| 87 holy land; and it is for a wise purpose in me, which purpose shall be revealed hereafter.
"'It is even for the testimony that all those who are present have borne and remain honest therein, that the covenants that I the Lord have given you should be kept sacred on this land, and were it not so, you could not now receive wisdom at my hand;' for I the Lord had decreed that my people, who had taken upon them my holy name, should not pollute the land by the holy authority of their priesthood. Now I say unto you that my church may again arise, she must acknowledge before me that they all have turned away from me and built up themselves. Even in the pride of their own hearts have they done wickedness in my name, even all manner of abominations, even such that the people of the world never was guilty of.
"'Therefore I the Lord have dealt so marvelously with my servant William. Therefore I have poured out my Spirit upon him from time to time, that the "man of sin" might be revealed through him. . . And after this mission thou shalt return towards thy home and preach wherever my Spirit commands thee. For I have a work for thee to do in the land where thy family resides. For there shalt thy work commence.
"'Thou shalt build up my church even in the land of Kirtland, and set forth all things pertaining to my kingdom.' . . .
"One thing in the foregoing revelation came in direct contact with one of my previous opinions. I had supposed that Kirtland would become the residence of David, the Lord's prophet. But while I was marveling in my mind how the work could go on and he remain in Missouri, and also freely speaking to John Whitmer some of my thoughts and feelings on the subject, Brother David came and seated himself near me again, and said, 'Brother William, the Lord has something more for us, and you may write again.' And the word of the Lord came as follows:-
"'Behold, I the Lord say unto you my friends, inasmuch as you have covenanted to be my friends and to keep all my commandments, I will reveal unto you this mystery which
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