History of Joseph Smith, the Prophet and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Joseph F. Smith
31. And in that place they shall lift up their voices unto God against that people; yea unto Him whose anger is kindled against their wickedness; a people who are well-nigh ripened for destruction;
32. And from thence let them journey for the congregations of their brethren, for their labors even now, are wanted more abundantly among them than among the congregations of the wicked.
33. And now concerning the residue, let them journey and declare the word among the congregations of the wicked, inasmuch as it is given;
34. And inasmuch as they do this they shall rid their garments, and they shall be spotless before me;
35. And let them journey together, or two by two, as seemeth them good, only let my servant Reynolds Cahoon, and my servant Samuel H. Smith, with whom I am well pleased, be not separated until they return to their homes, and this for a wise purpose in me.
36. And now, verily I say unto you, and what I say unto one I say unto all, be of good cheer little children, for I am in your midst, and I have not forsaken you;
37. And inasmuch as you have humbled yourselves before me, the blessings of the kingdom are yours.
38. Gird up your loins and be watchful and be sober, looking forth for the coming of the Son of Man, for He cometh in an hour you think not.
39. Pray always that you enter not into temptation, that you may abide the day of His coming, whether in life or in death. Even so. Amen.
A Chance Meeting of Elders.
On the 13th [August] I met several of the Elders on their way to the land of Zion, and after the joyful salutations with which brethren meet each other, who are actually "contending for the faith once delivered to the Saints," I received the following:
Revelation, given August, 1831. 8
1. Behold, and hearken O ye Elders of my Church, saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, your advocate, who knoweth the weakness of man and how to succor them who are tempted;
2. And verily mine eyes are upon those who have not as yet gone up unto the land of Zion; wherefore your mission is not yet full;
3. Nevertheless ye are blessed, for the testimony which ye have borne, is recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon, and they rejoice over you, and your sins are forgiven you.
4. And now continue your journey. Assemble yourselves upon the land of Zion, and hold a meeting and rejoice together, and offer a sacrament unto the Most High;
5. And then you may return to bear record, yea, even all together, or two by two, as seemeth you good, it mattereth not unto me, only be faithful, and declare glad tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, of among the congregations of the wicked.
6. Behold, I, the Lord, have brought you together that the promise might be fulfilled, that the faithful among you should be preserved and rejoice together in the land of Missouri. I, the Lord, promised the faithful and cannot lie.
7. I, the Lord, am willing, if any among you desire to ride upon horses, or upon mules, or in chariots, he shall receive this blessing, if he receive it from the hand of the Lord, with a thankful heart in all things.
8. These things remain with you to do according to judgment and the directions of the Spirit.
9. Behold, the kingdom is yours. And behold, and lo, I am with the faithful always. Even so. Amen.
Arrival of the Prophet and Party at Kirtland.
After this meeting with the Elders, Sidney Rigdon, Oliver Cowdery, and myself, continued our journey by land to St. Louis, where we overtook Brothers Phelps and Gilbert. From this place we took stage, and they went by water to Kirtland, where we arrived safe and well on the 27th [August]. Many things transpired upon this journey to strengthen our faith, and which displayed the goodness of God in such a marvelous manner, that we could not help beholding the exertions of Satan to blind the eyes of the people, so as to hide the true light that lights every man that comes into the world.
Anxiety of the Saints to Receive the Word of the Lord.
In these infant days of the Church, there was a great anxiety to obtain the word of the Lord upon every subject that in any way concerned our salvation; and as the land of Zion was now the most important temporal object in view, I enquired of the Lord for further information upon the gathering of the Saints, and the purchase of the land, and other matters, and received the following:
Revelation, given in Kirtland, August, 1831. 9
1. Hearken, O ye people, and open your hearts and give ear from afar; and listen, you that call yourselves the people of the Lord, and hear the word of the Lord and His will concerning you:
2. Yea, verily, I say, hear the word of Him whose anger is kindled against the wicked and rebellious;
3. Who willeth to take even them whom He will take, and preserveth in life them whom He will preserve;
4. Who buildeth up at His own will and pleasure; and destroyeth when he pleases, and is able to cast the soul down to hell.
5. Behold, I, the Lord, utter my voice, and it shall be obeyed.
6. Wherefore, verily I say, let the wicked take heed, and let the rebellious fear and tremble; and let the unbelieving hold their lips, for the day of wrath shall come upon them as a whirlwind, and all flesh shall know that I am God.
7. And he that seeketh signs shall see signs, but not unto salvation.
8. Verily, I say unto you, there are those among you who seek signs, and there have been such even from the beginning;
9. But, behold, faith cometh not by signs, but signs follow those that believe.
10. Yea, signs come by faith, not by the will of men, nor as they please, but by the will of God.
11. Yea, signs come by faith, unto mighty works, for without faith no man pleaseth God: and with whom God is angry He is not well pleased; wherefore, unto such He showeth no sign, only in wrath unto their condemnation.
12. Wherefore, I, the Lord, am not pleased with those among you who have sought after signs and wonders for faith, and not for the good of men unto my glory;
13. Nevertheless, I gave commandments, and many have turned away from my commandments and have not kept them.
14. There were among you adulterers and adulteresses; some of whom have turned away from you, and others remain with you that hereafter shall be revealed.
15. Let such beware and repent speedily, lest judgment shall come upon them as a snare, and their folly shall be made manifest, and their works shall follow them in the eyes of the people.
16. And, verily, I say unto you, as I have said before, he that looketh upon a woman to lust after her, or if any shall commit adultery in their hearts, they shall not have the Spirit, but shall deny the faith and shall fear:
17. Wherefore I, the Lord, have said that the fearful, and the unbelieving, and all liars, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie, and the whoremonger, and the sorcerer, shall have their part in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death.
18. Verily I say, that they shall not have part in the first resurrection.
19. And now, behold, I, the Lord, say unto you, that ye are not justified because these things are among you;
20. Nevertheless he that endureth in faith and doeth my will, the same shall overcome, and shall receive an inheritance upon the earth when the day of transfiguration shall come;
21. When the earth shall be transfigured, even according to the pattern which was shown unto mine apostles upon the mount; of which account the fulness ye have not yet received.
22. And now, verily, I say unto you, that as I said that I would make known my will unto you, behold I will