1. Hearken unto me saith the Lord your God: For my servant Oliver Cowdery's sake, it is not wisdom in me that he should be entrusted with the commandments and the moneys which he shall carry unto the {235} land of Zion, except one go with him who will be true and faithful; 2. Wherefore, I, the Lord will, that my servant, John Whitmer, should go with my servant Oliver Cowdery; 3. And also that he shall continue in writing and making a history of all the important things which he shall observe and know concerning my Church: 4. And also that he receive counsel and assistance from my servant Oliver Cowdery and others. 5. And also my servants who are abroad in the earth, should send forth the accounts of their stewardships to the land of Zion; 6. For the land of Zion shall be a seat and a place to receive and do all these things; 7. Nevertheless let my servant John Whitmer travel many times from place to place, and from church to church, that he may the more easily obtain knowledge; 8. Preaching and expounding, writing, copying, selecting, and obtaining all things which shall be for the good of the Church, and for the rising generations, that shall grow up on the land of Zion, to possess it from generation to generation, forever and ever. Amen. [Sidenote: Esteem in which the Conference Held the Book of Commandments and Book of Mormon.] My time was occupied closely in reviewing the commandments and sitting in conference, for nearly two weeks; for from the first to the twelfth of November we held four special conferences. In the last which was held at Brother Johnson's, in Hiram, after deliberate consideration, in consequence of the book of revelations, now to be printed, being the foundation of the Church in these last days, and a benefit to the world, showing that the keys of the mysteries of the kingdom of our Savior are again entrusted to man; and the riches of eternity within the compass of those who are willing to live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God--therefore the conference voted that they prize the revelations to be worth to the Church the riches of the whole earth, speaking temporally. The great benefits to the world which result from the Book of Mormon and the revelations, which the Lord has seen fit in His infinite wisdom to grant unto us for our salvation, and for the {236} salvation of all that will believe, were duly appreciated; [18] and in answer to an inquiry, I received the following: _Revelation, given November, 1831._ [19]