JS dictated this revelation at the same 4 December 1831 in , Ohio, at which he dictated two other revelations, including one calling for the appointment of as a in . A November 1831 revelation explained that when other bishops were appointed, they would “act in the same office” as , bishop in . The revelation designating Whitney as bishop stated that his responsibilities would be “made known” both by revelation and “by the voice of the conference,” indicating that some of these duties may have been discussed at the conference at which the revelation was dictated. This 4 December revelation specified Whitney’s duties, in coordination with Partridge’s, and emphasized that Whitney and Partridge should maintain close ties. Whitney was to operate the in Ohio to provide for the needs of the preaching the gospel and of the over the revelations. Any debts these individuals incurred for obtaining goods from the storehouse but could not repay would be covered by funds or assets held by Partridge in . Whitney was also to receive accounts—apparently both temporal and spiritual—from the elders of their stewardships. He was then to recommend the faithful to Partridge as worthy to receive an in Zion. Since other revelations declared that JS and conferences of elders would decide who should relocate to Missouri, Whitney likely was not tasked with actually sending individuals to Zion—only with providing recommends when such individuals were designated to go.

Although early manuscript versions indicate that this was a separate revelation from the one appointing a bishop, the two revelations were combined with a third and presented as a single revelation when published.