Revelation, September 1830–C [D&C 30:1–4]

Home >
The Papers >

Revelation, September 1830–C [D&C 30:1–4]
Source Note

Revelation,
Fayette Township
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
, Seneca Co., NY, to
David Whitmer
7 Jan. 1805–25 Jan. 1888. Farmer, livery keeper. Born near Harrisburg, Dauphin Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Raised Presbyterian. Moved to Ontario Co., New York, shortly after birth. Attended German Reformed Church. Arranged...
View Full Bio
, [Sept.] 1830. Featured version, titled “31 Commandment AD 1830,” copied [ca. Mar. 1831] in Revelation Book 1, p. 42; 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
The revelation to
David Whitmer
View Full Bio
featured here, as well as the two that follow (directed to Peter Whitmer Jr. and John Whitmer, respectively), originated during the second
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 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
, held in
Fayette
More Info
, New York, in late September 1830. In describing that conference, JS’s history stated that “peace, and faith, and hope, and charity abounded in our midst” and then added, “Before we separated we obtained the following, Revelation to David Whitmer, Peter Whitmer Jr. and John Whitmer.”
1
JS History, vol. A-1, 58.
Although these three texts were treated as separate revelations in Revelation Book 1 and the 1833 Book of Commandments, they were combined into a single revelation in the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants.
2
See Revelations, Sept. 1830–D and E; Book of Commandments 31–33; and Doctrine and Covenants 52, 1835 ed.

According to the conference minutes, “Br.
David Whitmer
View Full Bio
[was] appointed to keep the Church records until the next Conference,” which was scheduled for January 1831.
3
Minutes, 26 Sept. 1830. Oliver Cowdery, who had previously kept the record, had been called on a mission to the American Indians. (Revelation, Sept. 1830–B [D&C 28:8].)
The revelation itself did not mention that appointment; rather, it declared that Whitmer “feared man” and gave no “heed unto my Spirit & to those who were set over thee.” Whether this rebuke alluded to Whitmer’s support of
Hiram Page
1800–12 Aug. 1852. Physician, farmer. Born in Vermont. Married Catherine Whitmer, 10 Nov. 1825, in Seneca Co., New York. One of the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, June 1829. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Oliver Cowdery...
View Full Bio
in his recent challenge to JS’s authority—a topic discussed at the conference—is not clear.
4
See Historical Introduction to Revelation, Sept. 1830–B [D&C 28].
In any case, this revelation instructed Whitmer to stay at his
father
14 Apr. 1773–13 Aug. 1854. Farmer. Born at Harrisburg, Dauphin Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer and likely Maria Salome. Member of Presbyterian church. Married Mary Musselman, before 1798, in Pennsylvania. Lived in Lebanon Township, Dauphin Co., by...
View Full Bio
’s house and preach nearby. In what way or to what extent Whitmer fulfilled the mandate to “attend to the ministery in the Church & before the world & in these regions round about” during the ensuing fall and winter is unknown.
Footnotes
[1]
JS History, vol. A-1, 58.
[2]
See Revelations, Sept. 1830–D and E; Book of Commandments 31–33; and Doctrine and Covenants 52, 1835 ed.
[3]
Minutes, 26 Sept. 1830. Oliver Cowdery, who had previously kept the record, had been called on a mission to the American Indians. (Revelation, Sept. 1830–B [D&C 28:8].)
[4]
See Historical Introduction to Revelation, Sept. 1830–B [D&C 28].
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Revelation, September 1830–C [D&C 30:1–4] Revelation Book 1 Book of Commandments, 1833 Doctrine and Covenants, 1835 History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834] History, circa 1841, draft [Draft 3] History, circa 1841, fair copy “History of Joseph Smith” Doctrine and Covenants, 1844
Page 42
Hide editing marks

31
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 commandment to
David [Whitmer]
View Full Bio
tellilg [telling] him that he feared man more than god &c given at
fayette
More Info
Seneca County New York
1
John Whitmer likely created this heading when he copied the text into Revelation Book 1.
Behold I say unto you
David
View Full Bio
that thou hast feared man & hast not relyed upon me for strength as thou hast ought But thy mind has been on the things of Earth more than on the things of me thy Maker & the ministery whereunto thou hast been called & thou hast not given heed unto my Spirit & to those who were set over thee But hast been persuaded by those whom I have not commanded wherefore thou art left to enquire for thy self at my hand & ponder upon the things which you have Received & thy home shall be at thy
father
14 Apr. 1773–13 Aug. 1854. Farmer. Born at Harrisburg, Dauphin Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer and likely Maria Salome. Member of Presbyterian church. Married Mary Musselman, before 1798, in Pennsylvania. Lived in Lebanon Township, Dauphin Co., by...
View Full Bio
s house until I give unto thee further commandment & thou shalt attend to the ministery in 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...
View Glossary
& before the world & in these regions round about amen [p. 42]
View entire transcript
|
Cite this page
Source Note
Document Transcript
Page 42
Document Information
Footnotes