| August 6, 1833, Kirtland, Ohio. |
| Fear not, be patient. Uphold Constitutional laws.
Constitution and Lord make you free. Renounce war and proclaim peace, and
turn children to fathers, etc. §. Many in Kirtland
need to repent §. Don't seek revenge, be patient §
and bear three assaults. Then may respond §, but better
if you don't. Forgive 70 times 7 §. Lord will avenge
a hundred fold unless they repent §. |
| Letter from Joseph Smith to "Beloved Brethren."
Original at LDS Church Archives. |
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| Fear not |
1 |
Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts
be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks; |
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| Be patient, Lord swears
to grant your prayers |
2 |
Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered
into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and
testament—the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted. |
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| All to work for your good |
3 |
Therefore, he giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable
covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have
been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name's glory,
saith the Lord. |
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| Keep commandments |
4 |
And now, verily I say unto you concerning the laws of the
land, it is my will that my people should observe to do all things whatsoever
I command them. |
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| Constitutional laws |
5 |
And that law of the land which is constitutional, supporting
that principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges, belongs
to all mankind, and is justifiable before me. |
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| Defend constitutional
laws |
6 |
Therefore, I, the Lord, justify you, and your brethren of
my church, in befriending that law which is the constitutional law of the
land; |
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| Others evil |
7 |
And as pertaining to law of man, whatsoever is more or less
than this, cometh of evil. |
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| You are free |
8 |
I, the Lord God, make you free, therefore ye are free indeed;
and the law also maketh you free. |
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| People mourn when wicked rule |
9 |
Nevertheless, when the wicked rule the people mourn. |
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| Find wise men to support |
10 |
Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently,
and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever
is less than these cometh of evil. |
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| Forsake evil |
11 |
And I give unto you a commandment, that ye shall forsake all evil and
cleave unto all good, that ye shall live by every word which proceedeth
forth out of the mouth of God. |
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| Line upon line, Lord proves
people |
12 |
For he will give unto the faithful line upon line, precept upon precept;
and I will try you and prove you herewith. |
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| Eternal life for dead |
13 |
And whoso layeth down his life in my cause, for my name's
sake, shall find it again, even life eternal. |
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| Fear not, I prove you |
14 |
Therefore, be not afraid of your enemies, for I have decreed in my heart,
saith the Lord, that I will prove you in all things, whether you will abide
in my covenant, even unto death, that you may be found worthy. |
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15 |
For if ye will not abide in my covenant ye are not worthy of me. |
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| Renounce war, proclaim peace, turn hearts |
16 |
Therefore, renounce war and proclaim peace, and seek diligently
to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers, and the hearts of the
fathers to the children; |
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| Lest I come and smite earth |
17 |
And again, the hearts of the Jews unto the prophets, and the prophets
unto the Jews; lest I come and smite the whole earth with a curse, and all
flesh be consumed before me. |
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| Father's house, many mansions |
18 |
Let not your hearts be troubled; for in my Father's house are many mansions,
and I have prepared a place for you; and where my Father and I am, there
ye shall be also. |
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| Not happy with many in Kirtland |
19 |
Behold, I, the Lord, am not well pleased with many who
are in the church at Kirtland; |
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| They don't repent |
20 |
For they do not forsake their sins, and their wicked ways, the pride of
their hearts, and their covetousness, and all their detestable things, and
observe the words of wisdom and eternal life which I have given unto them. |
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| I will chasten them if they don't repent |
21 |
Verily I say unto you, that I, the Lord, will chasten them and will do
whatsoever I list, if they do not repent and observe all things whatsoever
I have said unto them. |
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| Keep commandments |
22 |
And again I say unto you, if ye observe to do whatsoever I command you,
I, the Lord, will turn away all wrath and indignation from you, and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against you. |
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| No revenge on enemies |
23 |
Now, I speak unto you concerning your families—if
men will smite you, or your families, once, and ye bear it patiently and
revile not against them, neither seek revenge, ye shall be rewarded; |
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| Be patient |
24 |
But if ye bear it not patiently, it shall be accounted unto you as being
meted out as a just measure unto you. |
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| Be patient second time |
25 |
And again, if your enemy shall smite you the second time,
and you revile not against your enemy, and bear it patiently, your reward
shall be an hundred fold. |
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Enemies |
| Third time |
26 |
And again, if he shall smite you the third time, and ye bear it patiently,
your reward shall be doubled unto you four-fold; |
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| Then, if enemy won't repent, shall be
wiped out |
27 |
And these three testimonies shall stand against your enemy if he repent
not, and shall not be blotted out. |
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| If they escape, warn then |
28 |
And now, verily I say unto you, if that enemy shall escape my vengeance,
that he be not brought into judgment before me, then ye shall see to it
that ye warn him in my name, that he come no more upon you, neither upon
your family, even your children's children unto the third and fourth generation. |
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| Then if they attack, they are yours |
29 |
And then, if he shall come upon you or your children,
or your children's children unto the third and fourth generation, I have
delivered thine enemy into thine hands; |
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| If you spare them, will be rewarded |
30 |
And then if thou wilt spare him, thou shalt be rewarded for thy righteousness;
and also thy children and thy children's children unto the third and fourth
generation. |
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| But justified if you respond in kind |
31 |
Nevertheless, thine enemy is in thine hands; and if thou rewardest him
according to his works thou art justified; if he has sought thy life, and
thy life is endangered by him, thine enemy is in thine hands and thou art
justified. |
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| This is law given anciently |
32 |
Behold, this is the law I gave unto my servant Nephi, and thy fathers,
Joseph, and Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham, and all mine ancient prophets
and apostles. |
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33 |
And again, this is the law that I gave unto mine ancients, that they should
not go out unto battle against any nation, kindred, tongue, or people, save
I, the Lord, commanded them. |
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| Standard of peace first |
34 |
And if any nation, tongue, or people should proclaim war against them,
they should first lift a standard of peace unto that people, nation, or
tongue; |
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35 |
And if that people did not accept the offering of peace,
neither the second nor the third time, they should bring these testimonies
before the Lord; |
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| Fourth time violence justified |
36 |
Then I, the Lord, would give unto them a commandment, and justify them
in going out to battle against that nation, tongue, or people. |
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| To fourth generatoin |
37 |
And I, the Lord, would fight their battles, and their children's battles,
and their children's children's, until they had avenged themselves on all
their enemies, to the third and fourth generation |
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38 |
Behold, this is an ensample unto all people, saith the Lord your God,
for justification before me. |
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| Forgive if they repent first time |
39 |
And again, verily I say unto you, if after thine enemy has come upon thee
the first time, he repent and come unto thee praying thy forgiveness, thou
shalt forgive him, and shalt hold it no more as a testimony against thine
enemy— |
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| Second time, third time until 70x7 |
40 |
And so on unto the second and third time; and as oft as
thine enemy repenteth of the trespass wherewith he has trespassed against
thee, thou shalt forgive him, until seventy times seven. |
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| Forgive 3x if they don't repent |
41 |
And if he trespass against thee and repent not the first time, nevertheless
thou shalt forgive him. |
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42 |
And if he trespass against thee the second time, and repent not, nevertheless
thou shalt forgive him. |
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43 |
And if he trespass against thee the third time, and repent not, thou shalt
also forgive him. |
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| No forgiveness the 4x |
44 |
But if he trespass against thee the fourth time thou shalt not forgive
him, but shalt bring these testimonies before the Lord; and they shall not
be blotted out until he repent and reward thee four-fold in all things wherewith
he has trespassed against thee. |
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| Unless you want to forgive |
45 |
And if he do this, thou shalt forgive him with all thine
heart; and if he do not this, I, the Lord, will avenge thee of thine enemy
an hundred-fold; |
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| Punish to 4th generation |
46 |
And upon his children, and upon his children's children of all them that
hate me, unto the third and fourth generation. |
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| Unless descendants repent |
47 |
But if the children shall repent, or the children's children, and turn
to the Lord their God, with all their hearts and with all their might, mind,
and strength, and restore four-fold for all their trespasses wherewith they
have trespassed, or wherewith their fathers have trespassed, or their fathers'
fathers, then thine indignation shall be turned away; |
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48 |
And vengeance shall no more come upon them, saith the
Lord thy God, and their trespasses shall never be brought any more as
a testimony before the Lord against them. Amen.
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D&C 99
D&C 97
Ohio Revelations
Doctrine and Covenants
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