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May 15, 1831

Ezra Thayer, a farmer residing in western New York, was an early convert to the restored Church of Jesus Christ. He was baptized by Parley P. Pratt and confirmed by the Prophet Joseph Smith in the fall of 1830, just months after the organization of the Church. In fact, Ezra already knew the Prophet and his family at the time of his conversion, having previously brought on Joseph Smith Sr. and his sons as hired labor for various jobs. He initially met the message of the restored gospel with skepticism; that is, until he had the opportunity to personally examine a copy of the Book of Mormon and hear Hyrum Smith preach.[1] A revelation given to the Prophet shortly after his conversion instructed Ezra to lift up his voice in declaring the gospel (Doctrine and Covenants 33).

Not long after relocating to Kirtland, Ezra was, along with Joseph Sr., the subject of a revelation received through the Prophet. This one, given on May 15, 1831, was in response to a dispute that arose over the management of a farm that was owned by Frederick G. Williams, who at the time was on a mission. Williams had exchanged his previously owned land in Warrensville, Ohio for the new land in Kirtland on which the farm stood with a certain Isaac Moore, who opposed the Saints. (Moore is probably the “adversary” mentioned in the revelation.) Disagreement between the two over the settlement of the five-hundred-dollar difference in the value of the respective lands in the exchange resulted in Moore apparently refusing to vacate the farm to make room for Ezra and Joseph Sr. and their families to take up their occupancy of the property. The revelation given to the Prophet on May 15 gives instruction on how Ezra and Joseph Sr. were to handle the dispute. A resolution was eventually reached, so that by the end of May 1831 Moore had left the property.[2] Just weeks later, Ezra was ordained a high priest and called on a mission, as foretold in this revelation (see also Doctrine and Covenants 52:22).[3]

Appended to this revelation is a question asking what “the brethren” should do with their money (presumably referring to money consecrated to the Church). The answer given is that they were to use to purchase land “in the west” (i.e., Zion in Jackson County, and the surrounding area) to secure “an everlasting inheritance.”[4] It is unclear how this question and answer relates to the preceding revelation concerning the farm; it appears “not to be related to what preceded” at all, although it “may have been dictated at the same time as the preceding material”; or, alternatively, it may be a scribal addition. In any case, Oliver Cowdery crossed out the question and noted that the answer pertained “to the Palmyra Church.”[5] Because of the uncertain relationship this portion of the text shares with the rest of the revelation, we have opted to drop it from our reproduction (see below in the endnotes for the full text).

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Given to Ezra Thayer and Joseph Smith Sr. concerning a farm.

Hearken unto my words and behold—I will make known unto you what ye shall do as it shall be pleasing unto me. For verily, I say unto you, it must needs be that ye let the bargain stand that ye have made concerning these farms, until it be so fulfilled. Behold, ye are holden for the one; even so likewise thine adversary is holden for the other. Wherefore, it must needs be that ye pay no more money for the present time until the contract be fulfilled.

And let my servant Joseph Smith Sr. and his family go into the house after thine adversary is gone; and let my servant Ezra Thayer board with him; and let all the brethren immediately assemble together and put up a house for my servant Ezra. And let my servant Frederick G. Williams’s family remain; and let the house be repaired and their wants be supplied. And when my servant Frederick returns from the west, behold, he taketh his family to the west. Let that which belongeth to my servant Frederick be secured unto him by deed or bond; and thus he willeth that the brethren reap the good thereof.

Let my servant Joseph Smith Sr. govern the things of the farm and provide for the families; and let him have help in as much as he standeth in need. Let my servant Ezra humble himself, and at the conference meeting he shall be ordained unto power from on high. And he shall go from thence—if he be obedient unto my commandments—and proclaim my gospel unto the western regions with my servants that must go forth, even unto the borders of the Lamanites. For behold, I have a great work for them to do. And it shall be given unto you to know what ye shall do at the conference meeting. Even so. Amen.

Notes

[1] See Matthew McBride, “Ezra Thayer: From Skeptic to Believer,” in Revelations in Context: The Stories Behind the Sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, ed. Matthew McBride and James Goldberg (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2016), 61–65.

[2] See the additional contextual information in JSP, D1:309–12; Gerrit J. Dirkmaat, “Consecration and Controversy: Ezra Thayer, Leman Copley, and Early Conflicts over Consecrated Properties,” in Business and Religion: The Intersection of Faith and Finance, ed. Matthew C. Godfrey and Michael Hubbard MacKay (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2019), 48–54.

[3] Ezra ended up not serving his mission to Missouri with Thomas B. Marsh as directed in this revelation and in section 52 of the Doctrine and Covenants (compare Doctrine and Covenants 56:5, 8–9). He did, however, go on to serve a mission with Marsh in 1832 (Doctrine and Covenants 75:31).

[4] JSP, D1:314, “What shall the Brethren do with their money—Ye shall go forth & seek dilligently among the Brethren & obtain lands & save the money that it may be consecrated to purcchase lands in the west for an everlasting enheritance even So Amen.”

[5] JSP, D1:314n391.