- Behold and hearken, O you inhabitants of Zion, and all you people of my church which are far off, and hear the word of the Lord which I give unto my servant Joseph, and also unto my servant Martin, and also unto my servant Oliver, and also my servant John, and also unto my servant Sidney, by the way of commandment unto them, for I give unto them a commandment.
- Wherefore, hearken and hear, for thus says the Lord unto them: I the Lord have appointed them and ordained them to be stewards over the revelations and commandments which I have given unto them, and which I shall hereafter give unto them, and an account of this stewardship will I require of them in the day of judgment. Wherefore, I have appointed unto them, and this is their business in the church of God, to manage them and the concerns thereof, yea, the profits thereof. Wherefore, a commandment I give unto them that they shall not give these things unto the church, neither unto the world.
- Nevertheless, inasmuch as they receive more than for their necessities and their wants, it shall be given into my storehouse. And the benefits thereof shall be consecrated unto the inhabitants of Zion, and unto their generations, inasmuch as they become heirs according to the laws of the Kingdom.
- Behold, this is what the Lord requires of every man in his stewardship, even as I the Lord have appointed or shall hereafter appoint unto any man. And behold, none is exempt from this law who belong to the church of the living God, yea, neither the bishop, neither the agent who keeps the Lord’s storehouse, neither he who is appointed in a stewardship over temporal things. He who is appointed to administer spiritual things, the same is worthy of his hire, even as those who are appointed to a stewardship to administer in temporal things, yea, even more abundantly, which abundance is multiplied unto them through the manifestations of the spirit. Nevertheless, in your temporal things you shall be equal in all things, and this not grudgingly; otherwise, the abundance of the manifestations of the spirit shall be withheld.
- Now this commandment I give unto my servants while they remain, for a manifestation of my blessings upon their heads, and for a reward of their diligence, and for their security for food and for raiment, for an inheritance, for houses and for lands, in whatever circumstances I, the Lord, shall place them, and wherever I, the Lord, shall send them. For they have been faithful over many things, and have done well, inasmuch as they have not sinned. Behold, I, the Lord, am merciful and will bless them, and they shall enter into the joy of these things. Even so, Amen.
- And again verily I say unto you that my servant William shall be included in this commandment with you in this stewardship. Even so, Amen.
SECTION 61
A revelation given at Hiram, Ohio, 12 November 1831, through Joseph Smith Jr., giving instructions to Joseph Smith Jr., Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery, John Whitmer, Sidney Rigdon and William W. Phelps.