A Revelation, received by the Prophet, James J. Strang, on July 1, 1846, concerning war between the United States and Mexico and commanding the Saints to build a House of God.
1a The word of the Lord God came unto the prophet James, on the first day of July, in the year eighteen hundred and forty-six, when James Knox Polk was president of the United States;
1b And behold they were at war with the Republic of Mexico, and the kings of Europe looked on with fear and anguish, but they knew not what the Lord would accomplish;
1c Neither did any of them heed his word, for in their pride are they exalted, and men have gone after their iniquitous ways.
2a But verily, verily, saith the Lord, I will send a rebuke and my judgments upon them, and they that have lifted up themselves will I abase,
2b And I will give judgment to my servant, even to my servant James J. Strang, whom I have taken from among the honorable men of the earth, and have built up by my strange counsel.
2c Verily, if he fails not of his meekness, and obeys my commandments, and remembers to keep all my precepts, I will lift up his head to redeem the oppressed, and to give comfort to the poor among all people.
2d Upon thrones shall he sit, and the scepter shall be in his hand, and he shall lift up an ensign to all the earth, and my servants who are faithful to me shall be princes and rulers over many people.
3a. Therefore, my servant James, if thou wilt receive honor and glory, verily, verily, thou shalt lead my people, and my word shalt thou receive from me and teach unto my people.
3b And verily, I will not now excuse thee or accept any other service at thy hands, for this is thine office:
3c Verily, verily, thou shalt be Prophet, Seer, Revelator, and Translator, and shalt preside over my people, or thou shalt have no priesthood in my church, and shalt receive no honor in my kingdom.
4a Therefore, complain unto me no more, but rebuke the complainers faithfully for my name’s sake, and if they will not hearken unto thee, they shall be cast out from among my people.
4b Thy strength shall be in meekness and in my word which I shall speak unto thee, and with words of fire shalt thou consume those whose voices are raised against thee,
4c And their hearts shall fail them at thy rebuke, until they are altogether cast off, and my Spirit departs from them.
5a It pleases me that it hath been in the hearts of my servants to build a house for thee to dwell in, for I have required thee to serve me continually, and not to serve thyself.
5b Take heed therefore, that thou have a room for translations therein, for it is my will that thou translate ancient records, hidden truths, unto my people.
5c It is my will that thou do it in thy house, and not in the field as thou hast, nor in the houses of unbelievers, that they may look upon sacred things.
5d Therefore, whoso seeketh my word, let him make speed, and let every good work be accomplished speedily.
6a And then shall my people build a house unto my name, that I may institute those ordinances which pertain to the dispensation of the fulness of times.
6b For since my people have been sifted, I will try them again whether they will receive the truth, and pervert it not.
6c And I will show unto my servant James all things pertaining to this house and the priesthood of those who shall minister therein.
6d And I will give unto him the preparation for a holy endowment therein, that he may instruct my people in the principles of the mysteries of my Kingdom, as they are severally able to learn.
7a And if my people will build a house unto me according to my commandments, and will not be slothful therein, but will make speed to build, then will I endow them,
7b Even so many as are faithful and obey me and hearken to my words and to the words of my servants whom I have appointed to be their leaders.
7c But to the disobedient and rebellious will I not give power, and if they receive the word, it shall be dead unto them, and they shall not have power nor understand it.
7d And I will separate between the righteous and the wicked, and between the obedient and the rebellious.
8a And I will try my people with a great trial. And because they have been tried in chastisement, I will now even try them in faith and in obedience to my law.
8b And if they will diligently serve me, and give heed unto all my words, that I have spoken and shall speak unto them by the mouth of my servant James, behold, in the house which they shall build unto me, will I reveal unto them things which have been kept in the secrets of heaven from before the world was, things without which the kingdom of God cannot hold dominion, nor mankind be redeemed from deceit and violence;
8c And these things are exceeding precious and to be obtained by obedience and patience and devotion to truth.
9a Therefore, whosoever will not abide the preparation faithfully, shall not be blessed, neither shall ye teach him the mysteries of the kingdom, nor will I give him power;
9b But of all you teach the mysteries, shall you take a great covenant. And he that abideth not in his covenant, shall receive of the wrath of God according to the measure of his covenant and the evil he doeth therein;
9c Yea, verily, out of his own mouth shall he be judged, and as he hath spoken, so shall it be done unto him.
10a Therefore, let all my saints set their hands diligently to build a house unto my name, that I may come and dwell therein, and that I may restore unto them that which they have lost,
10b And may give unto them those things which I gave unto my church in former days, and may reveal unto them things which have never been revealed among men.
11a And if my people will cease all their contentions, and their backbitings and jealousies, and will present themselves holy before me, then will I appoint unto them, in the days of their poverty, a place for their baptisms for their dead, which pertains unto my house.
11b But in their controversies and contentions I will not bless them, nor bestow upon them mine authority in the most holy things, because they do not understand my Law, nor do they know for whom they shall baptize;
11c And while they contend one with another, they will not receive my word, nor receive wisdom from me;
11d They call evil good, and good evil, and they are not wise. Therefore is the blessing withheld till they humble themselves, and hearken to the voice of truth, which my servant James, who is faithful, speaketh unto them.
12a And I will show unto my servant James the pattern of the house which ye shall build unto my name, and all things pertaining thereto;
12b And it shall be built on the prairie near White River, to the northwestward of the Hill of Promise, and the city of Voree shall be built around it, both on the plain and on the hills.
12c And it shall be a holy city and a strong hold of truth and righteousness unto me, if my servants serve me; and upon the Hill of Promise shall ye build a hall which shall be a strong tower unto me,
12d And the pattern thereof, and all things pertaining thereto, will I show unto my servant James, for it is the beginning of the preparation whereby the poor may be exalted, and the oppressed lifted up, and all my servants made equal in their temporal things;
12e For unless they be one in their temporal things, the fulness of my Spirit shall be withheld from them.
13a Therefore, come all ye my servants, and bring your silver and your gold and your precious stones, and bring ye timber and stone, and labor with your hands and with cattle, and build a house unto me;
13b And see that ye do all things according to the pattern which I will show unto my servant James, as he shall deliver it unto you;
13c And make ye a freewill offering, and build a tower of strength unto me upon the Hill of Promise;
13d For if ye do all these things, dominion shall be given unto you, and Daniel the prophet shall proclaim the kingdom of your God, and shall call forth the saints to possess it.
14a Take heed therefore, O ye my saints, for three unclean spirits have gone forth among you to destroy you.
14b The first is jealousy, and she dresseth in garments of modesty. Envy walketh before her, and discourseth of prudence. She saith to every one, There is none like me to you before the Lord.
15 The second is ambition. Distrust followeth her, whispering into the ears of each passer by. Of every industrious servant she says, I fear he seeks more than his own; and of the prudent, I fear he will never accomplish his work.
16a The third is lust. Sensuality walks before her, and adultery at her right hand. They clothe themselves alternately in the garments of virgins and matrons.
16b Their tongues discourse sweet music to him whose feet begin to slip, and they rebuke unsuspecting virtue harshly; but they walk in the way of death, and their path goes down to the pit. Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall.
17a And now let every unclean thing be put away from among you, and purify yourselves before me, that ye may be prepared for your washings and your anointings and the blessings and revelations which I have in store for you;
17b For unless ye do these things, ye cannot receive the blessings.