And what point was there in preaching to a world that would not listen to them? It is the same as with Christ and the prophets: “as it was in the days of Noah,” the gospel of the kingdom was to be “preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14 [Matt. 11:7], italics added). First the witness, then the end. “But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, . . . and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses” (Acts 3:14–15 [Acts 2:2], italics added). Paul tells us why he bothered to preach to the Jews, who he knew would not hear him, when “he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles” (Acts 18:6 [Acts 10:17]). To the Gentiles he preached with the same expectations and for the same reason. Though these converts later fell victims to the wolves, turned against him en masse (2 Timothy 1:15), and became his enemies because he told them the truth (Galatians 4:16), he can leave them with the same assurance of “mission accomplished” that he left the Jews: “I know that ye all . . . shall see my face no more. “Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men” (Acts 10:25– 26 [Acts 6:6]). The concern of the apostles is not whether they are believed or not but only whether they bear testimony to all against the day of judgment. Those who hear and reject such a testimony are classed with Sodom and Gomorrah and reserved for “the day of judgment” (Luke 10:12 [Luke 8:3]). The apostles are not to judge until they sit on thrones in the kingdom: “Judge nothing before the time until the Lord cometh” (1 Corinthians 4:5) is their instruction.
The apostles were not to spend time overcoming opposition and winning people by long-term programs, as a project of conversion demands; they were rather to bear their testimonies and be on their way in all possible haste. “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them” (Mark 6:11 [Mark 3:7], italics added). The program outlined in Matthew 10 and Luke 9 is not that of founding solid institutions, but of last-minute emergency: “I send you forth as lambs among wolves. . . .
The Olivet Discourse (Sunday–Monday)
Sitting on the Mount of Olives with the temple in view, Jesus answers three questions his disciples ask as one (when the temple will fall, what the sign of his coming will be, and what the end of the world means), and the Restoration text keeps the three apart, closing the first with “these things I have spoken unto you concerning the Jews” before it turns to the last days.
Tap a Gospel to show or hide its column. Narrow to any two to read them side by side.
Note. This section follows JS–Matthew, not King James Matthew 24: the Covenant Christian Edition’s Matthew 11 is Joseph’s revision, and Kent P. Jackson’s edition of the JST prints the same text. Mark’s column is an earlier draft of that same revision (Jackson notes it “does not align with Mark 13 in the Bible”), so the two columns show the work twice, at two stages.
? How to read this edition
The reading is the Joseph Smith Translation, in the text of the Covenant Christian Edition, carried beside each Gospel and set against the King James baseline. Headers give both numbering systems: the CCE chapter and verse, and the traditional KJV reference.
Each movement Joseph discusses carries a JS link down to his letter; the letter carries a roman-numeral link back up to the movement.
They point out the buildings; he tells them the whole thing will come down. In the King James the disciples come to SHOW him the temple; in the revision they come to HEAR him, and they are quoting back a thing he has already said.
1And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus went out and departed from the temple. And his disciples came to him to hear him, saying, Master, show us concerning the buildings of the temple, as you have said, They shall be thrown down and left unto you desolate. 2And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And Jesus said unto them, Do you not see all these things? And do you not understand them? Truly I say unto you, there shall not be left here upon this temple one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down. And Jesus left them and went upon the Mount of Olives.
1And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here! And as Jesus went out of the temple, his disciples came to him to hear him, saying, Master, show us concerning the buildings of the temple. 2And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And he said unto them, Do you behold these stones of the temple? And all this great work, and buildings of the temple? Truly I say unto you, they shall be thrown down and left unto the Jews desolate. And Jesus said unto them, Do you not see all these things? And do you not understand them? Truly I say unto you, there shall not be left here upon this temple one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down.
5And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, 6These things which you behold, the days will come in which there shall not be left one stone upon another which shall not be thrown down.
The hinge of the whole discourse. The King James has one compound question; the revision has three distinct ones: the destruction of the temple and the Jews, the sign of his coming, and the end of the world, which is glossed on the spot as “the destruction of the wicked.” Everything that follows is an answer to one of the three, and the text will say which.
3And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be which you have said concerning the destruction of the temple and the Jews? And what is the sign of your coming? And of the end of the world, or the destruction of the wicked, which is the end of the world?
3And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, And Jesus left them and went upon the Mount of Olives. And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, 4Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? saying, Tell us, when shall these things be which you have said concerning the destruction of the temple and the Jews? And what is the sign of your coming? And of the end of the world, or the destruction of the wicked, which is the end of the world?
7And they the disciples asked him, saying, Master, when shall these things be? And what sign will you show when these things shall come to pass?
The first answer: what the disciples themselves will live through. Matthew’s revision jumps straight from v5 to v9, holding back the wars and famines of vv6–8 for the LAST days (they return in Movement VI). Luke keeps his own order but moves v13 to the end of the thought, so that the promised “mouth and wisdom” comes before the testimony it produces.
4And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed, that no man deceive you, 5for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. 9Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you. And you shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 10And then shall many be offended and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11And many false prophets shall arise and shall deceive many. 12And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13But he that shall endure unto the end remains steadfast and is not overcome, the same shall be saved.
5And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you, 6for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. 9But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you, and you shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended and shall betray one another. And many false prophets shall arise and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
8And he said, The time draws near, and therefore take heed, that you should be not deceived, for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; go not therefore after them. And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. 9And when you shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified, for these things must first come to pass; but this is not the end. 10Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, 11and great earthquakes shall be in diverse places, and famines, and pestilences, and fearful sights, and great signs shall there be from Heaven. 12But before all these things shall come, they shall lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. 14Settle it this therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what you shall answer, 15for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to refute nor resist, 13and it shall turn to you for a testimony. 16And you shall be betrayed, both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. 17And you shall be hated of all the world for my name’s sake. 18But there shall not a hair of your head perish. 19In your patience, possess your souls.
Daniel’s sign, and the flight from Judea. The revision names what the King James leaves open: the abomination is “concerning the destruction of Jerusalem,” the tribulation is “on the Jews and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem,” and the whole first answer is sealed off, “Behold, these things I have spoken unto you concerning the Jews.” Verse 8, the beginning of sorrows, is pulled back to here and made about them.
15When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, then you shall stand in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand). 16Then let them who are in Judea flee into the mountains; 17let him who is on the housetop not come down flee and not return to take anything out of his house, 18neither let him who is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19And woe unto them that are with child, and unto them that give suck in those days. 20But pray ye Therefore, pray to the Lord that your flight shall not be in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day.
21For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. For then, in those days, shall be great tribulation on the Jews and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, such as was not before sent upon Israel of God since the beginning of their kingdom until this time; no, nor ever shall be sent again upon Israel. 8All these are the beginning of sorrows. All things which have befallen them are only the beginning of the sorrows which shall come upon them. 22And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. And except those days should be shortened, there should none of their flesh be saved. But for the elect’s sake, according to the covenant, those days shall be shortened. Behold these things I have spoken unto you concerning the Jews.
14But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judæa flee to the mountains: When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, then you shall stand in the holy place. Whoever reads, let him understand. Then let them who are in Judea flee into the mountains. 15And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, Let him who is on the housetop flee and not return to take anything out of his house. 16Neither let him who is in the field return back to take his clothes. 17And woe unto them that are with child and unto them who give suck in those days. 18And pray ye Therefore, pray to the Lord that your flight should not be in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day. 19For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. For then, in those days, shall be great tribulations on the Jews and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, such as was not before sent upon Israel by God since the beginning of their kingdom (for it is written: their enemies shall scatter them) until this time; no, nor ever shall be sent again upon Israel. All these things are the beginnings of sorrows. 20And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved. But for the elect’s sake, according to the covenants, those days shall be shortened. Behold, these things I have spoken unto you concerning the Jews.
20And when you shall see Jerusalem encompassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is near. 21Then let them who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let them who are in the midst of it depart out, and let not them who are in the countries enter thereinto return to enter into the city; 22for these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23But woe unto them who are with child, and to them who give suck in those days, for there shall be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people, 24and they shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Now these things he spoke unto them concerning the destruction of Jerusalem.
The second answer begins. Matthew’s “Then if any man shall say” becomes “AND AGAIN, after the tribulation of those days which shall come upon Jerusalem”: the text stepping deliberately from one era to the next. The elect who cannot be deceived are defined: “the elect according to the covenant.” Luke’s column here carries his added second question.
23Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. And again, after the tribulation of those days which shall come upon Jerusalem, if any man shall say unto you, Look, here is Christ, or there — believe him not; 24For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. for in those days there shall also arise false christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant. 25Behold, I have told you before. Behold, I speak these things unto you for the elect’s sake. 6And you also shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you be not troubled, for all I have told you must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 26Behold, I have told you before; wherefore, if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert — go not forth; behold, he is in the secret chambers — believe it not; 27for as the lightning light of the morning comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west, and covers the whole earth, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.
21And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: And then immediately after the tribulation of those days which shall come upon Jerusalem, if any man shall say unto you, Look, here is Christ, or there — believe him not. 22For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. For in those days there shall also arise false christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant. 23But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things. Behold, I speak these things unto you for the elect’s sake.
26And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And you also shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you be not troubled, for all I have told you must come to pass, but the end is not yet. Behold, I have told you before; wherefore, if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert — go not forth. Behold, he is in the secret chambers — believe it not; for as the light of the morning comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west, and covers the whole earth, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.
And then his disciples asked him, saying, Master, tell us concerning your coming. 25And he answered them and said, In the generation in which the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled, there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, and upon the earth, distress of nations with perplexity, the sea like the sea and the waves roaring. 26The earth also shall be troubled, and the waters of the great deep, men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth, for the Powers of Heaven shall be shaken; 28and when these things begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads, for the day of your redemption draws near. 27And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Here the verses the revision held back come home. The eagles gathered to the body (a grim image in the King James, where it is a carcase) is turned into a promise: “So likewise shall my elect be gathered from the four quarters of the earth.” Then the wars and famines of vv6–8, now placed in the last days, and v14, where the revision adds that the end is “the destruction of the wicked.” The rest of v14 is not the revision’s wording: it is the reading Joseph Smith gave the verse from a German Bible on May 12, 1844 (“to a witness over all people”), which the Covenant Christian Edition prints.
28For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. And now I show unto you a parable. Behold, wherever the body is, there will the eagles be gathered together. So likewise shall my elect be gathered from the four quarters of the earth. 7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. And they shall hear of wars and rumors of wars — behold, I speak unto you for my elect’s sake — for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse places. And again, because iniquity shall abound, the love of men shall wax cold. But he that shall not be overcome, the same shall be saved. 14And this the gospel of the Kingdom shall will be preached, in all the the whole world, for to a witness unto over all nations people; and then shall will the end come, or the destruction of the wicked. And again shall the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, be fulfilled.
27And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. And now I show unto you a parable. Behold, wherever the body is, there will the eagles be gathered together. So likewise shall my elect be gathered from the four quarters of the earth. 7And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. And they shall hear of wars and rumors of wars — behold, I speak unto you for my elect’s sake — 8For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse places. And again, because iniquity shall abound, the love of men shall wax cold. But he who shall not be overcome, the same shall be saved. And again, this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come, or the destruction of the wicked.
The revision answers the oldest objection to this chapter. “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled” becomes “this generation IN WHICH THESE THINGS SHALL BE SHOWN FORTH shall not pass away until all I have told you shall be fulfilled”: the generation that sees the signs, not the generation standing on the mount. Mark’s cell here is entirely without a King James verse.
29And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the Powers of Heaven shall be shaken. 34Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Truly I say unto you, this generation in which these things shall be shown forth shall not pass away until all I have told you shall be fulfilled. 35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Although the days will come that heaven and earth shall pass away, yet my words shall not pass away, but all shall be fulfilled.
And again shall the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, be fulfilled. And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the Powers of Heaven shall be shaken. Truly I say unto you, this generation in which these things shall be shown forth shall not pass away until all I have told you shall be fulfilled. Although the days will come that heaven and earth shall pass away, yet my words shall not pass away, but all shall be fulfilled.
The revision reaches back (“AND AS I SAID BEFORE, after the tribulation of those days”) and gives the sign a second time, now with the promise attached: “whoever treasures up my words shall not be deceived.” The angels gather “THE REMAINDER of his elect,” which implies some are already gathered. Mark’s cell again has no King James verse.
30And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And as I said before, after the tribulation of those days, and the Powers of the Heavens shall be shaken, then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of Heaven, with power and great glory. And whoever treasures up my words shall not be deceived, for the Son of Man shall come, 31and he shall send his angels before him with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together the remainder of his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
And as I said before, after the tribulation of those days, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven. And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of Heaven, with power and great glory. And whoever treasures up my word shall not be deceived, for the Son of Man shall come, and he shall send his angels before him with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
The one sign anybody can read. In Matthew and Mark the revision makes the watchers specific (“so likewise MY ELECT, when they shall see all these things”), and Luke defines the generation a second time: “the generation when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Then the limit: no one knows the day, “no, not the angels OF GOD in Heaven.”
32Now learn a parable of the fig tree. When its branches are yet tender and it begins to put forth leaves, you know that summer is near at hand. 33So likewise, ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is my elect, when they shall see all these things, they shall know that he is near, even at the doors. 36But of that day and hour no one knows — no, not the angels of God in Heaven, but my Father only.
28Now learn a parable of the fig tree. When his branches are yet tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near at hand. 29So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is So likewise my elect, when they shall see all these things, they shall know that he is near, even at the doors. 32But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. But of that day and hour no one knows — no, not the angels of God in Heaven, but my Father only.
29And he spoke to them a parable, saying, Behold the fig tree and all the trees; 30when they now shoot forth, you see and know of your own selves that summer is now near at hand. 31So likewise you, when you see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is near at hand. 32Truly I say unto you, this generation — the generation when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled — shall not pass away until all are fulfilled. 33Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Not a warning about wickedness but about obliviousness: they were eating and drinking and marrying, and “knew not until the flood came.” The two in the field and the two at the mill are, in the revision, a thing already written and now to be fulfilled.
37But as it was in the days of Noah, so it shall be also at the coming of the Son of Man, 38for it shall be with them as it was in the days which were before the flood. For until the day that Noah entered into the ark, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39and knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.
40Then shall be fulfilled that which is written: that in the last days, two shall be in the field, the one shall be taken and the other left; 41two shall be grinding at the mill, the one taken and the other left.
But as it was in the days of Noah, so it shall be also at the coming of the Son of Man; for it shall be with them as it was in the days which were before the flood. Until the day that Noah entered into the ark, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Then shall be fulfilled that which is written: that in the last days, two shall be in the field, one shall be taken and the other left; two shall be grinding at the mill, the one taken and the other left.
The instruction the whole discourse exists to give. Luke’s version is narrowed to “LET MY DISCIPLES therefore take heed to themselves,” and his charge to watch and pray gains “AND KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS” (watching is not waiting but obeying) and ends with the Son of Man coming “CLOTHED IN THE GLORY OF HIS FATHER.”
42And what I say unto one, I say unto all men; watch, therefore, for you know not at what hour your Lord does come. 43But know this: if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to have been broken up, but would have been ready. 44Therefore, you be also ready, for in such an hour as you think not, the Son of Man comes.
33Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. And what I say unto one, I say unto all men; watch, therefore, for you know not at what hour your Lord does come. 34For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. But know this: if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to have been broken up, but would have been ready. Therefore, you be also ready, for in such an hour as you think not, the Son of Man comes.
34And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting Let my disciples therefore take heed to themselves, lest at any time their hearts should be burdened with overindulgence, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come upon you them unawares; 35for as a snare it shall come on all them who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36And what I say unto one, I say unto all. Watch, therefore, and pray always, and keep my commandments, that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things which shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man when he shall come, clothed in the glory of his Father.
37And in the daytime, he was teaching in the temple; and at night, he went out and stayed the night in the mount that is called Olives. 38And the people came early in the morning to him in the temple to hear him.
The first of four parables of readiness, and the only one Mark carries. Matthew’s close is expanded into a citation of Moses, and then held open: “And thus comes the end of the wicked… BUT THE END OF THE EARTH IS NOT YET, BUT EVENTUALLY.” The destruction of the wicked and the end of the earth are still two different things.
45Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46Blessed is that servant whom his lord (when he comes) shall find so doing. 47And truly I say unto you, he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delays his coming, 49and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunk, 50the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51and shall cut him asunder, and shall appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And thus comes the end of the wicked according to the prophecy of Moses, saying, They should be cut off from among the people. But the end of the earth is not yet, but eventually.
35Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his lord (when he comes) shall find so doing. And truly I say unto you, he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delays his coming, and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunk, 36Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and shall appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And thus comes the end.
Matthew alone. The revision fixes the parable in time (“AND THEN AT THAT DAY, BEFORE THE SON OF MAN COMES”) and then reverses the sentence at the door. The King James has the bridegroom say “I know you not.” The Restoration text has him say “YOU KNOW ME NOT.” The failure is not his memory but their acquaintance.
1Then shall And then at that day, before the Son of Man comes, the kingdom of Heaven shall be likened unto ten virgins who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom, 2and five of them were wise and five of them were foolish. 3They that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes, go out to meet him! 7Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. 9But the wise answered, saying, Lest there be not enough for us and you, go rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came. And they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. 11Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us. 12But he answered and said, Truly I say unto you, I know you not you know me not. 13Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man comes.
Matthew alone. “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling” becomes “NOW I WILL LIKEN THESE THINGS UNTO A PARABLE”: the storyteller stepping forward. At the end the revision makes the reward specific: not “unto every one that hath” but “unto everyone who HAS OBTAINED, OTHER TALENTS shall be given.” What is added to is what was worked.
14For the kingdom of heaven is as Now I will liken these things unto a parable. For it is like a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants and delivered unto them his goods. 15And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one — to every man according to his personal ability — and immediately went on his journey. 16Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five gained five other talents. 17And likewise he who received two talents, he also gained two other. 18But he that had received one went and dug in the earth and hid his lord’s money.
19After a long time, the lord of those servants came and reckoned with them. 20And so he that had received the five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, Lord, you delivered unto me five talents; behold, I have gained besides them five talents more. 21His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.
22He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, you delivered unto me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents besides them. 23His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.
24Then he who had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew you, that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sowed and gathering where you have not scattered. 25And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the earth. Lo, there thou hast that is thine. And behold, here is your talent. Take it from me as you have from your other servants, for it is yours.
26His lord answered and said unto him, Thou O wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not scattered. 27Having known this, therefore, you ought to have put my money to the exchangers, and at my coming I should have received my own with usury. 28I will take therefore the talent from him you and give it unto him who has ten talents; 29for unto everyone who has obtained, other talents shall be given, and he shall have abundance. But from him that has not obtained, other talents shall be taken away, even that which he has received. 30And his lord shall say unto his servants, Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew alone, and, after a chapter and a half of continuous rewriting, almost entirely untouched. Jackson marks most of it unchanged. The one addition is at the throne: “And he shall sit upon his throne, AND THE TWELVE APOSTLES WITH HIM.” The judgment itself the Restoration leaves exactly as it found it.
31When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he shall sit upon the throne of his glory. 32And before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats: 33the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left. And he shall sit upon his throne, and the twelve apostles with him.
34And then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35For I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in; 36naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came unto me.
37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry, and fed you? Or thirsty, and gave you drink? 38When did we see you a stranger, and took you in? Or naked, and clothed you? 39Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and came unto you? 40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Truly I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.
41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into Everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry, and you gave me no food. I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink. 43I was a stranger, and you took me not in; naked, and you clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and you visited me not.
44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto you? 45Then shall he answer them, saying, Truly I say unto you, inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it not unto me. 46And these shall go away into Everlasting punishment, but the righteous unto life eternal.
The Signs of His Coming, and No Man Told the Hour
I Will Show It Plainly, as I Showed It unto My Disciples
D&C 45:15–59 (CCE T&C 31:4–12) · March 7, 1831 · scriptures.info ↗Given at Kirtland in March 1831, while false reports about the church were being published. The Lord restates the discourse on the Mount of Olives “as I showed it unto my disciples as I stood before them in the flesh,” keeping the two halves the Joseph Smith Translation keeps apart: first Jerusalem and its temple, then the times of the gentiles and his coming. The wars, the commotion and the failing hearts follow Luke 21, the fig tree is here, and it ends with the ten virgins. The verses that follow (D&C 45:60–61) tell Joseph to begin translating the New Testament, in which “all these things shall be made known.”
Wherefore hearken, and I will reason with you, and I will speak unto you and prophesy as unto men in days of old. And I will show it plainly, as I showed it unto my disciples as I stood before them in the flesh and spoke unto them, saying, As you have asked of me concerning these signs of my coming, in the day when I shall come in my glory in the clouds of Heaven, to fulfill the promises that I have made unto your fathers, for as you have looked upon the long absence of your spirits from your bodies to be a bondage, I will show unto you how the day of redemption shall come, and also the restoration of the scattered Israel.
And now you behold this temple which is in Jerusalem, which you call the House of God, and your enemies say that this house shall never fall. But truly, I say unto you that desolation shall come upon this generation as a thief in the night, and this people shall be destroyed and scattered among all nations. And this temple which you now see shall be thrown down, that there shall not be left one stone upon another. And it shall come to pass that this generation of Jews shall not pass away until every desolation which I have told you concerning them shall come to pass. You say that you know that the end of the world comes. You say also that you know that the heavens and the earth shall pass away, and in this you say truly, for so it is. But these things which I have told you shall not pass away until all shall be fulfilled, and this I have told you concerning Jerusalem.
And when that day shall come shall a remnant be scattered among all nations; but they shall be gathered again, but they shall remain until the times of the gentiles be fulfilled. And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion. And men’s hearts shall fail them and shall say that Christ delays his coming until the end of the world, and the love of men shall wax cold and iniquity shall abound. And when the times of the gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fullness of my gospel, but they receive it not, for they perceive not the light and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men.
And in that generation shall the times of the gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be men standing in that generation that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge, for a desolating sickness shall cover the land. But my disciples shall stand in holy places and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices, and curse God, and die. And there shall be earthquakes also in diverse places and many desolations. Yet men will harden their hearts against me, and they will take up the sword one against another and they will kill one another.
And now, when I, the Lord, had spoken these words unto my disciples they were troubled, and I said unto them, Be not troubled, for when all these things shall come to pass you may know that the promises which have been made unto you shall be fulfilled. And when the light shall begin to break forth, it shall be with them like unto a parable which I will show you: You look and behold the fig trees, and you see them with your eyes, and you say, when they begin to shoot forth and their leaves are yet tender, you say that summer is now nearly at hand. Even so, it shall be in that day when they shall see all these things, then shall they know that the hour is near.
And it shall come to pass that he that fears me shall be looking for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man. And they shall see signs and wonders, for they shall be shown forth in the heavens above and in the earth beneath, and they shall behold blood, and fires, and vapors of smoke. And before the day of the Lord shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood, and some stars shall fall from heaven, and the remnant shall be gathered unto this place. And then they shall look for me, and behold, I will come, and they shall see me in the clouds of Heaven, clothed with power and great glory, with all the holy angels. And he that watches not for me shall be cut off. But before the arm of the Lord shall fall, an angel shall sound his trump and the saints that have slept shall come forth to meet me in the cloud. Wherefore, if you have slept in peace, blessed are you, for as you now behold me and know that I am, even so shall you come unto me, and your souls shall live, and your redemption shall be perfected, and the saints shall come forth from the four quarters of the earth.
Then shall the arm of the Lord fall upon the nations, and then shall the Lord set his foot upon this mount and it shall cleave in twain. And the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro, and the heavens also shall shake, and the Lord shall utter his voice and all the ends of the earth shall hear it. And the nations of the earth shall mourn, and they that have laughed shall see their folly. And calamity shall seize the mocker, and the scorner shall be consumed. And they that have watched for iniquity shall be hewn down and cast into the fire.
And then shall the Jews look upon me and say, What are these wounds in your hands and in your feet? Then shall they know that I am the Lord, for I will say unto them, These wounds are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I am he that was lifted up; I am Jesus which was crucified. I am the Son of God. And then shall they weep because of their iniquities, then shall they lament because they persecuted their King.
And then shall the heathen nations be redeemed, and they which knew no law shall have part in the first resurrection, and it shall be tolerable for them. And Satan shall be bound, that he shall have no place in the hearts of the children of men. And at that day when I shall come in my glory shall the parable be fulfilled which I spoke concerning the ten virgins, for they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the holy spirit for their guide and have not been deceived, truly I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day, and the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance. And they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation, for the Lord shall be in their midst and his glory shall be upon them, and he will be their king and their lawgiver.
Impossible for False Christs to Deceive Us
At a conference at Orange, Ohio, in October 1831, the clerk recorded Joseph Smith saying what it is that keeps the elect from being deceived. Richard C. Galbraith’s Scriptural Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith keys the sentence to Matthew 24:24, where false Christs “shall deceive, if possible, the very elect”: the protection is perfect love, which comes with a testimony that one’s name is sealed in the Lamb’s book of life.
Minutes of a conference, 25–26 October 1831, Orange, Cuyahoga County, Ohio · Minute Book 2, p. 13 (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 9) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗…also said until we have perfect love we are liable to fall and when we have a testimony that our names are sealed in the Lamb’s Book of life we have perfect love & then it is impossible for false Christ’s to decieve us.
Likened unto the Wise Virgins
In the same letter to the Saints driven out of Jackson County that applies the parable of the unjust judge (on the Persistent Widow page), Joseph Smith likened those who kept their inheritances in Zion to the wise virgins, and those who gave them up out of unbelief and fear to the foolish ones.
Letter to Edward Partridge and Others, 10 December 1833, Kirtland Mills, Ohio · Letterbook 1, pp. 73–74 (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 36) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗…all those that keep their inheritances notwithstanding they should be pealed and driven shall be likened unto the wise virgins who took oil in their lamps, But all those who are unbelieving and fearful, will be likened unto the foolish virgins, who took no oil in their Lamps; and when they shall return, and say unto the saints, give us of your lands, behold there will be no room found for them.
Where the Five Talents Were Bestowed, Ten Will Be Required
In a circular letter from the elders at Kirtland to the Saints abroad, Joseph Smith read the parable of the talents as a description of the present: the Master is absent only for a little season, and at the end of it each servant will render an account.
Letter, “The Elders of the Church in Kirtland, to Their Brethren Abroad,” 22 January 1834 · published in the Evening and Morning Star, 1834 (History of the Church 2:4–24; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 68). The Joseph Smith Papers does not surface this circular under a resolvable page, so there is no link.
The great plan of salvation is a theme which ought to occupy our strict attention, and be regarded as one of heaven’s best gifts to mankind. No consideration whatever ought to deter us from showing ourselves approved in the sight of God, according to His divine requirement. Men not unfrequently forget that they are dependent upon heaven for every blessing which they are permitted to enjoy, and that for every opportunity granted them they are to give an account. You know, brethren, that when the Master in the Savior’s parable of the stewards called his servants before him he gave them several talents to improve on while he should tarry abroad for a little season, and when he returned he called for an accounting. So it is now. Our Master is absent only for a little season, and at the end of it He will call each to render an account; and where the five talents were bestowed, ten will be required; and he that has made no improvement will be cast out as an unprofitable servant, while the faithful will enjoy everlasting honors. Therefore we earnestly implore the grace of our Father to rest upon you, through Jesus Christ His Son, that you may not faint in the hour of temptation, nor be overcome in the time of persecution.
The Signs of the Coming of the Son of Man Are Already Commenced
At Commerce, Illinois, in the summer of 1839, with his people newly gathered after their expulsion from Missouri, Joseph Smith prophesied that the signs of this discourse had already begun, said he would testify of them rather than cry peace, and closed with the fig tree of Matthew 24:32–33. The Joseph Smith Papers annotate that last sentence to the verse and to Joseph’s own revision of it.
Discourse, between circa 26 June and circa 4 August 1839 (A), Commerce, Illinois · Willard Richards, Pocket Companion, pp. 68–71 (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 160–61) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗Men profess to prophecy. I will prophecy that the signs of the coming of the Son of man are already commencd, one pestilence will dessolate after another. we shall soon have war & bloodshed. The Moon will be turned to blood, I testify of these things. & that the coming of the Son of Man is nigh even at your doors,— If our souls & our bodies are not looking forth for the coming of the Son of Man. & after we are dead if we are not looking forth. &c We shall be among those who are calling for the rocks to fall upon us &c— …
Wars are at hand we must not delay, but are not required to sacrifice. We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object.— when wars come we shall have to flee to Zion. The cry is to make haste. The last revelation says ye shall not have time to have gone over the Earth until these things come. It will come as did the Cholera. war. & fires burning Earthquake one pestilence after another &c until the Ancient of Days come then judgment will be given to the Saints. …
I saw men hunting the lives of their own sons, & brother murdering brother, women killing their own daughters & daughters seeking the lives of their mothers. I saw armies arrayed against armies I saw blood. desolations, fires &c,— The Son of Man has said that the mother Shall be against the daughter, & the daughter against the mother &c,— These things are at our doors. They will follow the Saints of God from City To City— Satan will rage & The Spirit of the Devil is now enraged. I know not how soon these things will take place, and with a view of them shall I cry peace? NO! I will lift up my voice & testify of them. How long you will have good crops. & the famin be kept off. I do not know. when the fig tree leaves, know then that the summer is nigh at hand.
Concerning the Coming of the Son of Man
Joseph Smith is not expounding a verse of this discourse here. The passage is shown because it is his teaching on the event the discourse describes: all are raised to meet the Son of Man, the righteous remain with him, and the Saints are not promised escape from every judgment. It is James Mulholland’s summary of a Sunday sermon at Commerce.
Discourse, 29 September 1839, Commerce, Illinois · Joseph Smith Journal, kept by James Mulholland, pp. 12–13 (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 162) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗Spoke and explained concerning uselessness of preaching to the world about great judgements but rather to preach the simple gospel— Explained concerning the coming of the son of Man &c that all will be raised to meet him but the righteous will remain with him in the cloud whilst all the proud and all that do wickedly will have to return to the earth, and suffer his vengeance which he will take upon them this is the second death &c &c Also that it is a false idea that the saints will escape all the judgements whilst the wicked suffer— for all flesh is subject to suffer— and “the righteous shall hardly escape” still many of the saints will escape— for the just shall live by faith— yet many of the righteous shall fall a prey to disease to pestilence &c by reason of the weakness of the flesh and yet be saved in the kingdom of God…
The World and Earth Are Not Synonymous Terms
Joseph Smith is not expounding this chapter here, and he names no verse. The remark is shown because it states the rule behind his revision of it, which glosses “the end of the world” as “the destruction of the wicked” (v. 3) and closes with “the end of the earth is not yet” (end of v. 51): the world that ends is the human family, not the planet. William Clayton took it down at a school of instruction in Nauvoo on January 5, 1841.
Discourse, 5 January 1841, Nauvoo, Illinois · William Clayton’s report, copied in L. John Nuttall’s notebook, p. 5 · Joseph Smith Papers ↗… The world and earth are not synonymous terms. The world is the human family. This earth was organized or formed out of other planets which were broke up and remodelled and made into the one on which we live. …
He Has Not Seen the Sign of the Son of Man
When an Illinois man certified that he had seen the sign of the Son of Man in the sky, and a Chicago paper said Joseph Smith had met his match, Joseph answered in the Times and Seasons: no one would see the sign foretold in Matthew 24 until after the sun was darkened and the moon turned to blood, and the Lord would not come in 1843.
Letter to the Editor, 28 February 1843, Nauvoo, Illinois · Times and Seasons 4:113 (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 280) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗Among the many signs of the times, and other strange things, which are continually agitating the minds of men, I notice a small speculation in the Chicago Express, upon the certificate of one Hiram Redding, of Ogle co. stating that he has seen the sign of the son of man in heaven, as foretold in the 24th of Matt. …
The editor, as well as some others, “thinks that Jo Smith has his match at last,” because Mr. Redding certifies that he has seen the sign of the son of man. But I shall use my right, and declare, that. notwithstanding Mr. Redding may have seen a wonderful appearance in the clouds, one morning about sun-rise, (which is nothing very uncommon in the winter season) he has not seen the sign of the son of man, as foretold by Jesus; neither has any man, nor will any man, till after the sun shall have been darkened and the moon bathed in blood, for the Lord hath not shown me any such sign, and, as the prophet saith, so it must be: Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. (See Amos 3: 7). Therefore, hear this, O earth, the Lord will not come to reign over the righteous, in this world, in 1843, nor until every thing for the bridegroom is ready.
The Sign Will Come Up Like the Morning
Eleven years after revising Matthew 24, Joseph preached from it at general conference, and preached from his own revision, not the King James. Where the King James has the coming “as the lightning cometh out of the east,” his text reads “as the light of the morning,” and the whole argument depends on it: a sign that appears small in the east and grows until every eye sees it, which the world will explain away as a comet. He also takes up the verse that had been used against him, “no man knoweth the day or the hour”, and reads it in the present tense. The reading is James Burgess’s notebook as he wrote it; switch to “Scribal accounts” for the three records.
Discourse, 6 April 1843, General Conference, Nauvoo, Illinois · James Burgess Notebook · History of the Church 5:333–37; a small extract in Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 286–87. Kept on Burgess deliberately: the History of the Church text abridges the 6 April conference discourse down to remarks on theft and secret combinations (History D-1, pp. 1517–18) and drops the eschatological portion entirely, so the reporter is the only record of these words · Joseph Smith Papers ↗Christ says no man knoweth the day or the hour when the Son of man cometh. This is a sweeping argument for sectarianism against Latterdayism Did Christ speak this as a general principle throughout all generations Oh no he spake in the present tense no man that was then liveing upon the footstool of God knew the day or the hour But he did not say that there was no man throughout all generations that should not know the day or the hour No for this would be in flat contradection with other scripture for the prophet says that God will do nothing but what he will reveal unto his Servants the prophets consequently if it is not made known to the Prophets it will not come to pass; again we find Paul 1rst of Thessilonians 5th chapter expressly points out the characters who shall not know the day nor the hour when the Son of Man cometh for says he it will come upon them as the theif or unawares. Who are they they are the children of darkness or night. But to the Saints he says yea are not of the night nor of darkness that that day should come upon you unawares.
John the revelator says 14 chap 7th verse that the hour of his judgements is come they are precursers or forerunners of the comeing of Christ. Read Mathew 24 Chap and all the Prophets. He says then shall they see the sign of the comeing of the Son of Man in the clouds of Heaven. How are we to see it ans[wer], As the lighting up of the morning or the dawning of the morning cometh from the east and Shineth unto the west— So also is the comeing of the Son of Man. The dawning of the morning makes its appearance in the east and moves along gradualy s[o] also will the comeing of the Son of Man be. It will be small at its first appearance and gradually becomes larger untill every eye shall see it.
Shall the Saints understand it Oh yes, Paul says so. Shall the wicked understand Oh no they attribute it to a natural cause. They will probably suppose it is too great Comets comeing in contact with each other It will be small at first and will grow larger and larger untill it will be all in a blaze so that every eye shall see it.
Weeping, Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth
Two days after the conference sermon on the sign of the Son of Man, taking up the beasts of the Revelation, Joseph Smith said what the weeping and gnashing of teeth is that closes the parables of the evil servant and the talents (Matthew 24:51; 25:30): the suspense and doubt of those without knowledge. The reading is the History’s text. Switch to “Scribal accounts” for William Clayton’s and Willard Richards’s notes, which are briefer and do not have the phrase itself.
Discourse, 8 April 1843, Nauvoo, Illinois · History, 1838–1856, volume D-1, p. 1522 (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 287–88) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗If we get puffed up by thinking that we have much knowledge, we are apt to get a contentious spirit, and correct knowledge is necessary to cast out that spirit. The evil of being puffed up with correct (though useless) knowledge, is not so great as the evil of contention. Knowledge does away with darkness, suspense and doubt; for these cannot exist where knowledge is. There is no pain so awful as that of suspense: this is the punishment of the wicked; their doubt, anxiety, and suspense, cause weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth.
In knowledge there is power. God has more power than all other beings, because he has greater knowledge; and hence he knows how to subject all other beings to him: He has power over all.
Jesus Christ Never Did Reveal to Any Man the Precise Time
Closing his sermon on Elias, Elijah and Messiah, Joseph Smith told of asking the Lord about his coming and being given the sign of the bow: in any year the rainbow is seen, the Lord will not come. He answered William Miller’s prediction that Christ would come that year, and said that no one had been told the precise time (Matthew 24:36). The reading is the History’s text. Six reporters took this part down; switch to “Scribal accounts” to compare them.
Discourse, 10 March 1844, Nauvoo, Illinois · History, 1838–1856, volume E-1, pp. 1922–23 (History of the Church 6:254; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 340–41) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗I have asked of the Lord concerning his coming, and while asking the Lord he gave me a sign and said, ‘in the days of Noah I set a bow in the heavens as a sign and token that in any year that the bow should be seen the Lord would not come, but there should be seed time and harvest during that year, but whenever you see the bow withdrawn, it shall be a token that there shall be famine, pestilence, and great distress among the nations, and that the coming of the Messiah is not far distant.’ But I will take the responsibility upon myself to prophecy in the name of the Lord, that christ will not come this year as Father [William] Miller has prophesied, for we have seen the bow, and I also prophesy in the name of the Lord, that Christ will not come in forty years, and if God ever spoke by my mouth he will not come in that length of time, Brethren when you go home write this down that it may be remembered.
Jesus Christ never did reveal to any man the precise time that he would come, go and read the Scriptures, and you cannot find anything that specifies the exact hour he would come, and all that say so are false teachers.
It Will Preached Be, to a Witness over All People
Six weeks before his death, at the temple stand, Joseph Smith read Matthew 24 aloud from a German Bible and rendered it word for word, and several in the congregation said he translated it correctly. He read verse 14 as the gospel committed to a witness who would hold the keys and the testimony for the whole world, and the false prophets of verse 24 as those who rise against that witness and deceive almost the very chosen. The Covenant Christian Edition prints his sermon reading of verse 14 (“in the whole world, to a witness over all people; and then will the end come”), not the wording of his own translation manuscript. Switch to “Scribal accounts” for Thomas Bullock, George Laub, Samuel W. Richards and Joseph Fielding.
Discourse, 12 May 1844, Temple Stand, Nauvoo, Illinois · Thomas Bullock’s report (History of the Church 6:363–64; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 364–65) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗Also recorded in Words of Joseph Smith, 12 May 1844, with Joseph Fielding’s diary.
I shall read the 24th. ch of Matthew and give it a litteral rendering & reading, and when rightly understood will be edifying (he translated it from the German) I thought the very oddity of its rendering would be edifying any how— “And it will preached be, the Gospel of the Kingdom in the whole world, to a witness over all people, and then will the end come”. I will now read it in German— (several persons said he translated it correct) the Savior said, when those tribulations should take place, it should be committed to a man, who should be a witness over the whole world, the keys of knowledge, power, and revelations, should be revealed to a witness who should hold the testimony to the world; it has always been my province to dig up hidden mysteries, new things, for my hearers— just at the time when some men think that I have no right to the keys just at that time, I have the greatest right— the Germans are an exalted people, the old German translators is the most correct, most honest and therefore I get testimony to bear me out in the revelations that I have preached for the last 14 years— the old German, Latin, Greek and Hebrew all say it is true, they cannot be impeached, and I am in good company— all the testimony is, that the Lord in the last days would commit the keys to a witness over all people— has the Gospel of the Kingdom commenced in the last days, and will God take it from the man, until he takes him, himself, I have read it precisely as the words flowed from the lips of Jesus Christ—
John the Revelator saw an angel flying thro’ the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, &c. the Scripture is ready to be fulfilled when great wars, famines, pestilence, judgments &c are ready to be poured out on the Inhabitants of the Earth— John saw the angel having the priesthood who should preach— God had an angel, ordained, & prepared for that purpose in the last days— Woe! Woe! be to that man, or set of men, who lift up their hands against God and his Witness in these last days—— for they shall deceive almost the very chosen ones— my enemies say I have been a true prophet— & I had rather be a fallen true prophet, than a false prophet; when a man goes about prophesying and commands men to obey him, he must be either a true or false prophet— false prophets always arise to oppose the true prophets, and will deceive almost the very chosen ones— the doctrine of eternal judgments belong to the 1st. principles of the Gospel in the last days— in relation to the Kingdom of God— the devil always sets up his Kingdom at the very same time—
First the Witness, Then the End
Verse 14 is the one the revision moves furthest: out of the destruction of Jerusalem and into the last days, with the end it announces glossed as “the destruction of the wicked.” Nibley, asking why the apostles bothered to preach to people they knew would not listen, arrives at the same order the verse states.
But alas, Ms. Gimbutas’ civilization suddenly disappeared under the onslaught of patriarchal invaders out of Asia.
The mass destruction of world civilization has happened more than once in the past—the Bible gives us stunning examples: “As it was in the days of Noah” (JS-M 1:4)—and promises more to come. The world collapse produces the typical “Heroic Age” of the Great Migrations, such as we find in Genesis 14 and the book of Ether—those desperate times which are the background of the “epic milieu” of the great bards.29 But always something lived on, as Aristotle tells us. We see signs of recovery from such a collapse when Mortimer Wheeler, viewing a vast agglomeration of archaeological sites, tells us how “in the third millennium [B.C.] the idea of civilization was in the air in Western Asia and things were looking up, fortified by the consciousness that it had been done before, and in that consciousness they won through.30 The author is referring to the earlier achievements of Egypt and Mesopotamia, but their makers in turn had suddenly appeared on the scene as migrating hosts in times of world upheaval and turmoil, salvaging and replanting the remnants saved from an earlier debacle. As if he were paraphrasing the inspired insight of Joseph F. Smith, Professor de Santillana notes that “what we observe as ‘primitive’ conditions are, with very few exceptions, . . . only what is left of the rise and fall of past higher cultures. . . .
We uncover in our search what is not [ancient] virgin soil but areas once cultivated and still full of ancient seeds.”
He writes as if he had been studying those amazing air photographs of Britain showing well-cultivated farms in the far north from the fifth millennium B.C. In an eloquent passage de Santillana reminds us, “The dust of centuries had settled upon the remnants of this great world-wide archaic construction when the Greeks came upon the scene.
Nibley cites JS–Matthew by its own versification, as this section does.