Scriptures
Doctrine and Covenants 136


Section 136

The word and will of the Lord, given through President Brigham Young at Winter Quarters, the camp of Israel, Omaha Nation, on the west bank of the Missouri River, near Council Bluffs, Iowa.

1–16, How the camp of Israel is to be organized for the westward journey is explained; 17–27, The Saints are commanded to live by numerous gospel standards; 28–33, The Saints should sing, dance, pray, and learn wisdom; 34–42, Prophets are slain so that they might be honored and the wicked condemned.

1 The Word and aWill of the Lord concerning the Camp of bIsrael in their journeyings to the West:

2 Let all the people of aThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and those who journey with them, be organized into companies, with a covenant and promise to bkeep all the commandments and statutes of the Lord our God.

3 Let the companies be organized with captains of ahundreds, captains of fifties, and captains of tens, with a president and his two counselors at their head, under the direction of the Twelve bApostles.

4 And this shall be our acovenant—that we will bwalk in all the cordinances of the Lord.

5 Let each company provide themselves with all the teams, wagons, provisions, clothing, and other necessaries for the journey, that they can.

6 When the companies are organized let them go to with their amight, to prepare for those who are to tarry.

7 Let each company, with their captains and presidents, decide how many can go next spring; then choose out a sufficient number of able-bodied and expert men, to take teams, seeds, and farming utensils, to go as pioneers to prepare for putting in spring crops.

8 Let each company abear an equal proportion, according to the dividend of their property, in taking the poor, the bwidows, the cfatherless, and the families of those who have gone into the army, that the cries of the widow and the dfatherless come not up into the ears of the Lord against this people.

9 Let each company prepare houses, and fields for raising agrain, for those who are to remain behind this season; and this is the will of the Lord concerning his people.

10 Let every man use all his influence and property to remove this people to the place where the Lord shall locate a astake of Zion.

11 And if ye do this with a pure heart, in all faithfulness, ye shall be blessed; you shall be ablessed in your flocks, and in your herds, and in your fields, and in your houses, and in your families.

12 Let my servants Ezra T. Benson and Erastus Snow organize a company.

13 And let my servants Orson Pratt and Wilford Woodruff organize a company.

14 Also, let my servants Amasa Lyman and George A. Smith organize a company.

15 And appoint presidents, and acaptains of hundreds, and of fifties, and of tens.

16 And let my servants that have been appointed go and ateach this, my will, to the saints, that they may be ready to go to a land of peace.

17 Go thy way and do as I have told you, and afear not thine enemies; for they shall not have power to stop my work.

18 Zion shall be aredeemed in mine own due time.

19 And if any man shall seek to build up himself, and seeketh not my acounsel, he shall have no power, and his bfolly shall be made manifest.

20 aSeek ye; and keep all your bpledges one with another; and ccovet not that which is thy brother’s.

21 aKeep yourselves from evil to take the name of the Lord in vain, for I am the Lord your God, even the bGod of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.

22 I am he who aled the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; and my arm is stretched out in the last days, to bsave my people Israel.

23 Cease to acontend one with another; cease to speak bevil one of another.

24 Cease adrunkenness; and let your words tend to bedifying one another.

25 If thou aborrowest of thy bneighbor, thou shalt crestore that which thou hast borrowed; and if thou canst not repay then go straightway and tell thy neighbor, lest he condemn thee.

26 If thou shalt find that which thy neighbor has alost, thou shalt make diligent search till thou shalt bdeliver it to him again.

27 Thou shalt be adiligent in bpreserving what thou hast, that thou mayest be a wise csteward; for it is the free gift of the Lord thy God, and thou art his steward.

28 If thou art amerry, bpraise the Lord with singing, with music, with cdancing, and with a dprayer of praise and ethanksgiving.

29 If thou art asorrowful, call on the Lord thy God with supplication, that your souls may be bjoyful.

30 Fear not thine aenemies, for they are in mine hands and I will do my pleasure with them.

31 My people must be atried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the bglory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not cbear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom.

32 Let him that is aignorant blearn cwisdom by dhumbling himself and calling upon the Lord his God, that his eeyes may be opened that he may see, and his ears opened that he may hear;

33 For my aSpirit is sent forth into the world to enlighten the bhumble and contrite, and to the ccondemnation of the ungodly.

34 Thy brethren have rejected you and your testimony, even the nation that has adriven you out;

35 And now cometh the day of their calamity, even the days of sorrow, like a woman that is taken in travail; and their asorrow shall be great unless they speedily repent, yea, very speedily.

36 For they akilled the prophets, and them that were sent unto them; and they have bshed innocent blood, which crieth from the ground against them.

37 Therefore, marvel not at these things, for ye are not yet apure; ye can not yet bear my glory; but ye shall behold it if ye are faithful in keeping all my words that I have bgiven you, from the days of Adam to Abraham, from Abraham to Moses, from Moses to Jesus and his apostles, and from Jesus and his apostles to Joseph Smith, whom I did call upon by mine cangels, my ministering servants, and by mine own voice out of the heavens, to bring forth my work;

38 Which afoundation he did lay, and was faithful; and I took him to myself.

39 Many have marveled because of his death; but it was needful that he should aseal his btestimony with his cblood, that he might be dhonored and the wicked might be condemned.

40 Have I not delivered you from your aenemies, only in that I have left a witness of my name?

41 Now, therefore, hearken, O ye people of my achurch; and ye elders listen together; you have received my bkingdom.

42 Be adiligent in keeping all my commandments, lest judgments come upon you, and your faith fail you, and your enemies triumph over you. So no more at present. Amen and Amen.