Church History
Joseph Smith’s Revelations, Doctrine and Covenants 99

“Doctrine and Covenants 99,” Joseph Smith’s Revelations: A Doctrine and Covenants Study Companion from the Joseph Smith Papers (2020)

“Doctrine and Covenants 99,” Joseph Smith’s Revelations: A Doctrine and Covenants Study Companion from the Joseph Smith Papers

Doctrine and Covenants 99

Revelation, 29 August 1832

Source Note

Revelation, Hiram Township, OH, 29 Aug. 1832. Featured version copied [ca. 29 Aug. 1832] in Revelation Book 2, pp. 19–20; handwriting of Frederick G. Williams; CHL. For more information, see the source note for Revelation Book 2 on the Joseph Smith Papers website.

Historical Introduction

On 29 August 1832, JS dictated this revelation calling John Murdock on a preaching mission to the “eastern countries.” Following his conversion and baptism in Kirtland, Ohio, on 30 November 1830, Murdock spent much time as a traveling missionary, baptizing around seventy people in four months in Orange, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and Warrensville, Ohio. In early 1831, Murdock decided to devote himself “full time to the ministry” and moved his family in with another family so that he could do so.1 In June 1831, a revelation instructed him to go to Missouri, “preaching the word by the way.”2 Murdock followed this instruction and departed for Missouri, despite the recent death of his wife, Julia Clapp Murdock, during childbirth, which left him with five children under the age of seven, including newborn twins. Before leaving, he arranged for several individuals to watch over his older children; JS and Emma Smith adopted the twins. For the rest of 1831 and the first half of 1832, Murdock preached in Michigan Territory, Indiana, Missouri, and Ohio, among other places. When he returned to Hiram, Ohio, in June 1832, suffering from the effects of a months-long bout with ague, he found that one of the twins had died in March.3 In addition, those with whom he had left his three older children demanded payment for their help.

Despite these challenging circumstances, Murdock recorded in his journal that he “continued with the church in Cuyahoga & Geauga Co’s confirming & strengthning the church & regaining my health.”4 This 29 August 1832 revelation instructed him to resume his preaching, this time in the eastern United States. The revelation also told him to continue preaching until his death, unless he desired to go to Zion “after a few years.” Perhaps because of the problems Murdock experienced with his children’s caretakers, the revelation told him not to leave until he made arrangements to send his children to Bishop Edward Partridge in Zion. This revelation’s call for Murdock to continue as a missionary until his death, notwithstanding his family responsibilities, was an unusual sacrifice apparently not expected of other early church members and may have resulted from his earlier determination to devote himself “full time to the ministry.”5

Upon receiving these instructions, Murdock “provided for” his children and “sent them up to the Bishop in Zion.”6 Murdock paid Caleb Baldwin to take his three oldest children—Orrice, John, and Phebe—to Missouri. Once there, Orrice lived with George and Amanda Egglestone Pitkin, John with Morris and Laura Clark Phelps, and Phebe with Sidney and Elizabeth Van Benthusen Gilbert.7 Julia, the surviving twin, remained in the care of JS and Emma Smith in Hiram. Murdock then left on his mission on 24 September 1832.8

The original manuscript of the revelation, which is not extant, was apparently inscribed by Frederick G. Williams. The copy he made in Revelation Book 2 bears the notation “by Joseph the seer and writen by— F.G. Williams Scribe.”9

John Murdock.

John Murdock. After joining the church in 1830, John Murdock spent much of his time preaching away from home, even after the death of his wife in April 1831. An August 1832 revelation instructed him to continue preaching but only after providing for his children and sending them to Bishop Edward Partridge in Missouri. (Church History Library, Salt Lake City.)

Hiram Portage County Ohio August 29th. 183210

[1]Behold thus saith the Lord unto you my servant John [Murdock]11 thou art called to go unto the eastern countries12 from house to house and from Village to Village and from City to City13 to proclaim mine everlasting Gospel unto the in habitants thereof in the midst of persicution and wickedness [2]and whos[o] receiveth you receiveth me14 and you shall have power to declare my word in the demonstration of my holy Spirit [3]and whoso receiveth you [p. 19] as a little child receiveth my Kingdom and blessed are they for they shall obtain mercy,15 [4]and whoso rejecteth you shall be rejected of my Father and his house and you shall cleanse your feet in the secret places by the way for a testamony against them16 [5]and behold and lo I come quickly to judgment to convince all of their ungodly deeds which they have commited against me as it is writen of me in the volum of the book17 [6]and now verely I say unto you that it is not expedient that you should go untill your children are provided for and kindly sent up unto the Bishop in Zion, [7]and after a few years if thou desirest of me thou mayest go up also unto the goo[d]ly land to possess thine in heritence [8]otherwise thou shalt continue proclaiming my gospel untill thou be taken Amen—

by Joseph the seer and writen by—

F[rederick] G, Williams Scribe

Notes

  1. Murdock, Journal, 5 Nov. 1830.

  2. Revelation, 6 June 1831 [D&C 52:8–9], herein.

  3. Joseph Murdock Smith was sick with measles the night of 24–25 March 1832 when a mob broke into the home of John and Alice (Elsa) Johnson, took JS by force, and left an outside door open. According to a later JS history, “During the mob one of the twins received a severe cold, and continued to grow worse.” Joseph Murdock Smith died a few days later. (JS History, vol. A-1, 205–209; see also Joseph Smith III, “Last Testimony of Sister Emma,” Saints’ Herald, 1 Oct. 1879, 289.)

  4. Murdock, Journal, May–Sept. 1832.

  5. For example, a January 1832 revelation appointing several individuals to preach declared that “every man who is obliged to provide for his own family let him provide and he shall in no wise loose his crown,” suggesting that those who could not preach because of familial responsibilities were excused from extensive service. (Revelation, 25 Jan. 1832–B [D&C 75:28], herein.)

  6. Murdock, Journal, 24 Sept. 1832.

  7. Murdock, Autobiography and Journal, 1–2.

  8. Murdock, Journal, 24 Sept. 1832.

  9. Williams accompanied JS on much of his business in the week leading up to this revelation. On 23 August 1832, for example, JS and Williams ordained Amasa Lyman and Zerubbabel Snow as elders. On 27 and 28 August, Williams joined JS on a journey to Shalersville Township, Ohio, located directly southwest of Hiram. (“Amasa Lyman’s History,” Deseret News, 8 Sept. 1858, 117; see JS and Frederick G. Williams, Kirtland, OH, to John Smith, [Eugene, IN], 2 July 1833, in JS Letterbook 1, pp. 50–51.)

  10. This heading may not have been part of the original inscription; Frederick G. Williams may have added it at the time he copied the revelation into Revelation Book 2.

  11. The index in Revelation Book 2 specifies that the revelation was for John Murdock. (Revelation Book 2, Index, [1], in JSP, MRB:413.)

  12. “Eastern countries” denoted long-settled areas in eastern states such as New York. Following this revelation, Murdock preached mainly in Geauga County, Ohio, for several months before traveling to New York (or what he termed “the eastern country”) in April 1833. (Murdock, Journal, Feb.–Mar. 1832.)

  13. A March 1832 revelation appointing Jared Carter to serve a mission used similar language: “my Servant Jerad should go again into the eastern countries from place, to place, and from City, City.” (Revelation, 12 Mar. 1832 [D&C 79:1], herein; see also Revelation, 25 Jan. 1832–A [D&C 75:18], herein.)

  14. See John 13:20; and Matthew 10:40.

  15. See Revelation, 10 June 1831 [D&C 54:6], herein.

  16. See Matthew 10:14; Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5; and Revelation, July 1830–A [D&C 24:15], herein.

  17. See Psalm 40:7; and Hebrews 10:7.