Sacred Texts: Mormons

Doctrine and Convenants: 61. Revelation through Joseph Smith, on the bank of the Missouri River, McIlwaine's Bend, August 12, 1831.

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This is Section 61 of the Doctrine and Covenants, a canonized collection of revelations central to Latter-day Saint (Mormon) scripture, presented as direct divine speech from God to Joseph Smith and a group of LDS elders in August 1831. The revelation addresses a specific practical situation: a company of elders traveling by river toward Missouri, giving them instructions on how to split up, who should travel by water versus land, and directing Sidney Gilbert and William Phelps to hasten their mission while commanding Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Oliver Cowdery to avoid water travel except by canal. A theologically distinctive claim runs through the text: God declares that in the last days he has cursed the waters (reversing his original blessing of them), decreeing that "the destroyer rideth upon the face thereof" and that travel by water will become increasingly dangerous and ultimately impossible for the faithful. The revelation also contains travel directives for the broader group — some to preach among "the wicked," others to journey together in pairs — and singles out Cincinnati as a place where the leaders should publicly denounce a population "well-nigh ripened for destruction." The text closes with eschatological urgency, urging the elders to watch for the imminent coming of the Son of Man. For a reader considering the full Doctrine and Covenants, this section illustrates how the collection blends situational logistical instruction with sweeping apocalyptic theology, treating a single river journey as an occasion for pronouncements about the fate of the world.

Doctrine and Convenants: 61. Revelation through Joseph Smith, on the bank of the Missouri River, McIlwaine's Bend, August 12, 1831.

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