Church History
Joseph Smith’s Revelations, Doctrine and Covenants 96

“Doctrine and Covenants 96,” Joseph Smith’s Revelations: A Doctrine and Covenants Study Companion from the Joseph Smith Papers (2020)

“Doctrine and Covenants 96,” Joseph Smith’s Revelations: A Doctrine and Covenants Study Companion from the Joseph Smith Papers

Doctrine and Covenants 96

Revelation, 4 June 1833

Source Note

Revelation, Kirtland Township, OH, 4 June 1833. Featured version copied [likely between 6 June and 30 July 1833] in Revelation Book 2, pp. 60–61;1 handwriting of Orson Hyde; Revelations Collection, CHL. For more information, see the source note for Revelation Book 2 on the Joseph Smith Papers website.

Historical Introduction

On 4 June 1833, a meeting of high priests assembled in the translating room at Newel K. Whitney’s store in Kirtland, Ohio, to discuss the use and management of the recently acquired Peter French farm. Unable to arrive at a consensus as to who should manage the French property, the high priests agreed to “enquire of the lord” about the issue. JS subsequently dictated the following revelation during the meeting. The minutes of the 4 June conference indicate that church leaders took immediate action on the instructions given in the revelation; that same day they formally assigned Newel K. Whitney to manage the French farm and admitted John Johnson to the United Firm.2

Kirtland June 4th 1833—

[1]Behold I say unto you here is wisdom whereby ye may know how to act concerning this matter. for it is expedient in me that this stake that I have set for the strength of Zion should be made strong.3 [2]Therefore let my servant Newel [K. Whitney] take charge of the place which is named among you4 upon which I design to build mine holy house,5 [3]and again let it be divided into lots according to wisdom for the [p. 60] benefit of those who seek inheritances6 as it shall be determined in council among you. [4]Therefore take heed that ye see to this matter, and that portion that is necessary to benefit the firm for the purpose of bringing forth my word to the children of men,7 [5]for Behold verily I say unto you, this is the most expedient in me that my word should go forth unto the children of men for the purpose of subdueing the hearts of the children of men for your good even so Amen— [6]and again verily I say unto you it is wisdom and expedient in me that my servant John Johnson8 whose offering I have accepted and whose prayers I have heared, unto whom I give a promise of Eternal life inasmuch as he keepeth my commandments from hence forth, [7]for he is a descendant of Joseph9 and a partaker of the blessings of the promise made unto his fathers.10 [8]Verily I say unto you it is expedient in me that he should become a member of the firm that he may assist in bringing forth my word unto the children of men.11 [9]Therefore ye shall ordain him unto this blessing,12 and he shall seek dilligently to take away incumberances that are upon the house named among you that he may dwell there<in>13 even so Amen——

Notes

  1. See Minutes, 6 June 1833, in JSP, D3:112; and Coltrin, Diary and Notebook, 30 July 1833.

  2. Minutes, 4 June 1833, in JSP, D3:110.

  3. See Revelation, 3 Nov. 1831 [D&C 133:9], herein; see also Isaiah 54:2.

  4. The Peter French farm had been purchased for the church by and in the name of land agent Joseph Coe on 10 April 1833. On 17 June 1833, two weeks after this revelation was dictated, the land was deeded over to N. K. Whitney & Co. (Geauga Co., OH, Deed Records, 1795–1921, vol. 17, pp. 38–39, 359–360, 10 Apr. 1833; vol. 17, pp. 360–361, 17 June 1833, microfilm 20,237, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL; Minutes, 23 Mar. 1833–A, in JSP, D3:46; Minutes, 23 Mar. 1833–B, in JSP, D3:54.)

  5. The lot specified for the “holy house” was located on the southeastern corner of the French farm. (See Parkin, “Joseph Smith and the United Firm,” 20–21.)

  6. Church members who consecrated their property through the bishop—in this case, Newel K. Whitney—were eligible to receive an “inheritance” of land on which to live. (See Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:30–33], herein; see also Revelation, 20 May 1831 [D&C 51:3–4], herein.)

  7. “The firm” refers to the United Firm. A subset of the United Firm, the Literary Firm was responsible for publishing the revelations. “That portion” to be devoted to bringing forth God’s word may refer either to acreage allotted for building a print shop or to land-sale proceeds that could be used to support such a printing operation. Although a later revelation called for the construction of a printing house on land belonging to Frederick G. Williams, the print shop was eventually housed in the schoolhouse built, not on Williams’s land to the south of the temple, but to the west, on the former French farm property. (See Revelation, 1 Mar. 1832 [D&C 78:3–12], herein; and Revelation, 26 Apr. 1832 [D&C 82], herein; for information on the formation of the Literary Firm, see Revelation, 12 Nov. 1831 [D&C 70], herein; Revelation, 2 Aug. 1833–B [D&C 94:10–12], herein; Parkin, “Joseph Smith and the United Firm,” 19, 32; and “Portion of Kirtland Township, Ohio, 31 December 1835.”)

  8. John Johnson owned a farm in Hiram, Ohio, and had previously housed JS and his family. (JS History, vol. A-1, 153.)

  9. See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 66–68 [2 Nephi chap. 3].

  10. See Revelation, 11 Sept. 1831 [D&C 64:36], herein.

  11. Johnson was the second person added to the United Firm since its founding in April 1832. (Revelation, 15 Mar. 1833 [D&C 92], herein; see also Revelation, 26 Apr. 1832 [D&C 82], herein.)

  12. Johnson was ordained to the high priesthood and formally admitted to the United Firm in the same meeting at which JS dictated this revelation. (Minutes, 4 June 1833, in JSP, D3:110.)

  13. The house mentioned here refers to the two-story brick tavern on the former French farm that later became known as the John Johnson inn. One “incumberance” on the house was a preexisting contract between Thomas Knight and Peter French that allowed Knight to use the main floor as a store. This arrangement would have prevented Johnson from fully using the building as a dwelling for him and his family or, later, as an inn. Presumably, the problem was resolved by the fall of 1833 when Knight liquidated his Kirtland holdings and moved away. (Geauga Co., OH, Deed Records, 1795–1921, vol. 17, pp. 38–39, 359–360, 10 Apr. 1833, microfilm 20,237, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL; Staker, Hearken, O Ye People, 414–415.)