1 BEHOLD, and hearken unto the voice of him who has all power, who is from everlasting to everlasting, even Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. [ Hebrew "Shema" is translated here as hearken which means to "listen" and "obey". A statement of authority much along the lines of D&C 38:1-6; D&C 39:1. ]

2 Behold, verily thus saith the Lord unto you, O ye elders of my church, who are assembled upon this spot, whose sins are now forgiven you, for I, the Lord, forgive sins, and am merciful unto those who confess their sins with humble hearts;

3 But verily I say unto you, that it is not needful for this whole company of mine elders to be moving swiftly upon the waters, [ In other words a reprimand stating that you were called as missionaries; as such it does not matter how fast you travel - the reason you are called is to preach the truth and save the souls of those who are perishing in unbelief. ] whilst the inhabitants on either side are perishing in unbelief.

4 Nevertheless, I suffered it that ye might bear record; [ The Lord has provided this manifestation of the "destroyer" to the Elders at this time so as to be witnesses of the Lord's decrees. ] behold, there are many dangers upon the waters, and more especially hereafter; [ This theme is expounded upon in v. 13-19. The Lord has decreed that there will be dangers upon the waters, and it will keep getting worse. However, the faithful will not perish. On August 12, 1831, Joseph Smith and 10 others were traveling by canoe on the Missouri river and had camped on McIlwaine’s Bend when they experienced the following: On the 9th, in company with ten Elders, I left Independence landing for Kirtland. We started down the river in canoes, and went the first day as far as Fort Osage, where we had an excellent wild turkey for supper. Nothing very important occurred till the third day, when many of the dangers so common upon the western waters, manifested themselves; and after we had encamped upon the bank of the river, at McIlwaine’s Bend, Brother Phelps, in open vision by daylight, saw the destroyer in his most horrible power, ride upon the face of the waters; others heard the noise, but saw not the vision (History of the Church 1:202–3). Though Elder William W. Phelps was the only one to see the vision, others "heard the noise, but saw not the vision." Joseph Smith then received the following revelation found in Doctrine and Covenants 61:4 that the group should "bear record; behold, there are many dangers upon the waters, and more especially hereafter." ]

5 For I, the Lord, have decreed in mine anger many destructions upon the waters; yea, and especially upon these waters.

6 Nevertheless, all flesh is in mine hand, and he that is faithful among you shall not perish by the waters. [ See verse 16. ]

7 Wherefore, it is expedient that my servant Sidney Gilbert and my servant William W. Phelps be in haste upon their errand and mission.

8 Nevertheless, I would not suffer that ye should part until you were chastened for all your sins, that you might be one, that you might not perish in wickedness;

9 But now, verily I say, it behooveth me that ye should part. Wherefore let my servants Sidney Gilbert and William W. Phelps take their former company, and let them take their journey in haste that they may fill their mission, and through faith they shall overcome;

10 And inasmuch as they are faithful they shall be preserved, and I, the Lord, will be with them.

11 And let the residue take that which is needful for clothing.

12 Let my servant Sidney Gilbert take that which is not needful with him, as you shall agree.

13 And now, behold, for your good I gave unto you a commandment concerning these things; and I, the Lord, will reason with you as with men in days of old.

14 Behold, I, the Lord, in the beginning blessed the waters; [ During the creation he blessed the waters and pronounced them good Gen 1:20. ] but in the last days, by the mouth of my servant John, I cursed the waters. [ Found in Rev 8:8-1. This appears to be a literal physical interpretation for this passage which the Passage from Rev 9:1 is more figurative in nature. Just a thought that I had is that the Lord drowned a lot of wicked people in the flood - So the waters of the deep are polluted with them as their resting place. ]

15 Wherefore, the days will come [ Implying a future time to when the revelation was given. ] that no flesh shall be safe upon the waters. [ Natural disasters D&C 88:90? John the beloved is considered the destroyer upon the waters, this is done to protect the people of Zion from those who would come to do her harm. ]

16 And it shall be said in days to come that none is able to go up to the land of Zion upon the waters, but he that is upright in heart. [ See verse 6]

17 And, as I, the Lord, in the beginning cursed the land, [ So we now find a reversal of blessings - the water was blessed in the beginning and the land was cursed when Adam and Eve were removed from the garden of Eden Gen 3:18-24; and now the land is blessed for the Lord's people see D&C 59:16-19. ] even so in the last days have I blessed it, in its time, for the use of my saints, that they may partake the fatness thereof.

18 And now I give unto you a commandment that what I say unto one I say unto all, that you shall forewarn your brethren concerning these waters, [ This was the reason for the manifestation in the first place as we read in verse 4 - they were suffered the vision to be able to forewarn others. ] that they come not in journeying upon them, lest their faith fail and they are caught in snares;

19  I, the Lord, have decreed, [ The curse given at the hand of John (vs 14). The curse that no one but the just will be able to travel upon the waters. (see verse 15 - 16). While this is a curse to many it will also act as a protection for Israel. No nations will be able to attack it as they cannot unless they are upright and faithful. Hence those that are gathered (the righteous) to Zion will be able to come, but those who would do it harm will be destroyed. ] and the destroyer rideth upon the face thereof, and I revoke not the decree. [ So that you know he is there, and the decree has not been removed - So if you are to journey upon the waters you must be upright and faithfull and the Lord will protect you - see verses 6 & 16. ]

20 I, the Lord, was angry with you yesterday, [ Why was he angry yesterday? because some of them had been commanded to preach the gospel; but had just traveled around; not done much missionary work and then had ask for another revelation as to what they should do - thinking that by some means the Lord would send them on a different errand other than missionary work. ] but today mine anger is turned away.

21 Wherefore, let those concerning whom I have spoken, that should take their journey in haste—again I say unto you, let them take their journey in haste.

22 And it mattereth not unto me, after a little, if it so be that they fill their mission, whether they go by water or by land; let this be as it is made known unto them according to their judgments hereafter.

23 [ Verses 23-37 deal with 2 parallel set of commands. 23-29 are brought forward to deal with the physical parts of their journey while 30-37 are based on spiritual issues. ] And now, concerning my servants, Sidney Rigdon, Joseph Smith, Jun., and Oliver Cowdery, let them come not again upon the waters, save it be upon the canal, while journeying unto their homes; or in other words they shall not come upon the waters to journey, save upon the canal.

24 Behold, I, the Lord, have appointed a way for the journeying of my saints; and behold, this is the way—that after they leave the canal they shall journey by land, inasmuch as they are commanded to journey and go up unto the land of Zion;

25 And they shall do like unto the children of Israel, pitching their tents by the way.

26 And, behold, this commandment you shall give unto all your brethren.

27 Nevertheless, unto whom is given power to command the waters, unto him it is given by the Spirit to know all his ways; [ So the command was to not travel upon the waters; however there will be times when you will need to and you will know that it is OK if you are directed by the spirit. ]

28 Wherefore, let him do as the Spirit of the living God commandeth him, whether upon the land or upon the waters, as it remaineth with me to do hereafter.

29 And unto you is given the course for the saints, or the way for the saints of the camp of the Lord, to journey.

30 And again, verily I say unto you, my servants, Sidney Rigdon, Joseph Smith, Jun., and Oliver Cowdery, shall not open their mouths in the congregations of the wicked until they arrive at Cincinnati; [ The command for Sidney,Joseph and Oliver is slightly different they are not to preach on their way but to just go to Cincinnati directly. ]

31 And in that place they shall lift up their voices unto God against that people, [ When they get there they are to let them know that God is not pleased with their actions - ] yea, unto him whose anger is kindled against their wickedness, a people who are well-nigh ripened for destruction. [ The Lord has judged them and found them wanting and in need of repentance. ]

32 And from thence let them journey for the congregations of their brethren, for their labors even now are wanted more abundantly among them than among the congregations of the wicked.

33 And now, concerning the residue, let them journey and declare the word among the congregations of the wicked, inasmuch as it is given;

34 And inasmuch as they do this they shall rid their garments, and they shall be spotless before me. [ Compare with Ezek. 33. ]

35 And let them journey together, or two by two, as seemeth them good, only let my servant Reynolds Cahoon, and my servant Samuel H. Smith, with whom I am well pleased, be not separated until they return to their homes, and this for a wise purpose in me.

36 And now, verily I say unto you, and what I say unto one I say unto all, be of good cheer, little children; for I am in your midst, and I have not forsaken you;

37 And inasmuch as you have humbled yourselves before me, the blessings of the kingdom are yours.

38 Gird up your loins [ Get to work; just do it D&C 38:9. ] and be watchful and be sober, [ In Greek, it means - free from illusion, free from the intoxicating influences of sin. It means to have one's wits about them and be rational. Websters 1828 dictionary:"Regular; calm; not under the influence of passion; as sober judgment; a man in his sober senses." ] looking forth for the coming of the son of Man, [ The earliest use of this title "Son of Man" (man here means "King") that I can find in the scriptures comes from the Book Of Enoch(Enoch 46:1-3). Other references to that title include Daniel(), Abraham() and Christ himself() and all of them would have had available the Book Of Enoch. Enoch was given the title Son of Man as a descriptor for Jesus Christ. We find in written in the Book of Enoch 46:1-3 “And I asked the angel who went with me and showed me all the hidden things, concerning that Son of Man, who He was, and whence He was, (and) why he went with the Head of Days? And he answered and said unto me: This is the Son of Man who hath righteousness, with whom dwelleth righteousness, and who revealeth all the treasures of that which is hidden, because the Lord of Spirits hath chosen Him, and whose lot hath the pre-eminence before the Lord of Spirits in uprightness forever. (BoE 46:1-3)” So from these verses we can see that Enoch's angelic guide has declared that "the Son Of Man" is another name for Jesus Christ. This phrase is used by Daniel when he likens the person that he saw in his vision "like the Son of Man" (Daniel 7:13-14) as does Abraham when he described the individual who volunteered Himself to do the will of the Father as being “like unto the Son of Man.”  Therefore the phrase “like the Son of Man” or “like unto the Son of Man,” (Abr 3:27) used in these two examples promote the familiarity through an external source to which both prophets would have had access to that being the Book of Enoch. (Abr 1:31) This is also why Christ would have referred to himself as "the Son Of Man" because it was the messianic title that embodied the works and mission that would be preformed creation, example, atonement, resurrection, judgement(John 5:22-23,27) are all responsibilities that were given to the Son Of Man. Christ seems to use this title to place specific importance upon the subject matter He was teaching at the time, because the use of that title by Christ typically focuses on the prophecies of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord and His latter-day responsibilities. There is no reason to belive otherwise than those Jews who heard Christ use this title would have been fully aware the title’s source and the bold declaration represented by the messianic prophecies for him as described in the Book of Enoch. ] , for he cometh in an hour you think not.

39 Pray always that you enter not into temptation, that you may abide the day of his coming, whether in life or in death. [ The Second coming impacts both the mortal world as well as the post-mortal spirit world. With the Second coming comes the second phase of the First Resurrection. Those in the spirit world who are awaiting the First Resurrection will be released from the spirit world, but those who will participate in the Second Resurrection will be sent to misery and woe until the end of the Millennium. For related references, cp. Isa. 34:4-5, D&C 88:99-101. ] Even so. Amen.

 

[ Historical Material Pertaining to Doctrine & Covenants 61 The first excerpt is Smith’s brief comment, the second is a more verbose historical commentary which indicates there was contention among the travelers. The third is a lengthy and biased account of that discord written by Ezra Booth, who had apostatized at the time of writing and was very much interested in dissuading people from the Church. While Booth’s account is quite biased, it does reveal plainly there was little or no desire among those present to preach the gospel. They were clearly eager to ignore the commands to do so, Booth excusing himself by faulting others. Interestingly enough, Booth entirely avoids the matter of Phelps’ vision and the fact that it was witnessed, at least in part, by others present as well. His intent is to undermine Smith and Cowdery, so he omits this detail. Excerpt from History of the Church On the 9th, in company with ten Elders, I left Independence landing for Kirtland. We started down the river in canoes, and went the first day as far as Fort Osage, where we had an excellent wild turkey for supper. Nothing very important occurred till the third day, when many of the dangers so common upon the western waters, manifested themselves; and after we had encamped upon the bank of the river, at McIlwaine's Bend, Brother Phelps, in open vision by daylight, saw the destroyer in his most horrible power, ride upon the face of the waters; others heard the noise, but saw not the vision. The next morning after prayer, I received the following: [text of D&C 61 quoted] (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, volume 1, pages 202-203) Excerpt from Comprehensive History of the Church During the three days upon the river some disagreements and ill feeling had developed among the brethren and explanations and reconciliations had become necessary; it had also been discovered that progress on their journey by the river in canoes was slow, and hence it became necessary for those who had been appointed to purchase the printing press, Sidney Gilbert and William W. Phelps; and the Prophet, Sidney Rigdon, and Oliver Cowdery, who had been commanded to hasten their return to Kirtland, found it imperative to find a more expeditious means of travel than by the canoes. The greater part of the night at Mcllwaine's Bend was devoted to these matters. The brethren became reconciled to each other, and those whose affairs more especially cried haste started overland the next morning for St. Louis, and the rest of the company continued the journey via the river. (B. H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church, volume 1, pages 262-263) Excerpt from The Ohio Star The commandment we received to purchase, or make a water craft, directed us to proceed down the river in it as far as St. Louis, and from thence, with the exception of Joseph and his two scribes, we were to proceed on our journey home two by two. The means of conveyance being procured, we embarked for St. Louis, but unpropitious events rolled on, superseded the commandment, frustrated our plans, and we had separated before we had accomplished one half of the voyage. The cause which produced this disastrous result, was a spirit of animosity and discord, which made its appearance on board, the morning after we left Independence. The conduct of the Elders became very displeasing to Oliver, who, in the greatness of his power, uttered this malediction: "as the Lord God liveth, if you do not behave better, some accident will befall you." The manner in which this was handed out, evinced it to be the ebullition of a spirit, similar to that which influenced Joseph in the school-house. No accident, however, befell them, until Joseph, in the afternoon of the third day, assumed the direction of affairs on board that canoe, which, with other matters of difference, together with Oliver's curse, increased the irritation of the crew, who, in time of danger, refused to exert their physical powers, in consequence of which they ran foul of a sawyer [i.e., a snag, a tree fallen into the river], and were in danger of upsetting. This was sufficient to flutter the timid spirit of the Prophet and his scribe, who had accompanied him on board of that canoe, and like the sea-tossed mariner, when threatened with a watery grave, they unanimously desired to set their feet once more upon something more firm than a liquid surface; therefore, by the persuasion of Joseph, we landed before sunset, to pass the night upon the bank of the river. Preparations were made to spend the night as comfortably as existing circumstances would admit, and then an attempt was made, to effect a reconciliation between the contending parties. The business of settlement elicited much conversation, and excited considerable feeling on both sides. Oliver's denunciation was brought into view; his conduct and equipage were compared to "a fop of a sportsman;" he and Joseph were represented as highly imperious and quite dictatorial; and Joseph and Sidney were reprimanded for their excessive cowardice. Joseph seemed inclined to arm himself, according to his usual custom, in case of opposition, with the judgments of God, for the purpose of pouring them, like a thunder bolt upon the rebellious elders; but one or two retorted, "none of your threats:" which completely disarmed him, and he reserved his judgment for a more suitable occasion. Finding myself but little interested in the settlement, believing the principles of discord too deeply rooted to be easily eradicated, I laid myself down upon the ground, and in silence contemplated awhile the events of the evening, as they passed before me. [...] The next morning Joseph manifested an aversion to risk his person any more upon the rough and angry current of the Missouri, and, in fact, upon any other river; and he again had recourse to his usual method, of freeing himself from the embarrassments of a former commandment, by obtaining another in opposition to it. A new commandment was issued, in which a great curse was pronounced against the waters: navigating them was to be attended with extreme danger; and all the saints, in general, were prohibited in journeying upon them, to the promised land. From this circumstance, the Missouri river was named the river of Destruction. It was decreed that we should proceed on our journey by land, and preach by the way as we passed along. Joseph, Sidney, and Oliver were to press their way forward with all possible speed, and to preach only in Cincinnati; and there they were to lift up their voices, and proclaim against the whole of that wicked city. [...] The next day after, we were cast upon the shore, and had commenced our journey by land, myself and three others went on board of a canoe, and recommenced our voyage down the river. From this time a constant gale of prosperity wafted us forward, and not an event transpired, but what tended to our advancement, until we arrived at our much desired homes. At St. Louis, we took passage in a steam-boat, and came to Wellsville; and from thence in the stage home. We travelled about eight hundred miles farther than the three who took their passage in the stage, and arrived at our homes but a few days later. It is true, we violated the commandment by not preaching by the way, and so did they by not preaching at Cincinnati. But it seems that none of us considered the commandment worthy of much notice. (Ezra Booth, letter to Edward Partridge published in The Ohio Star, November 24, 1831 edition, Booth submitted the letter to the newspaper with additional comments on September 20, 1831)]