The Lord spake unto Joseph Smith, Jun., saying: Hearken unto me, saith the Lord your God, who are ordained unto the ^ahigh priesthood of my church, who have assembled yourselves together;

 2 And listen to the ^acounsel of him who has ^bordained you from on high, who shall speak in your ears the words of ^cwisdom, that salvation may be unto you in that thing which you have presented before me, saith the Lord God.

 3 For verily I say unto you, the time has come, and is now at hand; and behold, and lo, it must needs be that there be an ^aorganization of my people, in regulating and establishing the affairs of the ^bstorehouse for the ^cpoor of my people, both in this place and in the land of ^dZion—

 4 For a permanent and everlasting establishment and order unto my church, to advance the cause, which ye have espoused, to the salvation of man, and to the glory of your Father who is in heaven;

 5 That you may be ^aequal in the bonds of heavenly things, yea, and earthly things also, for the obtaining of heavenly things.

 6 For if ye are not equal in earthly things ye cannot be ^aequal in obtaining heavenly things;

 7 For if you will that I give unto you a place in the ^acelestial world, you must ^bprepare yourselves by ^cdoing the things which I have commanded you and required of you.

 8 And now, verily thus saith the Lord, it is expedient that all things be done unto my ^aglory, by you who are joined together in this ^border;

 9 Or, in other words, let my servant Newel K. Whitney and my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and my servant Sidney Rigdon sit in council with the saints which are in ^aZion;

 10 Otherwise ^aSatan seeketh to turn their ^bhearts away from the truth, that they become ^cblinded and understand not the things which are prepared for them.

 11 Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, to prepare and organize yourselves by a ^abond or everlasting ^bcovenant that cannot be broken.