The Know

In November 1832, the Prophet Joseph Smith wrote a letter to William W. Phelps after returning to Kirtland, Ohio. At the time, Phelps was responsible for Church publications in Independence, Missouri, and was an influential Latter-day Saint there. In his letter, Joseph addressed issues that the Church in Missouri was facing. Most prominent among these was the issue of Saints receiving inheritances in Zion under the law of consecration.1 During this time, “at least some individuals had not followed the commandment to consecrate their properties and had consequently not received an inheritance.”2

In this context, Joseph clarified, “It is the duty of the Lord’s clerk, whom he has appointed, to keep a history, and a general church record of all things that transpire in Zion,” including the actions of the faithful and those who apostatized from the Church (Doctrine and Covenants 85:1–2). Furthermore, only those who lived the law of consecration could receive all the blessings promised to them by the Lord.3

In the letter, Joseph also included a prophecy that would eventually become Doctrine and Covenants 85. According to this prophecy, “one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering” would be called by God “to set in order the house of God, and to arrange by lot the inheritances of the saints whose names are found . . . in the book of the law of God.” Furthermore, “that man, who was called of God and appointed, that putteth forth his hand to steady the ark of God, shall fall by the shaft of death, like as a tree that is smitten by the vivid shaft of lightning” (Doctrine and Covenants 85:7–8).

Due to the strong language of this prophecy, many have wondered whom the “one mighty and strong” might refer to. Some individuals, after having left the Church, have even claimed that they were this individual, often in an effort to gain notoriety or form their own splinter organization. However, in so doing they ignore the context behind this prophecy and misread what position is being referred to by the Lord.

The most comprehensive and authoritative commentary on this section was provided in 1905 by the First Presidency, then consisting of Presidents Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, and Anthon H. Lund.4 In their statement, the First Presidency rightly noted that “this whole letter, as also the part of it subsequently accepted as a revelation, relates to the affairs of the Church in Missouri, the gathering of the Saints to that land and obtaining their inheritances under the law of consecration and stewardship; and the Prophet deals especially with the matter of what is to become of those who fail to receive their inheritances by order or deed from the bishop.”5 As such, the prophecy must be viewed in this light.

Before Joseph wrote his letter, the Lord had called Edward Partridge to be the bishop of the Church and oversee the Church in Missouri. As a part of his duties, Bishop Partridge would “divide unto the saints their inheritance, even as I have commanded,” and he was “appointed to be a judge in Israel, like as it was in ancient days, to divide the lands of the heritage of God unto his children” (Doctrine and Covenants 57:7; 58:17). In other words, the bishop’s duty in Zion was to “to set in order the house of God” as a judge in Israel, and he was appointed “to arrange by lot the inheritances of the saints whose names are found . . . in the book of the law of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 85:7).

Furthermore, between 1831 and 1833 there was much conflict between the Church leaders in Independence and Kirtland. As the First Presidency observed in 1905, “The brethren in those days were limited in their experience. The Church had been organized but as yesterday. The order of the Priesthood was not understood then, as it is today.”6 Thus, corrections had to be issued frequently to preserve the unity of the Church. Occasionally, these corrections even had to be issued to Edward Partridge.7 It would appear that this was one such correction: “[Edward Partridge] was warned of the judgment of God impending, and the prediction was made that another, ‘one mighty and strong,’ would be sent of God to take his place, to have his bishopric —one having the spirit and power of that high office resting upon him . . . in other words, one who would do the work that Bishop Edward Partridge had been appointed to do, but had failed to accomplish.”8

However, Bishop Partridge repented and faced some of the most intense persecution for his testimony when the Saints were driven out of Jackson County, Missouri. In an uncanonized revelation to Joseph Smith given on November 7, 1835, the Lord expressed that He was pleased with Bishop Partridge and that Partridge was forgiven of his sins.9 As such, he “undoubtedly obtained a mitigation of the threatened judgment,” so the coming forth of one mighty and strong “may also be considered as having passed away and the whole incident of the prophecy closed.”10 Furthermore, in instructions to Oliver Cowdery delivered in 1834, Joseph Smith clarified that the warning against steadying the ark of God was a general warning to all the Saints and did not refer to anyone in particular.11

In their statement, the First Presidency also noted that if this prophecy was not just a conditional warning and entailed a future fulfilment, the one mighty and strong “will be a future bishop of the Church who will be with the Saints in Zion, Jackson county, Missouri, when the Lord shall establish them in that land. . . . He will be designated by the inspiration of the Lord, and will be accepted and sustained by the whole Church, as the law of God provides.”12 Furthermore, the phrase “set in order the house of God” in this revelation “should most certainly be interpreted by the whole subject of the revelation”; therefore, this phrase is “limited to setting in order the house of God by arranging by lot the inheritances of the Saints.”13 As such, this will not entail the overturning of God’s Church or His prophet.14

The Why

Ever since this revelation was received, it “has been used by vain and foolish men to bolster up their vagaries of speculation, and in some cases their pretensions to great power and high positions they were to attain in the Church,” noted the First Presidency in 1905.15 However, the Lord’s Church is a house of order, and such claimants to special power or authority outside of the Church can therefore be summarily dismissed.

This was not a new issue at the time of the prophecy. In 1830, Hiram Page had a seer stone through which he claimed to receive revelations regarding the upbuilding of Zion and the Church. As the Lord revealed through Joseph, however, such was not the case: “No one shall be appointed to receive commandments and revelations in this church” except the prophet (Doctrine and Covenants 28:2). This doctrine has been repeatedly emphasized by the prophets and apostles of the Church since this time.16 As with any calling or priesthood office, “no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron” (Hebrews 5:4). If this prophecy was not merely a conditional prophecy and does pertain to some future bishop of the Church, he will likewise be called of God through the proper revelatory channels.

Because there are those who do make these claims, however, it is important for Latter-day Saints to be aware of the context and full meaning behind this revelation. This is especially important so they can avoid accidentally seeking to steady the ark of God, as this revelation warns against. As the First Presidency taught, “The Latter-day Saints . . . should be so well settled in the conviction that God has established his Church in the earth for the last time, to remain, and no more to be thrown down, or destroyed; and that God’s house is a house of order, of law, of regularity. . . . The Church of Christ is with the Saints.”17