February 9 and 23, 1831, Kirtland, Ohio. |
| Go in pairs to preach the gospel.
Authorized ordinations §. Preach and prophesy by
the Spirit §. Catalog of sins §.
Consecrate property to the church §; bishop deeds
back what is needed and retains surplus to assist the poor, purchase land,
and build up the New Jerusalem §. Consecrated
property not to be returned to excommunicants §.
Elders bless the sick §. Treatment of adulterers
and murderers, turn criminals and liars over to civil authorities. Reconcile
with members privately §, elders court if needed
§. Public reprimands for public offenses §. |
| "On the 9th of February, 1831,
at Kirtland, in the presence of twelve elders, and according to the promise
heretofore made the Lord gave the following revelation, embracing the law
of the church." MH-A, 95. [Follows
1835 D&C
13.] |
| This section, known as "The
Law" or "The Laws of the Church," consists of two revelations.
Verses 1–72 were received February 9, 1831; verses 78–93, February
23, 1831. Verses 73–77 were added when the two revelations were combined
in 1835 Doctrine and Covenants 13. |
| For a comparison of five versions
showing the development of these revelations, see Doctrine
and Covenants 42:1–73 and Doctrine
and Covenants 42:74–93. |
| |
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| |
|
1835 Doctrine and Covenants 13 |
|
|
| Listen up |
1 |
[1] Hearken, O ye elders
of my church who have assembled yourselves together, in my name, even Jesus
Christ, the Son of the living God, the Savior of the world; |
1 |
Current LDS verse numbers are left
of the text. BC 44 verse numbers bracketed. 1835 D&C 13 verse
numbers are right of the text. |
| |
|
[2] inasmuch as they believe on my name and keep
my commandments; |
|
| Obey my law |
2 |
[3] again I say unto you,
hearken and hear and obey the law which I shall give unto you: |
|
|
| Ask and receive |
3 |
[4] for verily I say,
as ye have assembled yourselves together according to the commandment wherewith
I commanded you, and are agreed as touching this one thing, and have asked
the Father in my name, even so ye shall receive. |
|
|
| Go preach |
4 |
[5] Behold, verily I say
unto you, I give unto you this first commandment, that ye shall go forth
in my name, every one of you, excepting my servants Joseph Smith,
jr., and Sidney Rigdon. |
2 |
Red: added in 1835 |
| Spirit says when to
return |
5 |
[6] And I give unto them
a commandment that they shall go forth for a little season, and it shall
be given by the power of the Spirit when they shall return: |
|
|
| Two by two |
6 |
[7] and ye shall go forth
in the power of my Spirit, preaching my gospel, two by two, in my name,
lifting up your voices as with the voice of a trump, declaring my word
like unto angels of God: |
|
|
| Preach repentance,
baptism |
7 |
[8] and ye shall go forth
baptizing with water, saying, Repent ye, Repent ye, for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand. |
|
|
Go west
Build up church everywhere |
8 |
[9] And from this place
ye shall go forth into the regions westward, and inasmuch as ye shall find
them that will receive you, ye shall build up my church in every region, |
3 |
|
| Until Lord says where New Jerusalem
to be built, then gather |
9 |
until the time shall come when it shall be revealed unto
you, from on high, when the city of the New Jerusalem shall be prepared
that ye may be gathered in one, that ye may be my people and I will be
your God. |
|
|
| If Edward sins he will be replaced |
10 |
[10] And again, I say
unto you, that my servant Edward Partridge shall
stand in the office whereunto I have appointed
him. |
|
Red:
added in 1835 |
| |
|
[11] And it shall come
to pass that if he transgress another shall be appointed in
his stead; even so: Amen. |
|
|
| Authorized ordination |
11 |
[12] Again I say unto
you, that it shall not be given to any one to go forth to preach my gospel,
or to build up my church, except he be ordained by some one who has authority,
and it is known to the church that he has authority, and has been regularly
ordained by the heads of the church. |
4 |
|
| Teach fullness of the gospel |
12 |
[13] And again, the elders,
priests and teachers of this church shall teach the principles
of my gospel, which are in the bible and the book of Mormon, in
the which is the fulness of the gospel; |
5 |
|
| Obey covenants and articles |
13 |
and they shall observe the covenants and church articles
to do them, and these shall be their teachings, |
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| |
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[14] as they
shall be directed by the Spirit: |
|
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| Teach by Spirit |
14 |
and the Spirit shall be given unto
you by the prayer of faith, and if ye receive
not the Spirit ye shall not teach. |
|
Red:
added in 1835 |
| Fulness of scriptures |
15 |
[16] And all this ye shall
observe to do as I have commanded, concerning your teaching,
until the fulness of my scriptures are given. |
|
|
| Prophesy by the Spirit |
16 |
[16] And as ye shall
lift up your voices by the Comforter, ye shall
speak and prophesy as seemeth me good; |
|
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| Spirit knows all |
17 |
for, behold, the Comforter knoweth all things, and beareth
record of the Father and of the Son. |
|
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| To the church: |
18 |
[17] And now, behold I
speak unto the church: |
6 |
|
| No killing |
|
[18] Thou shalt not kill;
and he that kills shall
not have forgiveness in this world, nor in the world to come. |
|
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| Kill
killers |
19 |
[19] And again, I
say, thou shalt not kill; but he
that killeth shall die. |
7 |
|
| Cast
out unrepentant thieves |
20 |
[20] Thou shalt not steal;
and he that stealeth and will not repent, shall be cast out. |
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| Lying |
21 |
[21] Thou shalt not lie;
he that lieth and will not repent, shall be cast out. |
|
|
| Adultery |
22 |
[22] Thou shalt love thy
wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else; |
|
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| Lust |
23 |
and he that looketh upon a woman to lust after her, shall
deny the faith, and shall not have the Spirit, and if he repents not
he shall be cast out. |
|
Red:
added in 1835 |
| Cast
out unrepentant adulterers |
24 |
[23] Thou shalt not
commit adultery; and he that committeth adultery, and repenteth not,
shall be cast out; |
|
|
| Forgive
repentant adulterers |
25 |
but he that has
committed adultery and repents with
all his heart, and forsaketh it, and doeth
it no more, thou shalt forgive; |
|
|
| Cast
out unrepentant adulterers |
26 |
But if he doeth it again, he shall not be forgiven, but
shall be cast out. |
|
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| Speaking
evil |
27 |
[24] Thou shalt not speak
evil of thy neighbor, nor do
him any harm. |
|
|
| Failure
to repent |
28 |
[25] Thou knowest my laws concerning
these things are given in my scriptures: he that sinneth and repenteth
not shall be cast out. |
|
|
| Love me, keep commandments |
29 |
[26] If thou lovest me
thou shalt serve me and keep all my commandments. |
8 |
|
| Consecrate
for support of the poor |
30 |
And behold, thou wilt remember the
poor, and consecrate of thy properties for
their support, that which thou hast to impart
unto them, with a covenant and a deed which cannot be broken— |
|
Red:
added in 1835 |
| Bishop
and counselors (elders or high priests) to receive |
31 |
and inasmuch as ye impart of your
substance unto the poor, ye will do it unto me—and they
shall be laid before the bishop of my church and his
counsellors, two of the elders, or high
priests, such as he shall appoint or has
appointed and set apart for that purpose. |
|
These functions were
also to be carried out in New York, but no office was named for those who
carried them out. ¶ D&C 38:34,
Jan. 2, 1831 |
Consecrated property
cannot be returned
Everyone is a steward |
32 |
[27] And it shall
come to pass, that after they are laid before the
bishop of my church, and after that he has
received these testimonies
concerning the consecration of the properties of my church, that they cannot
be taken from the church, agreeable to my commandments, every
man shall be made accountable unto me, a steward
over his own property, or that which he has received by
consecration, inasmuch as is sufficient for himself and family. |
9 |
| Bishop
retains what is left over for the poor |
33 |
[28] And again,
if there shall be properties in the hands of the church, or any individuals
of it, more than is necessary for their support after this first consecration,
which is a residue, to be consecrated unto
the bishop, it shall be kept to administer to those
who have not, from time to time, that every man who has
need may be amply supplied, and receive
according to his wants. |
10 |
|
| Bishopric
and high council administer storehouse |
34 |
[29] Therefore, the
residue shall be kept in my storehouse, to administer to the poor and the needy,
as shall be appointed by the high council of
the church, and the bishop and his council; |
|
"… let the bishop appoint a storehouse unto this church;
and let all things both in money and in meat, which are more than is needful
for the wants of this people, be kept in the hands of the bishop. [14] And
let him also reserve unto himself for his own wants, and for the wants of
his family, as he shall be employed in doing this business." ¶
D&C 51:13 |
| Land
purchases |
35 |
And for the purpose of purchasing lands for
the public benefit of the church, and building houses of worship, and
building up of the New Jerusalem which is hereafter to be revealed— |
|
| Gathering |
36 |
That my covenant people may be gathered in one in that day when I
shall come to my temple. |
|
| |
|
[30] And this I do for
the salvation of my people. |
|
| Cast out
transgressors, keep their property |
37 |
[31] And
it shall come to pass, that he that sinneth and repenteth not, shall be
cast out of the church, and shall not receive
again that which he has consecrated unto the poor
and the needy of my church, or in other words, unto me, |
11 |
Red:
added in 1835 |
|
38 |
For inasmuch
as ye do it unto the least of these, ye do it unto me— |
|
|
| Rich
provide for the poor |
39 |
[32] for it shall come to pass, that
which I spake by the mouths of my prophets shall be fulfilled; for I will
consecrate of the
riches of those who embrace
my gospel among the Gentiles, unto the
poor of my people who are of the house
of Israel. |
|
|
| Plain, homemade clothes |
40 |
[33] And again,
thou shalt not be proud in thy heart, let all thy garments be plain, and
their beauty the beauty of the work of thine own hands, |
12 |
|
| Cleanliness |
41 |
and let all things be done in cleanliness before me. |
|
|
| Industrious |
42 |
[34] Thou shalt not be
idle; for he that is idle shall not eat the bread, nor wear the garments
of the laborer. |
|
|
Nourish sick
Member nurses |
43 |
[35] And whosoever among
you are sick, and have not faith to be healed, but believe, shall be nourished
with all tenderness with herbs and mild food, and that not by
the hand of an enemy. |
|
Enemies
(of the world changes to not by the hand of an enemy in
1835). |
Elders bless the sick
|
44 |
And the elders of the church, two or more, shall be called;
and shall pray for and lay their hands upon them in my name, and if they
die they shall die unto me, and if they live they shall live unto me. |
|
|
Live together in love
Mourn together |
45 |
[36] Thou shalt live together
in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die, and
more especially for those that have not hope of a glorious resurrection. |
|
|
| Sweet death |
46 |
[37] And it shall come
to pass, that those that die in me, shall not taste of death, for it shall
be sweet unto them, |
|
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| Bitter death |
47 |
and they that die not in me, wo unto them, for their death
is bitter! |
|
|
| Heal |
48 |
[38] And again,
it shall come to pass, that he that has faith in me to be healed, and is
not appointed unto death, shall be healed: |
13 |
|
| Blind see |
49 |
[39] he who hath faith
to see shall see: |
|
|
| Deaf hear |
50 |
he who hath faith to hear shall
hear: |
|
Red:
added in 1835 |
| Lame leap |
51 |
the lame who hath faith to
leap shall leap: |
|
|
| Bear infirmities |
52 |
and they who have not faith to do these things, but believe
in me, have power to become my sons: and inasmuch as they break not my
laws thou shalt bear their infirmities. |
|
|
| Dutiful |
53 |
[40] Thou shalt
stand in the place of thy stewardship: |
14 |
|
| Pay for what you get |
54 |
[41] thou shalt not take
thy brother's garment; thou shalt pay for that which thou shalt receive
of thy brother; |
|
|
| Donate surplus to storehouse |
55 |
[42] and if thou obtainest
more than that which would be for thy support, thou shalt give it into
my storehouse, that all things may be done according to that which I have
said. |
|
|
Scriptures shall be given
Keep safe |
56 |
[43] Thou
shalt ask, and my scriptures shall be given as I have appointed, and they
shall be preserved in safety: |
15 |
Red:
added in 1835 |
| Don't talk of revelations
until they are complete |
57 |
and it is expedient that thou
shouldst hold thy peace concerning them, and not
teach them until ye have received them in
full. |
|
|
| Then teach to world |
58 |
[44] And I
give unto you a commandment, that then ye
shall teach them unto all men; for they shall be taught unto all nations,
kindreds, tongues and people. |
|
|
| Revelations are law
to govern church |
59 |
[45] Thou shalt
take the things which thou hast received, which have been given
unto thee in my scriptures for a law, to be my law to govern my
church; |
16 |
|
| Do this or be damned |
60 |
and he that doeth according to these things shall be saved;
and he that doeth them not shall be damned if he continues. |
|
|
Receive more revelations
Bring joy, eternal life |
61 |
[46] If thou
shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation; knowledge upon
knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries, and peaceable
things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal. |
17 |
|
| Ask, will reveal site of New Jerusalem |
62 |
[47] Thou shalt ask, and
it shall be revealed unto you in mine own due time where the New Jerusalem
shall be built. |
|
|
| Missionaries to all points |
63 |
[48] And behold,
it shall come to pass that my servants shall be sent forth to
the east, and to the west, to the north and to the south. |
18 |
|
| Converts gather to escape |
64 |
And even now, let him that goeth to the east teach them
that shall be converted to flee to the west, and this in consequence of
that which is coming on the earth, and of
secret combinations |
|
Enemies |
| Obedient rewards |
65 |
[49] Behold, thou shalt
observe all these things, and great shall be thy reward; |
|
Red:
added in 1835 |
| Know mysteries |
|
for unto you it is given
to know the mysteries of the kingdom, but
unto the world it is not given to know them. |
|
|
| Obey laws |
66 |
[50] Ye
shall observe the
laws which ye have received, and be faithful. |
|
|
| More covenants to come |
67 |
[51] And
ye shall hereafter receive church covenants, such as shall be sufficient to
establish you, both here and in the New Jerusalem. |
|
|
| Ask, Lord gives freely |
68 |
[52] Therefore,
he that lacketh wisdom,
let him ask of me, and I will give him liberally, and upbraid him not. |
|
|
| Keys of the church |
69 |
[53] Lift
up your hearts and rejoice, for unto you the kingdom, or
in other words, the keys of the church, have been given: even so
Amen. |
|
|
| Priests and teachers |
70 |
[54] The priests
and teachers shall have their stewardships, even as the members, |
19 |
BC 44:55–56 are dropped
in 1835 |
| Support bishop's counselors
families |
71 |
[57] and
the elders, or high priests who are appointed to
assist the bishop as counsellors, in all things are
to have their families supported out of the property which is consecrated
to the bishop, for the good of the poor, and for
other purposes, as before mentioned; |
|
Red:
added in 1835 |
| Fair treatment for their service |
72 |
or they are to receive a just remuneration
for all their services; either a stewardship or otherwise, as
may be thought best, or decided by
the counsellors and
bishop. |
|
|
| Bishop to be supported |
73 |
And the bishop, also, shall receive
his support, or a just remuneration for all his services in the church. |
|
|
| |
|
Verses 74–77 added in 1835 not attributed to a specific
revelation |
|
|
| Don't expel fornicators' spouses |
74 |
Behold,
verily I say unto you, that whatsoever persons among you having put away
their companions for the cause of fornication, or in other words, if
they shall testify before you in all lowliness of heart that this is
the case, ye shall not cast them out from among you; |
20 |
Red:
added in 1835 |
| Expel adulterers |
75 |
but
if ye shall find that any persons have left their companions for the
sake of adultery, and they themselves are the offenders, and their companions
are living, they shall be cast out from among you. |
|
|
| Don't baptize adulterers |
76 |
And
again I say unto you, that ye shall be watchful and careful, with all
inquiry, that ye receive none such among you if they are married, |
|
|
| Single adulterers must repent
|
77 |
and
if they are not married, they shall repent of all their sins, or ye shall
not receive them. |
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|
Verses 78–93
received February 23, 1831 |
|
Present in the Book B
(1832) under the heading "Points of Law," but not included
in the Book of Commandments. |
| Keep all commandments |
78 |
[1] And
again, every person who belongeth to this church of Christ shall
observe to keep all the commandments and covenants of the church: |
21 |
| Turn killers over to law |
|
[2] And
it shall come to pass that if any persons among you shall kill they shall
be delivered up and dealt with according to the laws of the land; |
|
| No forgiveness |
79 |
[3] For remember that he hath no forgiveness; |
|
|
| Civil evidence |
|
[4] and it shall be proven according
to the laws of the land. |
|
|
| Try adulterers |
80 |
[5] And if
any man or woman shall commit adultery he or
she shall be tried before two elders of the church or more, and
every word shall be established against him or her by
two witnesses of the church, and not of the enemy. |
22 |
Red:
added in 1835 |
| Two member witnesses |
|
[6] But if there are more than two witnesses it
is better: |
|
|
| Church votes |
81 |
[7] but he or she shall
be condemned by the mouth of two witnesses, and the elders shall lay the
case before the church and the church shall lift up their hands against him
or her, that they may be dealt with according to the law of
God. |
|
|
| Bishop present |
82 |
[8] And if it can be
it. is necessary that the bishop is present
also. |
|
|
| Pattern for all |
83 |
And thus ye shall
do in all cases which shall come before you. |
|
|
| Robbers to civil law |
84 |
[9] And if a man or
woman shall rob, he or she shall
be delivered up unto the law of the land. |
|
Red:
added in 1835 |
| Thieves to civil law |
85 |
[10] And if he or
she shall steal, he or she shall
be delivered up unto the law of the land. |
|
|
| Liars to civil law |
86 |
[11] And if he or
she shall lie, he or she shall be
delivered up unto the law of the land. |
|
|
| God's law for sinners |
87 |
[12] And if
he or she do any manner of iniquity, he or
she shall be delivered up unto the law even, that of God. |
|
|
| Private reconciliation |
88 |
[13] And if thy brother or
sister offend thee, thou shalt take him or
her between him or her and thee alone;
and if he or she confess thou shalt be reconciled. |
23 |
|
| Elders next |
89 |
[14] And if he or
she confess not, thou shalt deliver him or her up unto the church,
not to the members but to the elders. |
|
|
| |
|
[15] And it shall be done in a meeting and that not
before the world. |
|
|
| Public for public offense |
90 |
[16] And if thy brother or
sister offend many, he or she shall
be chastened before many. |
|
|
| Open rebuke for open offense |
91 |
[17] And if any one offend openly,
he or she shall be rebuked openly, that he or
she may be ashamed. |
|
|
| God's law |
|
[18] And if he or she confess not,
he or she shall be delivered up unto the law of God. |
|
|
| Private for private offense |
92 |
[19] If any shall offend in secret,
he or she shall be rebuked in secret, that
he or she may have opportunity to confess
in secret to him or her whom he or
she has offended, and to God, that the church may
not speak reproachfully of him or her |
|
|
| Pattern |
93 |
[20] And thus shall ye conduct in all
things |
|
|
|
|
D&C 43
D&C 42:1–73
D&C 42:74–93
D&C 41
Ohio Revelations
Doctrine and Covenants
|