Revelation, circa 7 March 1831 [D&C 45]
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Source Note
Revelation, , OH, ca. 7 Mar. 1831. Featured version, titled “47 A prophecy March 7th. 1831,” copied [between ca. Mar. and June 1831] in Revelation Book 1, pp. 71–76; handwriting of ; CHL. Includes redactions. For more complete source information, see the source note for Revelation Book 1.
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Historical Introduction
JS dictated this revelation, which Revelation Book 1 titles a “prophecy,” sometime around 7 March 1831, during a period when, according to JS’s history, “many false reports, lies, and fo[o]lish stories were published in the newspapers, and circulated in every direction, to prevent people from investigating the work, or embracing the faith.” JS’s history reported that the revelation was the “joy of the saints who had to struggle against every thing that prejudice and wickedness could invent.”The revelation describes the and Christ’s second coming, both of which had been prophesied in JS’s of the Book of Mormon, his previous revelations, and his revision of the Old Testament. In particular, it connects the text of Matthew 24, in which Jesus prophesied concerning the last days and the Second Coming, with JS’s 9 February 1831 revelation about the New Jerusalem; as the revelation featured here states, “I will shew it plainly as I shewed it unto my Deciples as I stood before them in the flesh.” The revelation also uses Jesus’s New Testament prophecies to explain and reinforce the command to gather to : “Not many years hence ye Shall hear of wars in your own lands wherefore I the Lord have said gether ye out from the Eastern lands [and] assemble ye yourselves together.”Parts of this text also found in Matthew 24 were among those included in JS’s later work of revising the New Testament, a project that began the day after JS dictated this revelation. Though JS’s inspired Bible revision had focused only on the Old Testament before this time, the revelation instructed him to shift his immediate efforts to the New Testament: “Now behold I say unto you it shall not be given unto you to know any farther then this until the New Testament be & in it all things shall be made known Wherefore I give unto you that ye may now Translate it that ye may be prepared for the things to come.”Three early copies of this revelation are extant. The version in Revelation Book 1 (featured here) and a copy in ’s handwriting were created around the same time, likely in spring 1831, and there are no significant differences to indicate which is earlier. An additional copy created by later in 1831 largely corresponds with the other two versions. Differences between all three versions are noted in the footnotes.
Footnotes
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1
John Whitmer copied the text into Revelation Book 1, where it is designated “A prophecy March 7th. 1831.” Edward Partridge and William E. McLellin also made copies in 1831, but they assigned the date of 6 March 1831. The 1833 Book of Commandments dates this revelation to March 1831 and locates it at Kirtland, Ohio, while the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants specifies the date as 7 March but gives no location. (Revelations Collection, CHL; McLellin, Copies of Revelations, [1]–7; Book of Commandments 48; Doctrine and Covenants 15, 1835 ed.)
Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL. MS 4583.
McLellin, William E. Copies of Revelations, early Nov. 1831. In “W. E. Mc.Lellan Jan— 1877,” 1877, William E. McLellin, Papers, 1831–1878. CHL. MS 13538, box 1, fd. 7.
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2
JS History, vol. A-1, 104.
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3
See, for example, Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 501 [3 Nephi 21:23–25]; and Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:9, 35, 62, 67]; see also Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 566 [Ether 13:3–5]. One revelation foretold the destruction to come and urged the gathering of “mine Elect” to a designated place of safety. Another indicated that the sacred city was to be built “among the Lamanites,” or the American Indians. Two months later, in December 1830, JS dictated a passage that described the founding of the city of Zion by the patriarch Enoch and prophesied that there would be another Zion. In that text, God declared that he would “gether out mine own elect from the four quarters of the earth unto a place which I shall prepare an holy City that my people may gird up their loins and be looking fourth for the time of my coming for there shall be my tabernicle and it shall be called Zion a New Jerusalem.” (Revelation, Sept. 1830–A [D&C 29:7]; Revelation, Sept. 1830–B [D&C 28:9]; Old Testament Revision 1, p. 19 [Moses 7:62].)
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4
Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:8–9].
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5
Compare Matthew 24:6.
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6
Revelation, ca. 7 Mar. 1831, in Revelations Collection, CHL.
Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL. MS 4583.
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7
McLellin, Copies of Revelations, [1]–7.
McLellin, William E. Copies of Revelations, early Nov. 1831. In “W. E. Mc.Lellan Jan— 1877,” 1877, William E. McLellin, Papers, 1831–1878. CHL. MS 13538, box 1, fd. 7.
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1
Document Transcript
Footnotes
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1
John Whitmer likely created this heading when he copied the text into Revelation Book 1.
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2
See Acts 17:24, 28.
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3
See Jeremiah 8:20. Partridge’s copy has “your souls are not saved.” (Revelations Collection, CHL [D&C 45:2].)
Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL. MS 4583.
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4
Instead of “the,” the Partridge and McLellin copies have “your.” (Revelations Collection, CHL; McLellin, Copies of Revelations, [1] [D&C 45:3].)
Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL. MS 4583.
McLellin, William E. Copies of Revelations, early Nov. 1831. In “W. E. Mc.Lellan Jan— 1877,” 1877, William E. McLellin, Papers, 1831–1878. CHL. MS 13538, box 1, fd. 7.
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5
The Partridge and McLellin copies have “cause.” (Revelations Collection, CHL; McLellin, Copies of Revelations, [1] [D&C 45:3].)
Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL. MS 4583.
McLellin, William E. Copies of Revelations, early Nov. 1831. In “W. E. Mc.Lellan Jan— 1877,” 1877, William E. McLellin, Papers, 1831–1878. CHL. MS 13538, box 1, fd. 7.
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6
See 1 John 2:1–2. In January, another revelation similarly declared, “By the Virtue of the blood which I have spilt have I pled before the Father for them.” (Revelation, 2 Jan. 1831 [D&C 38:4]; see also Revelation, ca. Summer 1829 [D&C 19:16].)
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7
See Revelation 1:8; John 1:5, 11–12; 8:12; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 473–474 [3 Nephi 9:18].
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8
The Partridge and McLellin copies have “into.” (Revelations Collection, CHL; McLellin, Copies of Revelations, [2] [D&C 45:9].)
Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL. MS 4583.
McLellin, William E. Copies of Revelations, early Nov. 1831. In “W. E. Mc.Lellan Jan— 1877,” 1877, William E. McLellin, Papers, 1831–1878. CHL. MS 13538, box 1, fd. 7.
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9
Instead of “my,” the Partridge and McLellin copies have “the.” (Revelations Collection, CHL; McLellin, Copies of Revelations, [2] [D&C 45:9].)
Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL. MS 4583.
McLellin, William E. Copies of Revelations, early Nov. 1831. In “W. E. Mc.Lellan Jan— 1877,” 1877, William E. McLellin, Papers, 1831–1878. CHL. MS 13538, box 1, fd. 7.
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10
JS’s revision of the book of Genesis in December 1830 declared that the city of Enoch, called Zion, “in process of time was taken up into heaven” but that during the Millennium its inhabitants would return to earth and unite with the citizens of the latter-day Zion, the New Jerusalem, who would “fall upon our necks and we will kiss each other and there shall be mine abode . . . and for the space of a thousand years shall the earth [res]t.” (Old Testament Revision 1, pp. 16, 19 [Moses 7:21, 63–64].)
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11
See Hebrews 11:13.
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12
TEXT: Or “spoke”.
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13
Several of the statements that follow are similar to those found in the discourse given by Jesus to his apostles in Matthew 24.
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14
See 1 Thessalonians 5:2; and 2 Peter 3:10.
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15
See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 56–57, 84, 104 [1 Nephi 22:3, 5; 2 Nephi 10:6; 25:15]; Zechariah 7:14; and Joel 3:2.
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16
See Matthew 24:2; Luke 21:6; and Mark 13:2.
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17
Omitted words supplied based on Partridge’s copy. (Revelations Collection, CHL [D&C 45:21].)
Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL. MS 4583.
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18
See Matthew 24:35; Luke 21:33; and Mark 13:31.
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19
See Luke 21:24.
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20
See Luke 21:9.
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21
See Matthew 24:12.
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22
See Isaiah 58:8.
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23
See Isaiah 29:13.
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24
See Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:11; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 534 [Mormon 8:30].
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25
An earlier JS revelation also referenced this parable of the fig tree found in Matthew 24. (Revelation, 7 Dec. 1830 [D&C 35:16]; Matthew 24:32–33.)
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26
See Joel 2:31; and Acts 2:20.
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27
See Matthew 24:29; and Mark 13:25.
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28
See Matthew 25:31.
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29
Several previous revelations similarly proclaimed the premillennial resurrection of the righteous. (See Revelation, Sept. 1830–A [D&C 29:13]; and Revelation, Feb. 1831–A [D&C 43:18].)
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30
While the phrase “four quarters of the earth” appears only once in the Bible, the Book of Mormon uses it several times. (Revelation 20:8; Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 52, 59, 464–465, 487 [1 Nephi 19:16; 22:25; 3 Nephi 5:24–26; 16:5].)
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31
See Zechariah 14:4.
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32
The Partridge and McLellin copies have “calamity shall cover the mockers.” (Revelations Collection, CHL; McLellin, Copies of Revelations, 5 [D&C 45:50].)
Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL. MS 4583.
McLellin, William E. Copies of Revelations, early Nov. 1831. In “W. E. Mc.Lellan Jan— 1877,” 1877, William E. McLellin, Papers, 1831–1878. CHL. MS 13538, box 1, fd. 7.
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33
See Zechariah 13:6.
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34
The Partridge and McLellin copies have “& they which knew no law[.] they shall . . .” (Revelations Collection, CHL; McLellin, Copies of Revelations, 5 [D&C 45:54].)
Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL. MS 4583.
McLellin, William E. Copies of Revelations, early Nov. 1831. In “W. E. Mc.Lellan Jan— 1877,” 1877, William E. McLellin, Papers, 1831–1878. CHL. MS 13538, box 1, fd. 7.
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35
See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 582 [Moroni 8:22].
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36
See Revelation, Feb. 1831–A [D&C 43:31].
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37
See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 70 [2 Nephi 4:28].
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38
See Matthew 25:1–13.
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39
TEXT: Deletion on facing page created an ink blot over this word. Text supplied based on Partridge’s copy.
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40
See Revelation, 2 Jan. 1831 [D&C 38:22].
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41
Almost immediately, on 8 March 1831, JS stopped working on the Old Testament and turned to the New Testament. His scribe, Sidney Rigdon, wrote this heading on the manuscript: “A Translation of the New Testament translated by the power of God.” (New Testament Revision 1, p. 1.)
New Testament Revision 1 / “A Translation of the New Testament Translated by the Power of God,” 1831. CCLA. Also available in Scott H. Faulring, Kent P. Jackson, and Robert J. Matthews, eds., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible: Original Manuscripts (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2004), 153–228.
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42
A January 1831 revelation stated, “Ye hear of wars in far Countries & you say in your hearts there will soon be great wars in far Countries but ye know not the hearts of they in your own Land.” (Revelation, 2 Jan. 1831 [D&C 38:29].)
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43
See Revelation, 30 Dec. 1830 [D&C 37:3]; Revelation, 2 Jan. 1831 [D&C 38:31–32]; and Revelation, Sept. 1830–A [D&C 29:8].
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44
See Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:8]; and Revelation, Feb. 1831–B [D&C 44:4].
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45
See Old Testament Revision 1, p. 16 [Moses 7:18].
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46
The recently revealed “Laws of the Church of Christ” called for members to consecrate their property to the church, in part for “the purpose of purchaseing Land & building up of the New Jerusalem which is here after to be revealed.” (Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:35].)
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47
See Revelation, Sept. 1830–A [D&C 29:7–8].
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48
See Old Testament Revision 1, p. 16 [Moses 7:14–18].
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49
See Isaiah 35:10; 51:11.
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50
See 2 Corinthians 5:11.