Oliver Cowdery - Divine Blessing Through the Prophet Joseph Smith

On December 18, 1833, in Kirtland, Ohio, Joseph Smith and other elders gathered at the printing office to dedicate the printing press and all its related equipment for the publication of the 'Evening and Morning Star,' which was edited by Oliver Cowdery. The dedication was performed by Joseph Smith and confirmed by Sidney Rigdon and Hyrum Smith. Following the dedication, Joseph Smith recorded a formal blessing for Oliver Cowdery in his history: 'Blessed of the Lord is Brother Oliver; nevertheless there are two evils in him that he must needs forsake, or he cannot altogether forsake the buffetings of the adversary. If he forsake these evils he shall be forgiven, and shall be made like unto the bow, which the Lord hath set in the heavens; he shall be a sign and an ensign unto the nations.' The blessing also praised Cowdery for his 'constancy and steadfastness in the work of the Lord,' promising that he would be helped out of many troubles and that his rest would be glorious if he continued to keep the commandments and hearken to the counsel of the Lord. During this same meeting, Joseph Smith also recorded blessings for his own family members, including his father, mother, Hyrum, Samuel, and William, reflecting the spiritual intensity of the period despite the surrounding persecutions facing the Saints.