Chapter XIII.
Project Gutenberg HTML edition
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Smith, Joseph, Jr., and Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
61. If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable thingsthat which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.
62. Thou shalt ask, and it shall be revealed unto you in mine own due time where the New Jerusalem shall be built.
63. And behold, it shall come to pass that my servants shall be sent forth to the east and to the west, to the north and to the south;
64. And even now, let him that goeth to the east, teach them that shall be converted to flee to the west, and this in consequence of that which is coming on the earth, and of secret combinations.
65. Behold, thou shalt observe all these things, and great shall be thy reward; for unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom, but unto the world it is not given to know them.
66. Ye shall observe the laws which ye have received and be faithful.
67. And ye shall hereafter receive Church covenants, such as shall be sufficient to establish you, both here and in the New Jerusalem.
68. Therefore, he that lacketh wisdom, let him ask of me, and I will give him liberally and upbraid him not.
69. Lift up your hearts and rejoice, for unto you the kingdom, or in other words, the keys of the Church have been given. Even so. Amen.
70. The Priests and Teachers shall have their stewardships, even as the members;
71. And the Elders, or High Priests,[10] who are appointed to assist the Bishop as counselors in all things, are to have their families supported out of the property which is consecrated to the Bishop, for the good of the poor, and for other purposes, as before mentioned;
72. Or they are to receive a just remuneration for all their services, either a stewardship or otherwise, as may be thought best or decided by the counselors and Bishop.
73. And the Bishop, also, shall receive his support, or a just renumeration for all his services in the Church.
74.[11] Behold, verily I say unto you, that whatever persons among you, having put away their companions for the cause of fornication, or in other words, if they shall testify before you in all lowliness of heart that this is the case, ye shall not cast them out from among you;
{153} 75. But if ye shall find that any persons have left their companions for the sake of adultery, and they themselves are the offenders, and their companions are living, they shall be cast out from among you.
76. And again, I say unto you, that ye shall be watchful and careful, with all inquiry, that ye receive none such among you if they are married;
77. And if they are not married, they shall repent of all their sins, or ye shall not receive them.
78. And again, every person who belongeth to this Church of Christ, shall observe to keep all the commandments and covenants of the Church.
79. And it shall come to pass, that if any persons among you shall kill, they shall be delivered up and dealt with according to the laws of the land; for remember that he hath no forgiveness, and it shall be proved according to the laws of the land.
80. And if any man or woman shall commit adultery, he or she shall be tried before two Elders of the Church, or more, and every word shall be established against him or her by two witnesses of the Church, and not of the enemy; but if there are more than two witnesses it is better.
81. But he or she shall be condemned by the mouth of two witnesses, and the Elders shall lay the case before the Church, and the Church shall lift up their hands against him or her, that they may be dealt with according to the law of God.
82. And if it can be, it is necessary that the Bishop be present also.
83. And thus ye shall do in all cases which shall come before you.
84. And if a man or woman shall rob, he or she shall be delivered up unto the law of the land.
85. And if he or she shall steal, he or she shall be delivered up unto the law of the land.
86. And if he or she shall lie, he or she shall be delivered up unto the law of the land.
87. And if he or she do any manner of iniquity, he or she shall be delivered up unto the law, even that of God.
88. And if thy brother or sister offend thee, thou shalt take him or her between him or her and thee alone; and if he or she confess, thou shalt be reconciled.
89. And if he or she confess not, thou shalt deliver him or her up unto the Church, not to the members, but to the Elders. And it shall be done in a meeting, and that not before the world.
90. And if thy brother or sister offend many, he or she shall be chastened before many.
91. And if any one offend openly, he or she shall be rebuked openly, {154} that he or she may be ashamed. And if he or she confess not, he or she shall be delivered up unto the law of God.
92. If any shall offend in secret, he or she shall be rebuked in secret, that he or she may have opportunity to confess in secret to him or her whom he or she has offended, and to God, that the Church may not speak reproachfully of him or her.
93. And thus shall ye conduct in all things.
Pretentions of a Woman to Revelations, etc.
Soon after the foregoing revelation was received, a woman[12] came making great pretensions of revealing commandments, laws and other curious matters; and as almost every person has advocates for both theory and practice, in the various notions and projects of the age, it became necessary to inquire of the Lord, when I received the following:
Revelation given at Kirtland, February, 1831.[13]
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 law unto my Church, through him whom I have appointed unto you, to receive commandments and revelations from my hand.
3. And this ye shall know assuredly that there is none other appointed unto you to receive commandments and revelations until he be taken, if he abide in me.
4. But verily, verily, I say unto you, that none 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;