I, the Lord, am not pleased with my servant Sidney Rigdon ... his writing is not acceptable unto the Lord. 63:55
A revelation to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. April 1829, Harmony, Pennsylvania. It is a translation from a letter written and hidden by John the Apostle. It deals with the question of whether John is dead or alive.
7:1-81 And the Lord said unto me: John, my beloved, what desirest thou? For if you shall ask what you will, it shall be granted unto you.
The Lord said to me,
John, my beloved, what do you want? [1]
I'll give you whatever you ask for.
2 And I said unto him: Lord, give unto me power over death, that I may live and bring souls unto thee.
I said to him,
I'd like to live forever.
3 And the Lord said unto me: Verily, verily, I say unto thee, because thou desirest this thou shalt tarry until I come in my glory, and shalt prophesy before nations, kindreds, tongues and people.
Jesus said to me,
Okay, you'll live until I return in all my glory.
4 And for this cause the Lord said unto Peter: If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? For he desired of me that he might bring souls unto me, but thou desiredst that thou mightest speedily come unto me in my kingdom.
5 I say unto thee, Peter, this was a good desire; but my beloved has desired that he might do more, or a greater work yet among men than what he has before done.
Then Jesus said to Peter,
If my beloved doesn't die until I return,
what's it to you?
6 Yea, he has undertaken a greater work; therefore I will make him as flaming fire and a ministering angel; he shall minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation who dwell on the earth.
7 And I will make thee to minister for him and for thy brother James; and unto you three I will give this power and the keys of this ministry until I come.
8 Verily I say unto you, ye shall both have according to your desires, for ye both joy in that which ye have desired.
I'll make him like a flaming fire and an angel.
See John 21:18-23 for the Bible's version of this story.
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