Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, May 1831. HC 1: 170—173. The Prophet states that some of the elders did not understand the manifestations of different spirits abroad in the earth, and that this revelation was given in response to his special inquiry on the matter. So-called spiritual phenomena were not uncommon among the members, some of whom claimed to be receiving visions and revelations.

1—5, Many false spirits are abroad in the earth; 6—9, Wo unto the hypocrites and those who are cut off from the Church; 10—14, Elders are to preach the gospel by the Spirit; 15—22, Both preachers and hearers need to be enlightened by the Spirit; 23—25, That which doth not edify is not of God; 26—28, The faithful are possessors of all things; 29—36, Prayers of the purified are answered; 37—46, Christ is the Good Shepherd and the Stone of Israel.

 HEARKEN, O ye elders of my church, and give ear to the ^avoice^• of the living God; and attend to the words of wisdom which shall be given unto you, according as ye have asked and are agreed as touching the church, and the ^bspirits^• which have gone abroad in the earth.

 Behold, verily I say unto you, that there are many spirits which are false ^aspirits, which have gone forth in the earth, deceiving the world.

 And also ^aSatan^• hath sought to deceive you, that he might overthrow you.

 Behold, I, the Lord, have looked upon you, and have seen ^aabominations^• in the church that ^bprofess^• my name.

 But blessed are they who are faithful and ^aendure, whether in life or in death, for they shall inherit eternal life.

 But wo unto them that are ^adeceivers and hypocrites, for, thus saith the Lord, I will bring them to judgment.

 Behold, verily I say unto you, there are ^ahypocrites^• among you, who have deceived some, which has given the ^badversary ^cpower^•; but behold ^dsuch^• shall be reclaimed;

 But the ^ahypocrites shall be detected and shall be ^bcut^• off, either in life or in death, even as I will; and wo unto them who are cut off from my church, for the same are overcome of the world.

 Wherefore, let every man beware lest he do that which is not in truth and righteousness before me.

 And now come, saith the Lord, by the Spirit, unto the elders of his church, and let us ^areason^• together, that ye may understand;

 Let us reason even as a man reasoneth one with another face to face.

 Now, when a man reasoneth he is understood of man, because he reasoneth as a man; even so will I, the Lord, reason with you that you may ^aunderstand^•.

 Wherefore, I the Lord ask you this question—unto what were ye ^aordained?

 To preach my gospel by the ^aSpirit^•, even the ^bComforter which was sent forth to teach the truth.

 And then received ye ^aspirits^• which ye could not understand, and received them to be of God; and in this are ye justified?

 Behold ye shall answer this question yourselves; nevertheless, I will be ^amerciful^• unto you; he that is weak among you hereafter shall be made ^bstrong^•.

 Verily I say unto you, he that is ordained of me and sent forth to ^apreach the word of truth by the Comforter, in the Spirit of truth, doth he ^bpreach it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?

 And if it be by some other way it is not of God.

 And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?

 If it be some other way it is not of God.

 Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know, that he that receiveth the word by the ^aSpirit of truth receiveth it as it is preached by the Spirit of truth?

 Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are ^aedified and ^brejoice^• together.

 And that which doth not ^aedify^• is not of God, and is ^bdarkness.

 That which is of God is ^alight^•; and he that ^breceiveth ^clight^•, and ^dcontinueth^• in God, receiveth more ^elight^•; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

 And again, verily I say unto you, and I say it that you may know the ^atruth^•, that you may chase darkness from among you;

 He that is ^aordained of God and sent forth, the same is appointed to be the ^bgreatest^•, notwithstanding he is the ^cleast^• and the ^dservant^• of all.

 Wherefore, he is possessor of all things; for all things are ^asubject^• unto him, both in heaven and on the earth, the life and the light, the Spirit and the ^bpower, sent forth by the will of the Father through Jesus Christ, his Son.

 But no man is possessor of ^aall^• things except he be ^bpurified and ^ccleansed^• from all sin.

 And if ye are ^apurified^• and cleansed from all ^bsin, ye shall ^cask^• whatsoever you will in the name of Jesus and it shall be done.

 But know this, it shall be given you what you shall ^aask; and as ye are appointed to the ^bhead, the spirits shall be subject unto you.

 Wherefore, it shall come to pass, that if you behold a ^aspirit^• manifested that you cannot understand, and you receive not that spirit, ye shall ask of the Father in the name of Jesus; and if he give not unto you that spirit, then you may know that it is not of God.

 And it shall be given unto you, ^apower^• over that spirit; and you shall proclaim against that spirit with a loud voice that it is ^bnot^• of God—

 Not with ^arailing^• accusation, that ye be not overcome, neither with ^bboasting^• nor rejoicing, lest you be seized therewith.

 He that receiveth of God, let him ^aaccount it of God; and let him rejoice that he is accounted of God worthy to receive.

 And by giving heed and doing these things which ye have received, and which ye shall hereafter receive—and the ^akingdom^• is given ^byou^• of the Father, and ^cpower to ^dovercome^• all things which are not ordained of him—

 And behold, verily I say unto you, blessed are you who are now hearing these words of mine from the mouth of my servant, for your sins are ^aforgiven you.

 Let my servant Joseph Wakefield, in whom I am well pleased, and my servant ^aParley^• P. Pratt go forth among the churches and strengthen them by the word of ^bexhortation;

 And also my servant John Corrill, or as many of my servants as are ordained unto this office, and let them labor in the ^avineyard; and let no man hinder them doing that which I have appointed unto them—

 Wherefore, in this thing my servant ^aEdward^• Partridge is not justified; nevertheless let him repent and he shall be forgiven.

 Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot ^abear^• all things now; ye must ^bgrow^• in ^cgrace and in the knowledge of the truth.

 ^aFear^• not, little ^bchildren, for you are mine, and I have ^covercome^• the world, and you are of them that my Father hath ^dgiven^• me;

 And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be ^alost^•.

 And the Father and I are ^aone. I am ^bin^• the Father and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you.

 Wherefore, I am in your midst, and I am the ^agood^{• b}shepherd, and the ^cstone^• of Israel. He that buildeth upon this ^drock^• shall never ^efall^•.

 And the ^aday cometh that you shall hear my voice and ^bsee^• me, and ^cknow^• that I am.

 ^aWatch, therefore, that ye may be ^bready. Even so. Amen.