Doctrine and Covenants Commentary - Section 52

by Don R. Hender


Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
         SECTION 52

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, to the elders of the Church, at Kirtland, Ohio, June 7, 1831. HC 1:175. A conference had been at Kirtland, beginning on the 3rd, and closing on the 6th of June. At this conference the first distinctive ordinations to the ofice of high priest were made, and certain manifestations of false and deceiving spirits were discerned and rebuked.

    1—2, The next conference is designated to be held in Missouri; 9—11, The elders are to taach what the apostles and prophets have written;
    12—21, Those enlightened by the Spirit bring forth fruits of praise and wisdom;
    22—44, Various elders are appointed to go forth preaching the gospel, while traveling to Missouri for the conference.
D&C 52:1 Behold, thus saith the Lord unto the elders whom he hath called and chosen in these last days, by the avoice of his Spirit—
D&C 52:2 Saying: I, the Lord, will make known unto you what I will that ye shall do from this time until the next conference, which shall be held in Missouri, upon the aland which I will bconsecrate unto my people, which are a cremnant of Jacob, and those who are heirs according to the dcovenant.

D&C 52:3 Wherefore, verily I say unto you, let my servants Joseph Smith, Jun, and Sidney Rigdon take their journey as soon as preparations can be made to leave their homes, and journey to the land of aMissouri.
D&C 52:4 And inasmuch as they are faithful unto me, it shall be made known unto them what they shall do;
D&C 52:5 And it shall also, inasmuch as they are faithful, be made aknown unto them the bland of your inheritance.
D&C 52:6 And inasmuch as they are not faithful, they shall be cut off, even as I will, as seemeth me good.

D&C 52:7 And again, verily I say unto you, let my servant Lyman Wight and my servant John Corrill take their journey speedily;
D&C 52:8 And also my servant John Murdock, and my servant Hyrum Smith, take their journey unto the same place by the way of Detroit.
D&C 52:9 And let them journey from thence preaching the word by the way, saying anone other things than that which the bprophets and apostles have written, and that which is taught them by the cComforter through the prayer of faitha.
D&C 52:10 Let them go atwo by two, and thus let them preach by the way in every congregation, baptizing by bwater, and the laying on of the chands by the water's side.

 9a that which the prophets and apostles have written, and that which is taught them by the Comforter through the prayer of faith Again, apostles and prophets speak and write as moved upon by the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Holy Ghost. Whether they are the prophets and apostles of the scripture records or the living prophet and apostles, it is their word and the word set forth by the Holy Ghost, that is to be taught in the church. All things ought to be taught by the Holy Spirit, and it one does not have that Spirit, they ought not teach/preach. (See also verse 36)
D&C 52:11 For thus saith the Lord, I will cut my work short in arighteousness, for the days come that I will send forth bjudgment unto victory.
D&C 52:12 And let my servant Lyman Wight beware, for Satan desireth to asift him as chaff.
D&C 52:13 And behold, he that is afaithful shall be made ruler over many things.

D&C 52:14 And again, I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived; for Satan is abroad in the land, and he goeth forth adeceiving the nations—
D&C 52:15 Wherefore he that prayeth, whose spirit is acontrite, the same is baccepted of me if he obey mine cordinancesa.
D&C 52:16 He that aspeaketh, whose spirit is contrite, whose language is meek and bedifieth, the same is of God if he obey mine ordinancesa.

 15a if he obey mine ordinances
 16a if he obey mine ordinances
D&C 52:17 And again, he that trembleth under my power shall be made astrong, and shall bring forth fruits of praise and bwisdom, according to the revelations and truths which I have given you.
D&C 52:18 And again, he that is overcome and abringeth not forth fruits, even according to this pattern, is not of me.
D&C 52:19 Wherefore, by this pattern ye shall aknow the spirits in all cases under the whole heavens.

D&C 52:20 And the days have come; according to men's faith it shall be adone unto thema.
D&C 52:21 Behold, this commandment is given unto all the elders whom I have chosen.

 20a according to men's faith it shall be done unto them
D&C 52:22 And again, verily I say unto you, let my servant, aThomas B. Marsh and my servant bEzra Thayre take their journey also, preaching the word by the way unto this same land.
D&C 52:23 And again, let my servant Isaac Morley and my servant Ezra Booth take their journey, also preaching the word by the way unto this same land.
D&C 52:24 And again, let my servants aEdward Partridge and Martin Harris take their journey with my servants Sidney Rigdon and Joseph Smith, Jun.
D&C 52:25 Let my servants David Whitmer and Harvey Whitlock also take their journey, and preach by the way unto this same land.
D&C 52:26 And let my servants aParley P. Pratt and bOrson Pratt take their journey, and preach by the way, even unto this same land.
D&C 52:27 And let my servants Solomon Hancock and Simeon Carter also take their journey unto this same land, and preach by the way.
D&C 52:28 Let my servants Edson Fuller and Jacob Scott also take their journey.
D&C 52:29 Let my servants Levi W. Hancock and Zebedee Coltrin also take their journey.
D&C 52:30 Let my servants Reynolds Cahoon and Samuel H. Smith also take their journey.
D&C 52:31 Let my servants Wheeler Baldwin and William Carter also take their journey.
D&C 52:32 And let my servants aNewel Knight and bSelah J. Griffin both be ordained, and also take their journey.

D&C 52:33 Yea, verily I say, let all these take their journey unto one place, in their several courses, and one man shall not build upon another's afoundation, neither journey in another's track.
D&C 52:34 He that is faithful, the same shall be kept and blessed with much afruit.

D&C 52:35 And again, I say unto you, let my servants Joseph Wakefield and Solomon Humphrey take their journey into the eastern lands;
D&C 52:36 Let them labor with their families, adeclaring none other things than the prophets and apostles, that which they have bseen and heard and most assuredly cbelieve, that the prophecies may be fulfilled.

D&C 52:37 In consequence of transgression, let that which was bestowed upon Heman Basset be ataken from him, and placed upon the head of Simonds Ryder.
D&C 52:38 And again, verily I say unto you, let Jared Carter be aordained a priest, and also George James be ordained a bpriest.

D&C 52:39 Let the residue of the elders awatch over the churches, and declare the word in the regions round about them; and let them blabor with their own hands that there be no cidolatry nor wickedness practised.
D&C 52:40 And remember in all things the apoor and the bneedy, the csick and the afflicted, for he that doeth not these things, the same is not my disciple.

D&C 52:41 And again, let my servants Joseph Smith, Jun., and Sidney Rigdon and Edward Partridge take with them a arecommend from the church. And let there be one obtained for my servant Oliver Cowdery also.
D&C 52:42 And thus, even as I have said, if ye are faithful ye shall assemble yourselves together to rejoice upon the land of aMissouri, which is the land of your binheritance, which is now the land of your enemies.

D&C 52:43 But, behold, I, the Lord, will hasten the city in its time, and will crown the faithful with ajoy and with rejoicing.
D&C 52:44 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and I will alift them up at that last day. Even so. Amen.