The Salem Revelation — Joseph Smith Seeks Buried Treasure and the Lord Promises Greater Hidden Riches (D&C 111, August 1836)

In the summer of 1836, Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Oliver Cowdery, and Hyrum Smith traveled from Kirtland, Ohio, to Salem, Massachusetts, following a report that a large sum of money — perhaps as much as $15,000 — was hidden in the cellar of a certain house in that city. The Church was deeply in debt following the construction of the Kirtland Temple, and the brethren hoped this rumored treasure might relieve the crushing financial burden.

Upon arriving in Salem in early August 1836, they searched the house and the city but found no temporal treasure. The lead proved false. It was a humbling disappointment for the small company of Church leaders who had traveled hundreds of miles on what they believed was a promising lead.

It was in this moment of apparent failure — having spent money on travel with nothing to show for it — that Joseph Smith inquired of the Lord and received a revelation, now canonized as Doctrine and Covenants 111, on August 6, 1836. The Lord's response was both gentle and expansive:

"I have much treasure in this city for you, for the benefit of Zion, and many in this place... I have much people in this place... I will give you power to prevail... there are more treasures than one... that I will give you."

The revelation promised that the Lord had "many treasures" in Salem — but they were not the temporal silver and gold the brethren had sought. The "hidden treasures" would prove to be spiritual: the conversion of souls in Salem and New England, the strengthening of the Church, and the blessings that would flow from the Lord's work in that region. The Lord also promised: "I will give you favor in the eyes of the people... and in due time I will give you power to prevail."

The revelation specifically named the city of Salem and contained the Lord's assurance that He had "much people in this place" — a prophecy of future missionary harvest. This was fulfilled in subsequent years as Elder Erastus Snow and other missionaries found remarkable success in the Salem area, baptizing many converts who strengthened the Church.

The Salem trip is a remarkable account of divine providence working through apparent failure: the Lord allowed the brethren to pursue a temporal lead that came to nothing, then used that very journey as the occasion for a revelation that redefined "treasure" in spiritual terms and promised a far greater harvest of souls. The temporal money was never found, but the Lord's promised "treasures" of converts and spiritual strength were indeed realized in the years that followed.

This account demonstrates that the Lord's purposes often differ from our immediate expectations — what appeared to be a wasted journey became the occasion for revelation, prophecy, and eventual fulfillment far exceeding what the brethren had originally sought.

Fuller account of this event (as retold in Scripture Toolbox, Section 111):

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Salem, Massachusetts, 6 August 1836 (see History of the Church, 2:465–66). At this time the leaders of the Church were heavily in debt due to their labors in the ministry. Hearing that a large amount of money would be available to them in Salem, the Prophet, Sidney Rigdon, Hyrum Smith, and Oliver Cowdery traveled there from Kirtland, Ohio, to investigate this claim, along with preaching the gospel. The brethren transacted several items of Church business and did some preaching. When it became apparent that no money was to be forthcoming, they returned to Kirtland. Several of the factors prominent in the background are reflected in the wording of this revelation. 1) I, THE Lord your God, am not displeased with your coming this journey, notwithstanding your follies. 2) I have much treasure in this city for you, for the benefit of Zion, and many people in this city, whom I will gather out in due time for the benefit of Zion, through your instrumentality.