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| Revelation given to Joseph Smith the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon, at Perrysburg, New York, October 12, 1833. HC 1:416, 419—421. The two brethern, having been absent from their families for several days, felt some concern about them. | ||
5—8, It shall be given them in the very hour what they shall say; 9—12, Sidney is to be a spokesman and Joseph is to be a revelator and mighty in testimony; 13—17, The Lord will raise up a pure people, and the obedient shall be saved. | ||
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D&C 100:1 VERILY, thus saith the Lord unto you, my
friends Sidney and Joseph, your families are well; they are in
amine hands, and I will do with them as seemeth me good;
for in me there is all power.
D&C 100:2 Therefore, follow me, and listen to the counsel which I shall give unto you.
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D&C 100:3 Behold, and lo, I have much people in this place, in the regions round about; and an effectual door shall be opened in the regions round about in this eastern land.
D&C 100:4 Therefore, I, the Lord, have suffered you to come unto this place; for thus it was expedient in me for the asalvation of souls.
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D&C 100:5 Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this
people; aspeak the thoughts that I shall put into your
hearts, and you shall not be bconfounded before men;
D&C 100:6 For it shall be agiven you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.
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D&C 100:7 But a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall declare whatsoever
thing ye adeclare in my name, in solemnity of heart,
in the spirit of meeknessa,
in all things.
D&C 100:8 And I give unto you this promise, that inasmuch as ye do this the aHoly Ghost shall be shed forth in bearing record unto all things whatsoever ye shall say.
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7a in the spirit of meekness Going forth in the 'spirit of meekness' is to act and speak according to the mind and the will of the Lord, submitting oneself unto Him. Joseph had learned this from his years of preperation and experience. Sidney, once a minster with his own flock, who rose so fast to the side of Joseph Smith, seems to have not learned to be so meek and submissive unto the will of the Lord in serving the prophet Joseph and also in serving in the proper order of the kingdom. | |
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D&C 100:9 And it is expedient in me that you, my servant Sidney, should be a
aspokesman unto this people; yea, verily, I will ordain you
unto this calling, even to be a spokesman unto my servant
Josepha.
D&C 100:10 And I will give unto him power to be mighty in atestimony. D&C 100:11 And I will give unto thee power to be amighty in expounding all scriptures, that thou mayest be a spokesman unto him, and he shall be a brevelator unto thee, that thou mayest know the certainty of all things cpertaining to the things of my kingdom on the earth.
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9a a spokesman unto my servant Joseph What was Sidney Rigdon's 'calling' during this missionary experience seems to have over grown Sidney into fall back upon it to the gain of his own interests and position. Upon he death of Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, who was well spoken and could influence by the words of his mouth, did use that 'talent' in attempting to draw the saints after him rather than for them to follow the natural order of God according to the Church of Christ, which was to follow after the leadership of the Twelve Apotles of the Lord. Sidney uses this 'one time calling' of being the spokesman to Joseph to the extent that he would have placed himself, not as a living prophet, but as the 'caretaker' of the church until the Lord's coming. This would have frustrated the work of the Lord in the latter-days in the preparing the way before the Lord with living oracles, prophets, seers and revelators as had continued through all dispensations of time. It would have been a giant step backwards into the traditional Christianity of not having living prohets to guide and direct the Chruch of God. But so well did Sidney represent himself to be the 'anionted spokesman' of the prophet that he convienced many and even influenced other to the extent that they counted him as the fulfillment of 2 Nephi 3:18 as the promised 'spokesman' to the 'writer and compiler' of the Book of Mormon. To this it must be noted that Joseph Smith did NOT write the Book of Mormon. Mormon did. And though various others beside Sidney Rigdon are also looked to as fulfilling the 'spokesman' prophecy of Lehi, such as Oliver Cowdery, Hyrum Smith and even Brigham Young, it is Elder Bruce R. McConkie who has finally broken from the 'modernization' of at least the 'writer' of the Book of Mormon prophesied by Lehi to be Joseph Smith but to be Mormon (A New Witness of the Articles of Faith, p. 425-426). Yet he did not carry it far enough to oust Sidney Rigdon or some other modern source, even Joseph Smith, from being considered as Mormon's spokesman. If taken in proper context, the spokesman and writer of the Book of Mormon are the descendants of Lehi. And they are Mormon and his son Moroni who was indeed his father's spokesman as Mormon fought the war and Moroni led the church in his prophet father's name as exemplified by Moroni chapter 8 where Mormon declares to Moroni the correct matter concerning child baptism. Also, Moroni is that angel flying in the midst of heaven (Rev. 7:14), who is declaring the fulness of the gospel to all the earth by being the 'spokesman' of the Book of Mormon record, the holder of the keys of the stick of Ephraim (D&C 27:5). (See also Commentary on 2 Nephi 3:16-21) | |
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D&C 100:12 Therefore, continue your journey and let your hearts rejoice; for behold, and lo, I am with you even unto the end.
D&C 100:13 And now I give unto you a word concerning Zion. aZion shall be bredeemed, although she is chastened for a little season. D&C 100:14 Thy brethren, my servants Orson Hyde and John Gould, are in my hands; and inasmuch as they keep my commandments they shall be saved.
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D&C 100:15 Therefore, let your hearts be comforted; for
aall things shall work together for good to them that walk
uprightly, and to the sanctification of the church.
D&C 100:16 For I will raise up unto myself a apure people, that will serve me in righteousness; D&C 100:17 And all that acall upon the name of the Lord, and keep his commandments, shall be saved. Even so. Amen.
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