1. Behold, I say unto you my servant Sidney Gilbert, that I have heard your prayers, and you have called upon me that it should be made known unto you of the Lord your God, concerning your calling and election in the Church, which I, the Lord, have raised up in these last days.
2. Behold, I, the Lord, who was crucified for the sins of the world, give unto you a commandment that you shall forsake the world.
3. Take upon you mine ordination, even that of an Elder, to preach faith and repentance, and remission of sins, according to my word, and the reception of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands.
4. And also to be an agent unto this Church in the place which shall be appointed by the Bishop, according to commandments which shall be given hereafter.
5. And again, verily I say unto you, you shall take your journey with my servants Joseph Smith, Jun, and Sidney Rigdon.
6. Behold these are the first ordinances which you shall receive, and the residue shall be made known in a time to come, according to your labor in my vineyard.
7. And again, I would that ye should learn that he only is saved who endureth unto the end. Even so. Amen.
Difficulty in the Thompson Branch.
The branch of the Church in Thompson, on account of breaking the covenant,7 and not knowing what to do, they sent in Newel Knight and other Elders, to ask me to inquire of the Lord for them; which I did, and received the following:
Revelation to Newel Knight, given at Kirtland, June, 1831. 8
1. Behold, thus saith the Lord, even Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, even he who was crucified for the sins of the world.
2. Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, my servant, Newel Knight, you shall stand fast in the office wherewith I have appointed you;
3. And if your brethren desire to escape their enemies, let them repent of all their sins, and become truly humble before me and contrite;
4. And as the covenant which they made unto me has been broken, even so it has become void and of none effect;
5. And wo to him by whom this offense cometh, for it had been better for him that he had been drowned in the depth of the sea;
6. But blessed are they who have kept the covenant and observed the commandment, for they shall obtain mercy.
7. Wherefore, go to now and flee the land, lest your enemies come upon you; and take your journey, and appoint whom you will to be your leader, and to pay monies for you.9
8. And thus you shall take your journey into the regions westward, unto the land of Missouri, unto the borders of the Lamanites.
9. And after you have done journeying, behold, I say unto you, seek ye a living like unto men, until I prepare a place for you,
10. And again, be patient in tribulation until I come; and, behold, I came quickly, and my reward is with me, and they who have sought me early shall find rest to their souls. Even so. Amen.
The Elders now began to go to the western country, two and two, according to the word of the Lord.
Report of Oliver Cowdery on Conditions in Western Missouri.
From Parley P. Pratt, who during the spring had returned from his mission of last fall, we had verbal information; and from letters from the still remaining Elders we had written intelligence; and as the mission to Western Missouri and the gathering of the Saints to that place was the most important subject which then engrossed the attention of the Church, I will here insert the copy of a letter, received about this time from that section, dated at Kaw Township, Missouri, May 7, 1831.
Our Dearly Beloved Brethren:—I have nothing particular to write as concerning the Lamanites; because of a short journey which I have just returned from, and in consequence of which I have not written to you since the 16th of last month. Brother Ziba Peterson and myself went into the county east, which is Lafayette, about forty miles; and, in the name of Jesus, we called on the people to repent, many of whom are, I believe, earnestly searching for truth, and if sincerely, I pray they may find that precious treasure, for it seems to be wholly fallen in the streets, and equity cannot enter.
The letter we received from you, informed us that the opposition was great against you. Now, our beloved brethren, we verily believe that we also can rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer shame for His name; for almost the whole country, consisting of Universalists, Atheists, Deists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, and other professed Christians, priests and people; with all the devils from the infernal pit are united, and foaming out their own shame [against us]. God forbid that I should bring a railing accusation against them, for vengeance belongeth to Him who is able to repay; and herein, brethren, we confide.
I am lately informed of another tribe of Lamanites, who have abundance of flocks of the best kinds of sheep and cattle; and they manufacture blankets of a superior quality. The tribe is very numerous; they live three hundred miles west of Santa Fe, and are called Navashoes.10 Why I mention this tribe is because I feel under obligations to communicate to my brethren any information concerning the Lamanites that I meet with in my labors and travels, believing, as I do, that much is expected from me in the cause of our Lord; and doubting not that I am daily remembered before the throne of the Most High by all my brethren, as well by those who have not seen my face in the flesh as by those who have.
We begin to expect our brother Parley P. Pratt soon; we have heard from him only when he was at St. Louis. We are all well, bless the Lord; and preach the Gospel we will, if earth and hell oppose our way—for we dwell in the midst of scorpions—and in Jesus we trust. Grace be with you all. Amen.
Oliver Cowdery.
P. S.—I beseech Brother Whitney to remember and write, and direct to me, Independence, Jackson County, Missouri.11
About the middle of June, while we were preparing for our journey to Missouri, William W. Phelps and his family arrived among us—"to do the will of the Lord," he said: so I inquired of the Lord concerning him and received the following:
Revelation given June, 1831. 12
1. Behold, thus saith the Lord unto you, my servant William, yea, even the Lord of the whole earth, thou art called and chosen, and after thou hast been baptized by water, which, if you do with an eye single to my glory, you shall have a remission of your sins and a reception of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands;
2. And then thou shalt be ordained by the hand of my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., to be an Elder unto this Church, to preach repentance and remission of sins by way of baptism in the name of Jesus Christ the Son of the living God;
3. And on whomsoever you shall lay your hands, if they are contrite before me, you shall have power to give the Holy Spirit.
4. And again, you shall be ordained to assist my servant Oliver Cowdery to do the work of printing, and of selecting, and writing books for schools in this Church, that little children also may receive instruction before me as is pleasing unto me.
5. And again, verily I say unto you, for this cause ye shall take your journey with my servants Joseph Smith, Jun., and Sidney Rigdon, that you may be planted in the land of your inheritance to do this work.
6. And again, let my servant Joseph Coe also take his journey with them. The residue shall be made known hereafter, even as I will. Amen.13
Marsh and Thayre Separated as Missionary Companions.
Soon after I received the foregoing, Elder Thomas B. Marsh came to inquire what he should do; as Elder Ezra Thayre, his yoke-fellow in the ministry, could not get ready to start on his mission as soon as he (Marsh) would; and I inquired of the Lord, and received the following:
Revelation, given at Kirtland, 1831.