D&C 37

Section 37 is short and kind of difficult for me to understand but I guess we’ll do our best here. The IM gives background information as follows: “This revelation was given eight months after the Church was officially organized. Since 6 April 1830, the Church had grown to about 200 Saints in the state of New York. Missionary efforts had been extended westward to Kirtland, Ohio, and to the borders of Missouri. Missionaries had been particularly successful in the Kirtland area, where they baptized about 127 people during the two or three weeks they spent there on their way to Missouri. The Church continued to grow rapidly in that area after they departed. By the time of this revelation, such notable leaders as Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, Sidney Rigdon, Edward Partridge, and Thomas B. Marsh had joined the Church Revelations had poured down from heaven as the Prophet joseph Smith received guidance for individual Saints, direction in vising the Bible, and the records of Moses and Enoch. But Satan’s efforts were unrelenting. Persecutions raged, and the Prophet was arrested a number of times on false charges. Now, in December 1830, the voice of the Lord was heard again. But this time the Lord’s will was that Joseph cease revising the Bible and move to Ohio. Section 37 is the first revelation directing the Saints to gather to a central place. In it the Lord charted a westward course for the restored Church.” 37:1-4 - The Lord begins by telling JS “that it is not expedient in me that ye should translate any more until ye shall go to Ohio, and this because of the enemy and for your sakes.” I wondered why he would have to stop translating the Bible in order to move to Ohio, but maybe it’s because he spends so much time and energy focusing on the task at hand, that he needs all that expenditure for the move. The IM says, “this passage refers to the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. The Prophet Joseph had, of course, finished the translation of the Book of Mormon. But though his work on the Bible was very important, the need to move to Ohio ‘because of the enemy’ took priority. The work on the revision of the Bible was continued later in Ohio, mainly at the home of John Johnson.” Satan was probably pretty pleased with himself during this time, probably imagining that he had made some progress in destroying the work. But every time it seems like Satan is getting the upper hand, the Lord allows it so that he can bring forth his greater purposes. Why Ohio? The IM quotes President Joseph Fielding Smith as teaching, “The call to the Ohio was for two reasons. The opposition to the Church in and around Fayette had become bitter. There had been many converts made among the followers of Sidney Rigdon in Kirtland, and the spirit there was friendly. The trend of the Church was ever westward; as persecution arose, and it became necessary to seek protection, the Church moved farther and farther west. The Lord had a design in this. The place of the City of Zion was west and it was necessary that eventually the Church be located there, although it would not be a permanent residence until Zion is redeemed. Not only were Joseph Smith and Disney Rigdon commanded to go to Ohio, but this came as a command to the entire Church.” It seems so scattered, looking back at Church history, watching the Saints go from New York to Ohio to Missouri to Illinois to Utah, it seems like they can’t stay safe anywhere, it seems like the Lord was not protecting them, but every move the Lord commanded of the Saints held a higher purpose, every move strengthened his kingdom and prepared the way for the next thing. I find it interesting in verse 2 that the Lord tells them that “ye shall not go until you have preached my gospel in those parts, and have strengthened up the church whithersoever it is found, and more especially in Colesville; for, behold, they pray unto me in much faith.” I wish we had some account of someone in Colesville who had been praying for the gospel, and to see how that statement was fulfilled. We don’t have that right now, but it would be interesting anyways. I love that this demonstrates that the Lord hears our prayer and does something about it. So overall, JS is told to go to Ohio, but not too fast because he still has work to do in Colesville, but also gives a time table saying “that they should assemble together at the Ohio, against the time that my servant Oliver Cowdery shall return unto them.” The Lord seems to be saying, “you’re going to go to Ohio, so devote all your resources into finishing up my work here. You don’t have to leave this very second, but you need to be there by the time Oliver Cowdery gets back.” The IM says, “Oliver Cowdery had been on a mission to the Lamanites since 15 October 1830. This mission took him and his companions on a fourteen-hundred-mile journey through New York and Ohio to Missouri. The Saints were commanded to move to Ohio in preparation to receive further instructions concerning the establishment of Zion after Oliver Cowdery’s return from ‘the borders by the Lamanites.’”