Questions and Answers, between circa 16 and circa 29 March 1838–A [D&C 113:1–6]
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Source Note
“Quest. on Scripture,” [, Caldwell Co., MO], [between ca. 16 and ca. 29 Mar. 1838]. Featured version copied [ca. mid- or late Apr. 1838] in JS, Journal, Mar.–Sept. 1838, p. 17; handwriting of ; CHL. Includes use marks. For more complete source information, see the source note for JS, Journal, Mar.–Sept. 1838.
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Historical Introduction
Sometime in mid- or late March 1838, after JS arrived in , Missouri, he apparently answered a series of questions regarding the prophecies in Isaiah chapters 11 and 52. The questions and answers were inscribed in JS’s “Scriptory Book” by . No authorship was attributed to the questions and answers, although some of the answers begin with “thus saith the Lord.” JS’s authorship is implied, in that some of the answers are couched in the language of revelation, similar to other revelations transcribed in the Scriptory Book. Further, most of the documents transcribed in the book are explicitly JS documents.When the questions and answers regarding the prophecies of Isaiah were copied into the multivolume manuscript history JS began in 1838, they were grouped under the heading “Questions on Scripture.” Following this format, the questions and answers were presented as a unified set when the history was later printed in the church’s newspaper. However, the five question-and-answer pairs were inscribed in the Scriptory Book under two headings: the first three pairs appear under the heading “Quest. on Scripture,” while the remaining two appear under the heading “Questions by Elias Higby.” These headings are comparable to the other headings in the Scriptory Book that were used to demarcate different document transcripts. The first three questions, posed by an unidentified interlocutor, regard Isaiah chapter 11, while the other two questions, posed by , concern Isaiah chapter 52. Additionally, whereas the first three questions were answered with “thus saith the Lord” responses, the other questions were not. These differences further suggest what seems to be indicated by the distinct headings: that the two sets of question-and-answer pairs were considered separate, albeit obviously related, texts.The dating of these two texts is uncertain, but their location in the Scriptory Book suggests an approximate period of between 16 and 29 March 1838. The questions and answers follow a motto for the church, which JS composed at the earliest on 16 March, and are followed by several document transcripts that are arranged in roughly chronological order. These documents begin with two that JS produced in September 1837 in , before he migrated to . This pair of Kirtland documents raises the possibility that some or all of the questions and answers also date back to the Kirtland period. However, the similarities in the format and the subject of the two sets of questions suggest that all of the questions were posed and answered in the same setting. Further, the fact that some of the questions were posed by —who had been living in , Missouri, since 1836 and had been serving on the in Far West—indicates that the questions and answers date to the period after JS arrived in Far West on 14 March. Following the pair of Kirtland documents is JS’s letter to the Kirtland presidency on 29 March 1838, strongly suggesting that the questions and answers were composed between 16 March and 29 March 1838. As with the other documents inscribed in the Scriptory Book, probably transcribed the questions and answers from an earlier manuscript. If the questions and answers were composed following Robinson’s arrival in Far West on 28 March, he could have dated the documents, which suggests they were composed earlier. While JS could have met with Higbee anytime between 16 and 29 March, the only known time they were together was during a meeting of the high council and on 24 March 1838, suggesting the possibility that the discussion took place after the meeting adjourned that evening.Isaiah chapter 11, the subject of the first set of questions, figures prominently in JS’s revelations and writings. Within a few months of answering these questions, JS recounted in his manuscript history that when visited by the angel Moroni in 1823, Moroni “quoted the Eleventh Chapter of Isaiah saying that it was about to be fulfilled.” The Book of Mormon draws heavily on Isaiah’s prophetic worldview and encourages readers to “search the prophecies of Isaiah.” Several times, the volume singles out the “great” writings of Isaiah from the writings of other Israelite prophets, and the volume quotes extensively from the book of Isaiah, including entire chapters. For example, the Book of Mormon quotes Isaiah chapter 11 in its entirety and then quotes verses 4–9 again later on in the volume. Furthermore, JS’s subsequent revelations and writings repeat or allude to several verses in this chapter, applying them to the gathering of Israel in the last days. Shortly before JS left , a member of the First of the delivered a sermon there “on the gathering of the house of Israel,” using Isaiah 11 as his text.Isaiah 11:1 contains the prophecy that a “rod” or a “branch” (a new shoot) would grow out of the “stem” (stump) or “roots” of Jesse, the father of the Israelite king David. The next four verses have traditionally been interpreted as further prophecy regarding what this David-like messianic figure would do for the children of Israel. However, the first two questions apparently assume that these verses describe the stem, or old stump, of Jesse rather than the rod or new branch growing out of the stem. The first question regards the identity of the stem of Jesse. Whereas the Christian exegetical tradition generally interprets the stem of Jesse as the Davidic dynasty, JS interpreted it as Jesus Christ. In addition, whereas most Christians interpret the root of Jesse to be Christ, JS interpreted the root as a latter-day figure. As evidenced in JS’s earlier revelations regarding the Bible, including his revision, or “new translation,” of the Bible, he considered himself a prophet similar to those in the Old Testament, with full authority to receive new revelation to interpret and clarify the writings of his predecessors. The answers to the second and third questions, regarding the rod coming out of the stem of Jesse and the root of Jesse, suggest that JS or a similar latter-day figure would fulfill these prophecies. These answers came within the context of JS experiencing the fallout of apostasy in and then engaging in a reassertion of his prophetic authority in the land of .Whereas the second set of questions was posed by , it is uncertain who posed the first set of questions. Although presumably not Higbee, it could have been another person present at the 24 March meeting, or it could have been JS, petitioning the Lord for revealed answers to his questions. It is also unknown who originally wrote down the questions and answers, though JS’s revelations were usually written by someone else acting in the role of scribe. probably had not yet arrived in . Higbee, who served as a judge in and was soon called as a church historian, may have had some clerical duties. Although Robinson began the Scriptory Book in late March, with an account of JS’s arrival in Far West and a copy of the motto, he apparently did not add anything further to the book until mid-April. Therefore, Robinson likely copied the questions and answers from a loose manuscript into the Scriptory Book, probably sometime in mid- or late April.
Footnotes
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1
See Revelation, 11 Apr. 1838 [D&C 114]; and Revelation, 17 Apr. 1838.
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3
“History of Joseph Smith,” Deseret News, 5 Mar. 1853, [1]. This combined format was used again when Orson Pratt added the questions and answers to the 1876 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. (Doctrine and Covenants 113, 1876 ed. [D&C 113].)
The Doctrine and Covenants, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Containing the Revelations Given to Joseph Smith, Jun., the Prophet, for the Building Up of the Kingdom of God in the Last Days. Salt Lake City: Deseret News Office, 1876.
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4
See Questions and Answers, between ca. 16 and ca. 29 Mar. 1838–B [D&C 113:7–10].
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5
See JS, Journal, Mar.–Sept. 1838, pp. 16–32, CHL.
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6
JS, Journal, Mar.–Sept. 1838, pp. 16–23; Motto, ca. 16 or 17 Mar. 1838.
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7
“Higbee, Elias,” in Jenson, LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:253; Minutes, 7 Nov. 1837.
Jenson, Andrew. Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 4 vols. Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History Co., 1901–1936.
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8
When the questions and answers were transcribed into the manuscript history serially published as “History of Joseph Smith,” they were placed between the church motto and a letter dated 29 March 1838. (JS History, vol. B-1, 784–785.)
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9
Minutes, 24 Mar. 1838. The minutes of the meeting do not include any of the questions. Two 1832 documents that follow a similar question-and-answer format appear to have been produced in more private settings with fewer people present. Another possibility is that this exchange took place while Higbee, Thomas B. Marsh, and John Corrill were escorting JS and his family on the final leg of their journey from Kirtland to Far West. (See Answers to Questions, between ca. 4 and ca. 20 Mar. 1832 [D&C 77]; Sample of Pure Language, between ca. 4 and ca. 20 Mar. 1832; and Letter to the Presidency in Kirtland, 29 Mar. 1838.)
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10
JS History, vol. A-1, 6. Christian ministers and scholars generally interpreted the prophecies of Isaiah 11 as prophecies of Jesus Christ. While the Book of Mormon asserts that many of Isaiah’s prophecies applied to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, JS indicated Isaiah 11 was not yet fulfilled. (See, for example, Calvin, Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, 1:371–389; Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament, 3:1978–1980; and Henry, Exposition of the Old and New Testament, 4:67–71.)
Calvin, John. Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. Translated by William Pringle. 4 vols. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1948.
Wesley, John. Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament. 4 vols. Bristol, England: William Pine, 1765.
Henry, Matthew. An Exposition of the Old and New Testament: Wherein Each Chapter Is Summed Up in Its Contents; the Sacred Text Inserted at Large, in Distinct Paragraphs; Each Paragraph Reduced to Its Proper Heads; the Sense Given, and Largely Illustrated; with Practical Remarks and Observations. First American ed. 5 vols. Philadelphia: Ed. Barrington and Geo. D. Haswell, [1828].
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11
Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 533 [Mormon 8:23].
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12
See, for example, Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 86–102 [2 Nephi chaps. 12–24].
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13
Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 98–99, 117–118 [2 Nephi chap. 21; 30:9–15].
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14
Isaiah’s prophecy in chapter 11, verse 11, of the gathering of Israel from many nations and from “the islands of the sea” is reflected in several JS writings.a Isaiah’s prophecy in verse 12 of an ensign, or rallying flag, used to gather Israel is echoed in a September 1831 revelation.b His prophecy in verse 16 of a highway on which scattered Israel would return is alluded to in a 3 November 1831 revelation.c
(aSee Revelation, 1 Nov. 1831–B [D&C 1:1]; Revelation, 3 Nov. 1831 [D&C 133:8]; and Letter to Noah C. Saxton, 4 Jan. 1833. bRevelation, 11 Sept. 1831 [D&C 64:42]. cRevelation, 3 Nov. 1831 [D&C 133:27].) -
15
Quorums of the Seventy, “Book of Records,” 2 Jan. 1838, 38–39.
Record of Seventies / First Council of the Seventy. “Book of Records,” 1837–1843. Bk. A. In First Council of the Seventy, Records, 1837–1885. CHL. CR 3 51, box 1, fd. 1.
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16
See, for example, Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament, 3:1978; and Henry, Exposition of the Old and New Testament, 4:67.
Wesley, John. Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament. 4 vols. Bristol, England: William Pine, 1765.
Henry, Matthew. An Exposition of the Old and New Testament: Wherein Each Chapter Is Summed Up in Its Contents; the Sacred Text Inserted at Large, in Distinct Paragraphs; Each Paragraph Reduced to Its Proper Heads; the Sense Given, and Largely Illustrated; with Practical Remarks and Observations. First American ed. 5 vols. Philadelphia: Ed. Barrington and Geo. D. Haswell, [1828].
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17
See Romans chaps. 8–12; Revelation 5:5; 22:16; and Henry, Exposition of the Old and New Testament, 4:69–70.
Henry, Matthew. An Exposition of the Old and New Testament: Wherein Each Chapter Is Summed Up in Its Contents; the Sacred Text Inserted at Large, in Distinct Paragraphs; Each Paragraph Reduced to Its Proper Heads; the Sense Given, and Largely Illustrated; with Practical Remarks and Observations. First American ed. 5 vols. Philadelphia: Ed. Barrington and Geo. D. Haswell, [1828].
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18
“Revelations,” Ensign of Liberty, Aug. 1849, 98–99; see also William E. McLellin, Independence, MO, to Joseph Smith III, [Plano, IL], July 1872, typescript, Letters and Documents Copied from Originals in the Office of the Church Historian, Reorganized Church, CHL; and Pratt, Autobiography, 65.
Ensign of Liberty. Kirtland, OH. Mar. 1847–Aug. 1849.
McLellin, William E. Letter, Independence, MO, to Joseph Smith III, [Plano, IL], July 1872. Letters and Documents Copied from Originals in the Office of the Church Historian, Reorganized Church, no date. Typescript. CHL. MS 9090. Original at CCLA.
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.
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