After this meeting with the Elders, Sidney Rigdon, Oliver Cowdery, and myself, continued our journey by land to St. Louis, where we overtook Brothers Phelps and Gilbert. From this place we took stage, and they went by water to Kirtland, where we arrived safe and well on the 27th [August]. Many things transpired upon this journey to strengthen our faith, and which displayed the goodness of God in such a marvelous manner, that we could not help beholding the exertions of Satan to blind the eyes of the people, so as to hide the true light that lights every man that comes into the world. {207} [Sidenote: Anxiety of the Saints to Receive the Word of the Lord.] In these infant days of the Church, there was a great anxiety to obtain the word of the Lord upon every subject that in any way concerned our salvation; and as the land of Zion was now the most important temporal object in view, I enquired of the Lord for further information upon the gathering of the Saints, and the purchase of the land, and other matters, and received the following: _Revelation, given in Kirtland, August, 1831._ [9] 1. Hearken, O ye people, and open your hearts and give ear from afar; and listen, you that call yourselves the people of the Lord, and hear the word of the Lord and His will concerning you: 2. Yea, verily, I say, hear the word of Him whose anger is kindled against the wicked and rebellious; 3. Who willeth to take even them whom He will take, and preserveth in life them whom He will preserve; 4. Who buildeth up at His own will and pleasure; and destroyeth when he pleases, and is able to cast the soul down to hell. 5. Behold, I, the Lord, utter my voice, and it shall be obeyed. 6. Wherefore, verily I say, let the wicked take heed, and let the rebellious fear and tremble; and let the unbelieving hold their lips, for the day of wrath shall come upon them as a whirlwind, and all flesh shall know that I am God. 7. And he that seeketh signs shall see signs, but not unto salvation. 8. Verily, I say unto you, there are those among you who seek signs, and there have been such even from the beginning; 9. But, behold, faith cometh not by signs, but signs follow those that believe. 10. Yea, signs come by faith, not by the will of men, nor as they please, but by the will of God. 11. Yea, signs come by faith, unto mighty works, for without faith no man pleaseth God: and with whom God is angry He is not well pleased; wherefore, unto such He showeth no sign, only in wrath unto their condemnation. 12. Wherefore, I, the Lord, am not pleased with those among you who have sought after signs and wonders for faith, and not for the good of men unto my glory; 13. Nevertheless, I gave commandments, and many have turned away from my commandments and have not kept them.