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SECTION 41Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to the Church, at Kirtland, Ohio, February 4, 1831. HC 1:146-147. The Kirtland Branch of the Church at this time was rapidly increasing in numbers. Prefacing this revelation the Prophet wrote: "The members were striving to do the will of God, so far as they knew it, though some strange notions and false spirits had crept in among them . . . [and] the Lord gave unto the Church the following." |
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1—3, The elders shall govern the Chruch by the spirit of revelation; 4—6, True disciples will receive and keep the Lord's law; 7—12, Edward partridge is named as a bishop unto the Church. | ||
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1 HEARKEN and ahear,
O ye my peoplea, saith the
Lord and your God, ye whom I delight to bless with
the greatest of all bblessings, ye that hear me; and ye
that hear me not will I ccurse, that have
dprofessed my ename, with the heaviest of
all cursings.
2 Hearken, O ye elders of my church whom I have called, behold I give unto you a commandment, that ye shall assemble yourselves together to aagree upon my word; 3 And by the prayer of your faith ye shall receive my alaw, that ye may know how to govern my bchurch and have all things right before me.
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1a O ye my people In days past, that is in the time from about Abraham thru to the ministry of Jesus Christ, when the Lord spoken concerning 'His People', the Biblical concept was that is was they who were the Children of Abraham even the Children of Israel. Yet in a more real sense, it was those who did look to Jehovah as their God. Even an Israelite by descent, if he refused Jehovah as God, he was not to be considered to be acceptable in Israel. But linage played a large role. Today, while the blood of Israel is still of importance, it is more by the acceptance of the Lord and the Lord's law, covenants and commandments. Marked by the baptism of water and of fire as performed in faith and repentance with commitment to live God's commandments as the gate to the path of the Lord's disciples; those who are God's people, are those who are members of his kingdom and recognized as the sons and daughters of Jesus Christ. And today, anyone in the world may so qualify and no longer is it to be considered an elite possession of those who count themselves descendants of Abraham, though by adoption they do become as a part of the Lord's House of Israel, that is those who have prevailed in, through and by the Lord. | |
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4 And I will be your aruler when I
bcome; and behold, I come quickly, and ye shall see that my law is kept.
5 He that areceiveth my blaw and cdoeth it, the same is my disciple; and he that saith he receiveth it and ddoeth it not, the same is not my disciple, and shall be ecast out from among you; 6 For it is not meet that the things which belong to the children of the kingdom should be given to them that are not worthy, or to the adogs, or the bpearls to be cast before swine.
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7 And again, it is meet that my servant Joseph Smith, Jun.,
should have a ahouse built, in which to live and
btranslate.
8 And again, it is meet that my servant Sidney Rigdon should live as seemeth him good, inasmuch as he keepeth my commandments.
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9 And again, I have called my servant aEdward
Partridge; and I give a commandment, that he should be appointed by the voice
of the church, and ordained a bbishop unto the church, to
leave his merchandise and to cspend all his time in the
labors of the church;
10 To see to all things as it shall be appointed unto him in my laws in the day that I shall give them. 11 And this because his heart is pure before me, for he is like unto aNathanael of old, in whom there is no bguile. 12 These words are given unto you, and they are pure before me; wherefore, beware how you hold them, for they are to be answered upon your asouls in the day of judgment. Even so. Amen
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