Chapter XVIII

The Amherst Conference--The Vision of the Degrees of Glory in Man's Future Life.

[Sidenote: The Labors of the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon.]

After Oliver Cowdery and John Whitmer had departed for Jackson county, Missouri, I resumed the translation of the Scriptures, and continued to labor in this branch of my calling with Elder Sidney Rigdon as my scribe, until I received the following:

_Revelation, given December 1st, 1831._ [1]

1. Behold, thus saith the Lord unto you my servants, Joseph Smith,
Jun., and Sidney Rigdon, that the time has verily come, that it is
necessary and expedient in me that you should open your mouths in
proclaiming my Gospel, the things of the kingdom, expounding the
mysteries thereof out of the Scriptures, according to that portion
of Spirit and power which shall be given unto you, even as I will.

2. Verily I say unto you, proclaim unto the world in the regions
round about, and in the Church also, for the space of a season,
even until it shall be made known unto you.

3. Verily this is a mission for a season, which I give unto you,

4. Wherefore, labor ye in my vineyard. Call upon the inhabitants
of the earth, and bear record, and prepare the way for the
commandments and revelations which are to come.

5. Now, behold this is wisdom; whoso readeth, let him understand
and receive also;

6. For unto him that receiveth it shall be given more abundantly,
even power;

7. Wherefore, confound your enemies; call upon them to meet you
both in public and in private; and inasmuch as ye are faithful,
their shame shall be made manifest.

{239} 8. Wherefore, let them bring forth their strong reasons
against the Lord.

9. Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, there is no weapon that is
formed against you shall prosper;

10. And if any man lift his voice against you, he shall be
confounded in mine own due time;

11. Wherefore, keep my commandments, they are true and faithful.
Even so. Amen.

[Sidenote: The Prophet's Earnest Labors in Kirtland.]

Knowing now the mind of the Lord, that the time had come that the Gospel should be proclaimed in power and demonstration to the world, from the Scriptures, reasoning with men as in days of old, I took a journey to Kirtland, in company with Elder Sidney Rigdon on the 3rd day of December, to fulfil the above revelation. On the 4th, several of the Elders and members assembled together to learn their duty, and for edification, and after some time had been spent in conversing about our temporal and spiritual welfare, I received the following:

_Revelation, given December 4th, 1831_. [2]

1. Hearken and listen to the voice of the Lord, O ye who have
assembled yourselves together, who are the High Priests of my
Church, to whom the kingdom and power have been given.

2. For verily thus saith the Lord, it is expedient in me for a
Bishop to be appointed unto you, or of you, unto the Church in this
part of the Lord's vineyard;

3. And verily in this thing ye have done wisely, for it is required
of the Lord, at the hand of every steward, to render an account of
his stewardship, both in time and in eternity.

4. For he who is faithful and wise in time, is accounted worthy to
inherit the mansions prepared for him of my Father.

5. Verily I say unto you, the Elders of the Church in this part of
my vineyard, shall render an account of their stewardship unto the
Bishop, who shall be appointed of me, in this part of my vineyard.

6. These things shall be had on record, to be handed over unto the
Bishop in Zion;

7. And the duty of the Bishop shall be made known by the
commandments which have been given, and the voice of the conference.

{240} 8. And now, verily I say unto you, my servant Newel K.
Whitney is the man who shall be appointed and ordained unto this
power. This is the will of the Lord your God, your Redeemer. Even
so. Amen.

9. The word of the Lord, in addition to the law which has been
given, making known the duty of the Bishop who has been ordained
unto the Church in this part of the vineyard, which is verily this:

10. To keep the Lord's storehouse; to receive the funds of the
Church in this part of the vineyard;

11. To take an account of the Elders as before has been commanded;
and to administer to their wants, who shall pay for that which they
receive, inasmuch as they have wherewith to pay;

12. That this also may be consecrated to the good of the Church, to
the poor and needy;

13. And he who hath not wherewith to pay, an account shall be taken
and handed over to the Bishop of Zion, who shall pay the debt out
of that which the Lord shall put into his hands;

14. And the labors of the faithful who labor in spiritual things,
in administering the Gospel and the things of the kingdom unto the
Church, and unto the world, shall answer the debt unto the Bishop
in Zion;

15. Thus it cometh out of the Church, for according to the law
every man that cometh up to Zion, must lay all things before the
Bishop in Zion.

16. And now, verily I say unto you, that as every Elder in this
part of the vineyard must give an account of his stewardship unto
the Bishop in this part of the vineyard,

17. A certificate from the judge or Bishop in this part of the
vineyard, unto the Bishop in Zion, rendereth every man acceptable,
and answereth all things, for an inheritance, and to be received as
a wise steward, and as a faithful laborer;

18. Otherwise he shall not be accepted of the Bishop of Zion.

19. And now, verily I say unto you, let every Elder who shall give
an account unto the Bishop of the Church, in this part of the
vineyard be recommended by the church or churches, in which he
labors, that he may render himself and his accounts approved in all
things.

20. And again, let my servants who are appointed as stewards over
the literary concerns of my Church, have claim for assistance upon
the Bishop or Bishops, in all things,

21. That the revelations may be published, and go forth unto the
ends of the earth; that they also may obtain funds which shall
benefit the Church in all things,

22. That they also may render themselves approved in all things,
and be accounted as wise stewards.

23. And now, behold, this shall be an ensample for all the
extensive {241} branches of my Church, in whatsoever land they
shall be established. And now I make an end of my sayings. Amen.

24. A few words in addition to the laws of the kingdom, respecting
the members of the Church. They that are appointed by the Holy
Spirit to go up unto Zion, and they who are privileged to go up
unto Zion,

25. Let them carry up unto the Bishop a certificate from three
Elders of the Church, or a certificate from the Bishop,

26. Otherwise he who shall go up unto the land of Zion shall not be
accounted as a wise steward. This is also an ensample. Amen.

[Sidenote: Effectiveness of the Prophet's and Sidney Rigdon's Labors.]

From this time until the 8th or 10th of January, 1832, myself and Elder Rigdon continued to preach in Shalersville, Ravenna, and other places, setting forth the truth, vindicating the cause of our Redeemer; showing that the day of vengeance was coming upon this generation like a thief in the night; that prejudice, blindness and darkness filled the minds of many, and caused them to persecute the true Church, and reject the true light; by which means we did much towards allaying the excited feelings which were growing out of the scandalous letters then being published in the _Ohio Star_, at Ravenna, by the before-mentioned apostate, Ezra Booth. [3] On the 10th of January, I received the following revelation making known the will of the Lord concerning the Elders of the Church until the convening of the next conference. [4]

_Revelation of January 10th, 1832_. [5]

1. For verily thus saith the Lord, it is expedient in me, that they
should continue preaching the Gospel, and in exhortation to the
churches in the regions round about, until conference;

2. And then, behold, it shall be made known unto them, by the voice
of the conference, their several missions.

3. Now, verily, I say unto you my servants, Joseph Smith, Jun., and
Sidney Rigdon, saith the Lord, it is expedient to translate again,

4. And, inasmuch as it is practicable, to preach in the regions
round {242} about until conference; and after that it is expedient
to continue the work of translation until it be finished.

5. And let this be a pattern unto the Elders until further
knowledge, even as it is written.

6. Now I give no more unto you at this time. Gird up your loins and
be sober. Even so. Amen.

[Sidenote: Translation Renewed.]

Upon the reception of the foregoing word of the Lord, I recommenced the translation of the Scriptures, and labored diligently until just before the conference, which was to convene on the 25th of January. During this period, I also received the following, as an explanation of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, 7th chapter, 14th verse:

_Revelation_. [6]

1. "For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and
the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband, else were your
children unclean, but now are they holy."

2. Now, in the days of the Apostles the law of circumcision was had
among all the Jews who believed not the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

3. And it came to pass that there arose a great contention among
the people concerning the law of circumcision, for the unbelieving
husband was desirous that his children should be circumcised and
become subject to the law of Moses, which law was fulfilled.

4. And it came to pass that the children, being brought up in
subjection to the law of Moses, gave heed to the traditions of
their fathers and believed not the Gospel of Christ, wherein they
became unholy;

5. Wherefore, for this cause the Apostle wrote unto the Church,
giving unto them a commandment, not of the Lord, but of himself,
that a believer should not be united to an unbeliever, except the
law of Moses should be done away among them.

6. That their children might remain without circumcision; and that
the tradition might be done away, which saith that little children
are unholy; for it was had among the Jews,

7. But little children are holy, being sanctified through the
atonement of Jesus Christ; and this is what the Scriptures mean.

[Sidenote: The Amherst Conference.]

A few days before the conference was to commence in Amherst, Lorain county, I started with the Elders that lived in my own vicinity, and arrived in good time. At this conference much harmony {243} prevailed, and considerable business was done to advance the kingdom, and promulgate the Gospel to the inhabitants of the surrounding country. [7] The Elders seemed anxious for me to inquire of the Lord that they might know His will, or learn what would be most pleasing to Him for them to do, in order to bring men to a sense of their condition; for, as it was written, all men have gone out of the way, so that none doeth good, no, not one. I inquired and received the following:

_Revelation, given January, 1832_. [8]

1. Verily, verily, I say unto you, I who speak even by the voice of
my Spirit; even Alpha and Omega, your Lord and your God;

2. Hearken, O ye who have given your names to go forth to proclaim
my Gospel, and to prune my vineyard.

3. Behold, I say unto you, that it is my will that you should go
forth and not tarry, neither be idle but labor with your mights,

4. Lifting up your voices as with the sound of a trump, proclaiming
the truth according to the revelations and commandments which I
have given you,

5. And thus, if ye are faithful ye shall be laden with many
sheaves, and crowned with honor, and glory, and immortality, and
eternal life.

6. Therefore, verily I say unto my servant William E. M'Lellin, I
revoke the commission which I gave unto him, to go unto the eastern
countries,

7. And I give unto him a new commission and a new commandment, in
the which I, the Lord, chasten him for the murmurings of his heart;

8. And he sinned, nevertheless, I forgive him, and say unto him
again, Go ye into the south countries,

9. And let my servant Luke Johnson go with him and proclaim the
things which I have commanded them,

10. Calling on the name of the Lord for the Comforter, which shall
teach them all things that are expedient for them,

11. Praying always that they faint not, and inasmuch as they do
this, I will be with them even unto the end.

12. Behold, this is the will of the Lord your God concerning you.
Even so. Amen.

13. And again, verily thus saith the Lord, let my servant Orson
Hyde, {244} and my servant Samuel H. Smith, take their journey
into the eastern countries, and proclaim the things which I have
commanded them; and inasmuch as they are faithful, lo, I will be
with them even unto the end.

14. And again, verily I say unto my servant Lyman Johnson, and unto
my servant Orson Pratt, they shall also take their journey into the
eastern countries; and behold, and lo, I am with them also, even
unto the end.

15. And again, I say unto my servant Asa Dodds, and unto my servant
Calves Wilson, that they also shall take their journey unto the
western countries, and proclaim my Gospel, even as I have commanded
them.

16. And he who is faithful shall overcome all things, and shall be
lifted up at the last day.

17. And again, I say unto my servant Major N. Ashly, and my servant
Burr Riggs, let them take their journey also into the south country;

18. Yea, let all those take their journey, as I have commanded
them, going from house to house, and from village to village, and
from city to city;

19. And in whatsoever house ye enter, and they receive you, leave
your blessing upon that house;

20. And in whatsoever house ye enter, and they receive you not, ye
shall depart speedily from that house, and shake off the dust of
your feet as a testimony against them;

21. And you shall be filled with joy and gladness; and know this,
that in the day of judgment you shall be judges of that house, and
condemn them;

22. And it shall be more tolerable for the heathen in the day of
judgment, than for that house; therefore gird up your loins and be
faithful, and ye shall overcome all things, and be lifted up at the
last day. Even so. Amen.

23. And again, thus saith the Lord unto you, O ye Elders of my
Church, who have given your names that you might know His will
concerning you;

24. Behold, I say unto you, that it is the duty of the Church to
assist in supporting the families of those, and also to support the
families of those who are called and must needs be sent unto the
world to proclaim the Gospel unto the world;

25. Wherefore, I, the Lord, give unto you this commandment, that
ye obtain places for your families, inasmuch as your brethren are
willing to open their heart;

26. And let all such as can obtain places for their families, and
{245} support of the Church for them, not fail to go into the
world, whether to the east or to the west, or to the north, or to
the south;

27. Let them ask and they shall receive, knock and it shall be
opened unto them and be made known from on high, even by the
Comforter, whither they shall go.

28. And again, verily I say unto you, that every man who is obliged
to provide for his own family, let him provide, and he shall in
nowise lose his crown; and let him labor in the Church.

29. Let every man be diligent in all things. And the idler shall
not have place in the Church, except he repent and mend his ways.

30. Wherefore, let my servant Simeon Carter, and my servant Emer
Harris, be united in the ministry;

31. And also my servant Ezra Thayre, and my servant Thomas B. Marsh;

32. Also my servant Hyrum Smith, and my servant Reynolds Cahoon;

33. And also my servant Daniel Stanton, and my servant Seymour
Brunson;

34. And also my servant Sylvester Smith, and my servant Gideon
Carter;

35. And also my servant Ruggles Eames, and my servant Stephen
Burnett;

36. And also my servant Micah B. Welton; and also my servant Eden
Smith. Even so. Amen.

[Sidenote: Revelation on the Degrees of Future Glory.]

Upon my return from Amherst conference, I resumed the translation of the Scriptures. From sundry revelations which had been received, it was apparent that many important points touching the salvation of man, had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled. It appeared self-evident from what truths were left, that if God rewarded every one according to the deeds done in the body the term "Heaven," as intended for the Saints' eternal home must include more kingdoms than one. Accordingly, on the 16th of February, 1832, while translating St. John's Gospel, myself and Elder Rigdon saw the following vision:

_Vision of the Glories_. [9]

1. Hear O ye heavens, and give ear O earth, and rejoice ye {246}
inhabitants thereof, for the Lord is God, and beside Him there is
no Savior

2. Great is His wisdom, marvelous are His ways, and the extent of
His doings none can find out;

3. His purposes fail not, neither are there any who can stay His
hand;

4. From eternity to eternity He is the same, and His years never
fail.

5. For thus saith the Lord, I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious
unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in
righteousness and in truth unto the end;

6. Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory;

7. And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden
mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come will
I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all
things pertaining to my kingdom;

8. Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to
come will I show them, even the things of many generations;

9. And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach
to heaven: and before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and
the understanding of the prudent shall come to naught;

10. For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I
make known unto them the secrets of my will: yea, even those things
which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the
heart of man.

11. We, Joseph Smith, Jun., and Sidney Rigdon, being in the Spirit,
on the sixteenth of February, in the year of our Lord, one thousand
eight hundred and thirty-two,

12. By the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and our
understandings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the
things of God--

13. Even those things which were from the beginning before the
world was, which were ordained of the Father, through His Only
Begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, even from the
beginning,

14. Of whom we bear record; and the record which we bear is the
fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who is the Son, whom we saw
and with whom we conversed in the heavenly vision.

15. For while we were doing the work of translation, which the Lord
had appointed unto us, we came to the twenty-ninth verse of the
fifth chapter of John, which was given unto us as follows:

16. Speaking of the resurrection of the dead, concerning those who
shall hear the voice of the Son of Man, and shall come forth;

17. They who have done good in the resurrection of the just, and
they who have done evil in the resurrection of the unjust.

{247} 18. Now this caused us to marvel, for it was given unto us of
the Spirit;

19. And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the
eyes of our understandings and they were opened, and the glory of
the Lord shone round about;

20. And we beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the
Father and received of His fullness;

21. And saw the holy angels, and they who are sanctified before his
throne, worshiping God and the Lamb, who worship Him forever and
ever.

22. And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of
Him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That
He lives!

23. For we saw Him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the
voice bearing record that He is the Only Begotten of the Father;

24. That by Him, and through Him, and of Him, the worlds are and
were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten song and
daughters unto God.

25. And this we saw also, and bear record, that an angel of God who
was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the
Only Begotten Son whom the Father loved and who was in the bosom of
the Father--was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son,

26. And was called Perdition, for the heavens wept over him--he was
Lucifer, a son of the morning.

27. And we beheld, and lo, he is fallen! is fallen! even a son of
the morning.

28. And while we were yet in the Spirit, the Lord commanded us
that we should write the vision, for we beheld Satan, that old
serpent--even the devil--who rebelled against God, and sought to
take the kingdom of our God, and His Christ,

29. Wherefore he maketh war with the Saints of God and encompasseth
them round about.

30. And we saw a vision of the sufferings of those with whom he
made war and overcame, for thus came the voice of the Lord unto us.

31. Thus saith the Lord concerning all those who know my power, and
have been made partakers thereof, and suffered themselves through
the power of the devil, to be overcome, and to deny the truth and
defy my power--

32. They are they who are the sons of perdition, of whom I say that
it had been better for them never to have been born,

33. For they are vessels of wrath, doomed to suffer the wrath of
God, with the devil and his angels in eternity;

{248} 34. Concerning whom I have said there is no forgiveness in
this world nor in the world to come,

35. Having denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and
having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father--having crucified
Him unto themselves and put Him to an open shame.

36. These are they who shall go away into the lake of fire and
brimstone, with the devil and his angels,

37. And the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power;

38. Yea, verily, the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due
time of the Lord, after the sufferings of His wrath;

39. For all the rest shall be brought forth by the resurrection of
the dead, through the triumph and the glory of the Lamb, who was
slain, who was in the bosom of the Father before the worlds were
made.

40. And this is the Gospel, the glad tidings, which the voice out
of the heavens bore record unto us,

41. That He came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for
the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the
world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness;

42. That through Him all might be saved whom the Father had put
into His power and made by Him,

43. Who glorifies the Father, and saves all the works of His hands,
except those sons of perdition who deny the Son after the Father
has revealed Him;

44. Wherefore, He saves all except them; they shall go away into
everlasting punishment, which is endless punishment, which is
eternal punishment, to reign with the devil and his angels in
eternity, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched,
which is their torment;

45. And the end thereof, neither the place thereof, nor their
torment, no man knows,

46. Neither was it revealed, neither is, neither will be revealed
unto man, except to them who are made partakers thereof:

47. Nevertheless, I, the Lord, show it by vision unto many, but
straightway shut it up again;

48. Wherefore the end, the width, the height, the depth, and the
misery thereof, they understand not, neither any man except those
who are ordained unto this condemnation.

49. And we heard the voice, saying, Write the vision, for lo! this
is the end of the vision of the sufferings of the ungodly.

50. And again, we bear record, for we saw and heard, and this is
the testimony of the Gospel of Christ concerning them who shall
come forth in the resurrection of the just;

51. They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed
on His name and were baptized after the manner of His burial, being
{249} buried in the water in His name, and this according to the
commandment which he has given,

52. That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and
cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the
laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this
power,

53. And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of
promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just
and true.

54. They are they who are the church of the Firstborn.

55. They are they into whose hands the Father hath given all
things--

56. They are they who are Priests and Kings, who have received of
His fullness, and of His glory,

57. And are Priests of the Most High, after the order of
Melchisedek, which was after the order of Enoch, which was after
the order of the Only Begotten Son;

58. Wherefore, as it is written, they are Gods, even the sons of
God--

59. Wherefore all things are theirs, whether life or death, or
things present, or things to come, all are theirs and they are
Christ's and Christ is God's.

60. And they shall overcome all things;

61. Wherefore let no man glory in man, but rather let him glory in
God, who shall subdue all enemies under his feet--

62. These shall dwell in the presence of God and His Christ for
ever and ever.

63. These are they whom He shall bring with Him, when He shall come
in the clouds of heaven to reign on earth over His people.

64. These are they who shall have part in the first resurrection.

65. These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the
just.

66. These are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city
of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all.

67. These are they who have come to an innumerable company of
angels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the
Firstborn.

68. These are they whose names are written in heaven, where God and
Christ are the Judge of all.

69. These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus
the Mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect
atonement through the shedding of His own blood.

70. These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that
of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory
the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical.

71. And again, we saw the terrestrial world, and behold and lo,
these are they who are of the terrestrial, whose glory differs from
that of the {250} church of the Firstborn, who have received the
fullness of the Father, even as that of the moon differs from the
sun in the firmament.

72. Behold, these are they who died without law,

73. And also they who are the spirits of men kept in prison, whom
the Son visited, and preached the Gospel unto them, that they might
be judged according to men in the flesh,

74. Who received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but
afterwards received it.

75. These are they who are honorable men of the earth, who were
blinded by the craftiness of men.

76. These are they who receive of His glory, but not of His
fullness.

77. These are they who receive of the presence of the Son, but not
of the fulness of the Father;

78. Wherefore, they are bodies terrestrial, and not bodies
celestial, and differ in glory as the moon differs from the sun.

79. These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus;
wherefore they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God.

80. And now this is the end of the vision which we saw of the
terrestrial, that the Lord commanded us to write while we were yet
in the Spirit.

81. And again, we saw the glory of the telestial, which glory is
that of the lesser, even as the glory of the stars differs from
that of the glory of the moon in the firmament.

82. These are they who received not the Gospel of Christ, neither
the testimony of Jesus.

83. These are they who deny not the Holy Spirit.

84. These are they who are thrust down to hell.

85. These are they who shall not be redeemed from the devil, until
the last resurrection, until the Lord, even Christ the Lamb shall
have finished His work.

86. These are they who receive not of His fullness in the eternal
world, but of the Holy Spirit through the ministrations of the
terrestrial;

87. And the terrestrial through the ministration of the celestial;

88. And also the telestial receive it of the administering of
angels who are appointed to minister for them, or who are appointed
to be ministering spirits for them, for they shall be heirs of
salvation.

89. And thus we saw in the heavenly vision, the glory of the
telestial, which surpasses all understanding,

90. And no man knows it except him to whom God has revealed it.

91. And thus we saw the glory of the terrestrial, which excels in
all things the glory of the telestial, even in glory, and in power,
and in might, and in dominion.

92. And thus we saw the glory of the celestial, which excels in all
{251} things--where God, even the Father, reigns upon His throne
for ever and ever;

93. Before whose throne all things bow in humble reverence, and
give him glory for ever and ever.

94. They who dwell in His presence are the church of the Firstborn,
and they see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having
received of His fulness and of His grace;

95. And He makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion.

96. And the glory of the celestial is one, even as the glory of the
sun is one.

97. And the glory of the terrestrial is one, even as the glory of
the moon is one.

98. And the glory of the telestial is one, even as the glory of the
stars is one, for as one star differs from another star in glory,
even so differs one from another in glory in the telestial world;

99. For these are they who are of Paul, and of Apollos, and of
Cephas.

100. These are they who say they are some of one and some of
another--some of Christ and some of John, and some of Moses, and
some of Elias, and some of Esaias, and some of Isaiah, and some of
Enoch;

101. But received not the Gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus,
neither the prophets, neither the everlasting covenant.

102. Last of all, these all are they who will not be gathered with
the Saints, to be caught up unto the church of the Firstborn, and
received into the cloud.

103. These are they who are liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers,
and whoremongers and whosoever loves and makes a lie.

104. These are they who suffer the wrath of God on earth.

105. These are they who suffer the vengeance of eternal fire.

106. These are they who are cast down to hell and suffer the wrath
of Almighty God, until the fullness of times, when Christ shall
have subdued all enemies under His feet, and shall have perfected
His work;

107. When He shall deliver up the kingdom, and present it unto
the Father, spotless, saying I have overcome and have trodden the
wine-press alone, even the wine-press of the fierceness of the
wrath of Almighty God.

108. Then shall He be crowned with the crown of His glory, to sit
on the throne of His power to reign for ever and ever.

109. But behold and lo, we saw the glory and the inhabitants of the
telestial world, that they were as innumerable as the stars in the
firmament of heaven, or as the sand upon the sea shore,

110. And heard the voice of the Lord, saying--these all shall bow
the {252} knee, and every tongue shall confess to Him who sits upon
the throne for ever and ever.

111. For they shall be judged according to their works, and every
man shall receive according to his own works, his own dominion, in
the mansions which are prepared,

112. And they shall be servants of the Most High; but where God and
Christ dwell they cannot come, worlds without end.

113. This is the end of the vision which we saw, which we were
commanded to write while we were yet in the Spirit.

114. But great and marvelous are the works of the Lord, and the
mysteries of His kingdom which He showed unto us, which surpass all
understanding in glory, and in might, and in dominion,

115. Which He commanded us we should not write while we were yet in
the Spirit, and are not lawful for man to utter;

116. Neither is man capable to make them known, for they are only
to be seen and understood by the power of the Holy Spirit, which
God bestows on those who love Him, and purify themselves before Him;

117. To whom he grants this privilege of seeing and knowing for
themselves;

118. That through the power and manifestation of the Spirit, while
in the flesh, they may be able to bear His presence in the world of
glory.

119. And to God and the Lamb, be glory, and honor, and dominion for
ever and ever. Amen.

[Sidenote: The Prophet's Views on the Foregoing Revelation.]

Nothing could be more pleasing to the Saints upon the order of the kingdom of the Lord, than the light which burst upon the world through the foregoing vision. Every law, every commandment, every promise, every truth, and every point touching the destiny of man, from Genesis to Revelation, where the purity of the scriptures remains unsullied by the folly of men, go to show the perfection of the theory [of different degrees of glory in the future life] and witnesses the fact that that document is a transcript from the records of the eternal world. The sublimity of the ideas; the purity of the language; the scope for action; the continued duration for completion, in order that the heirs of salvation may confess the Lord and bow the knee; the rewards for faithfulness, and the punishments for sins, are so much beyond the narrow-mindedness of men, that {253} every honest man is constrained to exclaim: "_It came from God_."

[Sidenote: A Key to St. John's Book of Revelation.]

About the first of March, in connection with the translation of the Scriptures, I received the following explanation of the Revelation of St. John:

_Revelation, given at Hiram, Portage County, Ohio._ [10]

1. Q.--What is the sea of glass spoken of by John, 4th chapter, and
6th verse of the Revelations?

A. It is the earth, in its sanctified, immortal and eternal state.

2. Q. What are we to understand by the four beasts, spoken of in
the same verse?

A. They are figurative expressions, used by the Revelator John, in
describing Heaven, the Paradise of God, the happiness of man, and
of beasts, and of creeping things, and of the fowls of the air;
that which is spiritual, being in the likeness of that which is
temporal; and that which is temporal, in the likeness of that which
is spiritual; the spirit of man in the likeness of his person, as
also the spirit of the beast, and every other creature which God
has created.

3. Q. Are the four beasts limited to individual beasts, or do they
represent classes or orders?

A. They are limited to four individual beasts, which were shown to
John, to represent the glory of the classes of beings, in their
destined order or sphere of creation, in the enjoyment of their
eternal felicity.

4. Q. What are we to understand by the eyes, and wings, which the
beasts had?

A. Their eyes are a representation of light, and knowledge; that is
they are full of knowledge; and their wings are a representation of
power, to move, to act, &c.

5. Q. What are we to understand by the four and twenty Elders,
spoken of by John?

A. We are to understand that these Elders whom John saw, were
Elders who had been faithful in the work of the ministry and were
dead; who belonged to the seven churches,--and were then in the
Paradise of God.

6. Q. What are we to understand by the book which John saw, which
was sealed on the back with seven seals?

A. We are to understand that it contains the revealed will,
mysteries, and works of God; the hidden things of His economy
concerning this {254} earth during the seven thousand years of its
continuance, or its temporal existence.

7. Q. What are we to understand by the seven seals with which it
was sealed?

A. We are to understand that the first seal contains the things
of the first thousand years, and the second also of the second
thousand years, and so on until the seventh.

8. Q. What are we to understand by the four angels, spoken of in
the 7th chapter and 1st verse of Revelations?

A. We are to understand that they are four angels sent forth from
God, to whom is given power over the four parts of the earth, to
save life and to destroy; these are they who have the everlasting
Gospel to commit to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people;
having power to shut up the heavens, to seal up unto life, or to
cast down to the regions of darkness.

9. Q. What are we to understand by the angel ascending from the
east, Revelations, 7th chapter and 2nd verse?

A. We are to understand that the angel ascending from the east, is
he to whom is given the seal of the living God, over the twelve
tribes of Israel; wherefore, he crieth unto the four angels having
the everlasting Gospel, saying: Hurt not the earth, neither the
sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in
their foreheads; And, if you will receive it, this is Elias which
was to come to gather together the tribes of Israel and restore all
things.

10. Q. What time are the things spoken of in this chapter to be
accomplished?

A. They are to be accomplished in the sixth thousandth year, or the
opening of the sixth seal.

11. Q. What are we to understand by sealing the one hundred and
forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel; twelve
thousand out of every tribe?

A. We are to understand that those who are sealed are High Priests,
ordained unto the holy order of God, to administer the everlasting
Gospel; for they are they who are ordained out of every nation,
kindred, tongue, and people, by the angels to whom is given power
over the nations of the earth, to bring as many as will come to the
church of the Firstborn.

12. Q. What are we to understand by the sounding of the trumpets,
mentioned in the 8th chapter of Revelations?

A. We are to understand that as God made the world in six days,
and on the seventh day He finished His work, and sanctified it,
and also formed man out of the dust of the earth; even so, in the
beginning of the seventh thousand years will the Lord God sanctify
the earth, and {255} complete the salvation of man, and judge all
things, and shall redeem all things, except that which He hath not
put into His power, when He shall have sealed all things, unto
the end of all things; and the sounding of the trumpets of the
seven angels are the preparing and finishing of His work, in the
beginning of the seventh thousand years; the preparing of the way
before the time of His coming.

13. Q. When are the things to be accomplished, which are written in
the 9th chapter of Revelations?

A. They are to be accomplished after the opening of the seventh
seal, before the coming of Christ.

14. Q. What are we to understand by the little book which was eaten
by John, as mentioned in the 10th chapter of Revelations?

A. We are to understand that it was a mission, and an ordinance,
for him to gather the tribes of Israel; behold this is Elias; who,
as it is written, must come and restore all things.

15. Q. What is to be understood by the two witnesses, in the
eleventh chapter of Revelations?

A. They are two prophets that are to be raised up to the Jewish
nation in the last days, at the time of the restoration, and to
prophesy to the Jews, after they are gathered, and have built the
city of Jerusalem in the land of their fathers.

[Sidenote: Sundry Revelations.]

Besides the work of translating, previous to the 20th of March, I received the four following revelations:--

_Revelation, given March, 1832. The Order given of the Lord to
Enoch, [Joseph Smith, Jun.,] [11] for the purpose of establishing
the poor_. [12]

1. The Lord spake unto Enoch (Joseph Smith, Jun.,) saying; Hearken
unto me, saith the Lord your God, who are ordained unto the High
Priesthood of my Church, who have assembled yourselves together;

2. And listen to the counsel of Him who has ordained you from
on high, who shall speak in your ears the words of wisdom, that
salvation may be unto you in that thing which you have presented
before me, saith the Lord God;

3. For verily I say unto you, the time has come, and is now at
hand; and behold, and lo, it must needs be that there be an
organization of {256} my people, in regulating and establishing the
affairs of the storehouse for the poor of my people, both in this
place and in the land of Zion,

4. Or in other words, the city of Enoch, (Joseph) for a permanent
and everlasting establishment and order unto my Church, to advance
the cause, which ye have espoused to the salvation of man, and to
the glory of your Father who is in heaven,

5. That you may be equal in the bands of heavenly things; yea, and
earthly things also, for the obtaining of heavenly things;

6. For if ye are not equal in earthly things, ye cannot be equal in
obtaining heavenly things;

7. For if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial
world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have
commanded you and required of you.

8. And now, verily thus saith the Lord, it is expedient that all
things be done unto my glory, by you who are joined together in
this order;

9. Or in other words, let my servant Ahashdah [Newel K. Whitney]
and my servant Gazelam, or Enoch, (Joseph Smith, Jun.,) and my
servant Pelagoram, (Sidney Rigdon), sit in council with the Saints
which are in Zion;

10. Otherwise Satan seeketh to turn their hearts away from the
truth, that they become blinded and understand not the things which
are prepared for them;

11. Wherefore a commandment I give unto you, to prepare and
organize yourselves by a bond or everlasting covenant that cannot
be broken.

12. And he who breaketh it shall lose his office and standing in
the Church, and shall be delivered over to the buffetings of Satan
until the day of redemption.

13. Behold, this is the preparation wherewith I prepare you, and
the foundation, and the ensample which I give unto you, whereby you
may accomplish the commandments which are given you,

14. That through my providence, notwithstanding the tribulation
which shall descend upon you, that the Church may stand independent
above all other creatures beneath the celestial world,

15. That you may come up unto the crown prepared for you, and be
made rulers over many kingdoms saith the Lord God, the Holy One of
Zion, who hath established the foundations of Adam-ondi-Ahman;

16. Who hath appointed Michael your prince, and established his
feet, and set him up on high, and given unto him the keys of
salvation under the counsel and direction of the Holy One, who is
without beginning of days or end of life.

17. Verily, verily I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye
have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in
His own hands and prepared for you;

{257} 18. And ye cannot bear all things now, nevertheless be of
good cheer, for I will lead you along: the kingdom is yours and the
blessings thereof are yours; and the riches of eternity are yours;

19. And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made
glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him,
even an hundred fold, yea, more;

20. Wherefore, do the things which I have commanded you, saith your
Redeemer, even the Son of Ahman, who prepareth all things before He
taketh you;

21. For ye are the church of the Firstborn, and He will take you up
in a cloud, and appoint every man his portion.

22. And he that is a faithful and wise steward shall inherit all
things. Amen.

_Revelation, given March, 1832_. [13]

1. Verily I say unto you, that it is my will that my servant Jared
Carter should go again into the eastern countries, from place
to place, and from city to city, in the power of the ordination
wherewith he has been ordained, proclaiming glad tidings of great
joy, even the everlasting Gospel;

2. And I will send upon him the Comforter, which shall teach him
the truth and the way whither he shall go;

3. And inasmuch as he is faithful, I will crown him again with
sheaves;

4. Wherefore, let your heart be glad, my servant Jared Carter, and
fear not, saith your Lord, even Jesus Christ. Amen.

_Revelation, given March, 1832_. [14]

1. Verily, thus saith the Lord, unto you my servant, Stephen
Burnett, Go ye, go ye into the world and preach the Gospel to every
creature that cometh under the sound of your voice;

2. And inasmuch as you desire a companion, I will give unto you my
servant Eden Smith;

3. Wherefore, go ye and preach my Gospel, whether to the north or
to the south, to the east or to the west, it mattereth not, for ye
cannot go amiss;

4. Therefore, declare the things which ye have heard and verily
believe, and know to be true.

5. Behold, this is the will of Him who hath called you, your
Redeemer, even Jesus Christ. Amen.

_Revelation, given March, 1832_. [15]

1. Verily, verily I say unto you my servant Frederick G. Williams,
{258} listen to the voice of Him who speaketh, to the word of the
Lord your God, and hearken to the calling wherewith you are called,
even to be a High Priest in my Church, and a counselor unto my
servant Joseph Smith, Jun.,

2. Unto whom I have given the keys of the kingdom, which belong
always unto the Presidency of the High Priesthood: [16]

3. Therefore, verily I acknowledge him and will bless him, and
also thee, inasmuch as thou art faithful in counsel, in the office
which I have appointed unto you, in prayer, always, vocally and
in thy heart, in public and in private, also in thy ministry in
proclaiming the Gospel in the land of the living, and among thy
brethren;

4. And in doing these things thou wilt do the greatest good unto
thy fellow beings, and wilt promote the glory of Him who is your
Lord;

5. Wherefore, be faithful, stand in the office which I have
appointed unto you, succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang
down, and strengthen the feeble knees;

6. And if thou art faithful unto the end, thou shalt have a crown
of immortality and eternal life in the mansions which I have
prepared in the house of my Father.

7. Behold, and lo, these are the words of Alpha and Omega, even
Jesus Christ. Amen.

Footnotes

1. Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 71.

2. Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 72.

3. These are the letters referred to at p. 217, note.

4. This conference had been appointed to meet on the 25th of January, at Amherst, Lorain county, Ohio.

5. Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 73.

6. Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 74.

7. The chief item of interest connected with this Amherst conference held on the 25th of January, 1832, is the fact that it was here that the Prophet Joseph was sustained and ordained as President of the High Priesthood.

8. Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 75.

9. Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 76.

10. Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 77.

11. It was not always desirable that the individuals whom the Lord addressed in revelations should at the time be known by the world, and hence in this and in some subsequent revelations the brethren were addressed by other than their own names. The temporary necessity having passed for keeping the names of the individuals addressed unknown, their real names were subsequently given in brackets.

12. Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 78.

13. Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 79.

14. Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 80.

15. Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 81.

16. It has been said that there was no First presidency in the Church of Jesus Christ in former days and that this body is peculiar to the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. Here the Lord declares that the keys of the kingdom "belong always unto the presidency of the High Priesthood." In other words they belong to the Presidency of the Church. In a discourse delivered July 2, 1839, the prophet Joseph Smith said that Adam held the keys of the First Presidency, then Noah also held this office. He said: "The Priesthood is everlasting. The Savior, Moses and Elias gave the keys to Peter, James and John, on the mount, when they were transfigured before him." This being true, then Peter, James and John were chosen by the Lord as a First Presidency and served in that capacity in the Church of Jesus Christ in their dispensation. It was by virtue of this calling that they were sent to confer upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery the keys of the kingdom. (D&C 27:13.)

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