Lyman Sherman Receives a Revelation

On the morning of December 26, 1835, one day after Christmas, Lyman Sherman, a president of the Seventy, approached Joseph Smith in Kirtland, Ohio. At the time, Joseph Smith was in a room studying Hebrew with Frederick G. Williams and Warren Parrish. Sherman, who was thirty-one years old at the time and had served in the 1834 Zion’s Camp expedition, arrived to seek the word of the Lord. Sherman explained that he had been 'wrought upon' to share his feelings and desires, noting that he had previously been promised a revelation that would specifically make known his duty. In response to this request, Joseph Smith dictated a revelation that same day, which was recorded by Frederick G. Williams. In the revelation (now Doctrine and Covenants 108), the Lord told Sherman that his sins were forgiven because he had obeyed the divine voice in coming to seek counsel. The Lord instructed him to let his soul be at rest, to no longer resist that voice, and to be careful in observing his vows. Sherman was further instructed to wait patiently for the upcoming solemn assembly, where he would be numbered with the first of the Elders and receive his right by ordination. The revelation promised that if he continued in faithfulness, he would have the right to preach the gospel wheresoever he was sent, concluding with an instruction to strengthen his brethren in all his conversations, prayers, exhortations, and deeds, with the promise that the Lord would be with him.

Fuller account of this event (in the witness’s own words):

Saturday, December 26, 1835. This morning I was engaged in the school with brother Williams and Parrish. In the mean time, brother L. Sherman came in, and requested to have the word of the Lord through me; 'for,' said he, 'I have been wrought upon to make known to you my feelings and desires, and was promised that I should have a revelation which should make known my duty.' I inquired of the Lord, and received the following: Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, my servant Lyman: Your sins are forgiven you, because you have obeyed my voice in coming up hither this morning to receive counsel of him whom I have appointed. Therefore, let your soul be at rest concerning your spiritual standing, and resist no more my voice; and arise and shine, for the light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. Verily, I say unto you, that you are clean, but not all; nevertheless, seek to be clean even as your brethren, and lift up your voices in all your preaching, and in all your ministrations, and when you do this, and administer ordinances unto the people, in my name, with singleness of heart, you shall be magnified. Be careful in observing all your vows, and in paying them; and be careful in observing all the commandments which I have given you, and be careful in observing all the covenants which you have made, and are making, and be perfect in all things, in all your conversations, in all your prayers, in all your exhortations, and in all your doings. And behold, and lo, I am with you, as I was with Moses, even so I will be with you; therefore, wait patiently for the solemn assembly, and in that day I will open the heavens unto you, and you shall be numbered with the first of the Elders, and receive your right by ordination, and you shall have the right to preach the gospel wheresoever I shall send you; therefore, strengthen your brethren in all your conversations, in all your prayers, in all your exhortations, and in all your doings; and behold, and lo, I am with you to bless you and deliver you forever. Amen.