], and
shall
rest upon those who administer therein, inasmuch as they comply with the order and institutions
of
my house, and act with purity and singleness of heart before me, according to my word, my
orginances [ordinances] and my laws; and this house [shall be a house] of prayer, a house of
learning, a house of God, wherein
many
great principles pertaining to the past, to the present and the future shall be revealed and my word
and my will be made known, and the laws of the Universe, pertaining to this world and other
worlds
be developed; for in these houses which have been buildt [built] unto me, and which shall be built
I
will reveal the abundance of those things pertaining to the past, the present, and the future, to the
life
that now is, and the life that is to come, pertaining to laws, order, rule, dominion and government,
to things affecting this nation and other nations; - the laws of the heavenly bodies in their times
and
seasons, and the principles or laws by which they are governed, and their relation to each other,
and
whether they be bodies celestial, terrestrial or telestial, shall be made known as I will, saith the
Lord; for it is my will and my purpose to place my people in closer communion with the heavens,
inasmuch as they will purify themselves and observe more diligently my law; for it is in mine heart
to
greatly bless and exalt my people, and to build up, exalt and beautify my Zion, inasmuch as they
shall
observe my law, Even so, Amen.
(Manuscript in John Taylor Papers, LDS archives)
Revelation to John Taylor at Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, on 25 December 1884
A Revelation given through President John Taylor, Salt Lake City, 25th Dec., 1884.
There are some things that
ought to he put right. Some time ago there was word given for
the brethren and their families to put themselves in order before the Lord; and it is necessary that
these things should be carried out, for there has been a negligence in some of these matters; and if
my
people and Priesthood desire my blessing and guidance, and protection they must and shall be
subject
to my law.
And it is necessary that the
various quorums of the Priesthood should place themselves
right
before me, saith the Lord; And that as individuals they should place themselves in that position,
for
if they do not they have no claim upon my blessing or my protection.
A day of trouble, and anxiety
and sorror [sorrow], and judgment will soon overtake this
nation and other nations; it is nigh at hand, and the inhabitants of Zion must purge themselves
from
iniquity, folly, confusion, confusion, and vanity, and listen to and obey my laws, or they cannot
have
my protection, For I, the Lord, will not be mocked, but the wrong doer shall recinde [receive] the
just
recompense of regard [reward]; and the sinners in Zion shall be afraid; and carefulness
[fraefulness]
shall also take hold of the wicked and ungodly, that are in your midst.
And if you, my people, obey
my law and keep my Commandments, to do them, not in
name
only, but in reality, I will be your shield and protector, and your strong forever [tower] and no
man
shall be able to hurt you, for I will be your defense.
Therefore, humble yourselves
before me, and purify yourselves, that your acts and doings
may
be acceptable before me. For it [if] you do not you will share in the Condemnation of the wicked.
Wherefor[e], listen to the Counsels of those whom I have appointed, and seek not your own will
and
way, But the will of the Lord your God; for by him only can you be sustained in time of trouble
which
is fast approaching, Even so, Amen
(Manuscript in John Taylor Papers, LDS archives, typed copy)
Revelation to John Taylor at Centerville, Utah Territory, on 27 September 1886
Sept 27 1886
My son John. You have asked
me concerning the new & everlasting covenant
&
how far it is binding upon my peop[le]
Thus saith the Lord all
commandments that I give must be obeyed by those calling
themselves
by my name unless they are revoked by my [me] or by my authority and how can I revoke an
everlasting covenant[?]
for I the Lord am everlasting
& my everlasting covenants cannot be abrogated
nor done
away with; but they stand for ever.
Have I not given my word in
great plainness on this subject? Yet have not great numbers
of
my people been negligent in the observance of my law & the keeping of my
commandment and
yet have I borne with them these many years & this because of their weakness because of
the
perilous times & furthermore it is more pleasing to me that men should use their free
agency in
regard to these matters. Nevertheless I the Lord do not change & my word &
my covenants
& my law do not
& as I have
heretofore said by my servant Joseph [Smith] all those who would
enter into
my glory must & shall obey my law & have I not commanded men that if they
were
Abraham[']s seed & would enter into my glory they must do the works of
Abraham.
I have not revoked this law nor
will I for it is everlasting & those who will enter
into my
glory must obey the conditions thereof, even so amen.
(Manuscript in possession of LDS church, text from photograph of original)
Revelation to Wilford Woodruff at Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, on 24 November 1889
I Attended A meeting with the Lawyiers [Lawyers] at the Gardo [House] in the Evening. They wanted me to Make some Concessi[o]n to [the] Court upon Poligamy [Polygamy] & other Points and I spent Several Hours alone & Enquired of the Lord and received the following:
Revelation given to Wilford Woodruff, Sunday Nov 24, 1889.
Thus Saith the Lord, to my
Servant Wilford [Woodruff], I the Lord have heard thy prayers
and thy request, and will answer thee by the voice of my spirit. Thus Saith the Lord, unto my
Servants
the Presidency of my church, who hold the Keys of the Kingdom of God on this earth. I the Lord
hold
the destiny of the courts in your midst, and the destiny of this nation, and all other nations of the
earth
in mine own hands, and all that I have revealed, and promised and decreed concerning the
generation
in which you live, shall come to pass, and no power shall stay my hand.
Let not my servants who are
called to the Presidency of my church, deny my word or my
law,
which concerns the salvation of the children of men. Let them pray for the Holy Spirit, which shall
be given them to guide them in their acts. Place not yourselves in
jeopardy to your enemies by promise. Your enemies seek your
distruction [destruction] and the distruction [destruction] of my people. If the Saints will
hearken
unto my voice, and the counsel of my Servants, the wicked shall not prevail.
Let my servants, who officiate
as your counselors before the courts, make their pleadings as they are moved upon by the Holy
spirit, without any further pledges from the Priesthood. I the Lord
will hold the courts, with the officers of government, and the nation responsible for their acts
towards the inhabitants of Zion.
I, Jesus Christ, the Savior of
the world, am in your midst. I am your advocate with the
Father.
Fear not little flock, it is your
father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. Fear not the wicked
and ungodly. Search the Scriptures, for they are they which testify
of me, also those revelations which I have given to my servant
Joseph [Smith], and to all my servants since the world began, which are recorded in the
records of
divine truths. Those revelations contain the judgments of God which are to be poured out upon all
nations under the heavens which include great Babylon.
These judgments are at the
door. They will be fulfilled as God
lives. Leave judgment with me, it is mine saith the Lord. Watch the
signs of the times, and they will show the fulfillment of the words
of the Lord.
Let my servants call upon the
Lord in mighty prayer, retain the Holy Ghost as your
constant
companion, and act as you are moved
upon by that spirit, and all will be well with you. The wicked are
fast ripening in iniquity, and they will be cut off by the
judgments of God. Great events await you and this generation, and
are nigh at your doors. Awake, O, Israel, and have faith in
God, and His promises, and he will not forsake you. I the Lord will
deliver my Saints from the dominion of the wicked, in mine own due
time and way. I cannot deny my word, neither in blessing nor
judgments.
Therefore let mine Anointed
gird up their loins, watch and be sober, and keep my commandments. Pray always and faint not,
exercise faith in the Lord and in the promises of God; be valient [valiant] in the testimony of
Jesus
Christ. The eyes of the Lord and the Heavenly Hosts are watching over you and your acts.
Therefore
be faithful until I come. I come quickly to reward every man according to the deeds done in the
body.
Even so, amen.
(Scott G. Kenney, ed., Wilford Woodruff's Journal, 9:67-69, entry of 24 Nov. 1889)
The Church attorneys & John W Young met at the office with Prests Cannon & Smith to consider the propriety of putting further testimony in court more fully explaining the instructions to pray for the avenging the blood of the prophets in the Endowments, also in regard to anointing the arm.
(Jedediah S. Rogers, ed., In the President's Office: The Diaries of L. John Nuttall, 1879-1892 [Salt Lake City: Signature Books in association with the Smith-Pettit Foundation, 2007], 392)
The following brethren met in Council: W. Woodruff, J. F. Smith F. D. Richards, H. J. Grant, J. W. Taylor, A. H. Cannon, J. W. Young and myself. We had prayers and Bro. Woodruff had L. J. Nuttall read a revelation the Lord had given him in which we his servants were told to remain true to our collors [sic] and he would protect his little flock. How happy I am.
(Jean Bickmore White, ed., Church, State, and Politics: The Diaries of John Henry Smith [Salt Lake City: Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, 1990], 231)
During our meeting a revelation was read which Pres. Woodruff received Sunday evening, Nov'r 24th. Proposition had been made for the Church to make some concessions to the courts in regard to its principles. Both of Pres. Woodruff's counselors refused to advise him as to the course he should pursue, and he therefore laid the matter before the Lord. The answer came quick and strong. The word of the Lord was for us not to yield one particle of that which He had revealed and established. He had done and would continue to care for His work and those Saints who were faithful, and we need have no fear of our enemies when we were in the line of our duty. We are promised redemption and deliverance if we will trust in God and not in the arm of flesh. We were admonished to read and study the Word of God, and to pray often. The whole revelation was filled with words of the greatest encouragement and comfort, and my heart was filled with joy and peace during the entire reading. It sets all doubts at rest concern ing the course to pursue.
(Edward Leo Lyman, ed., Candid Insights of a Mormon Apostle: The Diaries of Abraham H. Cannon, 1889-1895 [Salt Lake City: Signature Books in association with the Smith-Pettit Foundation, 2010], 38-39)
Vision received by Joseph F. Smith at Salt Lake City, Utah on 3 October 1918
VISION OF THE REDEMPTION OF THE DEAD
On the third of October, in the year nineteen hundred and eighteen, I sat in my room pondering over the Scriptures and reflecting upon the great atoning sacrifice that was made by the Son of God for the redemption of the world, and the great and wonderful love made manifest by the Father and the Son in the coming of the Redeemer into the world, that through his Atonement and by obedience to the principles of the gospel, mankind might be saved.
While I was thus engaged, my
mind reverted to the writings of the Apostle Peter to the
primitive saints scattered abroad throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, and other parts of Asia
where the gospel had been preached after the crucifixion of the Lord. I opened the Bible and read
the
third and fourth chapters of the first epistle of Peter, and as I read I was greatly impressed, more
than
I had ever been before, with the following passages:
"For Christ also hath once
suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us
to
God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
"By which also he went and
preached unto the spirits in prison;
"Which sometime were
disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the
days
of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water." (1
Peter 3:18-20.)
"For for this cause was the
gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be
judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." (1 Peter 4:6.)
As I pondered over these
things which are written, the eyes of my understanding were
opened,
and the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me, and I saw the hosts of the dead, both small and
great.
And there were gathered
together in one place an innumerable company of the spirits of the
just, who
had been faithful in the testimony of Jesus while they lived in mortality, and who had offered
sacrifice
in the similitude of the great sacrifice of the Son of God, and had suffered tribulation in their
Redeemer's name. All these had departed the mortal life, firm in the hope of a glorious
resurrection,
through the grace of God the Father and his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
I beheld that they were filled
with joy and gladness, and were rejoicing together because
the
day of their deliverance was at hand. They were assembled awaiting the advent of the Son of God
into the spirit world, to declare their redemption from the bands of death. Their sleeping dust was
to be
restored unto its perfect frame, bone to his bone, and the sinews and the flesh upon them, the
spirit
and the body to be united never again to be divided, that they might receive a fulness of joy.
While this vast multitude
waited and conversed, rejoicing in the hour of their deliverance
from
the chains of death, the Son of God appeared, declaring liberty to the captives who had been
faithful,
and there he preached to them the everlasting gospel, the doctrine of the resurrection and the
redemption of mankind from the fall, and from individual sins on conditions of repentance.
But unto the wicked he did not
go, and among the ungodly and the unrepentant who had
defiled themselves while in the flesh, his voice was not raised, neither did the rebellious who
rejected
the testimonies and the warnings of the ancient prophets behold his presence, nor look upon his
face. Where these were, darkness reigned, but among the righteous there was peace, and the
saints rejoiced in their redemption, and bowed the knee and acknowledged the Son of God as
their
Redeemer and Deliverer from death and the chains of hell. Their countenances shone and the
radiance
from the presence of the Lord rested upon them and they sang praises unto his holy Name.
I marveled, for I understood
that the Savior spent about three years in his ministry among
the
Jews and those of the house of Israel, endeavoring to teach them the everlasting gospel and
call them unto repentance; and yet, notwithstanding his mighty works and miracles and
proclamation of
the truth in great power and authority, there were but few who hearkened to his voice and
rejoiced in his presence and received salvation at his hands. But his ministry among those who
were
dead was limited to the brief time intervening between the crucifixion and his resurrection;
and I wondered at the words of Peter wherein he said that the Son of God preached unto the
spirits
in prison who sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in
the days of Noah, and how it was possible for him to preach to those spirits and perform the
necessary labor among them in so short a time.
And as I wondered, my eyes
were opened, and my understanding quickened, and I
perceived
that the Lord went not in person among the wicked and the disobedient who had rejected the
truth,
to teach them; but behold, from among the righteous he organized his forces and appointed
messengers,
clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the
gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men. And thus was the gospel
preached
to the dead.
And the chosen messengers
went forth to declare the acceptable day of the Lord, and
proclaim
liberty to the captives who were bound; even unto all who would repent of their sins and receive
the
gospel. Thus was the gospel preached to those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of
the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets. These were taught faith in God,
repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the
laying on of hands, and all other principles of the gospel that were necessary for them to know in
order to qualify themselves that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live
according
to God in the spirit.
And so it was made known
among the dead, both small and great, the unrighteous as well
as
the faithful, that redemption had been wrought through the sacrifice of the Son of God upon the
cross. Thus was it made known that our Redeemer spent his time during his sojourn in the world
of
spirits, instructing and preparing the faithful spirits of the prophets who had testified of him in the
flesh, that they might carry the message of redemption unto all the dead unto whom he could not
go
personally because of their rebellion and transgression, that they through the ministration
of his servants might also hear his words.
Among the great and mighty
ones who were assembled in this vast congregation of the
righteous, were Father Adam, the Ancient of Days and father of all, and our glorious Mother Eve,
with many of her faithful daughters who had lived through the ages and worshiped the true and
living God.
Abel, the first martyr, was there, and his brother Seth, one of the mighty ones, who was in
the express image of his father Adam. Noah, who gave warning of the flood; Shem, the great
High
Priest; Abraham, the father of the faithful; Isaac, Jacob, and Moses, the great lawgiver of Israel;
Isaiah, who declared by prophecy that the Redeemer was anointed to bind up the broken hearted,
to
proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that were bound, were also
there.
Moreover, Ezekiel, who was
shown in vision the great valley of dry bones which were to
be
clothed upon with flesh to come forth again in the resurrection of the dead, living souls; Daniel,
who
foresaw and foretold the establishment of the kingdom of God in the latter days, never again to be
destroyed nor given to other people; Elias, who was with Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration,
and Malachi, the prophet who testified of the coming of Elijah--of whom also Moroni spake to
the
Prophet Joseph Smith--declaring that he should come before the ushering in of the great and
dreadful
day of the Lord, were also there. The prophet Elijah was to plant in the
hearts of the children the promises made to their fathers, foreshadowing the great work to be
done
in the temples of the Lord in the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times, for the redemption of
the dead and the sealing of the children to their parents, lest the whole earth be smitten with a
curse
and utterly wasted at his coming.
All these and many more, even
the prophets who dwelt among the Nephites and testified
of
the coming of the Son of God, mingled in the vast assembly and waited for their deliverance, for
the
dead had looked upon the long absence of their spirits from their bodies as a bondage. These the
Lord
taught, and gave them power to come forth, after his resurrection from the dead, to enter into his
Father's kingdom, there to be crowned with immortality and eternal life, and continue thenceforth
their labors as had been promised by the Lord, and be partakers of all blessings which were held in
reserve for them that love him.
The Prophet Joseph Smith, and
my father, Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor,
Wilford Woodruff, and other choice spirits who were reserved to come forth in the fulness of
times
to take part in laying the foundations of the great Latter-day work, including the building of
temples
and the performance of ordinances therein for the redemption of the dead, were also in the spirit
world. I observed that they were also among the noble and great ones who were chosen in the
beginning to be rulers in the Church of God. Even before they were born, they, with many others,
received their first lessons in the world of spirits, and were prepared to come forth in the due time
of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men.
I beheld that the faithful elders
of this dispensation, when they depart from mortal life,
continue their labors in the preaching of the gospel of repentance and redemption, through the
sacrifice of the Only Begotten Son of God, among those who are in darkness and under the
bondage
of sin in the great world of the spirits of the dead. The dead who repent will be redeemed,
through
obedience to the ordinances of the house of God, and after they have paid the penalty of their
transgressions, and are washed clean, shall receive a reward according to their works, for they are
heirs of salvation.
Thus was the vision of the
redemption of the dead revealed to me, and I bear record, and I
know that this record is true, through the blessing of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, even so.
Amen.
JOSEPH F. SMITH.
(Improvement Era 22 [Dec. 1918]:166-70; LDS D&C 138)
Revelation received by Joseph F. Smith on November 1, 1918
Thus saith the Lord, I am well pleased with the records which are kept of the receipts and
disbursements of the tithing and fast and freewill offerings and properties of my church. And I say unto you, that the time is now in accord with
my word given to my servant Joseph Smith, Jr., in 1838, when the tithing and other funds and the properties of my church shall be disposed of and
appropriated for the work of the ministry, and the building up and beautifying and the lengthening and strengthening of the stakes of Zion.
The presidency of my church, the council of the Twelve—and not at any time less than a
majority—shall be a quorum and the presiding bishopric of my church shall be a council for this purpose. And they shall be agreed in their decisions,
and shall hearken unto my voice in all things.
And the duties of the presiding bishopric, shall be in accordance with the promptings of
my Spirit, and subject to the presidency of the church.
Source: Revelation, November 1, 1918, to Joseph F. Smith, transcript, box 188, 3:34, J. Reuben Clark Jr. Papers, L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah as cited in David W. Smith, "The Development of the Council on the Disposition of the Tithes," BYU Studies Quarterly 57, no. 2 (2018):142. This article includes a history of the revelatory document: "Three weeks after Joseph F. Smith's death, his son Joseph Fielding Smith went through his father's things and found the revelation in a coat pocket. Joseph Fielding [Smith] then handed the revelation to Heber J. Grant, who had become President of the Church. There is currently no indication of President Grant acting on the revelation given to President Smith, and apparently the existence of the revelation was not shared with anyone else. What President Grant did with the original document is also unknown." (Page 144) Footnote 48 further explains: "During a meeting of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve on April 8, 1943, Joseph Fielding Smith mentioned briefly that he had found the revelation and delivered it to President Grant. Until that meeting, J. Reuben Clark Jr., who was in the First Presidency, had no knowledge of the revelation. Later that day, Elder Smith gave a transcript of the revelation to President Clark and explained its provenance. See J. Reuben Clark Jr., Diary, April 8, 1943, addendum box 13, JRC Papers; also see Remarks to the Twelve, April 8, 1943, 21; and notations on Revelation, November 1, 1918, JRC Papers."