|
|
|
|
SECTION 66REvelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Orange, Ohio, October 25, 1831. HC 1:219-221. This was the first day of an important conference. In prefacing this revelation, the Prophet wrote: "At the request of William E. McLellin, I inquired of the Lord, and received th following." |
||
5—8, Elders are to preach, testify, and reason with the people; 9—13, Faithful ministerial service assures an inheritance of eternal life. | ||
|
1 BEHOLD, thus saith the Lord unto my
servant aWilliam E. McLellin—Blessed are you,
inasmuch as you have bturned away from your iniquities, and
have received my truths, saith the Lord your Redeemer, the
cSavior of the world, even of as many as believe on my name.
2 Verily I say unto you, blessed are you for receiving mine aeverlasting covenant, even the fulness of my gospel, sent forth unto the children of men, that they might have blife and be made cpartakers of the dglories which are to be revealed in the last days, as it was written by the prophets and apostles in days of old. 3 Verily I say unto you, my servant William, that you are clean, but not aall; repent, therefore, of those things which are not pleasing in my sight, saith the Lord, for the Lord will bshow them unto you. 4 And now, verily, I, the Lord, will show unto you what I awill concerning you, or what is my will concerning you. |
||
|
5 Behold, verily I say unto you, that it is my will that you
should aproclaim my gospel from land to land, and from
bcity to city, yea, in those regions round about where it
has not been proclaimed.
6 Tarry not many days in this place; go anot up unto the land of Zion as yet; but inasmuch as you can bsend, send; otherwise, think not of thy property. 7 aGo unto the eastern lands, bear btestimony in every place, unto every people and in their csynagogues, reasoning with the people. 8 Let my servant Samuel H. Smith go with you, and forsake him not, and give him thine instructions; and he that is afaithful shall be made bstrong in every place; and I, the Lord, will go with you. |
||
|
9 Lay your ahands upon the
bsick, and they shall crecover. Return
not till I, the Lord, shall send you. Be patient in affliction.
dAsk, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened
unto you.
10 Seek not to be acumbered. Forsake all bunrighteousness. Commit not cadultery—a temptation with which thou hast been troubled. |
||
|
11 aKeep these sayings, for they are true and
bfaithful; and thou shalt cmagnify thine
office, and push many people to
cZiona with
esongs of everlasting joy upon their heads.
12 aContinue in those things even unto the end, and you shall have a bcrown of eternal life at the right hand of my Father, who is full of cgrace and truth. 13 Verily, thus saith the Lord your aGod, your Redeemer, even Jesus Christ. Amen.
|
11a push many people to Zion In Deuteronomy, as part of the blessing to Joseph through Moses, it was stated that Joseph's glory was like the firstlings of his bullock and that his horns were like those of 'unicorns'; and that with his horns he would 'push' the people together to the ends of the earth. And then it was stipulated that those who would do this were the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh (Deuteronomy 33:17). This was particularly understood by the saints of the restored gospel, thus the allusion which is made here in D&C 66 of 'pushing' the people to Zion would be understood to be one called of Joseph, most likely of Ephraim, to go gather out from the world and push the people unto God as intended by the blessing of Moses unto Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh. | |