D&C 66

Section Overview

What happens in D&C 66

Received on October 25, 1831, in Hiram, Ohio. This revelation was given to William E. McLellin, who had secretly prayed to know the Lord's will for him. The Lord answered his specific, unspoken questions, calling him to preach the gospel and forsake all unrighteousness.

Scripture

The Lord Answers Unspoken Prayers

Study note

The Lord reveals that He has heard McLellin's secret prayers and answers them directly through this revelation.

1 Behold, thus saith the Lord unto my servant William E. McLellin—Blessed are you, inasmuch as you have turned away from your iniquities, and have received my truths, saith the Lord your Redeemer, the Savior of the world, even of as many as believe on my name.

2 Verily I say unto you, blessed are you for receiving mine everlasting covenant, even the fulness of my gospel, sent forth unto the children of men, that they might have life and be made partakers of the glories which are to be revealed in the last days, as it was written by the prophets and apostles in days of old.

3 Verily I say unto you, my servant William, that you are clean, but not all; repent, therefore, of those things which are not pleasing in my sight, saith the Lord, for the Lord will show them unto you.

4 And now, verily, I, the Lord, will show unto you what I will concerning you, or what is my will concerning you.

Call to Preach and Forsake Unrighteousness

Study note

McLellin is called to preach the gospel, lay hands on the sick, and forsake all unrighteousness, with promises of eternal life for faithfulness.

5 Behold, verily I say unto you, that it is my will that you should proclaim my gospel from land to land, and from city to city, yea, in those regions round about where it has not been proclaimed.

6 Tarry not many days in this place; go not up unto the land of Zion as yet; but inasmuch as you can send, send; otherwise, think not of thy property.

7 Go unto the eastern lands, bear testimony in every place, unto every people and in their synagogues, reasoning with the people.

8 Let my servant Samuel H. Smith go with you, and forsake him not, and give him thine instructions; and he that is faithful shall be made strong in every place; and I, the Lord, will go with you.

9 Lay your hands upon the sick, and they shall recover. Return not till I, the Lord, shall send you. Be patient in affliction. Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

10 Seek not to be cumbered. Forsake all unrighteousness. Commit not adultery—a temptation with which thou hast been troubled.

11 Keep these sayings, for they are true and faithful; and thou shalt magnify thine office, and push many people to Zion with songs of everlasting joy upon their heads.

12 Continue in these things even unto the end, and you shall have a crown of eternal life at the right hand of my Father, who is full of grace and truth.

13 Verily, thus saith the Lord your God, your Redeemer, even Jesus Christ. Amen.

Key Themes

Themes in D&C 66

God hears and answers even our secret prayersThe call to preach the gospel fearlesslyForsaking unrighteousness as a prerequisite for ministryHealing the sick through faith and priesthood powerPersonal revelation confirming divine omniscience

Scripture Connections

How this section connects to Christ

D&C 66 1-3 Matthew 6:6

Jesus taught that the Father who sees in secret will reward us openly, demonstrated perfectly when the Lord answered McLellin's secret prayers through public revelation.

D&C 66 5-9 Mark 16:15-18

Jesus's great commission to preach the gospel, heal the sick, and cast out devils parallels the commission given to McLellin here.

D&C 66 10-13 Revelation 3:11

Christ's warning to hold fast what you have so that no one takes your crown echoes the conditional promise of eternal life given to McLellin.

Apply This Today

Living D&C 66

The fact that the Lord answered William McLellin's secret prayers through this revelation is a powerful witness that God is intimately aware of our innermost thoughts and desires. We do not need to shout our prayers for God to hear them. The call to forsake all unrighteousness before serving in ministry reminds us that personal worthiness precedes effective service. McLellin's later apostasy makes this revelation bittersweet—he received clear answers and divine calling but ultimately did not remain faithful. Having a powerful spiritual experience does not guarantee continued faithfulness; we must choose daily to follow through on what we have received.

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