Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, in February 1831. At this time some members of the Church were disturbed by people making false claims as revelators. The Prophet inquired of the Lord and received this communication addressed to the elders of the Church. The first part deals with matters of Church polity; the latter part contains a warning that the elders are to give to the nations of the earth.
1 O hearken, ye elders of my church, and give ear to the words which I shall speak unto you.
2 For behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye have received a commandment for a a unto my church, through him whom I have appointed unto you to receive commandments and b from my hand.
3 And this ye shall know assuredly—that there is a other appointed unto you to receive b and revelations until he be taken, if he c in me.
4 But verily, verily, I say unto you, that a else shall be appointed unto this gift except it be through him; for if it be taken from him he shall not have power except to appoint another in his stead.
5 And this shall be a law unto you, that ye a not the b of any that shall come before you as revelations or commandments;
6 And this I give unto you that you may not be a, that you may know they are not of me.
7 For verily I say unto you, that he that is a of me shall come in at the b and be ordained as I have told you before, to teach those c which you have received and shall receive through him whom I have appointed.
8 And now, behold, I give unto you a a, that when ye are b together ye shall c and d each other, that ye may know e to act and direct my church, how to act upon the points of my law and commandments, which I have given.
9 And thus ye shall become instructed in the law of my church, and be a by that which ye have received, and ye shall bind yourselves to act in all holiness before me—
10 That inasmuch as ye do this, glory shall be a to the kingdom which ye have received. Inasmuch as ye do it not, it shall be b, even that which ye have received.
11 a ye out the b which is among you; sanctify yourselves before me;
12 And if ye desire the glories of the kingdom, a ye my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and uphold him before me by the prayer of faith.
13 And again, I say unto you, that if ye desire the a of the kingdom, provide for him food and raiment, and whatsoever thing he needeth to accomplish the work wherewith I have commanded him;
14 And if ye do it not he shall remain unto them that have received him, that I may reserve unto myself a a b before me.
15 Again I say, hearken ye elders of my a, whom I have appointed: Ye are not sent forth to be b, but to c the children of men the things which I have put into your hands by the power of my d;
16 And ye are to be a from on high. b yourselves and ye shall be c with power, that ye may give even as I have spoken.
17 Hearken ye, for, behold, the a b of the Lord is nigh at hand.
18 For the day cometh that the Lord shall utter his a out of heaven; the heavens shall b and the earth shall c, and the d of God shall sound both long and loud, and shall say to the sleeping nations: Ye saints e and live; ye sinners f and g until I shall call again.
19 Wherefore gird up your loins lest ye be found among the wicked.
20 Lift up your voices and spare not. Call upon the nations to repent, both old and young, both a and free, saying: Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord;
21 For if I, who am a man, do lift up my voice and call upon you to repent, and ye a me, what will ye say when the b cometh when the c shall utter their voices from the ends of the earth, speaking to the ears of all that live, saying—Repent, and prepare for the great day of the Lord?
22 Yea, and again, when the a shall streak forth from the east unto the west, and shall utter forth their voices unto all that live, and make the ears of all tingle that hear, saying these words—Repent ye, for the great day of the Lord is come?
23 And again, the Lord shall utter his voice out of heaven, saying: Hearken, O ye nations of the earth, and hear the words of that God who a you.
24 O, ye nations of the earth, how often would I have gathered you together as a a gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye b!
25 How oft have I a you by the mouth of my b, and by the c of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of d, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of e and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a f, and by the voice of judgment, and by the voice of g all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the h of eternal life, and would have saved you with an i salvation, but ye would not!
26 Behold, the day has come, when the a of the b of mine indignation is full.
27 Behold, verily I say unto you, that these are the words of the Lord your God.
28 Wherefore, labor ye, a ye in my vineyard for the last time—for the last time call upon the inhabitants of the earth.
29 For in mine own due time will I a upon the earth in b, and my people shall be c and shall d with me on earth.
30 For the great a, of which I have spoken by the mouth of my servants, shall come.
31 For a shall be b, and when he is loosed again he shall only reign for a c, and then cometh the d of the earth.
32 And he that liveth in a shall be b in the twinkling of an eye, and the earth shall pass away so as by c.
33 And the wicked shall go away into unquenchable a, and their end no man knoweth on earth, nor ever shall know, until they come before me in b.
34 Hearken ye to these words. Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the a of the world. b these things up in your hearts, and let the c of d e upon your f.
35 Be a. Keep all my commandments. Even so. Amen.
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