Revelation, 1 November 1831–B [D&C 1]
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Source Note
Revelation, , OH, 1 Nov. 1831. Featured version, titled “77 Revelation Given in Hiram Novm. 1st. 1831,” copied [between 12 and 20 Nov. 1831] in Revelation Book 1, pp. 125–127; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Revelation Book 1.
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Historical Introduction
At a of in , Ohio, on 1 November 1831, JS dictated a revelation designated as a preface for the Book of Commandments, a proposed compilation of JS’s revelations. According to the minutes of the 1 November conference, this revelatory preface was “received by inspiration” during a recess between the morning and afternoon sessions. , one of the conference participants, gave a more detailed account of the production of the preface fifty years later to William Kelley, an elder in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. According to Kelley’s account of the conversation, McLellin said that he, , and had been given the assignment to write the preface to the Book of Commandments, but when they presented their draft to the conference, the “Conference picked it all to pieces” and requested that JS petition the Lord for a preface. After JS and the elders bowed in prayer, JS, who was “sitting by a window,” dictated the preface “by the Spirit,” while Rigdon served as scribe. “Joseph would deliver a few sentences and Sydney would write them down,” McLellin told Kelley, “then read them aloud, and if correct, then Joseph would proceed and deliver more.” In this way, “the preface was given.”As with prefaces to other published works, this revelation informed readers of the subject and purpose of the volume. Speaking in the voice of Deity, it told both the and the world why God revealed these to JS and painted an apocalyptic picture of the wrath that God would unleash against the wicked unless they responded to the new revelations by repenting. The revelations were thus a “voice of warning” to the world to prepare them for Jesus Christ’s second coming.The original manuscript of the preface is no longer extant. copied the revelation into Revelation Book 1 likely between 12 November 1831, the date of the revelation that precedes it in the revelation book, and 20 November, the date that he and left for with the revelation book. The revelation was printed as the preface to the Book of Commandments about a year later.
Footnotes
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1
For additional information on this conference, see Minutes, 1–2 Nov. 1831.
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2
Minutes, 1–2 Nov. 1831. A later JS history merely relates that the revelation came at a “Special Conference” in Hiram. (JS History, vol. A-1, 157.)
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3
“Letter from Elder W. H. Kelley,” Saints’ Herald, 1 Mar. 1882, 67.
Saints’ Herald. Independence, MO. 1860–.
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4
See Historical Introduction to Revelation Book 1; Revelation, 1 Nov. 1831–B, in Revelation Book 1, pp. 125–127 [D&C 1]; Whitmer, History, 38.
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5
The first gathering of the Book of Commandments was printed in December 1832; The Evening and the Morning Star published the preface in March 1833. (Notice, The Evening and the Morning Star, Dec. 1832, [8]; “Revelation Given, Hiram, Ohio, November 1, 1831,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Mar. 1833, [6].)
The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.
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1
Document Transcript
Footnotes
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1
John Whitmer assigned this number to the revelation after recording it in Revelation Book 1.
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2
At a 26 September 1830 conference of elders, JS “was appointd by the voice of the Conference to receive and write Revelations & Commandments for this Church.” (Minutes, 26 Sept. 1830; see also Revelation, Sept. 1830–B [D&C 28:13].)
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3
This heading likely did not appear in the original manuscript; John Whitmer likely added it when he copied the revelation into Revelation Book 1. The heading was not included in the revelation as published in The Evening and the Morning Star, but it was included in the Book of Commandments. (“Revelation Given, Hiram, Ohio, November 1, 1831,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Mar. 1833, [6]; Book of Commandments 1.)
The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.
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4
TEXT: Or “yet”.
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5
At the conference held in Orange, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, on 25–26 October 1831, JS stated that “the order of the High priesthood is that they have power given them to seal up the Saints unto eternal life.” This revelation appears to extend that power to sealing the unrighteous to their fate as well. (Minutes, 25–26 Oct. 1831.)
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6
See Revelation 16:1; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 58 [1 Nephi 22:16].
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7
See Isaiah 34:5.
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8
See Isaiah 53:1; John 12:38; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 185 [Mosiah 14:1].
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9
See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 58, 497 [1 Nephi 22:20; 3 Nephi 20:23].
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10
See Isaiah 24:5.
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11
See Revelation 14:8; 18:2.
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12
TEXT: Or “spoke”.
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13
See 1 Corinthians 1:26–29; and Revelation, 7 Dec. 1830 [D&C 35:13].
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14
See Genesis 17:7, 19; and Ezekiel 16:60.
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15
See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 118 [2 Nephi 31:3].
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16
For examples of such chastening, see Revelation, July 1828 [D&C 3:5–9]; and Revelation, 1 Aug. 1831 [D&C 58:14–16].
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17
See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 564 [Ether 12:27].
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18
That is, the Book of Mormon, which presents itself as the history of an ancient American people known as the Nephites.
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19
Missing word supplied from the version of this revelation published in The Evening and the Morning Star. (“Revelation Given, Hiram, Ohio, November 1, 1831,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Mar. 1833, [6].)
The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.
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20
See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 349 [Alma 45:16].
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21
See Genesis 6:3; Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 107, 542 [2 Nephi 26:11; Ether 2:15]; and Old Testament Revision 1, p. 20 [Moses 8:17].
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22
See Acts 10:34; and Revelation, 2 Jan. 1831 [D&C 38:16].
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23
See Revelation 6:4.
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24
“Idumea” is the Greek rendition of “Edom,” the land southeast of Judah where Esau and his descendants lived and whose people became an enemy of Israel. (See Genesis 32:3; 1 Samuel 14:47; and Ezekiel 35:15.)
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25
See Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33; and Revelation, 15 June 1831 [D&C 56:11].
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26
In another revelation dictated on the same day, several elders were told that “whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be Scripture shall be the will of the Lord shall be the mind of the Lord shall be the voice of the Lord & the power of God unto Salvation.” (Revelation, 1 Nov. 1831–A [D&C 68:4].)
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27
Missing word supplied from version of this revelation published in The Evening and the Morning Star. (“Revelation Given, Hiram, Ohio, November 1, 1831,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Mar. 1833, [6].)
The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.