Discourse, between circa 26 June and circa 4 August 1839–B, as Reported by Willard Richards

Source Note

JS, Discourse, [
Montrose
Located in southern part of county on western shore of Mississippi River. Area settled by Captain James White, 1832, following Black Hawk War. Federal government purchased land from White to create Fort Des Moines, 1834. Fort abandoned; remaining settlement...
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, Lee Co., Iowa Territory, or
Commerce
Located near middle of western boundary of state, bordering Mississippi River. European Americans settled area, 1820s. From bank of river, several feet above high-water mark, ground described as nearly level for six or seven blocks before gradually sloping...
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, Hancock Co., IL], [between ca. 26 June and ca. 4 Aug. 1839]. Featured version copied [between 13 Jan. 1840 and 20 Apr. 1841] in Willard Richards, “W. Richards Pocket Companion Written in England,” pp. 74–75; 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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; Willard Richards, Journals and Papers, CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Discourse, between ca. 26 June and ca. 4 Aug. 1839–A, as Reported by Willard Richards.
Historical Introduction
Likely between late June and early August 1839, JS gave a discourse on Jesus’s parable of the sower, and between January 1840 and April 1841
apostle
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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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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copied an account of the discourse into his “Pocket Companion,” a notebook he kept during his 1837–1841 mission in
England
Island nation consisting of southern portion of Great Britain and surrounding smaller islands. Bounded on north by Scotland and on west by Wales. Became province of Roman Empire, first century. Ruled by Romans, through 447. Ruled by Picts, Scots, and Saxons...
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.
1
For a discussion of the dating of this discourse, see Historical Introduction to Discourse, between ca. 26 June and ca. 4 Aug. 1839–A.
Although Richards did not identify this discourse as coming from JS, the majority of the entries in the pocket notebook are JS revelations and discourses that Richards copied without giving attribution. Richards was proselytizing in England in summer 1839 and thus was not present when JS gave this discourse to members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Quorums of the
Seventy
A priesthood office with the responsibility to travel and preach and assist the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, similar to the seventy in the New Testament. In February and March 1835, the first members of the Seventy were selected and ordained. All of those...
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. After the apostles and seventies joined Richards in England to proselytize, he presumably copied one of their accounts of the discourse.
2
Richards may have copied an account written by John Taylor. (See Historical Introduction to Discourse, between ca. 26 June and ca. 4 Aug. 1839–A.)

This discourse explains several parables, including the parable of the sower, the parable of the treasure hidden in a field, and the parable of the wheat and tares, all of which are found in Matthew, chapter 13. As part of his explanation, JS discussed signs in these parables of the second coming of Christ. The notes for this discourse are more fragmentary than are accounts of other JS discourses that
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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copied. Apparently, Richards or the missionary who took the original notes focused on capturing main points rather than on documenting the complete text of the discourse. In this account, the content of selected verses in Matthew, chapter 13, is briefly mentioned, followed by JS’s explanations of the verses.

Footnotes
1. 1
  For a discussion of the dating of this discourse, see Historical Introduction to Discourse, between ca. 26 June and ca. 4 Aug. 1839–A.
2. 2
  Richards may have copied an account written by John Taylor. (See Historical Introduction to Discourse, between ca. 26 June and ca. 4 Aug. 1839–A.)

Document Transcript

Parables.

Behold a sower went forth to Sow &c Our Savior is the sower; the people are the world; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels The end of the world is not come, consequently the Harvest. The harvest cannot come without Angels; The Son of man is to send forth his Angels. The Son of Man Said that the Saints shall Judge the world & Angels.— God has revealed himself. when they come up before God they will be asked did this Angel perform this or that. that he was sent to do. if not they will be judged— The world judgd—

Some fell among thorns &c— God sows— The enemy comes & Sows parties divisions. heresies; Shall we kill them? NO. not till harvest— The end of the world. The Son of God will do as he ever has done from the beginning. Send forth his Angels. If the reapers do not come, the wheat cannot be Saved. Nothing but the Kingdom being restored, can save the world. Like unto a treasure [p. 74] hid in a field. This figure is a representation of the [kingdom] in the last days.

Michael = Adam. Noah. I am Gabriel— Well says I. Who are you? I am Peter, the Angel flying through the midst of heaven Moroni delivered the book of Mormon. The pearl of great price is the prepared for the Saints. Sell all you have got, purchase &c. What is the end of the world? the destruction of the wicked. The Angels have begun to be revealed. They shall bind up the testimony Like unto a merchantman buying goodly Pearls A net that gathers of every kind. The wheat gathered into barns; the tares left on the field to be burned. The Net gathers in of every kind. Those who held were more concerned about their children than themselves. It happens to be our Lot to live in a day when this takes place. [p. 75]

Footnotes

1
See Matthew 13:36–43.
2
See 1 Corinthians 6:1–3.
3
See Matthew 13:7; Mark 4:7; and Luke 8:7.
4
See Matthew 13:28–30, 41; and Revelation, 6 Dec. 1832 [D&C 86:1–7].
5
See Matthew 13:44.
6
Missing text supplied from a version of this discourse in Nuttall, “Extracts,” 27.
7
See Revelation 8:13.
8
The Book of Mormon identifies Moroni as the last prophet to write in the book and as being responsible for hiding the Book of Mormon plates. JS said that Moroni appeared to JS in an 1823 vision. (See Title Page of the Book of Mormon, ca. Early June 1829; Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 531–532 [Mormon 8:1, 4, 14]; and JS History, vol. A-1, 7; see also Questions and Answers, 8 May 1838.)
9
See Matthew 13:46.
10
See New Testament Revision 1, p. 26 [Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 13:39–40].
11
See Isaiah 8:16.
12
See Matthew 13:45–46.
13
See Matthew 13:24–30.

Discourse, between circa 26 June and circa 4 August 1839–B, as Reported by Willard Richards

Document Transcript

Footnotes

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