Revelation, 12 November 1831 [D&C 70]
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Source Note
Revelation, , OH, 12 Nov. 1831. Featured version, titled “Revelation 76 Hiram Nov. 12. 1831,” copied [between 12 and 20 Nov. 1831] in Revelation Book 1, pp. 124–125; handwriting of ; CHL. Includes redactions. For more complete source information, see the source note for Revelation Book 1.
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Historical Introduction
On 12 November 1831, JS dictated this revelation in which he and others were appointed over the revelations and of the church. JS may have dictated this revelation during or immediately after a held that same day, in which he petitioned the to compensate those who had assisted him in producing the “sacred writings” of the church. Although the 12 November minutes do not explicitly mention the revelation, the similar subject matter of both the conference and the revelation indicate that the two are closely related. A later history states that the revelation came “in answer to an enquiry” and suggests that JS dictated it after the conference approved a resolution stating that the revelations were “worth to the church, the riches of the whole earth, speaking temporally.” It is unclear what the original inquiry was, but the revelation’s designation of JS and five others as stewards over the publishing concerns of the church allowed them to claim compensation for their service in recording, preserving, and publishing the revelations.According to the revelation, the stewards would have claim to any profits resulting from the publication of the revelations “for their necessities & their wants,” with any remainder to be transferred to the Lord’s . This mode of compensation through stewardships followed earlier instructions given to church members about property, whereby Saints were appointed stewards over an inheritance and then donated any surplus to the . Church members had also been told that the elders and their families would be “supported out of the property which is consecrated to the Lord either a stewardship or otherwise.” This revelation reemphasized these principles while also reiterating that no one—not even those in leadership positions—was exempt from “this law.” All were required to adhere to the principles embedded in the consecration commandments.The original manuscript of this revelation is not extant. , who as clerk of the conference may have been the original scribe for the revelation, copied the revelation into Revelation Book 1, which he and were preparing to take to .
Footnotes
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1
Minutes, 12 Nov. 1831. For additional information on this conference, see Minutes, 12 Nov. 1831.
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2
JS History, vol. A-1, 173.
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3
Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:30–35, 70–73].
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4
See Historical Introduction to Revelation Book 1; and Whitmer, History, 38.
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1
Revelation
76 Nov. 12. 1831
Behold & hearken o ye inhabitants of & all ye people of my which are far off & hear the word of the Lord which I give unto my servant Joseph & also unto my servant & also unto my servant & also my servant & also unto my servant by the way of unto them for I give unto them a commandment Wherefore hearken & hear for thus saith the Lord unto them I the Lord have appointed them & ordained them to be over the revelations & commandments which I have given unto them & which I shall hereafter give unto them & an account of this stewardship will I require of them in the day of judgement wherefore I have appointed unto them & this is their business in the church of God to manage them & the concerns thereof yea the profits thereof wherefore a commandment I give unto them that they shall not give these things unto the church neither unto the world nevertheless inasmuch as they receive more than is for their necessities & their wants it shall be given into my & the benefits thereof shall be unto the inhabtants of & unto their generations inasmuch as they become heirs according to the of the kingdom behold this is what the Lord requires of every man in his stewardship even as I the Lord have appointed or shall hereafter apoint unto any man & behold none is exempt from this law who belong to the church of the Living God yea neither neither the who keepeth the Lords storehouse neither he that is appointed in a stewardship over temporal things he that is appointed to administer spiritual things the same is worthy of his hire even as they who are appointed in a stewardship to administer in temporal things yea even more abundantly which abundance is multiplied unto them through the manifestations of the spirit nevertheless in your temporal things you shall be equal in all things & this not grudgeingly otherwise the abundance of the manifestations of the spirit shall be withheld now this commandment I give unto my servants while they remain for a manifestations of my blessings upon their heads & for a reward of their diligence & for their security for food & for raiment for an for houses & for lands & in whatsoever circumstances I the Lord shall place them & whithersoever I the Lord shall send them [p. 124]
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Document Information
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Footnotes
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Insertions in handwriting of John Whitmer.
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1
TEXT: John Whitmer assigned this number to the revelation after it was recorded in Revelation Book 1.
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2
See Revelation, 6 June 1831 [D&C 52:2].
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3
See 1 Timothy 3:15.
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4
The bishop was Edward Partridge, and the agent was Sidney Gilbert. A 20 July 1831 revelation instructed Gilbert to “establish a store” in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, so that he could provide “provisions & whatsoever things the Deciples may need to plant them in their inheritance.” (Revelation, 20 July 1831 [D&C 57:8].)
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5
A day earlier, a revelation noted that “the office of a Bishop is in administering all temporal things,” while the president of the high priesthood is responsible for “the administring of ordinances & blessings upon the Church by the Laying on of the hands.” (Revelation, 11 Nov. 1831–B [D&C 107:65–68].)
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