"A few days later, on November 1, 1831, Joseph called a council of church leaders together. Ezra Booth had recently published a letter in a local newspaper accusing Joseph of making false prophecies and hiding his revelations from the public. The letter was widely read, and many people had begun to grow wary of the Saints and their message.
Many Saints also wanted to read the Lord’s word themselves. Since there were only handwritten copies of the revelations Joseph had received, they were not well known among most church members. Elders who wanted to use them in missionary work had to copy them by hand.
Knowing this, Joseph proposed publishing the revelations in a book. He was confident that such a book would help missionaries share the Lord’s word more easily and provide correct information about the church to curious neighbors.
The council talked the matter over for hours. David Whitmer and a few others opposed publishing the revelations, worried that making the Lord’s plans for Zion more public might cause problems for the Saints in Jackson County. Joseph and Sidney disagreed, insisting that the Lord wanted the church to publish His words.
After more debate, the council agreed to publish ten thousand copies of the revelations as the Book of Commandments. They assigned Sidney, Oliver, and William McLellin to write a preface to the book of revelations and present it to them later that day.
The three men began writing immediately, but when they returned with a preface, the council was unhappy with it. They read it over, picking it apart line by line, and asked Joseph to seek the Lord’s will on it. Joseph prayed, and the Lord revealed a new preface for the book. Sidney recorded His words as Joseph spoke them.
In the new preface, the Lord commanded all people to hearken to His voice. He declared that He had given Joseph these commandments to help His children increase their faith, trust in Him, and receive and proclaim the fullness of His gospel and everlasting covenant. He also addressed the fears of those like David who worried about the content of the revelations.
“What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself,” He declared, “and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.”
After Joseph spoke the words of the preface, several members of the council said they were willing to testify of the truth of the revelations. Others in the room were still reluctant to publish the revelations in their current form. They knew Joseph was a prophet, and they knew the revelations were true, but they were embarrassed that the word of the Lord had come to them filtered through Joseph’s limited vocabulary and weak grammar.
The Lord did not share their concern. In His preface, He had testified that the revelations came from Him, given to His servants “in their weakness, after the manner of their language.” To help the men know the revelations came from Him, He issued a new revelation, challenging the council to select the wisest man in the room to write a revelation like the ones Joseph had received.
If the man selected for the task was unable to do it, everyone in the room would know and be responsible to testify that the Lord’s revelations to Joseph were true, despite their imperfections.
Taking up a pen, William tried to write a revelation, confident in his mastery of language. When he finished, though, he and the other men in the room knew what he had written had not come from the Lord. They admitted their error and signed a statement testifying that the revelations had been given to the prophet by the inspiration of God.
In council, they resolved that Joseph should review the revelations and “correct those errors or mistakes which he may discover by the Holy Spirit.” (13 The Gift Has Returned
Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, Volume 1, The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846)
"6 Behold, this is mine authority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the book of my commandments, which I have given them to publish unto you, O inhabitants of the earth.
24 Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding.
38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." (Doctrine and Covenants 1: 6, 24, 38)
"21
Come, Listen to a Prophet’s Voice
Joyfully
1.Come, listen to a prophet’s voice,
And hear the word of God,
And in the way of truth rejoice,
And sing for joy aloud.
We’ve found the way the prophets went
Who lived in days of yore.
Another prophet now is sent
This knowledge to restore.
2.The gloom of sullen darkness spread
Thru earth’s extended space
Is banished by our living Head,
And God has shown his face.
Thru erring schemes in days now past
The world has gone astray;
Yet Saints of God have found at last
The straight and narrow way.
3.’Tis not in man they put their trust
Nor on his arm rely.
Full well assured, all are accursed
Who Jesus Christ deny.
The Savior to his people saith,
“Let all my words obey,
And signs shall follow living faith,
Down to the latest day.”
4.Then heed the words of truth and light
That flow from fountains pure.
Yea, keep His law with all thy might
Till thine election’s sure,
Till thou shalt hear the holy voice
Assure eternal reign,
While joy and cheer attend thy choice,
As one who shall obtain.
Text: Joseph S. Murdock, 1822–1899. Verse four, Bruce R. McConkie, 1915–1985. © 1985 IRI
Music: Joseph J. Daynes, 1851–1920
Doctrine and Covenants 21:4–7"
And the end part of the commentary entitled: "The Lord speaks through His servants, including latter-day prophets." :
"You might be interested to know that when a council of elders met in 1831 to talk about publishing Joseph Smith’s revelations, some people opposed the idea. They were embarrassed by Joseph’s weakness in writing, and they worried that publishing the revelations might cause more problems for the Saints (see Saints, 1:140–43). If you had been a member of this council, how would you have addressed these concerns? What insights do you find in section 1 that might have helped? (see, for example, verses 6, 24, 38).
Consider including a hymn like “Come, Listen to a Prophet’s Voice” (Hymns, no. 21) in your study and worship. Look for phrases in the hymn that teach the same principles as verses in section 1.
See also Topics and Questions, “Prophets,” Gospel Library.
The Lord speaks to us through His servants, the prophets."
If I had been a member of the council of Elders that met in 1831, I would have assured other members expressing their concern that the Lord is in charge. He knew what He was doing when he called Joseph Smith to be His prophet. We tend to rely more on the Lord because of our weakness since we know that He is perfect. We trust the Lord more than anyone else because He is perfect. His work is perfect. His Church is perfect. The people whom He called to do His work are not perfect. The Church is His, not His servants'--the prophets whom He called in these latter days. We glorify God, not His servants. So it makes sense that He would speak through His servants, the prophets, despite their weaknesses.
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