Revelation, 30 December 1830 [D&C 37]

Home >
The Papers >

Revelation, 30 December 1830 [D&C 37]
Source Note

Revelation,
Canandaigua Township
Located in central part of county in west-central part of state. Area settled, by 1790. Population in 1830 about 5,200. Joseph Smith Sr. imprisoned for debt for thirty days at county seat of Canandaigua village, Oct.–Nov. 1830. W. W. Phelps and Brigham Young...
More Info
, NY, to JS and
Sidney Rigdon
19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...
View Full Bio
, [30 Dec.] 1830. Featured version, titled “40th Commandment AD 1830,” copied [ca. Mar. 1831] in Revelation Book 1, p. 49; handwriting of
John Whitmer
27 Aug. 1802–11 July 1878. Farmer, stock raiser, newspaper editor. Born in Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Member of German Reformed Church, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, most likely in Seneca...
View Full Bio
; CHL. Includes redactions. For more complete source information, see the source note for Revelation Book 1.
Historical Introduction
A September 1830 revelation declared that all members of the
Church of Christ
The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...
View Glossary
should gather together into one place.
1
Revelation, Sept. 1830–A [D&C 29:8].
A second revelation decreed that a “City” (the
New Jerusalem
The Book of Mormon indicated that, in preparation for Jesus Christ’s second coming, a city should be built on the American continent and called the New Jerusalem. The Book of Mormon further explained that the remnant of the seed of Joseph (understood to be...
View Glossary
) would be located “among the
Lamanites
A term used in the Book of Mormon to refer to the descendants or followers of Laman, as well as those who later identified themselves as Lamanites because they did not believe in the religious traditions of their ancestors. According to JS and the Book of...
View Glossary
.”
2
Revelation, Sept. 1830–B [D&C 28:9].
Within a month, JS sent missionaries to search out the location for the New Jerusalem—understood to be the future gathering place—and to preach to American Indians. Traveling first to northeastern
Ohio
French explored and claimed area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Northeastern portion maintained as part of Connecticut, 1786, and called Connecticut...
More Info
, these missionaries preached in the areas around
Kirtland
Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Latter-day Saint missionaries visited township, early Nov. 1830; many residents joined Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and...
More Info
and
Mentor
Located in northeastern Ohio, about three miles northeast of Kirtland. Area claimed by Connecticut (referred to as Western Reserve), 1786. Surveyed 1796. Settled by early 1798. Organized 1815. Population in 1830 about 700. Included village of Mentor. Sidney...
More Info
. They remained in Ohio a few weeks and baptized several dozen individuals, many of whom were members of
Sidney Rigdon
View Full Bio
’s restorationist congregation, before continuing west. After passing through
Independence
Located twelve miles from western Missouri border. Permanently settled, platted, and designated county seat, 1827. Hub for steamboat travel on Missouri River. Point of departure for Santa Fe Trail. Population in 1831 about 300. Latter-day Saint population...
More Info
, Missouri, the group attempted to preach to the Indians who had been relocated by the
United States
North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...
More Info
government to territory just beyond the western border of
Missouri
Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...
More Info
.

In late 1830, two of the
Ohio
More Info
converts,
Sidney Rigdon
View Full Bio
and
Edward Partridge
27 Aug. 1793–27 May 1840. Hatter. Born at Pittsfield, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of William Partridge and Jemima Bidwell. Moved to Painesville, Geauga Co., Ohio. Married Lydia Clisbee, 22 Aug. 1819, at Painesville. Initially a Universal Restorationist...
View Full Bio
, visited JS in
New York
Located in northeast region of U.S. Area settled by Dutch traders, 1620s; later governed by Britain, 1664–1776. Admitted to U.S. as state, 1788. Population in 1810 about 1,000,000; in 1820 about 1,400,000; in 1830 about 1,900,000; and in 1840 about 2,400,...
More Info
, where opposition to the church was intensifying. Rigdon stayed for two months and became JS’s close confidant, serving as scribe for his revision of the Bible.
3
Prior to Rigdon’s arrival, Oliver Cowdery, John Whitmer, and Emma Smith served as scribes for this project. For more on JS’s Bible revision, see the Historical Introduction to Visions of Moses, June 1830 [Moses 1].
In late December, JS and Rigdon traveled from
Fayette
Located in northern part of county between Seneca and Cayuga lakes. Area settled, by 1790. Officially organized as Washington Township, 14 Mar. 1800. Name changed to Fayette, 6 Apr. 1808. Population in 1830 about 3,200. Population in 1840 about 3,700. Significant...
More Info
to
Canandaigua
More Info
, New York, and there continued work on JS’s inspired
translation
To produce a text from one written in another language; in JS’s usage, most often through divine means. JS considered the ability to translate to be a gift of the spirit, like the gift of interpreting tongues. He recounted that he translated “reformed Egyptian...
View Glossary
of the Bible. Shortly after their arrival, JS dictated this revelation, which formally designated Ohio as a gathering place for the
Church of Christ
View Glossary
. Three days later, on 2 January 1831, the third
conference
A meeting where ecclesiastical officers and other church members could conduct church business. The “Articles and Covenants” of the church directed the elders to hold conferences to perform “Church business.” The first of these conferences was held on 9 June...
View Glossary
of the church convened in Fayette, and there JS announced the plan to gather in Ohio.

This revelation also directed JS and
Rigdon
View Full Bio
to temporarily stop their revision of the Bible so they could preach to and strengthen the existing congregations in
New York
Located in northeast region of U.S. Area settled by Dutch traders, 1620s; later governed by Britain, 1664–1776. Admitted to U.S. as state, 1788. Population in 1810 about 1,000,000; in 1820 about 1,400,000; in 1830 about 1,900,000; and in 1840 about 2,400,...
More Info
before the move to
Ohio
More Info
. They preached in public venues and believers’ homes in
Canandaigua
More Info
,
Palmyra
Known as Swift’s Landing and Tolland before being renamed Palmyra, 1796. Incorporated, Mar. 1827, two years after completion of adjacent Erie Canal. Population in 1820 about 3,700. Joseph Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith family lived in village briefly, beginning ...
More Info
,
Fayette
More Info
, and
Colesville
Area settled, beginning 1785. Formed from Windsor Township, Apr. 1821. Population in 1830 about 2,400. Villages within township included Harpursville, Nineveh, and Colesville. Susquehanna River ran through eastern portion of township. JS worked for Joseph...
More Info
.
4
“Testimony of Brother E. Thayre,” True Latter Day Saints’ Herald, Oct. 1862, 82–83; Tucker, Origin, Rise, and Progress of Mormonism, 76–79; Whitmer, History, 9–10; see also Austin, Life among the Mormons, 37; Mather, “Early Days of Mormonism,” 204; and Waterloo, NY, 26 Jan. [1831], Letter to the Editor, Reflector (Palmyra, NY), 1 Feb. 1831, 95. The two also stopped in Harmony, Pennsylvania. (Knight, Reminiscences, 8.)
Comprehensive Works Cited
Saints’ Herald. Independence, MO. 1860–.
Tucker, Pomeroy. Origin, Rise, and Progress of Mormonism: Biography of Its Founders and History of Its Church. New York: D. Appleton, 1867.
Austin, Emily M. Mormonism; or, Life among the Mormons: Being an Autobiographical Sketch, Including an Experience of Fourteen Years of Mormon Life. Madison, WI: M. J. Cantwell, 1882.
Mather, Frederic G. “The Early Days of Mormonism.” Lippincott’s Magazine of Popular Literature and Science 26 (Aug. 1880): 198–211.
Reflector. Palmyra, NY. 1821–1831.
Knight, Joseph, Sr. Reminiscences, no date. CHL. MS 3470.
Footnotes
[1]
Revelation, Sept. 1830–A [D&C 29:8].
[2]
Revelation, Sept. 1830–B [D&C 28:9].
[3]
Prior to Rigdon’s arrival, Oliver Cowdery, John Whitmer, and Emma Smith served as scribes for this project. For more on JS’s Bible revision, see the Historical Introduction to Visions of Moses, June 1830 [Moses 1].
[4]
“Testimony of Brother E. Thayre,” True Latter Day Saints’ Herald, Oct. 1862, 82–83; Tucker, Origin, Rise, and Progress of Mormonism, 76–79; Whitmer, History, 9–10; see also Austin, Life among the Mormons, 37; Mather, “Early Days of Mormonism,” 204; and Waterloo, NY, 26 Jan. [1831], Letter to the Editor, Reflector (Palmyra, NY), 1 Feb. 1831, 95. The two also stopped in Harmony, Pennsylvania. (Knight, Reminiscences, 8.)
Saints’ Herald. Independence, MO. 1860–.
Tucker, Pomeroy. Origin, Rise, and Progress of Mormonism: Biography of Its Founders and History of Its Church. New York: D. Appleton, 1867.
Austin, Emily M. Mormonism; or, Life among the Mormons: Being an Autobiographical Sketch, Including an Experience of Fourteen Years of Mormon Life. Madison, WI: M. J. Cantwell, 1882.
Mather, Frederic G. “The Early Days of Mormonism.” Lippincott’s Magazine of Popular Literature and Science 26 (Aug. 1880): 198–211.
Reflector. Palmyra, NY. 1821–1831.
Knight, Joseph, Sr. Reminiscences, no date. CHL. MS 3470.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Revelation, 30 December 1830 [D&C 37] Revelation Book 1 Book of Commandments, 1833 Doctrine and Covenants, 1835 John Whitmer, History, 1831–circa 1847 History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834] “History of Joseph Smith” Doctrine and Covenants, 1844
Page 49
Hide editing marks

40th
Commandment
Generally, a divine mandate that church members were expected to obey; more specifically, a text dictated by JS in the first-person voice of Deity that served to communicate knowledge and instruction to JS and his followers. Occasionally, other inspired texts...
View Glossary
AD 1830
A Revelation to
Sidney [Rigdon]
View Full Bio
& Joseph at at time that they went from
Fayette
More Info
to
Canandaigua
More Info
to
translate
To produce a text from one written in another language; in JS’s usage, most often through divine means. JS considered the ability to translate to be a gift of the spirit, like the gift of interpreting tongues. He recounted that he translated “reformed Egyptian...
View Glossary
&c given at
Canandaigua
More Info
Ontario County State of New York
1
John Whitmer likely created this heading when he copied the text into Revelation Book 1.
A Commandment to
sidney
View Full Bio
& Joseph saying Behold I say unto ye that it is not Expedient in me that ye should Translate any more until ye shall go to the
Ohio
More Info
& this because of the enemy & for your sakes
2
Members of the church in New York, especially in Colesville, had been frequently harassed during the previous six months. (JS History, vol. A-1, 42–48, 53; see also Letter to the Church in Colesville, 2 Dec. 1830.)
& again I say unto you that ye shall not go untill ye have Preached my Gospel in those parts & have strengthened up the
Church
View Glossary
whithersoever it is found & more especially in
Colesville
Area settled, beginning 1785. Formed from Windsor Township, Apr. 1821. Population in 1830 about 2,400. Villages within township included Harpursville, Nineveh, and Colesville. Susquehanna River ran through eastern portion of township. JS worked for Joseph...
More Info
for Behold they pray unto me in much faith
3
Newel Knight later recalled that at this time “the Spirit was being poured out copiously upon the Saints at Colesville, and a spirit of deep inquiry was manifesting itself, the Saints gave themselves to the study of the Scriptures, and in much prayer and supplication sought to understand them, and to more perfectly comprehend their import, and the revelations as given through the Prophet Joseph.” (Knight, History, 228–229.)
Comprehensive Works Cited
Knight, Newel. History. Private possession. Copy in CHL. MS 19156.
& again a commandment I give unto the Church that it is expedient in me that they should assemble together at the
Ohio
More Info
by <against> the time that my Servent
Oliver [Cowdery]
3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...
View Full Bio
shall return unto them
4
Cowdery, the church’s “second elder,” was then leading the Lamanite mission in western Missouri.
Behold here is wisdom & let evry man Choose for himself until I come amen even so amen [p. 49]
View entire transcript
|
Cite this page
Source Note
Document Transcript
Page 49
Document Information
Footnotes
[1]
John Whitmer likely created this heading when he copied the text into Revelation Book 1.
[2]
Members of the church in New York, especially in Colesville, had been frequently harassed during the previous six months. (JS History, vol. A-1, 42–48, 53; see also Letter to the Church in Colesville, 2 Dec. 1830.)
[3]
Newel Knight later recalled that at this time “the Spirit was being poured out copiously upon the Saints at Colesville, and a spirit of deep inquiry was manifesting itself, the Saints gave themselves to the study of the Scriptures, and in much prayer and supplication sought to understand them, and to more perfectly comprehend their import, and the revelations as given through the Prophet Joseph.” (Knight, History, 228–229.)
Knight, Newel. History. Private possession. Copy in CHL. MS 19156.
[4]
Cowdery, the church’s “second elder,” was then leading the Lamanite mission in western Missouri.