A Revelation to the elders of the church, assembled on the land
of Zion, given August, 1831.
- Hearken O ye elders of the church, and give hear to my word, and
learn of me what I will concerning you, and also concerning this land
unto which I have sent you:
- For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments,
whether in life or in death;
- And he that is faithful in tribulation the reward of the same is greater
in the kingdom of heaven.
- Ye can not behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the
design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter,
and the glory which shall follow, after much tribulation.
- For after much tribulation cometh the blessings.
- Wherefore, the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory,
the hour is not yet but is nigh at hand.
- Remember this which I tell you before, that you may lay it to heart,
and receive that which shall follow. Behold, verily I say unto you,
for this cause I have sent you that you might be obedient, and that
your hearts might be prepared to bear testimony of the things which
are to come;
- And also, that you might be honored of laying the foundation, and
of bearing record of the land upon which the Zion of God shall stand;
- And also, that a feast of fat things might be prepared for the poor;
- Yea a feast of fat things, of wine on the lees well refined, that
the earth may know that the mouths of the prophets shall not fail;
- Yea, a supper of the house of the Lord, well prepared, unto which
all nations shall be invited.
- Firstly the rich, and the learned, the wise and the noble;
- And after that cometh the day of my power:
- Then shall the poor, the lame and the blind, and the deaf, come in
unto the marriage of the Lamb, and partake of the supper of the Lord,
prepared for the great day to come.
- Behold I the Lord have spoken it.
- And that the testimony might go forth from Zion; yea from the mouth
of the city of the heritage of God:
- Yea, for this cause I have sent you hither;
- And have selected my servant Edward and appointed unto him his mission
in this land:
- But if he repent not of his sins, which are unbelief and blindness
of heart, let him take heed lest he fall.
- Behold his mission is given unto him and it shall not be given again.
- And whoso standeth in this mission, is appointed to be a judge in
Israel, like as it was in ancient days, to divide the lands of the heritage
of God unto his children; and to judge his people by the testimony of
the just, and by the assistance of his counsellors, according to the
laws of the kingdom which are given by the prophets of God:
- For verily I say unto you, my laws shall be kept on this land.
- Let no man think that he is ruler, but let God rule him that judgeth,
according to the counsel of his own will:
- Or in other words, him that counselleth, or sitteth upon the judgement
seat.
- Let no man break the laws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws
of God, hath no need to break the laws of the land:
- Wherefore be subject to the powers that be, until He reigns whose
right it is to reign, and subdues all enemies under his feet.
- Behold the laws which ye have received from my hand, are the laws
of the church;
- And in this light ye shall hold them forth.
- Behold here is wisdom.
- And now I spake concerning my servant Edward; this land is the land
of his residence, and those whom he has appointed for his counsellors.
- And also the land of the residence of him whom I have appointed to
keep my storehouse:
- Wherefore let them bring their families to this land, as they shall
counsel between themselves and me:
- For behold it is not meet that I should command in all things, for
he that is compelled in all things, the same is slothful and not a wise
servant;
- Wherefore he receiveth no reward.
- Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and
do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness:
- For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves.
- And inasmuch as men do good, thay shall in no wise loose their reward.
- But he that doeth not any thing until he is commanded, and receiveth
a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness
the same is damned.
- Who am I that made man, saith the Lord, that will hold him guiltless,
that obey not my commandments?
- Who am I, saith the Lord, that have promised and have not fulfilled?
- I command and a man obeys not, I revoke and they receive not the blessing:
- Then they say in their hearts, this is not the work of the Lord, for
his promises are not fulfilled.
- But wo unto such, for their reward lurketh beneath, and not from above.
- And now I give unto you further directions concerning this land.
- It is wisdom in me, that my servant Martin should be an example unto
the church, in laying his moneys before the bishop of the church.
- And also, this is a law unto every man that cometh unto this land,
to receive an inheritance;
- And he shall do with his moneys according as the law directs.
- And it is wisdom also, that there should be lands purchased in Independence,
for the place of the storehouse:
- And also for the house of the printing.
- And other directions, concerning my servant Martin, shall be given
him of the Spirit, that he may receive his inheritance as seemeth him
good. And let him repent of his sins, for he seeketh the praise of the
world.
- And also let my servant William stand in the office which I have appointed
him, and receive his inheritance in the land.
- And also, he hath need to repent, for I the Lord are not pleased with
him, for he seeketh to excell, and he is not sufficiently meek before
me.
- Behold he who has repented of his sins the same is forgiven, and I
the Lord remembereth them no more.
- By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins.
- Behold he will confess them and forsake them.
- And now verily I say, concerning the residue of the elders of my church,
the time has not yet come for many years, for them to receive their
inheritance in this land; except they desire it through prayer, only
as it shall be appointed unto them of the Lord.
- For behold they shall push the people together from the ends of the
earth:
- Wherefore assemble yourselves together, and they who are not appointed
to stay in this land, let them preach the gospel in the regions round
about;
- And after that, let them return to their homes.
- Let them preach by the way, and hear testimony of the truth in all
places, and call upon the rich, the high, and the low, and the poor,
to repent;
- And let them build up churches inasmuch as the inhabitants of the
earth will repent.
- And let there be an agent appointed by the voice of the church, unto
the church in Ohio, to receive moneys to purchase lands in Zion.
- And I give unto my servant Sidney a commandment, that he shall write
a description of the land of Zion, and a statement of the will of God,
as it shall be made known by the Spirit, unto him; and an epistle and
subscription, to be presented unto all the churches, to obtain moneys,
to be put into the hands of the bishop, to purchase lands for a inheritance
for the children of God, of himself or the agent, as seemeth him good,
or as he shall direct.
- For behold, verily I say unto you, the Lord willeth that the disciples,
and the children of men, should open their hearts, even to purchase
this whole region of country, as soon as time will permit.
- Behold here is wisdom; let them do this lest they receive none inheritance,
save it be by the shedding of blood.
- And again, inasmuch as there is land obtained, let there be workmen
sent forth, of all kinds, unto this land, to labor for the saints of
God.
- Let all these things be done in order.
- And let the privileges of the lands be made known from time to time,
by the bishop, or the agent of the church.
- And let the work of the gathering be not in haste, nor by flight,
but let it be done as it shall be counselled by the elders of the church
at the conferences, according to the knowledge which they receive from
time to time.
- And let my servant Sidney consecrate and dedicate this land, and the
spot of the temple, unto the Lord.
- And let a conference meeting be called, and after that, let my servant
Sidney and Joseph return, and also Oliver with them, to accomplish the
residue of the work, which I have appointed unto them in their own land:
- And the residue as shall be ruled by the conferences.
- And let no man return from this land, except he bear record by the
way, of that which he knows and most assuredly believes.
- Let that which has been bestowed upon Ziba, be taken from him:
- And let him stand as a member in the church, and labor with his own
hands, with the brethren, until he is sufficiently chastened for all
his sins, for he confesseth them not, and he thinketh to hide them.
- Let the residue of the elders of this church, which are coming to
this land, some of whom are exceedingly blessed even above measure,
also, hold a conference upon this land.
- And let my servant Edward direct the conference, which shall be held
by them.
- And let them also return, preaching the gospel by the way, bearing
record of the things which are revealed unto them:
- For verily the sound must go forth from this place into all the world;
- And unto the uttermost parts of the earth, the gospel must be preached
unto every creature, with signs following them that believe.
- And behold the Son of man cometh: Amen.
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