| Joseph to apostles:
it is a dark time. Believed church was complete when the Missouri high council
was organized, but lived §, apparently
to introduce the ordinanace of washing of feet. Solemn assembly to implement
it §. An endowment of power. Destroying angel
follows §. Saints to gather to meet the bridegroom.
Those who are prepared will see the Savior in the solemn assembly §. |
| Date |
|
November 12, 1835 |
|
JS diary 1835–1836
"Sketch Book for the use of Joseph Smith, jr.," September 25, 1835 to April 3, 1836, 112 leaves, manuscript, principally in the hands of Oliver Cowdery, Frederick G. Williams, and Warren Parrish, also Joseph Smith, Sylvester Smith, possibly Jesse Hitchcock, and others, LDS Church Archives. Unless otherwise stated, Selected Collections, DVD 1:20 is cited with diary page number.
in
JS personal
Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, 1st ed., compiled and edited by Dean C. Jessee (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1984).
, 2nd ed., 109–110. |
| Location |
|
Joseph Smith home,
Kirtland, Ohio. |
|
| Opening |
|
Singing and prayer |
|
|
| Joseph
upholds the Twelve |
|
Joseph is "satisfyed
that the spirit of the Lord is here … [and] with all the brethen present."
He intends to uphold them "to the uttermost," for he realizes
that they sustain his character against |
|
|
| Time
of darkness |
|
the vile calumnies
and reproaches of this ungodly generation and that you delight in so doing:—darkness
prevails at this time as it was at the time Jesus Christ was about to be
crucified |
|
|
| Need
greater faith than early Christians |
|
At that time, they had
"the person of Christ with them," but we do not, so we need greater
faith. Then we will deserve greater blessings. |
|
|
| Joseph's
inadvertent offenses |
|
… and I am determined
to do all that I can to uphold you, although I may do many things <invertarilly>
that are not right in the sight of God |
|
|
| One
deficiency remains |
|
[However, there is one]
great deficiency or obstruction, in the way that deprives us of the greater
blessings, and in order to make the foundation of this church complete and
permanent … |
|
|
Thought
work was done
More required |
|
I
supposed I had established this church on a permanent foundation when I
went to the Missouri and indeed I did so, for if I had been taken away it
would have been enough, but I yet live, and therefore God requires more
at my hands:— |
|
¶ Minutes
of July 7, 1834 |
| Washing
of feet |
|
The item to which I
wish the more particularly to call your attention to night is the ordinance
of washing of feet, this we have not done as yet but is necessary now as
much as it was in the days of the Saviour, and we must have a place prepared,
that we may attend to this ordinance, aside from the world. |
|
¶ Minutes
of January 22–23, 1833 |
No
leaders have fallen
Solemn assembly |
|
Joseph
notes that God has not allowed one of the witnesses or "first Elders"
to fall, and now they must call a solemn assembly as the Lord has commanded.
|
|
term: first Elders |
| Washing
of feet |
|
The house of the Lord
must be prepared for the assembly, "and in it we must attend to the
ordinance of washing of feet." |
|
|
| To
unite hearts, strengthen faith |
|
This ordinance is reserved
for members of the church. It is "calculated to unite our hearts …
that our faith may be strong, so that satan cannot … have any power
over us." |
|
|
| Twelve
cannot understand yet |
|
The Twelve could not
understand the endowment now, even if Gabriel himself should explain it.
They must be faithful and clean, |
|
|
| Keep
manifestations to yourselves |
|
<and> if God
gives you a manifestation, keep it to yourselves, be watchful and prayerful,
and you shall have a prelude of those joys that God will pour out on that
day, |
|
|
| Don't
find fault |
|
do not watch for iniquity
in each other if you do you will not get an endowment for God will not bestow
it on such; |
|
|
| Great
blessing |
|
but if we are faithful
and living by every word that procedes forth from the mouth of God I will
venture to prophesy that we shall get a blessing that will be worth remembering
if we should live as along as John the Revelator, our blessings will be
such as we have not realized before, nor in this generation. |
|
|
| Order
of the house of God forever the same |
|
The order of the house
of God has and ever will be the same, even after Christ comes, and after
the termination of the thousand years it will be the same, and we shall
finally roll into the celestial kingdom of God and enjoy it forever:—
|
|
|
| Endowment
empowers |
|
you
need an endowment brethren in order that you may be prepared and able to
over come all things, |
|
|
Those
who reject are damned
Power to heal |
|
and those that reject
your testimony will be damned the sick will be healed the lame made to walk
the deaf to hear and the blind to see through your instrumentality; |
|
|
| Faith
of those blessed |
|
But let me tell you
that you will not have power after the endowment to heal those who have
not faith, nor to beifit them, for you might as well expect to benefit a
devil in hell as such an one, who is possessed of his spirit and are willing
to keep it for they are habitations for devils and only fit for his society
|
|
|
Bind
up the testimony, seal up the law
Destroying angel follows |
|
but
when you are endowed and prepared to preach the gospel to all nations kindred
and toungs in there own languages you must faithfully warn all and bind
up the testimony and seal up the [83] law and the destroying angel will
follow close at your heels and execute his tremendous mission upon the children
of disobediance, and destroy the workers of iniquity, |
|
|
| Saints
to meet the bridegroom |
|
while the saints will
be gathered out from among them and stand in holy places ready to meet bride
groom when he comes. |
|
|
| Worthy
will see the Savior |
¶ |
I feel
disposed to speak a few words more to you my brethren concerning the endowment,
all who are prepared and are sufficiently pure to abide the presence of
the Savior will see him in the solem assembly. |
|
Similar
promise made prior to or at the beginning of the June 3-6, 1831 conference.
¶ Lyman's Vision and the Man of
Sin |
| Closing |
¶ |
The brethren expressed
their gratifycation for the instruction I had given them, we then closed
by prayer.—I then returned home and retired to rest
|
|
|
| |
|
Minutes of November 18, 1835
Minutes of October 29, 1835
Ohio Minutes
|