| May 9, 1831, Kirtland, Ohio. |
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| False spirits deceive the world §.
Hypocrites in the church will be detected and cut off §.
Received spirits they did not understand §.
Receive the Spirit, which is light and
truth §. You were ordained to go forth and preach
the gospel. Joseph Wakefield and Parley P. Pratt to strengthen the
churches §. Edward Partridge has interfered and
needs to repent §. Fear not, the Lord is with you. |
| Book of Commandments, Law and Covenants, Book
B heading: The Spirits which have gone abroad in the <Earth> |
| Evening and Morning Star 1,
no. 3 (August 1832) heading: Commandment, Given May 9, 1831. |
| Book of Commandments 53 heading:
A Revelation to the elders of the church assembled at Kirtland, Ohio, given
May, 1831. |
| 1835 Doctrine and Covenants 17 heading:
A Revelation given May, 1831. |
| For a comparison of the Book B manuscript,
Book of Commandments, and 1835 D&C, see D&C
50 Sources. |
| Listen up |
1 |
Hearken,
O ye elders of my church, and give ear to the voice of the living God;
and attend to the words of wisdom which shall be given unto you, according
as ye have asked and are agreed as touching the church, and the spirits
which have gone abroad in the earth. |
1 |
1835 D&C verse numbers are to the
right of the text. |
| False spirits out there |
2 |
Behold,
verily I say unto you, that there are many spirits which are false spirits,
which have gone forth in the earth, deceiving the world. |
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| Satan deceives |
3 |
And also
Satan hath sought to deceive you, that he might overthrow you. |
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| Abominations in church |
4 |
Behold,
I, the Lord, have looked upon you, and have seen abominations in the church that profess
my name. |
2 |
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| Be faithful and endure
|
5 |
But blessed
are they who are faithful and endure, whether in life or in death, for they
shall inherit eternal life. |
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| Deceivers will be judged |
6 |
But wo
unto them that are deceivers and hypocrites, for, thus saith the Lord, I
will bring them to judgment. |
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| Hypocrites among you
led some away |
7 |
Behold,
verily I say unto you, there are hypocrites among you, who have deceived
some, which has given the adversary power; but behold such shall be reclaimed; |
3 |
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| Hypocrites shall be
detected, cut off |
8 |
But the hypocrites shall be detected and shall be cut off, either
in life or in death, even as I will; and wo unto them who are cut off from
my church, for the same are overcome of the world. |
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| Beware |
9 |
Wherefore,
let every man beware lest he do that which is not in truth and righteousness
before me. |
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| Let's reason together |
10 |
And now
come, saith the Lord, by the Spirit, unto the elders of his church, and
let us reason together, that ye may understand; |
4 |
"Come now, and
let us reason together …" Isaiah 1:18 |
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11 |
Let us
reason even as a man reasoneth one with another face to face. |
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"And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face,
as a man speaketh unto his friend." Exodus 33:11 |
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12 |
Now, when
a man reasoneth he is understood of man, because he reasoneth as a man;
even so will I, the Lord, reason with you that you may understand. |
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| What were you ordained for? |
13 |
Wherefore,
I the Lord ask you this question—unto what were ye ordained? |
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| To preach by the Spirit |
14 |
To preach
my gospel by the Spirit, even the Comforter which was sent forth to teach
the truth. |
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Spirit
of Truth |
| You followed spirits you didn't
understand |
15 |
And then received
ye spirits which ye could not understand, and received them to be of God;
and in this are ye justified? |
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| I will be merciful |
16 |
Behold
ye shall answer this question yourselves; nevertheless, I will be merciful
unto you; he that is weak among you hereafter shall be made strong. |
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| Missionaries preach by Spirit |
17 |
Verily
I say unto you, he that is ordained of me and sent forth to preach the word
of truth by the Comforter, in the Spirit of truth, doth he preach it by
the Spirit of truth or some other way? |
5 |
Spirit
of Truth |
| Or not
by me |
18 |
And if it be by some
other way it is not of God. |
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| Receive
truth by Spirit |
19 |
And
again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit
of truth or some other way? |
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| Or not
by me |
20 |
If it be some other way
it is not of God. |
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| Understand? |
21 |
Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know, that he
that receiveth the word by the Spirit of truth receiveth it as it is preached
by the Spirit of truth? |
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Spirit
of Truth |
| Preach
and receive by Spirit |
22 |
Wherefore,
he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both
are edified and rejoice together. |
6 |
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| Edify
or not by me |
23 |
And that which doth
not edify is not of God, and is darkness. |
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| God and
light |
24 |
That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth
in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter
until the perfect day. |
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"But the path of the just is as the shining
light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." Proverbs 4:18 |
| Chase
darkness away |
25 |
And
again, verily I say unto you, and I say it that you may know the truth,
that you may chase darkness from among you; |
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| Ordained
and sent are servants |
26 |
He that is ordained
of God and sent forth, the same is appointed to be the greatest, notwithstanding
he is the least and the servant of all. |
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| Have everything
if sent by Father |
27 |
Wherefore,
he is possessor of all things; for all things are subject unto him, both
in heaven and on the earth, the life and the light, the Spirit and the power,
sent forth by the will of the Father through Jesus Christ, his Son. |
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| Must be
pure |
28 |
But
no man is possessor of all things except he be purified and cleansed from
all sin. |
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| Then get whatever you ask for |
29 |
And if ye are purified and cleansed
from all sin, ye shall ask whatsoever you will in the name of Jesus and
it shall be done. |
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| Spirits
subject to you |
30 |
But know this, it shall be given you what you shall ask; and as ye
are appointed to the head, the spirits shall be subject unto you. |
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| Reject
spirits you don't understand |
31 |
Wherefore,
it shall come to pass, that if you behold a spirit manifested that you cannot
understand, and you receive not that spirit, ye shall ask of the Father
in the name of Jesus; and if he give not unto you that spirit, then you
may know that it is not of God. |
7 |
¶ Satan
Came Also |
| Proclaim
against it |
32 |
And it shall be given unto you, power over that spirit; and you shall
proclaim against that spirit with a loud voice that it is not of God— |
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| Not angrily
or with boasting |
33 |
Not with railing accusation, that ye be not overcome, neither with
boasting nor rejoicing, lest you be seized therewith. |
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"Yet Michael the archangel, when
contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not
bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee."
Jude 1:9 |
| Be grateful
if you receive God |
34 |
He that receiveth of God, let him account it of God; and let him
rejoice that he is accounted of God worthy to receive. |
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| Overcome
all |
35 |
And by giving heed and
doing these things which ye have received, and which ye shall hereafter
receive—and the kingdom is given you of
the Father, and power to overcome all things which are not ordained of him— |
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| Sins
forgiven |
36 |
And behold, verily I say unto you, blessed are you who are now hearing
these words of mine from the mouth of my servant, for your sins are forgiven
you. |
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| Joseph
Wakefield and Parley |
37 |
Let my servant Joseph
Wakefield,
in whom I am well pleased, and my servant Parley P.
Pratt (h) go forth among the churches
and strengthen them by the word of exhortation; |
8 |
|
| John
Corrill and others |
38 |
And
also my servant John Corrill, or as many of my servants as are ordained
unto this office, and let them labor in the vineyard; and let no man hinder
them doing that which I have appointed unto them— |
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| Partridge
interferes |
39 |
Wherefore, in this thing my servant Edward
Partridge is not justified; nevertheless let him repent and he shall be forgiven. |
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The Bishop and the Lord |
| Grow in grace |
40 |
Behold,
ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in
grace and in the knowledge of the truth. |
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| Don't be afraid |
41 |
Fear not,
little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you
are of them that my Father hath given me; |
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| None shall be lost |
42 |
And none
of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost. |
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| Father and I and mine are one |
43 |
And the
Father and I are one. I am in the Father and the Father in me; and inasmuch
as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you. |
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| I am with you |
44 |
Wherefore, I am in your midst, and
I am the good shepherd, and the stone of Israel. He
that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall. |
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"But his bow abode in strength,
and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty
God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)" Genesis
49:24 |
| You will hear and see
me |
45 |
And the
day cometh that you shall hear my voice and see me, and know that I am. |
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¶ D&C
35:21, December [7–11], 1830. |
| Watch, be ready |
46 |
Watch,
therefore, that ye may be ready. Even so. Amen.
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D&C 50 Sources
D&C 51
D&C 49
False Spirits
Ohio Revelations
Doctrine and Covenants
|