SECTION
101
[Kirtland
D&C 98, LDS D&C 104]
Revelation
given through Joseph Smith, Jr., April 23, 1834, at Kirtland, Ohio. A
“United Order of Enoch” had been established to manage the
temporal affairs of the church in Kirtland and in Zion. The Order was
now in financial difficulties, largely because of losses sustained
through mob action. In accordance with this revelation, the Order was
now dissolved, its properties being divided among the members of the
Order in such fashion as to constitute their individual stewardships.
For an explanation of the unusual names used in this revelation,
consult the introduction to Doctrine and Covenants 77. The probable
significance of these names is as follows:
The
“Order”: The United Order of Enoch; “Pelagoram”: Sidney
Rigdon; “Tahhanes”: Tannery; “Mahemson”: Martin Harris;
“Zombre”: John Johnson; “Gazelam”: Joseph Smith;
“Shederlaomach”: Frederick G. Williams; “Olihah”: Oliver
Cowdery; “Lane-shine-house”: Printing Office; “Ahashdah”:
Newel K. Whitney; “Ozondah”: Store; “Shinehah”: Kirtland;
“Shinelah”: Print; “Shinelane”: Printing; “Cainhannoch”:
New York; “Shule”: Ashery.
1a.
Verily I say unto you, my friends, I give unto you counsel and a
commandment, concerning all the properties which belong to the order,
which I commanded to be organized and established, to be an united
order, and an everlasting order for the benefit of my church, and for
the salvation of men until I come,
1b.
with promise immutable and unchangeable, that inasmuch as those whom
I commanded were faithful, they should be blessed with a multiplicity
of blessings; but inasmuch as they were not faithful, they were nigh
unto cursing.
1c.
Therefore, inasmuch as some of my servants have not kept the
commandment, but have broken the covenant, by covetousness and with
feigned words, I have cursed them with a very sore and grievous
curse;
1d.
for I, the Lord, have decreed in my heart, that inasmuch as any man,
belonging to the order, shall be found a transgressor; or, in other
words, shall break the covenant with which ye are bound, he shall be
cursed in his life, and shall be trodden down by whom I will, for I,
the Lord, am not to be mocked in these things;
1e.
and all this that the innocent among you, may not be condemned with
the unjust; and that the guilty among you may not escape, because I,
the Lord, have promised unto you a crown of glory at my right hand.
1f.
Therefore, inasmuch as you are found transgressors, ye cannot escape
my wrath in your lives; inasmuch as ye are cut off by transgression,
ye cannot escape the buffetings of Satan until the day of redemption.
2a.
And now I give unto you power from this very hour, that if any man
among you, of the order, is found a transgressor, and repenteth not
of the evil, that ye shall deliver him over unto the buffetings of
Satan; and he shall not have power to bring evil upon you.
2b. It
is wisdom in me; therefore, a commandment I give unto you, that ye
shall organize yourselves, and appoint every man his stewardship,
that every man may give an account unto me of the stewardship which
is appointed unto him;
2c.
for it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man
accountable, as stewards over earthly blessings, which I have made
and prepared for my creatures.
2d. I,
the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and builded the earth as a very
handy work; and all things therein are mine; and it is my purpose to
provide for my saints, for all things are mine; but it must needs be
done in mine own way;
2e.
and, behold, this is the way, that I, the Lord, have decreed to
provide for my saints;
2f.
that the poor shall be exalted, in that the rich are made low; for
the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared
all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto
themselves.
2g.
Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made,
and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto
the poor, and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes
in hell, being in torment.
3a.
And now, verily I say unto you, concerning the properties of the
order:
3b.
Let my servant Pelagoram have appointed unto him the place where he
now resides, and the lot of Tahhanes, for his stewardship, for his
support while he is laboring in my vineyard, even as I will when I
shall command him;
3c.
and let all things be done according to counsel of the order, and
united consent, or voice of the order, which dwell in the land of
Shinehah.
3d.
And this stewardship and blessing, I, the Lord, confer upon my
servant Pelagoram, for a blessing upon him, and his seed after him,
and I will multiply blessings upon him, inasmuch as he shall be
humble before me.
4a.
And again, let my servant Mahemson have appointed unto him, for his
stewardship, the lot of land which my servant Zombre obtained in
exchange for his former inheritance, for him and his seed after him;
and inasmuch as he is faithful, I will multiply blessings upon him
and his seed after him.
4b.
And let my servant Mahemson devote his moneys for the proclaiming of
my words, according as my servant Gazelam shall direct.
5a.
And again, let my servant Shederlaomach have the place upon which he
now dwells.
5b.
And let my servant Olihah have the lot which is set off joining the
house which is to be for the Lane-shine-house, which is lot number
one; and also the lot upon which his father resides.
5c.
And let my servant Shederlaomach and Olihah have the Lane-
shine-house and all things that pertain unto it; and this shall be
their stewardship which shall be appointed unto them; and inasmuch as
they are faithful, behold, I will bless, and multiply blessings upon
them;
5d.
and this is the beginning of the stewardship which I have appointed
them, for them and their seed after them; and inasmuch as they are
faithful, I will multiply blessings upon them and their seed after
them; even a multiplicity of blessings.
6a.
And again, let my servant Zombre have the house in which he lives,
and the inheritance, all save the ground which has been reserved for
the building of my houses, which pertains to that inheritance; and
those lots which have been named for my servant Olihah.
6b.
And inasmuch as he is faithful, I will multiply blessings upon him.
6c.
And it is my will that he should sell the lots that are laid off for
the building up of the city of my saints, inasmuch as it shall be
made known to him by the voice of the Spirit, and according to the
counsel of the order; and by the voice of the order.
6d.
And this is the beginning of the stewardship which I have appointed
unto him, for a blessing unto him, and his seed after him; and
inasmuch as he is faithful, I will multiply a multiplicity of
blessings upon him.
7a.
And again, let my servant Ahashdah have appointed unto him, the
houses and lot where he now resides, and the lot and building on
which the Ozondah stands; and also the lot which is on the corner
south of the Ozondah; and also the lot on which the Shule is
situated;
7b.
and all this I have appointed unto my servant Ahashdah, for his
stewardship, for a blessing upon him and his seed after him, for the
benefit of the Ozondah of my order, which I have established for my
stake in the land of Shinehah;
7c.
yea, verily this is the stewardship which I have appointed unto my
servant Ahashdah; even this whole Ozondah establishment, him and his
agent, and his seed after him;
7d.
and inasmuch as he is faithful in keeping my commandments, which I
have given unto him, I will multiply blessings upon him, and his seed
after him, even a multiplicity of blessings.
8a.
And again, let my servant Gazelam have appointed unto him, the lot
which is laid off for the building of my house, which is forty rods
long, and twelve wide, and also the inheritance upon which his father
now resides;
8b.
and this is the beginning of the stewardship which I have appointed
unto him, for a blessing upon him, and upon his father; for, behold,
I have reserved an inheritance for his father, for his support:
8c.
therefore he shall be reckoned in the house of my servant Gazelam,
and I will multiply blessings upon the house of my servant Gazelam,
inasmuch as he is faithful, even a multiplictiy of blessings.
9a.
And now a commandment I give unto you concerning Zion, that you shall
no longer be bound as an united order to your brethren of Zion, only
on this wise: after you are organized, you shall be called the united
order of the stake of Zion, the city of Shinehah.
9b.
And your brethren, after they are organized, shall be called the
united order of the city of Zion; and they shall be organized in
their own names, and in their own name; and they shall do their
business in their own name, and in their own names; and you shall do
your business in your own name, and in your own names.
9c.
And this I have commanded to be done for your salvation, and also for
their salvation in consequence of their being driven out, and that
which is to come.
9d.
The covenants being broken through transgression, by covetousness and
feigned words; therefore, you are dissolved as a united order with
your brethren, that you are not bound only up to this hour, unto
them, only on this wise, as I said, by loan, as shall be agreed by
this order, in council, as your circumstances will admit, and the
voice of the council direct.
10a.
And again, a commandment I give unto you concerning your stewardship
which I have appointed unto you;
10b.
behold, all these properties are mine, or else your faith is vain,
and ye are found hypocrites, and the covenants which ye have made
unto me are broken; and if the properties are mine then ye are
stewards, otherwise ye are no stewards.
10c.
But verily I say unto you, I have appointed unto you to be stewards
over mine house, even stewards indeed; and for this purpose I have
commanded you to organize yourselves, even to shinelah my words, the
fullness of my Scriptures, the revelations which I have given unto
you, and which I shall hereafter, from time to time, give unto you,
10d.
for the purpose of building up my church and kingdom on the earth,
and to prepare my people for the time when I shall dwell with them,
which is nigh at hand.
11a.
And ye shall prepare for yourselves a place for a treasury, and
consecrate it unto my name; and ye shall appoint one among you to
keep the treasury, and he shall be ordained unto this blessing;
11b.
and there shall be a seal upon the treasury, and all the sacred
things shall be delivered into the treasury, and no man among you
shall call it his own, or any part of it, for it shall belong to you
all with one accord; and I give it unto you from this very hour;
11c.
and now see to it, that ye go to and make use of the stewardship
which I have appointed unto you, exclusive of the sacred things, for
the purpose of shinelane these sacred things, as I have said;
11d.
and the avails of the sacred things shall be had in the treasury, and
a seal shall be upon it, and it shall not be used or taken out of the
treasury by anyone, neither shall the seal be loosed which shall be
placed upon it, only by the voice of the order, or by commandment.
11e.
And thus shall ye preserve all the avails of the sacred things in the
treasury, for sacred and holy purposes; and this shall be called the
sacred treasury of the Lord; and a seal shall be kept upon it, that
it may be holy and consecrated unto the Lord.
12a.
And again, there shall be another treasury prepared and a treasurer
appointed to keep the treasury, and a seal shall be placed upon it;
12b.
and all moneys that you receive in your stewardships, by improving
upon the properties which I have appointed unto you, in houses or in
lands, or in cattle, or in all things save it be the holy and sacred
writings, which I have reserved unto myself for holy and sacred
purposes,
12c.
shall be cast into the treasury as fast as you receive moneys, by
hundreds or by fifties, or by twenties, or by tens, or by fives, or
in other words, if any man among you obtain five talents let him cast
them into the treasury;
12d.
or if he obtain ten, or twenty, or fifty, or an hundred, let him do
likewise; and let not any man among you say that it is his own, for
it shall not be called his, nor any part of it;
12e.
and there shall not any part of it be used, or taken out of the
treasury, only by the voice and common consent of the order.
12f.
And this shall be the voice and common consent of the order: that any
man among you, say unto the treasurer, I have need of this to help me
in my stewardship;
12g.
if it be five talents, or if it be ten talents, or twenty, or fifty,
or an hundred, the treasurer shall give unto him the sum which he
requires, to help him in his stewardship, until he be found a
transgressor, and it is manifest before the council of the order
plainly, that he is an unfaithful and an unwise steward;
12h.
but so long as he is in full fellowship, and is faithful, and wise in
his stewardship, this shall be his token unto the treasurer that the
treasurer shall not withhold.
12i.
But in case of transgression the treasurer shall be subject unto the
counsel and voice of the order.
12j.
And in case the treasurer is found an unfaithful, and an unwise
steward, he shall be subject to the counsel and voice of the order,
and shall be removed out of his place, and another shall be appointed
in his stead.
13a.
And again, verily I say unto you, concerning your debts,
13b.
Behold, it is my will that you should pay all your debts; and it is
my will that you should humble yourselves before me, and obtain this
blessing by your diligence and humility, and the prayer of faith;
13c.
and inasmuch as you are diligent and humble, and exercise the prayer
of faith, behold, I will soften the hearts of those to whom you are
in debt, until I shall send means unto you for your deliverance.
13d.
Therefore write speedily unto Cainhannoch, and write according to
that which shall be dictated by my Spirit, and I will soften the
hearts of those to whom you are in debt, that it shall be taken away
out of their minds to bring affliction upon you.
13e.
And inasmuch as ye are humble and faithful and call on my name,
behold, I will give you the victory.
13f. I
give unto you a promise, that you shall be delivered this once, out
of your bondage; inasmuch as you obtain a chance to loan (borrow)
money by hundreds, or thousands, even until you shall loan (borrow)
enough to deliver yourselves from bondage, it is your privilege, and
pledge the properties which I have put into your hands, this once, by
giving your names, by common consent, or otherwise, as it shall seem
good unto you.
13g. I
give unto you this privilege, this once, and, behold, if you proceed
to do the things which I have laid before you, according to my
commandments, all these things are mine, and ye are my stewards, and
the master will not suffer his house to be broken up. Even so. Amen.
