Revelation, circa 22 December 1841–A

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Revelation, circa 22 December 1841–A
Source Note

Revelation, [
Nauvoo
Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....
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, Hancock Co., IL, ca. 22 Dec. 1841]; handwriting of
Willard Richards
24 June 1804–11 Mar. 1854. Teacher, lecturer, doctor, clerk, printer, editor, postmaster. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joseph Richards and Rhoda Howe. Moved to Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, 1813; to Chatham, Columbia Co...
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; one page; Revelations Collection, CHL.

Single leaf measuring 10¾ × 7½ inches (27 × 19 cm). The original size of the leaf is unknown, as the top and left edges are torn all along. The leaf contains various notes, mostly in the handwriting of
Willard Richards
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but also in graphite in the handwriting of at least one other scribe. The leaf was folded in half twice horizontally. The folds separated at some point and were later mended.

The document has presumably been in continuous institutional custody since its creation. By 1984 the document had been included in the Revelations Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL).
1
See the full bibliographic entry for Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876, in the CHL catalog.
Footnotes
[1]
See the full bibliographic entry for Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876, in the CHL catalog.
Historical Introduction
Circa 22 December 1841, JS dictated a revelation in
Nauvoo
Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....
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, Illinois, instructing the
Twelve Apostles
Members of a governing body in the church, with special administrative and proselytizing responsibilities. A June 1829 revelation commanded Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer to call twelve disciples, similar to the twelve apostles in the New Testament and ...
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to appoint
Amos Fuller
26 Mar. 1810–29 Mar. 1853. Blacksmith, farmer. Born at Stockholm, St. Lawrence Co., New York. Son of Luther Fuller and Lorena (Lovina) Mitchell. Married Esther Victoria Smith, cousin of JS, 8 Mar. 1832, at Stockholm. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of...
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to serve a mission. Fuller had relocated to
Nashville
Settled by Isaac Galland, 1829. Undeveloped town site purchased by Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1839. Laid out and incorporated, 1841, but charter never adopted. Featured one of nine branches within Iowa Stake (later Zarahemla Stake). Branch...
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, Iowa Territory, two years earlier.
1
Entry for Amos Fuller in Nashville Branch Membership Roster, [12].
Comprehensive Works Cited
Nashville Branch Membership Roster, 1839–1843. CHL. LR 5167 21.
According to a note written by
Willard Richards
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immediately before the featured text on the same page, Fuller told JS in December 1841 that he wanted “to know the will of God concerning him.”
2
Revelation, ca. 22 Dec. 1841–A, Revelations Collection, CHL. The note reads in full: “Nauvoo. Dec 1841 Elder Amos Fuller, of Zarahemla [Iowa Territory], stated to Pret J. Smith that he had settled all his debts, & made all necessary provision for his family, & desires to know the will of God concerning him.”
Comprehensive Works Cited

On 17 January 1842 the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles responded to this revelation by assigning Fuller to serve a mission in
Chicago
Settled by Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, 1779. U.S. Fort Dearborn established, 1804. Town organized, 10 Aug. 1832. Incorporated as city, May 1837. Population in 1837 about 4,200; in 1840 about 4,500; and in 1844 about 11,000. Twenty-six members of Church ...
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.
3
JS, Journal, 17 Jan. 1842.

JS may have dictated this revelation to
Willard Richards
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, who inscribed the aforementioned note and the featured text onto one side of a loose leaf of unlined paper. On that same page Richards inscribed another short revelation appointing
John Snider
11 Feb. 1800–19 Dec. 1875. Farmer, mason, stonecutter. Born in New Brunswick, Canada. Son of Martin Snyder and Sarah Armstrong. Married Mary Heron, 28 Feb. 1822. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1836, at Toronto. Stockholder in Kirtland...
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to a proselytizing mission.
4
Revelation, ca. 22 Dec. 1841–B.
The other side of the leaf includes a note, inscribed by Richards, of three donations to the
church
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...
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dated 22 December 1841. This suggests that Richards recorded this revelation on the loose leaf that same day. Richards then copied the
Fuller
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revelation (including the note preceding it) and the Snider revelation into the new JS journal that he was keeping in a large book titled “The Book of the Law of the Lord.” In the journal, Richards dated the Fuller and Snider revelations 22 December 1841, providing further evidence JS dictated them on or near that date.
5
JS, Journal, Dec. 1841 and 22 Dec. 1841.
Footnotes
[1]
Entry for Amos Fuller in Nashville Branch Membership Roster, [12].
Nashville Branch Membership Roster, 1839–1843. CHL. LR 5167 21.
[2]
Revelation, ca. 22 Dec. 1841–A, Revelations Collection, CHL. The note reads in full: “Nauvoo. Dec 1841 Elder Amos Fuller, of Zarahemla [Iowa Territory], stated to Pret J. Smith that he had settled all his debts, & made all necessary provision for his family, & desires to know the will of God concerning him.”

[3]
JS, Journal, 17 Jan. 1842.
[4]
Revelation, ca. 22 Dec. 1841–B.
[5]
JS, Journal, Dec. 1841 and 22 Dec. 1841.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Revelation, circa 22 December 1841–A Journal, December 1841–December 1842 History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 Addenda “History of Joseph Smith”
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Verily thus saith the Lord. unto my serva[n]ts the
12
Members of a governing body in the church, with special administrative and proselytizing responsibilities. A June 1829 revelation commanded Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer to call twelve disciples, similar to the twelve apostles in the New Testament and ...
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let them appoint unto my servat
A[mos] Fuller
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a mission to preach my gospel. unto the children of man. as it shall be manifested unto them by my Holy Spi[ri]t, Amen.—— [p. [1]]
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