A Mission to the Shakers

Historical Background and Reflections on Doctrine and Covenants 49

In mid-March of 1831, Parley P. Pratt returned from Missouri to Kirtland, Ohio to find the Church thriving and blossoming with hundreds of new Saints. One of the recent converts, a man named Leman Copley, was formerly of the sect called Shaking Quakers or Shakers. As mentioned in McConkie’s section heading to Doctrine and Covenants 49, Copley had embraced the Gospel but he still held to some of the teachings of the Shakers (United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing).

Leman Copley

Who was Leman Copley?

(ca. 1781–1862)

Leman Copley was born in Connecticut. Sometime after 1800, he joined the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, commonly known as the Shakers. Sometime before 1820, he and his wife, Sally Cooley, moved to Thompson Township, Ohio. By 1831, Copley had been baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In May of that year, he was called by revelation to accompany Sidney Rigdon and Parley P. Pratt to preach the gospel to a group of Shakers in Ohio (Doctrine and Covenants 49). Copley allowed Latter-day Saints from Colesville, New York, to settle on his land in Ohio, but in June 1831, he rescinded this agreement (Doctrine and Covenants 54:4–5). When the main body of Latter-day Saints moved from Ohio to Missouri in 1838, Copley elected to stay in Ohio. He joined James Brewster’s Church of Christ in 1849, and later he joined Austin Cowles’s Church of Christ.

References in the Doctrine and Covenants

Doctrine and Covenants 41, 49, 54

Additional Information

Biographical facts and sources, The Joseph Smith Papers

Saints, vol. 1, The Standard of Truth

Revelations In Context

• The Journey of the Colesville Branch

Copley owned a large farm twenty miles northeast of Kirtland, Ohio. In the first volume of Saints we learn more about Copley and his farm:

Polly Knight was sick when she and the Colesville Saints settled on Leman Copley’s land. The farm had more than seven hundred acres of choice ground, offering enough space for many families to build homes, barns, and shops. Here the Knights could start over and practice their new faith in peace, although many worried that Polly would not be long with them.

Polly’s husband and sons worked quickly, making fences and planting fields to improve the land. Joseph and Bishop Partridge also encouraged the Colesville Saints to consecrate their property according to the law of the Lord.

After the settlement started taking shape, however, Leman withdrew from the church and told the Colesville Saints to get off his property. With nowhere else to go, the evicted Saints asked Joseph to seek the Lord’s direction for them.

This was the Prophet Joseph’s early impression of Copley’s character:

“[Leman] was apparently honest hearted, but still retain[ed] the idea that the Shakers were right in some particulars of their faith.”¹

Initially Copley was anxious to preach the Restored Gospel to his Shaker friends. As noted in McConkie’s section heading for D&C 49:

Some of the beliefs of the Shakers were that Christ’s Second Coming had already occurred and that He had appeared in the form of a woman, Ann Lee. They did not consider baptism by water essential. They rejected marriage and believed in a life of total celibacy. Some Shakers also forbade the eating of meat. In prefacing this revelation, Joseph Smith’s history states, “In order to have [a] more perfect understanding on the subject, I inquired of the Lord, and received the following.” The revelation refutes some of the basic concepts of the Shaker group. The aforementioned brethren took a copy of the revelation to the Shaker community (near Cleveland, Ohio) and read it to them in its entirety, but it was rejected.

It may have been that Leman Copley vacillated in his new faith because of his wealth or interest in his land (see also here):

Leman showed signs of being conflicted in his faith. Where he had allowed newly arriving Saints from Colesville, New York, to settle on his acreage in Thompson, Ohio, he now demanded they leave. In summer 1831 fellowship was withdrawn from Leman. Over a year later, his fellowship was reinstated in October 1832. Yet, Leman continued to vacillate in his faith.

In 1834 he falsely testified in a court case against Joseph Smith. On April 1, 1836 the Prophet Joseph wrote, “[Leman Copley] confessed that he bore a false testimony against me in that suit, but verily thought, at the time, that he was right, but on calling to mind all the circumstances connected with the things that happened at that time, he was convinced that he was wrong, and humbly confessed it, and asked my forgiveness, which was readily granted. He also wished to be received into the Church again, by baptism, and was received according to his desire. He gave me his confession in writing.”⁵

In 1837 as faithful Latter-day Saints were packing up their belongings in preparation to move to Missouri, Leman watched them but did not make plans to move from Ohio. It became apparent to Church leaders that his property and other holdings were more valuable to him than his faith.

Leman did not return to his former Shaker affiliation. In 1849 he joined James C. Brewster and Hazen Aldrich in their Church of Christ (Brewsterites). Before long, he left their faith to join a religious society led by Austin Cowles. He never committed total allegiance to Cowles. His interest remained in his land which by 1850 was valued at $3,500.⁶ Leman died a wealthy farmer in December 1862 at age 81.

In his book The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Lyndon W. Cook shares more of the historical background for D&C 49:

Date. March 1831.

Place. Kirtland, Geauga County, Ohio.

Historical Note. Near present-day Cleveland, Ohio, is a suburb known as Shaker Heights. In 1831 this area was the site of a Shaker settlement called North Union or Union Village. Because the settlement was only fifteen miles from Kirtland, it was inevitable that the Latter-day Saints elders would contact the Shakers.

The principles and practices of Shakerism were very austere. Believing in the purity of the body, many lived as vegetarians and celibates. Shakers did not believe in a physical resurrection. They taught that God was a dual being who manifested himself in the form of a man - Jesus - and in the form of a woman - Ann Lee. In addition, the Shakers accepted modern revelation and consecrated their property.

One early convert to Mormonism in Ohio was Leman Copley. A Shaker before his baptism into the LDS church, Copley was eager to share his newly found faith with his friends in North Union. Copley, it is said, “teased to be ordained to preach,” and desired that the Lord should speak on some particulars of his former religion. Pursuant to Copley’s request, section 49 was received by Joseph Smith.

The revelation commanded Sidney Rigdon and Parley P. Pratt to accompany Leman Copley to North Union and preach the gospel to this group, officially called the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing.

With the revelation in hand, these three missionaries made their way to the Shaker village. (This was not the first time, however, that elders had contacted this religious group: In the fall of 1830 Oliver Cowdery had related to them the story of Moroni’s appearance and the translation of the gold plates.) Sidney Rigdon and Leman Copley arrived in the village on a Saturady evening and discussed religion with Ashebell Kitchel, apparently a Shaker of some prominence. Kitchel breated Copley for renouncing Shakerism in favor of Mormonism, declaring the latter “an easier plan.” The next morning Parley P. Pratt arrived and the three attended the Sahker service. At the close of the meeting, Sidney Rigdon asked if he could deliver a message from the Lord. With their permission Rigdon stood and read section 49 to the congregation. After delivering his message Elder Rigdon asked if any would receive baptism, whereupon the present indicated that they were perfectly satisfied with Shakerism and would not accept the revelation as being from God.

Publication Note. Section 49 was first published in the Evening and Morning Star (November 1832) and was included as chapter 52 in the Book of Commandments in 1833.

Biographical Note. Leman Copley.

Son of Samuel Copley. Born 1781 in Connecticut. By 1800 Copleys had moved to Pitsford, Rutland County, Vermont; there united with Shakers. Leman moved to Cleveland area (site of Shaker community) as early as 1820. Married Salley (born 1779 in Massachusetts). One known child: Reuben. By 1830 held title to large tracts of land in Thompson, Ohio. Baptized and ordained elder by March 1831. Appointed with Sidney Rigdon and Parley P. Pratt to preach gospel to Shaker community in Union Village, near Cleveland. (Shakers rejected gospel message March 1831.) Agreed to permit members of Church from New York to settle on his property; broke promise by June 1831. (This prompted Colesville Branch to move to Missouri.) Fellowship withdrawn in summer of 1831; reextended by October 1832. Testified against Joseph Smith in Philastus Hurlburt trial 1834; disfellowshipped. Made satisfaction 1 April 1836. Did not gather with Saints. A Successful farmer, had real estate valued at $3500 in 1850. Probably died in Madison Township, Lake County, Ohio, after 1860. (pp. 66-67)

Milton V. Backman Jr.’s and Richard O. Cowan’s book Joseph Smith and the Doctrine and Covenants contains a fascinating account from Ashbel Kitchell’s (a leader of this Shaker community) journal about the meeting between the Mormons and the Shakers:

“We continued on friendly terms in the way of trade and other acts of good neighborship until the spring of 1831 when we were visited on Saturday evening by Sidney Rigdon and Leman Copley, the latter of whom had been among us; but no likeing the cross any to well, had taken up with Mormonism as the easier plan and had been appointed by them as one of the missionaries to convert us. They tarried all night, and in the course of the evening, the doctrines of the cross and the Mormon faith were both investigated; and we found that the life of Christ self denial corresponded better with the life of Christ, than Mormonism. . . Thus the matter stood and we retired to rest, not knowing that they had then in possession what they called a revelation or message from Jesus Christ to us, which they intended to deliver to day (sabbath.) and which they supposed would bring us to terms.

“Sabbath morning matters moved on pleasantly in sociable chat with the Brethren, until I felt to give them all some council, which was for neither to force their doctrine on the other at this time; but let the time be spent in feeling the Spirit, as it was Rigdon’s first visit, for it might be possible that he would yet see that the foundation he was now on, was sandy….

“A little before meeting, another one came from the Mormon camp as an assistant, by the name of Parley Pratt. He called them out, and enquired [sic] how they had got along? and was informed by Rigdon and Leman, that I had bound them to silence, and nothing could be done. Parley told them to pay no attention to me, for they had come with the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the people must hear it, &c.

They came into meeting and sat quietly until the meeting was through, and the people dismissed; when Sidney Ridgon arose and stated that he had a message from the Lord Jesus Christ to this people; could he have the privilege of delivering it? He was told he might. He then read the following Message [the text of D&C, section 49].

“At the close of the reading, he asked if they could be permitted to go forth in the exercise of their gift and office—I told him that the piece he had read, bore on its face, the image of its author; that the Christ that dictated that, I was well acquainted with, and had been, from a boy; that I had been much troubled to get rid of his influence, and I wished to have nothing more to do with him; and as for any gift he had authorized them to exercise among us, I would release them & their Christ from any further burden about us, and take all the responsibility on myself.

“Sidney made answer—This you are cannot do; I wish to hear the people speak. I told him if he desired it, they could speak for themselves, and steped back and told them to let the man know how they felt; which they did in something like these words; that they were fully satisfied with what they had, and wished to have nothing to do with either them or their Christ. On hearing this Rigdon professed to be satisfied, and put his paper by; but Parley Pratt arose and commenced shakeing his coattail; he said he shook the dust from his garments as a testimony against us, that we had rejected the word of the Lord Jesus.

“Before the words were out of his mouth, I was to him, and said; —You filthy Beast, dare you presume to come in here, and try to imitate a man of God by shaking your filthy tail; confess your sins and purge your soul from your lusts, and your other abominations before you ever presume to to the like again, &c. While I was ministering this reproof, he settled trembling into his seat, and covered his face; and I then turned to Leman who had been crying while the message was reading, and said to him, you hypocrite, you knew better; - you knew where the living work of God was…

. . I then turned to the Believers and said, now we will go home and started. . . . They all followed us to the house. . . . Sidney stayed for supper. . . . He was treated kindly and let go after supper. But Leman tarried all night and started for home in the morning.”

“He had a large farm, and about 100 Mormons were living with him, on it. When he got home, he found the Mormons had rejected him, & could not own him for one of them, because he had deceived them with the idea of converting us. He felt very bad; - was not able to rest; - came back to us and begged for union.

“After some consultation we concluded to give him union, and help him through; and to accomplish this, I went home with him, and held a meeting in the dooryard, among the Mormons; but few of them attended. They appeared to be struck with terror and fear lest some of them might get converted” (pp. 55-56)

For the full account, see Lawrence R. Flake, “A Shaker View of a Mormon Mission,” in Brigham Young University Studies 20, no. 1 (1979), 94–98.

Shaker Dance

Matthew McBride’s excellent chapter “Leman Copley and the Shakers,” in Revelations in Context, sheds more light on the background for D&C 49. This chapter, in my opinion, contains the best overview of the story behind this section. I commend it to your attention. Meridian Magazine also published an excellent overview of this section today. See also Hoyt W. Brewster Jr.’s entry on Copley, Leman in his Doctrine & Covenants Encyclopedia. (pp. 102-103)

I find the interactions between Ashbel Kitchell, Leman Copley, Parley P. Pratt, Sidney Rigdon, and other Mormons and Shakers to be instructive in many ways. The Shakers seem to have been a very strange group of people, and some of their doctrines were very extreme and irrational. When the Lord rebuked the Shakers and corrected their false doctrines, they did not take it well. Kitchell called Parley P. Pratt a filthy beast and Leman Copley a hypocrite, when in reality, because of his adherence to unreasonable and unhealthy doctrines, it was clearly Kitchell who was acting hypocritically.

This episode in Church history reminds me of some interactions that I have witnessed between modern members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regarding the topic of polygamy. Just as Kitchell accused Pratt of being a filthy beast and Copley of being a hypocrite because of their supposed “lusts” - and probably because of their desire to take what Kitchell claimed to be the easier path of marriage instead of supposedly “taking up the cross” through celibacy, in my opinion, LDS polygamy deniers (those who claim that Joseph Smith never preached or practiced polygamy) sometimes err in this same direction, accusing polygamy realists (those who have studied the history more thoroughly) of attributing sins to Joseph Smith, etc. Polygamy is perhaps a more complex topic, but the spirit of Kitchell seems to infuse itself into the anti-polygamist ire and vituperation of those who believe that Joseph Smith preached and practiced polygamy.

Why did the Shakers hold dances like that in the picture above, with men and women, if men were supposed to “take up the cross” by practicing celibacy? That makes no sense at all. Celebrating celibacy instead of God’s institution of marriage is ridiculous.

Nevertheless, Copley and the Shakers seem to have been good, God-fearing people as well, except for their refusal to embrace the true teachings of Jesus Christ when the missionaries proclaimed them.

With this historical background in mind, let’s now examine and appreciate D&C 49 a piece at a time:

Hearken unto my word, my servants Sidney, and Parley, and Leman; for behold, verily I say unto you, that I give unto you a commandment that you shall go and preach my gospel which ye have received, even as ye have received it, unto the Shakers.

Behold, I say unto you, that they desire to know the truth in part, but not all, for they are not right before me and must needs repent.

Wherefore, I send you, my servants Sidney and Parley, to preach the gospel unto them.

And my servant Leman shall be ordained unto this work, that he may reason with them, not according to that which he has received of them, but according to that which shall be taught him by you my servants; and by so doing I will bless him, otherwise he shall not prosper. (D&C 49:1-4)

Might it not be said of each one of us that we desire to know the truth in part, but not all? When we are not right before the Lord, we must repent. We may not believe, like the Shakers, that marriage is sinful or that meat is bad, and we may not believe, like the Shakers, that Jesus Christ appeared in the form of a woman named Ann Lee or that baptism is not essential for salvation. But not one of us holds a monopoly on truth or understands the truth completely without the need to learn more and obtain more truth. When the Lord has a message for us to help us to repent and to know the truth more fully, therefore, we can receive it joyfully and let go of erroneous notions, beliefs, and practices.

It is interesting that this revelation was given, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, to three individuals at once: Sidney Rigdon, and Parley P. Pratt, and Leman Copley. This threesome was the perfect missionary embassy to relay the Lord’s message to the Shakers. The Lord commanded His servants Sidney and Parley to preach the Restored Gospel in its purity unto the Shakers, whereas the Lord commanded His servant Leman to reason with the Shakers.

This episode in Church history reminds me of my personal experience as a missionary in southern Italy with Jehovah’s Witnesses in Cosenza. For a time, one of my companions was a former Jehovah’s Witness who understood their doctrine inside and out. Whereas I, who knew next to nothing about the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses, preached the Restored Gospel in its purity unto them, my companion reasoned with them, not according to their erroneous doctrines, but according to the truth of the Restored Gospel. There was another missionary in our group who studied the doctrines of Jehovah’s Witnesses and was also able to reason with them. In a similar way, perhaps, Leman Copley was commissioned to reason with his former people and guide them out of error into the truth.

Regarding this section and these verses in particular, Smith and Sjodahl observe:

In this Revelation the Lord appoints a special mission to a sect generally known as Shakers or Shaking Quakers.

The Elders who were set apart for that mission, shortly afterwards visited one of their settlements near Cleveland, Ohio, but were not received. The Lord (1) names the Elders selected for the mission (1-4); (2) in a brief synopsis of the gospel indicates the nature of their message (5-14); (3) points out some of the errors of the sect (15-23); (4) given a prophecy concerning the future of Zion (24-25); and (5) gives His servants certain promises (26-28).

1. The Elders Selected for the Mission.

   1. Leman] Leman Copley had been a Shaker. When he embraced the gospel he was anxious to impart the truth to his former associates. he was, therefore, by revelation, chosen to accompany. Sidney Rigdon and Parley P. Pratt on a mission to them.

   Shakers] The Shakers call themselves, The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing. In 1747, James Wardley and wife, English Quakers, united with some French members of that church and protested against all existing churches. Ten years later, Ann Lee joined this society and testified especially against what she called “the lust of generation.” She became the “spiritual mother” of the Society. About the year 1772 Mother Ann had a “revelation,” directing her to repair to America. Many of her friends emigrated with her, and they left Liverpool and landed in New York in the year 1774. In 1776 they moved first to Albany, and then to Watervliet. This was the origin of the sect.

   They believed that “the true Christian church is a congregation of souls baptized with the degree of the Christ spirit which harvests them from the generative plane, and from the selfish, sinful elements of the world; consecrates their lives to God; absolves them from the bondage of sin and the power of sinful temptations, and opens their souls to receive continuous revelations of light, truth, love, mercy, charity, and forgiveness of penitents, combined with impartiality and merciful judgment from heaven’s eternal fountain” (What the World Believes, edited by George J. Hagar).

   The Society is now defunct. (p. 282)

The Lord’s revelation to the Shakers continues:

Thus saith the Lord; for I am God, and have sent mine Only Begotten Son into the world for the redemption of the world, and have decreed that he that receiveth him shall be saved, and he that receiveth him not shall be damned—

And they have done unto the Son of Man even as they listed; and he has taken his power on the right hand of his glory, and now reigneth in the heavens, and will reign till he descends on the earth to put all enemies under his feet, which time is nigh at hand—

I, the Lord God, have spoken it; but the hour and the day no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor shall they know until he comes.

Wherefore, I will that all men shall repent, for all are under sin, except those which I have reserved unto myself, holy men that ye know not of.

Wherefore, I say unto you that I have sent unto you mine everlasting covenant, even that which was from the beginning.

And that which I have promised I have so fulfilled, and the nations of the earth shall bow to it; and, if not of themselves, they shall come down, for that which is now exalted of itself shall be laid low of power.

Wherefore, I give unto you a commandment that ye go among this people, and say unto them, like unto mine apostle of old, whose name was Peter:

Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus, who was on the earth, and is to come, the beginning and the end;

Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, according to the holy commandment, for the remission of sins;

And whoso doeth this shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, by the laying on of the hands of the elders of the church. (D&C 49:5-14)

God makes it very clear and simple for the Shakers, and for us: salvation depends upon our receiving our Savior Jesus Christ. God send His Beloved and Only Begotten Son into the world for the redemption of the world, but the world did not receive Him. This hurt the world more than it hurt our Savior, because now the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, reigns in the Heavens, on the right hand of the glory of God, and He will continue to reign until His impending return. Jesus Christ will soon descend on the earth to put all enemies under his feet. In conjunction with these facts, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught:

The principle of knowledge, is the principle of salvation, this principle can be comprehended by the faithful and diligent, and every one that does not obtain knowledge sufficient to be saved will be condemned. The principle of Salvation is given us through the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Salvation is nothing more or less, than to triumph over all our enemies, and put them under our feet <​and when we have power to put all enemies under our feet​> in this world, and a knowledge to triumph over all evil Spirits in the world to come, then we are saved; as in the case [HC 5:387] of Jesus, who was to reign until he had put all enemies under his feet, and the last enemy was death.

Perhaps there are principles here that few men have thought of. No person can have this salvation, except through a tabernacle. Now in this world, mankind are naturally selfish, ambitious, and striving to excel one above another, yet some are willing to build up others as well as themselves, so in the other world there are a variety of Spirits; some seek to excel, and this was the case with Lucifer, when he fell, he sought for things which were unlawful, hence he was cast down, and it is said he drew away many with him, and the greatness of his punishment is, that he shall not have a tabernacle; this is his punishment, so the Devil thinking to thwart the decree of God, by going up and down in the earth, seeking whom he may destroy, any person that he can find, that will yield to him, he will bind him, and take possession of the body, and reign there glorying in it mightily, not thinking that he had <​got​> a stolen tabernacle, and by and by some one having authority will come along, and cast him out and restore the Tabernacle to its rightful owner, but the Devil steals a Tabernacle because he has not one of his own, but if he steals one, he is always liable to be turned out of doors

Now there is some grand secret here, and keys to unlock the subject. Notwithstanding the Apostle exhorts them to add to their faith virtue, knowledge, temperance &^c. yet he exhorts them to make their calling and election sure, and though they had heard an audible voice from heaven bearing testimony that Jesus was the son of God, yet he says we have a more sure word of Prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light shin-ing in a dark place. Now wherein could they have a more sure word of prophecy than to hear the voice of God saying this is my beloved son &^c. Now for the secret and grand key. Though they might hear the voice of God, <​& know that Jesus was the son of God​> this would be no evidence that their election and calling was made sure that they had part with Christ, and were joint heirs with him: they then would want that more sure word of prophecy, that they were sealed in the heavens and had the promise of eternal life in the kingdom of God, then having this promise sealed unto them, it was as an anchor to the Soul sure and stedfast, though the thunders might roll, and lightnings flash, and earthquakes bellow, and war gather thick around, yet this hope and knowledge would support the soul in every hour of trial, trouble [HC 5:388] and tribulation.

The Lord’s Second Coming, when He will put all enemies under His feet, is nigh at hand, but exactly when that miraculous event will occur, no man knows, nor shall we know until he comes. Nevertheless, consider another teaching of the Prophet Joseph Smith in this regard:

Christ says no man knoweth the day or the hour when the Son of man cometh. This is a sweeping argument for sectarianism against Latterdayism Did Christ speak this as a general principle throughout all generations Oh no he spake in the present tense no man that was then liveing upon the footstool of God knew the day or the hour But he did not say that there was no man throughout all generations that should not know the day or the hour No for this would be in flat contradection with other scripture for the prophet says that God will do nothing but what he will reveal unto his Servants the prophets consequently if it is not made known to the Prophets it will not come to pass.

- The Prophet Joseph Smith, Commentary on the Bible,112 (see also here)

Although neither we nor the angels currently know the hour and the day of Jesus Christ’s impending Second Coming, we know that we are each commanded to repent, because each of us is under sin. Interestingly, there are exceptions to this rule, because the Lord has reserved unto Himself holy men of which we are currently ignorant. Are these the three Nephites and John the Beloved? Perhaps there are others as well.

In this Revelation the Lord commissioned His servants Sidney, and Parley, and Leman to convey a simple message to the Shakers, the same message that His apostle Peter preached, namely faith in Jesus Christ unto repentance, and baptism for the remission of sins in order to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, by the laying on of the hands.

Regarding these verses, Smith and Sjodahl observe:

2. The Gospel Message to the Shakers

5-14. The gospel message to the Shakers is the same as that to all the children of men.

5. Thus said the Lord] These Revelations contain the Word of the Lord, not of man.

   Have send mine Only Begotten] Jesus Christ is the “Only Begotten” of the Father, in the flesh. He is the Firstborn in the spirit. He is the only Savior of man. Without Him there is no salvation in this life; nor hereafter.

6. Now reigneth in the heavens] Our Lord was given all power in heaven and on earth. He reigns supreme in heaven; on this Earth His supremacy has not yet been fully recognized, but it will be: for all enemies will be put under His feet, and the will of God will be done as it is done in heaven.

7. -

8. I will that all men shall repent] There can be no entrance into the kingdom of God when it is celestialized, except through perfect faith and repentance. “And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.” (3 Nephi 27:19) The Lord here speaks of holy men whom he has reserved to himself, “that ye know not of.” These holy men without sin, unknown to the Prophet Joseph Smith and the elders of the Church, must have been the translated prophets reserved by the Lord to remain on the earth until his second coming, for all other men, not in the church, were still under the bondage of sin having not been baptized.

9. -

10. -

11. -

12. Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus] This is the first principle of the gospel. It is a commandment of God. We can and must obey it.

13. Repent and be baptized] These are the second and third principles of the gospel. Man’s unbelief is the ground on which he stands condemned before God, who commands men everywhere to believe, repent, and be baptized. If, through unbelief, we fail to obey, we are condemned. The Shakers did not believe in baptism in water; nor in the Sacrament. On these ordinances of the Church they held views similar to those of the Quakers.

    Since God commands all His children to believe, the question may be asked, “Can man regulate his belief?” “Is no belief the necessary consequence of the peculiar mental make-up of each individual?” The gospel does not give us an affirmative answer to these questions. It commands us to accept the truth, taking our ability to do so for granted. By attending to evidence and contemplating the truth, we become convinced, and faith is produced. Man is so constituted that he cannot fail to believe the truth, when he perceives it. Nobody can doubt that two and two make four, if he understands the proposition, or that the whole is equal to its parts.

    “Faith and affection are both influenced, not by analyzing them or by violently attempting to strengthen and to purify them, but by examining truth and holding communion with the objects that deserve and claim our love” (Joseph Angus, M.A., D.D.). (pp. 283-284)

I enjoy and benefit from Smith’s and Sjodahl’s excellent commentary, even though I don’t always agree with them. For example, it may have been that Joseph Smith knew of the holy men of which the Lord spake, even though Sidney, Parley, and Leman did not. Also, it makes sense to me that the Gospel gives affirmative answers to the rhetorical questions that Smith and Sjodahl posed in this part of their commentary, because the gospel clearly shows that God blessed each of His children with agency, the freedom to choose.

The Lord’s revelation to the Shakers continues:

And again, verily I say unto you, that whoso forbiddeth to marry is not ordained of God, for marriage is ordained of God unto man.

Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation;

And that it might be filled with the measure of man, according to his creation before the world was made.

And whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats, that man should not eat the same, is not ordained of God;

For, behold, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which cometh of the earth, is ordained for the use of man for food and for raiment, and that he might have in abundance.

But it is not given that one man should possess that which is above another, wherefore the world lieth in sin.

And wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need.

And again, verily I say unto you, that the Son of Man cometh not in the form of a woman, neither of a man traveling on the earth.

Wherefore, be not deceived, but continue in steadfastness, looking forth for the heavens to be shaken, and the earth to tremble and to reel to and fro as a drunken man, and for the valleys to be exalted, and for the mountains to be made low, and for the rough places to become smooth—and all this when the angel shall sound his trumpet. (D&C 49:15-23)

It is interesting that religious fanaticism sometimes results in the despising of the body and other good and physical things. One of these very good and physical things is marriage between a man and a woman. The language of this part of the revelation is also very interesting in light of the later revelation on the principle of plural marriage. Notice that the Lord declares that it is lawful for a man to have one wife, and that they twain shall be one flesh. This language seems to anticipate the time when the Lord would reveal to the Prophet Joseph Smith the principle of plural marriage. I’m sure that anti-polygamists or polygamy deniers (those who claim that Joseph Smith never preached or practiced polygamy) will find in this same passage support for their theories because of the Lord’s use of the words lawful and one. But this is another problem that I hope to untangle through a deeper study of the Doctrine and Covenants and early Church history, namely to come to a better understanding of the truth about polygamy.

Notice too the Lord’s purpose for marriage: that the earth might answer the end of its creation, and that the earth might be filled with the measure of man, according to the Lord’s creation before the world was made. This true doctrine can’t be found, as far as I’m aware, anywhere else in all of Christendom or in any other religion. The Lord created all things spiritually before He created them physically. This spiritual creation included the earth and all things upon the earth, and especially His spirit children. The earth has a purpose, or an end of creation, and we learn about that purpose or end in the Book of Mormon:

Behold, the Lord hath created the earth that it should be inhabited; and he hath created his children that they should possess it.

And he raiseth up a righteous nation, and destroyeth the nations of the wicked.

And he leadeth away the righteous into precious lands, and the wicked he destroyeth, and curseth the land unto them for their sakes.

He ruleth high in the heavens, for it is his throne, and this earth is his footstool. (1 Nephi 17:36-39)

In simple terms, one of the Lord’s main purposes for marriage is for His children to multiply and replenish the earth that they may have joy and rejoicing in their posterity. The Shakers rejected this simple truth because of their incorrect traditions, but rather than judge the Shakers too harshly, we may want to consider how we receive this simple truth.

The Shakers got marriage wrong and they got meat wrong too. I like vegetables, but extreme vegetarianism or veganism have always seemed to me like a strange kind of religious fanaticism. I don’t mind if a person decides not to eat meat, but the problem, as I see it, is when a vegetarian proclaims that everyone else must follow their extreme diet. In my experience, omnivores are usually more tolerant of others than people who are influenced by extreme dietary beliefs. Let people eat what they want to eat.

Just as the Lord explained the goodness and purpose of marriage to the Shakers, He explained the goodness and purpose of meat. One of the reasons the Lord created animals was for the use of man, for food and for raiment. Not only this, but our generous Lord also created these things that we might have an abundant supply of what we need.

One of the problems, however, as the Lord also explains, is that mankind is too greedy and selfish. Instead of being content with the abundance that the Lord provides, human beings too often tend toward materialism and wastefulness. A trip to your local dump is enough to prove that Americans in particular are among the greediest, most selfish, materialistic, and wasteful people on earth. One of the reasons that the world lieth in sin is because we mortals are rarely content with what is sufficient for our needs and too often obsessed with possessing more than our neighbors. It’s not even enough to keep up with the Joneses. We must outdo them.

The Lord issues a stern warning against those who shed blood or that waste flesh that they don’t need. Most of the people I know who like to hunt also know how to use every piece of the animal without wasting anything. However, those who delight in shedding blood for sport strike me as barbaric. Life is sacred.

The Lord, through Joseph Smith and His other servants, informed the Shakers that Jesus Christ did not come nor will He come in the form of a woman or of a man traveling the earth. Common sense and reason should have been enough to make this point, but a revelation was required to help the Shakers come to their senses.

To help the Saints and the Shakers to better understand His Second Coming, the Lord warned them not to be deceived. He encouraged them to be steadfast and to look forward to the true signs of His coming, such as the shaking of the heavens, the trembling of the earth, exalted valleys, abased mountains, and so forth.

What do Smith and Sjodahl add to our understanding of these verses?

3. Some Errors Corrected

15. Marriage is ordained of God] The Shakers taught that only a “virgin life” was consistent with “purity of mind and body.” The gospel teaches that marriage is a divine institution. The Shakers taught that a desire for offspring is the “root of human depravity.” The gospel teaches that it is lawful for men and women to marry, and that under no other condition can the Earth “answer the measure of its creation.”

    The doctrine which degrades marriage by making it a less holy state, has its foundation in Manicheism or Gnosticism. It assumes that evil is essentially connected with matter; that sin has its seat and source in the body; that holiness is attainable only through asceticism and ‘neglecting of the body;’ that because the vita angelica [the angelic life] is a higher form of life* than that of men here on Earth, therefore marriage is a degradation. The doctrine *** is thoroughly antichristian. It rests on principles derived from the philosophy of the heathen. It presupposes that God is not the author of matter; and that He did not make man pure, when He invested him with a body” (Charles Hodge, D.D., Systematic Theology, Vol III., p. 369).

    *This is itself a misunderstanding of the Scriptures. “In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; and in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the Priesthood, and if he does not, he cannot obtain it. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase” (Joseph Smith, Hist. of the Church, Vol. V., p. 392. See Sec. 131:1-4).

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18. Whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats *** is not ordained of God] A purely vegetarian diet cannot be urged on religious grounds.

    Forbiddeth] “Forbiddeth” here stand for “biddeth” or commandeth. The context is perfectly clear.

    “And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man. Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof. All these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving. Yea, flesh of the beasts and fowls of the air, I the Lord have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving. Nevertheless, they should be used sparingly; and it is pleasing unto me, that they should not be used only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine. All grain is ordained for the use of man, and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man, but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all the wild animals that run or creep on the earth; and these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine, and excess of hunger” (Hyrum Smith, Times and Seasons, Vol. III., p. 799).

    But although God has ordained animals for the use of man, He has not sanctioned the order of things under which some have an abundance of food and clothing, while others are destitute; for that very reason”the worldlieth in sin” (v. 20). Nor must man waste animal life. To kill, when not necessary, is a sin akin to murder. “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast” (Prov. 12:10). Man has been entrusted with sovereignty over the animal kingdom (Gen. 1:21), that he many learn to govern, as God rules, by the power of love and justice, and become fit for his eternal destiny as a ruler of worlds. A tyrant who has learned nothing but selfishness and cruelty can hope for no position of trust hereafter in the kingdom of the Father.

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22. Not in the form of a woman] The Shakers taught that “in this Christ-order there is neither male nor female, in the fleshly generative sense.” This originated the notion that our Savior might come as a woman just as well as a man. The idea that the Son of God, our elder Brother, is without sex, is contrary to the word of God.

    Neither of a man traveling] When He comes, He will appear in the Temples erected to receive Him, and not as a homeless wanderer.

23. The heavens to be shaken, and the earth to tremble] This is the manner in which His presence will be manifest. The term “Quakers” - applied to the so-called Shakers, as well as to the mother society - was given to followers of George Fox, it is said, but a magistrate whom he had bidden to “tremble at the word of God.” When Christ appears, both the heavens and the earth will shake and tremble. (pp. 285-286)

The Lord’s revelation to the Shakers continues:

But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose.

Zion shall flourish upon the hills and rejoice upon the mountains, and shall be assembled together unto the place which I have appointed. (D&C 49:24-25)

These prophecies are in process of fulfillment, but have yet to be completely fulfilled. Jacob has begun to flourish in the wilderness. The Lamanites have begun to blossom as the rose. Zion has begun to flourish upon the hills and rejoice upon the mountains. Zion shall be assembled together unto the place which the Lord has appointed.

What do Smith and Sjodahl offer by way of interpretation of these verses?

4. Regarding the Future of Zion.

24-25. The Shakers established their communities in the Eastern States. In 1886 they had no fewer than seventeen settlements scattered principally over the States of New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and Connecticut. The Spirit of Prophesy, therefore, revealed to the Saints that the gathering place He had chosen was in the Western mountains, in what was then known as the great American Desert, not in the East. This is the second intimation (see also Sec. 35:24) that the Saints would find a gathering-place in the Rocky Mountains, a region almost unknown in 1831, when this remarkable prophecy was given.

There are two distinct predictions in these paragraphs. One says that “Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose,” before the great day of the Lord shall come; the second tells us that “Zion shall flourish upon the hills and rejoice upon the mountains.” The first of these predictions refers to the Indians; the second, to the Latter-day Saints. Have they been fulfilled?

The American Indians are, indeed, flourishing today. On Government reservations they enjoy a measure of prosperity beyond the dreams of their fathers. In Indian Territory they have attained a high degree of both civilization and prosperity. Indians now occupy Government offices and seats in legislative assemblies, in schools and pulpits, and in every walk of life. They are flourishing. This is all the more remarkable because at one time the general belief was they they were a vanishing race. When the United States became an independent nation, the number of Indians in North America was estimated at three millions, and in the year 1876 at only one million three hundred thousand. In 1907 the decrease had been checked, and in increase to one million four hundred and seventy-four thousand was reported. Only a prophet inspired by God could have foreseen such a decided turn in the tide of Indian affairs.

The Latter-day Saints, it is hardly necessary to say, by their location in the Rocky Mountains and their prosperity, are an irrefutable proof of the truth of the second part of this prophecy. (p. 287)

I mostly agree with Smith and Sjodahl in their interpretation of these verses, although it is easy to read our own opinions into the scriptures. In my estimation, the greater part of these prophesies has yet to be fulfilled. Furthermore, it seems to me that "the Lamanites” refers to more than just the Indians, or Native Americans. Jacob is the same who became Israel. Israel flourishing in the wilderness might also remind us of the Jewish state of Israel, and the flourishing civilization that has arisen in the deserts of the Holy Land. The flourishing of Jacob and the blossoming of the Lamanites may, however, refer to the same thing, a common technique in Hebrew poetry known as parallelism. The most likely current interpretation of Zion flourishing upon the hills and rejoicing upon the mountains is the same that Smith and Sjodahl give. Many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since the days of Brigham Young have assembled together unto the place which the Lord appointed, namely the Salt Lake Valley and surrounding regions. Nevertheless, we have not yet assembled together in the center place that the Lord has appointed, namely Independence, Missouri.

The Lord’s revelation to the Shakers concludes:

Behold, I say unto you, go forth as I have commanded you; repent of all your sins; ask and ye shall receive; knock and it shall be opened unto you.

Behold, I will go before you and be your rearward; and I will be in your midst, and you shall not be confounded.

Behold, I am Jesus Christ, and I come quickly. Even so. Amen. (D&C 49:26-28)

With these encouraging words, the Lord sent His servants on their mission to the Shakers.

Smith and Sjodahl conclude their commentary on this section:

5. Promises to the Missionaries

26-28. If the missionaries would repent of their sins, pray, and labor diligently (“knock”), the Lord would be with them, and they should not be “confounded.”

27. Confounded] This word means “baffled,” “confuted,” “disappointed.” The mission to the Shakers may have appeared to be a failure. But was it without effect? It is certain that there are now no prominent Shaker communities. They have vanished from public view. If they rejected the message God sent to them, the certainly have not prospered. A few years ago their principal community was dissolved, their experiment having proved a failure.

General Notes

A Wedding at Kirtland is noted in the History of the Church, Vol. II., p. 320. The Prophet Joseph writes under date of November 24, 1835: “I had an invitation to attend a wedding at Brother Hyrum Smith’s in the evening; also to solemnize the matrimonial ceremony between Newel Knight and Lydia Goldthwaite. My wife accompanied me . On our arrival a considerable company had collected. The bridegroom and bride came in, and took their seats, which gave me to understand that they were ready. After prayers, I requested them to rise and join hands. I then remarked that marriage was an institution of heaven, instituted in the Garden of Eden; that it should be solemnized by the authority of the everlasting Priesthood. The ceremony was original with me, and in substance as follows - you covenant to be each other’s companions through life, and discharge the duties of husband and wife in every respect; to which they assented. I then pronounced upon them the blessings that the Lord conferred upon Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, that is, to multiply and replenish the Earth, with the addition of long life and prosperity.”

John Whitmer, in his History, says “The above-named brethren [v. 1] went and proclaimed [the gospel] according to the Revelation given them, but the Shakers hearkened not to their words and received not the gospel at that time; for they are bound in tradition and priestcraft; and thus they are led away with foolish and vain imaginations” (Hist. of the Church, Vol. IV., p. 169). (p. 288)