Sacred Texts: Mormons

Mormon Doctrine & Covenants 61. Revelation through Joseph Smith, on the bank of the Missouri River, McIlwaine's Bend, August 12, 1831.

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This is a religious revelation text from the Latter-day Saint (Mormon) scriptural tradition, specifically Doctrine and Covenants Section 61, recorded as a revelation given through Joseph Smith on August 12, 1831. The text addresses a group of LDS elders returning from Missouri, issuing practical travel instructions alongside theological pronouncements. Its central and distinctive claim is that God has actively cursed the waters in the latter days — explicitly identifying the Missouri River as dangerous — declaring that "the destroyer rideth upon the face thereof" and that the decree will not be revoked. The revelation directs specific named individuals (Sidney Gilbert, William W. Phelps, Sidney Rigdon, Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery) to travel by land rather than water, drawing a typological parallel to the Israelites journeying through the wilderness by pitching tents. It also instructs the elders to refrain from preaching to "the wicked" until reaching Cincinnati, reserving their primary efforts for fellow believers. The text is notable for its granular, situational character — blending eschatological warning about water-travel dangers with immediate logistical commands to named individuals — presented entirely in the first-person voice of God.

Mormon Doctrine & Covenants 61. Revelation through Joseph Smith, on the bank of the Missouri River, McIlwaine's Bend, August 12, 1831.

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