Revelation, circa 8 March 1831–B [D&C 47]
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Source Note
Revelation, , OH, to , ca. 8 Mar. 1831. Featured version, titled “50th Commandment March 8th. 1831,” copied [between ca. Mar. and June 1831] in Revelation Book 1, pp. 79–80; handwriting of ; CHL. Includes redactions. For more complete source information, see the source note for Revelation Book 1.
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Historical Introduction
This revelation appointed to take up the work formerly done by as scribe and recorder—and added a new responsibility. Cowdery, who was “called . . . to write for” JS by April 1829, was the principal scribe for the Book of Mormon and JS’s early revelations and, once the was organized in April 1830, kept minutes at meetings. He also served as scribe for early portions of JS’s inspired revision of the Bible. By the time of this revelation, however, Cowdery was away on a mission, and Whitmer had assumed some of Cowdery’s formal duties. He succeeded Cowdery as scribe for JS’s Bible revision and also assisted JS in gathering and copying revelations, a work that culminated in the creation of a manuscript book of revelations. The following revelation not only formalized Whitmer’s assignment to “assist my servent Joseph” in such writing duties but added that he should also “write & keep a regulal [regular] history.” The revelation then reiterated this dual appointment, directing that Whitmer “Keep the Church Record & History continually for Oliver I have appointed to an other office.”Before the establishment of the church, JS’s primary need for scribal assistance was for recording revelatory texts, as demonstrated by ’s work on the of the Book of Mormon as well as his careful recording of at least sixteen revelations. The need for other kinds of record keeping increased once the was organized. The first lines of a revelation recorded on 6 April 1830, the day of organization, proclaimed that “there Shall a Record be kept among you,” and the church’s foundational “Articles and Covenants” commanded that a record of members be kept and that members be provided with certificates of good standing that could be presented to the various branches of the church. Cowdery responded by keeping these records until he departed in October 1830 for a mission to the American Indians. was temporarily appointed to record minutes, and in March 1831, was appointed to replace Cowdery. About the time this revelation was dictated, John Whitmer began inscribing Revelation Book 1.was a willing scribe but a reluctant historian. At the 9 April 1831 conference he responded affirmatively by keeping the minutes when “appointed to keep the Church record & history by the voice of ten .” But according to Whitmer’s own history, when JS told him that in addition to keeping church records “you must also keep the Church history,” he initially declined: “I would rather not do it but observed that the will of the Lord be done, and if he desires it, I desire that he would manifest it through Joseph the Seer.” As a result of this conversation, JS dictated the revelation presented here. Whitmer likely composed its heading when copying it into Revelation Book 1, acknowledging that the text was dictated “in consequenc[e] of not feeling reconsiled to write at the request of Joseph with[o]ut a .”Prior to the dictation of this revelation, record keeping in the church was often sporadic and incomplete. After was appointed church historian and recorder, the number of documents recording church history increased substantially. Minutes of church conferences generally contained more detail than they had previously, and Whitmer’s creation of Revelation Book 1 preserved most of JS’s early revelations. Whitmer also wrote a ninety-six-page narrative history that primarily described events from fall 1830 through the mid-1830s.
Footnotes
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1
Revelation, Apr. 1829–D [D&C 9:4]. Cowdery’s calling to write for JS may have been initiated even before they met in April 1829. JS’s circa summer 1832 history explains that Cowdery had seen both the Lord and the gold plates in a vision, an experience that encouraged him to travel to Harmony, Pennsylvania, to meet JS. (JS History, ca. Summer 1832, [6].)
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2
Cowdery departed on his mission by late October 1830, after which John Whitmer became the primary scribe for the Bible revision, except for during a short period when Emma Smith wrote for JS. Sidney Rigdon, Jesse Gause, and Frederick G. Williams were the primary scribes for the Bible revision after November 1831. (See Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 43–47, 57–59, 63–73.)
Faulring, Scott H., Kent P. Jackson, and Robert J. Matthews, eds. Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible: Original Manuscripts. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2004.
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3
JS History, vol. A-1, 50; see also Historical Introduction to Revelation Book 1. In his role of recorder, Cowdery kept minutes for the 9 June 1830 conference and was there appointed “to keep the Church record and Conference Minutes until the next conference,” held 26 September 1830. At the 9 April 1831 conference, John Whitmer “was appointed to keep the Church record & history by the voice of ten Elders.” (Minutes, 9 June 1830; Minutes, 26 Sept. 1830; Minute Book 2, 9 Apr. 1831.)
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4
Although Cowdery created many records upon which a history could be based, no formal narrative history written by him is known. Even so, Whitmer made clear in his own history that he saw his work as continuing the work that Cowdery had begun. Later, beginning in 1834, Cowdery wrote a series of letters that detailed aspects of early church history. (Whitmer, History, 1, 25; see also JSP, H1:38–89.)
JSP, H1 / Davidson, Karen Lynn, David J. Whittaker, Mark Ashurst-McGee, and Richard L. Jensen, eds. Histories, Volume 1: Joseph Smith Histories, 1832–1844. Vol. 1 of the Histories series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2012.
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5
Although Cowdery and Whitmer were JS’s primary scribes from 1828 to 1831, other scribes assisted JS on a more limited and temporary basis. These included, among others, Martin Harris, Samuel Smith, Emma Smith, Reuben Hale, Peter Whitmer Jr., and Sidney Rigdon. (See Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 43–48.)
Faulring, Scott H., Kent P. Jackson, and Robert J. Matthews, eds. Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible: Original Manuscripts. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2004.
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6
Revelation, 6 Apr. 1830 [D&C 21:1].
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7
Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830 [D&C 20:81–84].
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8
The minutes of the 26 September 1830 conference record the appointment of David Whitmer “to keep the Church records until the next Conference,” but there is no evidence that he fulfilled this responsibility. (Minutes, 26 Sept. 1830.)
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9
Minute Book 2, 9 Apr. 1831.
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10
Whitmer, History, 24.
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