Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Nauvoo, Illinois, March 1841
1 What is the will of the Lord concerning the saints in the Territory of Iowa? 2 If they want to be my saints, they must keep my commandments and gather where Joseph Smith tells them to gather and build cities in my name. 3 I want them to build a city opposite Nauvoo and call it Zarahemla. 4 Those who come from the east, west, north, or south who would like to live there, may do so. Or they can live in Nashville or Nauvoo.
Revelation given through Joseph Smith in the house of Brigham Young, at Nauvoo, Illinois, July 9, 1841
1-2 Dear Brigham Young, I've seen what you've been doing in my name. 3 Send my word abroad and take care of your family. Amen.
An epistle from Joseph Smith to the Latter-day Saints at Nauvoo, Illinois, September 1, 1842
1 God told me [Joseph Smith] that my enemies in Missouri and Illinois are after me. So I'm leaving for a while. I'll come back when it's a bit safer. 2-4 He said that I'll triumph over my enemies, that he will punish our enemies, and commanded you to keep working on his temple.
10 I had planned to tell you more about baptizing dead people next Sunday. But since I won't be here, I'll write more about it later. 11 The enemy is on the alert and the devil is coming, so I must end this letter. 12 I'm the prophet and seer of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
A letter from Joseph Smith, Nauvoo, Illinois, September 7, 1842
1 I [Joseph Smith] told you in my letter before leaving that I'd write from time to time. So now I'll tell you some more about baptizing dead people. 2 These baptisms must be witnessed and recorded.
5 Sometime before the world began, the Lord decided to save people who didn't hear the gospel while they were alive by baptizing them after they were dead.
8 When Jesus said, “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound int heaven, etc.” what he really meant was (if translated properly), “Whatever you record on earth shall be recorded in heaven, etc.” 9 This is a faithful saying. Who can hear it?
13 The baptismal font was made to look like a grave, as Paul declared in 1 Corinthians 15:46-47.
15 If you are to be saved, dead people must also be saved. As Paul said, “Dead people can't be made perfect without us, and we can't be made perfect without dead people.”
16 Paul said this in 1 Corinthians 15:29 about baptizing dead people: “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?”
17 Malachi 4:5-6 says: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” 18 I could make a better translation of this verse, but you get the idea. It's enough to know that God plans to smite the earth with a curse - unless there's a link of some kind between fathers and children. And that something is the baptism of dead people. Because we can't be made perfect without dead people, and dead people can't be made perfect without us. Also the end times won't come unless we baptize dead people.
19 What do we hear from the gospel? Glad tidings for dead people. How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring glad tidings.
20 So what do we hear? Glad tidings from Cumorah! The angel Moroni revealing a new book to be published. The voice of the Lord in Fayette, Seneca County with three men who saw the book. Michael on the banks of the Susquehanna with a devil detector. Peter, James and John somewhere between Harmony, Susquehanna County, and Colesville, Broome County, on the Susquehanna River with the keys to the kingdom.
21 And again, the voice of God in old Father Whitmer's room in Fayette, Seneca County. The voices of Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael the Archangels and other angels.
22 Go forward, not backward. On to victory! Let the earth start singing and dead people start talking.
23 Shout for joy, you mountains, valleys, seas, dry lands, rivers, woods, and trees. And you rocks, weep for joy. Sun, moon, and start - start singing.
24 The Lord's great day is nearly here. He's like fuller's soap. Let's finish this temple and put the records of the dead people that we've baptized in it.
25 I have a lot more to say, but I'll save it for later. I'm your humble servant, Joseph Smith.
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