History of Joseph Smith

(Continued.)

On the 6th, I received the following revelation; given May, 1833:

Verily thus saith the Lord, it shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh their sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face, and know that I am, and that I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world; and that I am in the Father and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one: the Father because he gave me of his fulness [fullness]; and the Son because I was in the world and made flesh my tabernacle, and dwelt among the sons of men: I was in the world and received of my Father, and the works of him were plainly manifest; and John saw and bore record of the fulness [fullness] of my glory: and the fulness [fullness] of John's record is hereafter to be revealed: And he bore record, saying, I saw his glory that he was in the beginning before the world was: therefore, in the beginning the Word was; for he was the Word, even the messenger of salvation, the light and the Redeemer of the world; the Spirit of truth, who came into the world because the world was made by him; and in him was the life of men and the light of men. The worlds were made by him. Men were made by him. All things were made by him, and through him and of him: And I John bare record that I beheld his glory, as the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth; even the Spirit of truth which came and dwelt in the flesh, and dwelt among us.

And I John saw that he received not of the fulness [fullness] at the first, but received grace for grace: and he received not of the fulness [fullness] at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness [fullness]: and thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not of the fulness [fullness] at the first. And I John bare record, and lo, the heavens were opened and the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove, and sat upon him, and there came a voice out of heaven saying, this is my beloved Son. And I John bare record that he received a fulness [fullness] of the glory of the Father; and he received all power, both in heaven and on earth; and the glory of the Father was with him, for he dwelt in him.

And it shall come to pass that if you are faithful, you shall receive the fulness [fullness] of the record of John. I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness [fullness] for if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness [fullness] and be glorified in me as I am in the Father: therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace.

And now verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the first born; and all those who are begotten through me, are partakers of the glory of the same, and are the church of the first born. Ye were also in the beginning with the Father: that which is Spirit, even the Spirit of truth: and truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were and as they are to come; and whatsoever is more or less than this is the spirit of that wicked one, who was liar from the beginning. The Spirit of truth is of God: I am the Spirit of truth. And John bore record of me saying, he received a fulness [fullness] of truth; yea, even of all truth, and no man receiveth a fulness [fullness] unless he keepeth his commandments. He that keepeth his commandments, receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth, and knoweth all things.

Man was also in the beginning with God.-Intelligence, or the light of truth was not created or made, neither indeed can be. All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also, otherwise there is no existence. Behold here is the agency of man; and here is the condemnation of man because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and they receive not the light. And every man whose spirit receiveth not the light, is under condemnation, for man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receiveth a fulness [fullness] of joy; and when separated, man cannot receive a fulness [fullness] of joy. The elements are the tabernacle of God; yea, man is the tabernacle of God, even temples; and whatsoever temple is defiled, God shall destroy that temple.

The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth: light and truth forsaketh that evil one. Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning, and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again in their infant state, innocent before God. And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children

of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers. But I have commanded you, to bring up your children in light and truth: but verily I say unto you, my servant Frederick G. Williams, you have continued under this condemnation; you have not taught your children light and truth, according to the commandments, and that wicked one hath power, as yet, over you, and this is the cause of your affliction. And now a commandment I give unto you, if you will be delivered, you shall set in order your own house, for there are many things that are not right in your house.

Verily I say unto my servant Sidney Rigdon, that in some things he hath not kept the commandments, concerning his children: therefore, firstly set in order thy house.

Verily I say unto my servant Joseph Smith, jr. or, in other words, I will call you friends, for you are my friends, and ye shall have an inheritance with me. I called you servants for the world's sake, and ye are their servants for my sake, and now verily I say unto Joseph Smith jr. you have not kept the commandments, and must needs stand rebuked before the Lord. Your family must needs repent and forsake some things, and give more earnest heed unto your sayings, or be removed out of their place. What I say unto one I say unto all: pray always lest that wicked one have power in you, and remove you out of your place.

My servant Newel K. Whitney, also a bishop of my church, hath need to be chastened and set in order his family, and see that they are more diligent and concerned at home, and pray always or they shall be removed out of their place.

How I say unto you, my friends, let my servant Sidney Rigdon go his journey, and make haste, and also proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the gospel of salvation, as I shall give him utterance, and by your prayer of faith with one consent, I will uphold him.

And let my servants Joseph Smith, ;r. and Frederick G. Williams, make haste also, and it shall be given them even according to the prayer of faith, and inasmuch as you keep my sayings, you shall not be confounded in this world nor in the world to come.

And verily I say unto you, that it is my will that you should hasten to translate my scriptures, and to obtain a knowledge of history, and of countries, and of kingdoms, of laws of God and man, and all this for the salvation of Zion. Amen.

Revelation given same date:

And again, verily I say unto you my friends, a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall commence a work of laying out and preparing a beginning and foundation of the city of the stake of Zion, here in the land of Kirtland, beginning at my house: and behold it must be done according to the pattern which I have given unto you. And let the first lot on the south, be consecrated unto me for the building of an house for the presidency, for the work of the presidency, in obtaining revelations; and for the work of the ministry of the presidency, in all things pertaining to the church and kingdom.

Verily I say unto you, that it shall be built fifty-five by sixty five feet in the width thereof, and in the length thereof, in the inner court and there shall be a lower court, and an higher court, according to the pattern which shall be given unto you hereafter: and it shall be dedicated unto the Lord from the foundation thereof, according to the order of the priesthood, according to the pattern which shall be given unto you hereafter: and it shall be wholly dedicated unto the Lord for the work of the presidency. And ye shall not suffer any unclean thing to come in unto it; and my glory shall be there, and my presence shall be there: but if there shall come into it any unclean thing my glory shall not be there; and my presence shall not come into it.

And again, verily I say unto you, the second lot on the south shall be dedicated unto me for the building of an house unto me, for the work of the printing of the translation of my scriptures, and all things, whatsoever I shall command you; and it shall be fifty five by sixty five feet in the width thereof, and the length thereof in the inner court; and there shall be a lower and a higher court; and this house shall be wholly dedicated unto the Lord from the foundation thereof, for the work of the printing, in all things whatsoever I shall command you, to be holy, undefiled, according to the pattern in all things, as it shall be given unto you.

And on the third lot shall my servant Hyrum Smith receive his inheritance. And on the first and second lots on the north shall my servants Reynolds Cahoon and Jared Carter receive their inheritance, that they may do the work which I have appointed unto them, to be a committee to build mine houses, according to the commandment, which I the Lord God have given unto you. These two houses are not to be built until I give unto you a commandment concerning them.

And now I give unto you no more at this time. Amen.

The signs of the times continued to attract the attention of the world. The cholera had

broke out at Havanna [Havana], and it was reported that five hundred had perished daily, and Oporto was experiencing the same calamity. An influenza was raging at St. Petersburgh [Petersburg], Russia; more than one hundred thousand were suffering from its influence, and it was reported to be more violent at Moscow. So dreadful was the effects of the cholera which spread consternation among the inhabitants of the earth, that it was reported that the eyes of some of the afflicted, burst from their sockets. A treaty was entered into about this time, with several tribes of Indians, some to be located on the east of the Winnebago lake, an others to be removed west of the Mississippi. See Evening and Morning Star, p. 190

Great preparations were making to commence a house of the Lord; and, notwithstanding the church was poor, yet, our unity, harmony and charity abounded to strengthen us to do the commandments of the Lord.

Note. A. A council had previously been held in Morton township, Medina county, Ohio at which Sidney Rigdon presided. The council took into consideration the standing of Baldwin Welton, Aaron Smith, and - Hays, elders; and James Braden priest; and decided that their ordinations were illegal, and that the churches should not receive them in their several offices. The doings of the council were received, and sanctioned by the first presidency, viz: Joseph Smith jun., Sidney Rigdon, and F. G. Williams, and entered on record in Kirtland, May 4th, 1833. See B. 291.