A Revelation to seven elders of the church, assembled in Kirtland,
Ohio, given February 1831.
- Every person who belongeth to this church of Christ, shall observe
to keep all commandments and covenants of the church;
- And it shall come to pass, that if any persons among you shall kill,
they shall be delivered up and dealt with according to the laws of the
land;
- For remember, that he hath no forgiveness;
- And it shall be proven according to the laws of the land.
- But if any man shall commit adultery, he shall be tried before two
elders of the church or more, and every word shall be established against
him by two witnesses of the church, and not of the world.
- But if there are more than two witnesses it is better:
- But he shall be condemned by the mouth of two witnesses, and the elders
shall lay the case before the church, and the church shall lift up their
hands against them, that they may be dealt with accor[d]ing to the law.
- And if it can be, it is necessary that the bishop is present also.
And thus ye shall do in all cases which shall come before you.
- And if a man shall rob, he shall be delivered up unto the law.
- And if he shall steal, he shall be delivered up unto the law.
- And if he lie, he shall be delivered up unto the law.
- If he do any manner of iniquity, he shall be delivered up unto the
law, even that of God.
- And if thy brother offend thee, thou shalt take him between him and
thee alone; and if he confess, thou shalt be reconciled.
- And if he confess not, thou shalt take another with thee; and then
if he confess not, thou shalt deliver him up unto the church, not to
the members but to the elders.
- And it shall be done in a meeting, and that not before the world.
- And if thy brother offend many, he shall be chastened before many.
- And if any one offend openly, he shall be rebuked openly, that he
may be ashamed.
- And if he confess not, he shall be delivered up unto the law.
- If any shall offend in secret, he shall be rebuked in secret, that
he may have opportunity to confess in secret to him whom he has offended,
and to God, that the brethren may not speak reproachfully of him.
- And thus shall ye conduct in all things.
- Behold, verily I say unto you, that whatsoever persons among you having
put away their companions, for the cause of fornication, or in other
words, if they shall testify before you, in all lowliness of heart,
that this is the case, ye shall not cast them out from among you:
- But if ye shall find that any persons, have left their companions,
for the sake of adultery, and they themselves are the offenders, and
their companions are living, they shall be cast out from among you.
- And again I say unto you, that ye shall be watchful and careful, with
all inquiry, that ye receive none such among you, if they are married.
- And if they are not married, they shall repent of all their sins,
or ye shall not receive them. Amen.
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