Nauvoo 
House

Joseph Smith instructed thirteen men to put stock into the Nauvoo House. He recieved a "revelation" to build this house as a hotel for strangers and he was instructed to live in this house with his family for generation to generation, forever. 

The Prophet was "in a revelation"

9 January, 1841

Adaline Knight remembers an incident that shows how close her father was to Joseph Smith. On January 9, 1841, the children were at school when the door opened and Hyrum Smith and Vinson carried in  the "limp form" of Joseph Smith. "The children all sprang to their feet for Bro. Joseph lay helpless in their arms, his head resting on his brother['s] shoulder, his face pale as death, but his eyes were open, though he seemed not to see things earthly." The unnamed teacher, who evidently had seen Smith in this state before, explained to his pupils that the prophet "was in a revelation." Vinson and Hyrum carried Joseph to his office above the school, where he dictated Doctrine and Covenants 124...

Therefore, I say unto you concerning my servant Vinson Knight, if he will do my will let him put stock into that house [Nauvoo House] for himself, and for his generation after him, from generation to generation. And let him lift up his voice long and loud, in the midst of the people, to plead the cause of the poor and the needy; and let him not fail, neither let his heart faint; and I will accept of his offerings, for they shall not be unto me as the offerings of Cain, for he shall be mine, saith the Lord. Let his family rejoice and turn away their hearts from affliction; for I have chosen him and anointed him, and he shall be honored in the midst of his house, for I will forgive all his sins, saith the Lord. Amen.

[Todd Compton, In Sacred Loneliness, pg. 368-269]

Quorum of the Nauvoo House

19 January, 1841

 Let my servant George, and my servant Lyman, and my servant John Snider, and others build a house unto my name, such an one, as my servant Joseph shall show unto them; upon the place which he shall show unto them also. And it shall be for a house for boarding, a house that strangers may come from afar to lodge therein: therefore, let it be a good house, worthy of all acceptation, that the weary traveller may find health and safety while he shall contemplate the word of the Lord, and the corner stone have I appointed for Zion

This house shall be a healthy habitation, if it be built unto my name, and if the governor, which shall be appointed unto it shall not suffer any pollution to come upon it. It shall be holy, or the Lord your God will not dwell therein. 

And again, verily I say unto you, let all my Saints from afar: and send ye swift messengers, yea chosen messengers, and say unto them, Come ye, with all your gold, and your silver, and your precious stones, and with all your antiquities; and with all who have knowledge of antiquities, that will come may come, and bring the box tree, and the fir tree, and the pine tree, together with all the precious trees of the Earth; and with iron, with copper, and with brass, and with zinc, and with all your precious things of the earth, and build a house to my name, for the Most High to dwell therein; for there is not a place found on earth that he may come and restore again that which was lost unto you, or, which he hath taken away, even the fulness of the Priesthood; for a baptismal font there is not upon the earth; that they, my saints, may be baptized for those who are dead: for this ordinance belongeth to my house, and cannot be acceptable to me, only in the days of your poverty, wherein ye are not able to build a house unto me. 

But I command you, all ye my saints, to build a house unto me; and I grant unto you a sufficient time to build a house unto me, and during this time your baptisms shall be acceptable unto me. But, behold, at the end of this appointment, your baptisms for your dead shall not be acceptable unto me; and if you do not these things at the end of the appointment, ye shall be rejected as a Church with your dead, saith the Lord your God. For, verily I say unto you, that after you have had sufficient time to build a house to me, wherein the ordinance of baptizing for the dead belongeth, and for which the same was instituted from before the foundation of the world, your baptisms for your dead cannot be acceptable unto me; for therein are the keys of the holy priesthood, ordained, that you may receive honor and glory. 

And after this time, your baptisms for the dead, by those who are scattered abroad, are not acceptable unto me, saith the Lord; for it is ordained that in Zion and in her stakes, and in Jerusalem, those places which I have appointed for refuge, shall be the places for your baptisms for your dead. And again, verily I say unto you, how shall your washings be acceptable unto me, except ye perform them in a house which you have built to my name? For, for this cause I commanded Moses that he should build a tabernacle, that they should bear it with them in the wilderness, and to build a house in the land of promise, that those ordinances might be revealed, which had been hid from before the world was; therefore, verily I say unto you, that your anointings and your washings, and your baptisms for the dead, and your solemn assemblies and your memorials for your sacrifices, by the sons of Levi, and for your oracles in your most holy places, wherein you receive conversations and your statutes and judgments, for the beginning of the revelations and foundation of Zion, and for the glory, honor, and endowment of all her municipals, are ordained by the ordinance of my holy house which my people are always commanded to build unto my holy name. 

And verily I say unto you, let this house be built unto my name, that I may reveal mine ordinances therein, unto my people; for I deign to reveal unto my church, things which have been kept hid from before the foundation of the world; things that pertain to the dispensation of the fulness of times; and I will show unto my servant Joseph all things pertaining to this house, and the priesthood thereof; and the place whereon it shall be built: and ye shall build it on the place where you have contemplated building it; for that is the spot which I have chosen for you to build it. If ye labor with all your mights, I will consecrate that spot, that it shall be made holy; and if my people will hearken unto my voice, and unto the voice of my servants whom I have appointed to lead my people, behold verily I say unto you, they shall not be moved out of their place. But if they will not hearken unto my voice, nor unto the voice of these men whom I have appointed, they shall not be blest, because they pollute mine holy grounds, and mine holy ordinances, and charters, and my holy words, which I give unto them. 

And it shall come to pass, that if you build a house unto my name, and do not do. the things that I say, I will not perform the oath which I make unto you, neither fulfil the promises which ye expect at my hands, saith the Lord; for instead of blessings, ye, by your own works, bring cursings, wrath, indignation, and judgments upon your own heads, by your follies, and by all your abominations, which you practice before me, saith the Lord. 

Verily, verily I say unto you, that when I give a commandment to any of the sons of men, to do a work unto my name, and those sons of men go with all their mights, and with all they have, to perform that work, and cease not their diligence, and their enemies come upon them, and hinder them from performing that work; behold it behoveth me to require that work no more at the hands of those sons of men, but to accept of their offerings; and the iniquity and transgression of my holy laws and commandments, I will visit upon the heads of those who hindered my work, unto the third and fourth generation, so long as they repent not, and hate me, saith the Lord God. Therefore for this cause have I accepted the offerings of those whom I commanded to build up a City and a house unto my name, in Jackson County, Missouri, and were hindered by their enemies, saith the Lord your God: and I will answer judgment, wrath, and indignation, wailing and anguish, and gnashing of teeth upon their heads, unto the third and fourth generation, so long as they repent not, and hate me, saith the Lord your God. 

And this I make an example unto you, for your consolation, concerning all those who have been commanded to do a work, and have been hindered by the hands of their enemies, and by oppression, saith the Lord your God; for I am the Lord your God, and will save all those of your brethren, who have been pure in heart, and have been slain in the land of Missouri, saith the Lord. 

And again, verily I say unto you I command you again to build a house to my name, even in this place that you may prove yourselves unto me, that ye are faithful in all things, whatsoever I command you, that I may bless you, and crown you with honor, immortality, and eternal life. 

And now, I say unto you, as pertaining to my boarding house, which I have commanded you to build, for the boarding of strangers, let it be built unto my name, and let my name be named upon it, and let my servant Joseph and his house have place therein, from generation to generation: for this anointing have I put upon his head, that his blessing shall also be put upon the head of his posterity after him; and as I said unto Abraham, concerning the kindreds of the earth; even so I say unto my servant Joseph, in thee, and in thy seed, shall the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 

Therefore, let my servant Joseph and his seed after him have place in that house, from generation to generation, for ever and ever, saith the Lord, and let the name of that house be called the Nauvoo House; and let it be a delightful habitation for man, and a resting place for the weary traveller, that he may contemplate the glory of Zion, and the glory of this Corner Stone thereof; that he may receive, also, the counsel from those whom I have set to be as plants of renown, and as watchmen upon her walls.

Behold! verily I say unto you, let my servant George Miller, and my servant Lyman Wight, and my servant John Snider, and my servant Peter Haws, organize themselves, and appoint one of them to be a president over their quorum for the purpose of building that house. And they shall form a constitution whereby they may receive stock for the building of that house. And they shall not receive less than fifty dollars for a share of stock in that house, and they shall be permitted to receive fifteen thousand dollars from any one man for stock in that house;  but they shall not be permitted to receive over fifteen thousand dollars stock from any one man; and they shall not be permitted to receive under fifty dollars for a share from any one man in that house; and they shall not be permitted to receive any man as a stock holder in this house, except the same shall pay his stock into their hands, at the time he receives stock; and in proportion to the amount of stock he pays into their hands, he shall receive stock in that house; but if he pay nothing into their hands, he shall not receive any stock in that house. And if any pay stock into their hands, it shall be for stock in that house, for himself, and for his generation after him, from generation to generation, so long as he and his heirs shall hold that stock, and do not sell or convey the stock away out of their hands by their own free will and act: if you will do my will, saith the Lord your God. 20. And again, verily I say unto you, if my servant George Miller, and my servant Lyman Wight, and my servant John Snider, and my servant Peter Haws, receive any stock into their hands, in monies or in properties wherein they receive the real value of monies, they shall not appropriate any portion of that stock to any other purpose, only in that house; and if they do appropriate any portion of that stock any where else, only in that house, without the consent of the stock holder, and do not repay fourfold, for the stock which they appropriate any where else, only in that house, — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —, they shall be accursed, and shall be moved out of their place, saith the Lord God, for I the Lord am God, and cannot be mocked in any of these things.

Verily I say unto you, let my servant Joseph pay stock into their hands for the building of that house, as seemeth him good; but my servant Joseph cannot pay over fifteen thousand dollars stock in that house, nor under fifty dollars; neither can any other man, saith the Lord. And there are others also, who wish to know my will concerning them; for they have asked it at my hands: Therefore I say unto you, concerning my servant Vinson Knight, if he will do my will, let him put stock in<​to​> that house for himself and for his generation after him, from generation to generation, and let him lift up his voice, long and loud, in the midst of the people, to plead the cause of the poor and the needy, and let him not fail, neither let his heart faint, and I will accept of his offerings; for they shall not be unto me as the offerings of Cain, for he shall be mine, saith the Lord. Let his family rejoice and turn away their hearts from affliction, for I have chosen him and anointed him, and he shall be honored in the midst of his house, for I will forgive all his sins, saith the Lord; Amen. 

Verily I say unto you, let my servant Hyrum put stock into that house, as seemeth him good, for himself and his generation after him, from generation to generation. 

Let my servant Isaac Galland put stock into that house, for I the Lord loveth him for the work he hath done, and will forgive all his sins; therefore let him be remembered for an interest in that house, from generation to generation. Let my servant Isaac Galland be appointed among you, and be ordained by my servant William Marks and be blessed of him, to go with my servant Hyrum, to accomplish the work that my servant Joseph shall point out to them, and they shall be greatly blessed.

Let my servant William Marks pay stock into that house, as seemeth him good, for himself and his generation, from generation to generation.

Let my servant Henry G. Sherwood pay stock into that house as seemeth him good, for himself and his seed after him, from generation to generation. 

Let my servant William Law pay stock into that house, for himself and his seed after him, from generation to generation. — — — 27 Let my Servant William Law pay stock into that house, for himself and his seed after him, from generation.— If he will do my will, let him not take his family unto the Eastern lands even unto Kirtland; nevertheless I the Lord will build up Kirtland, but I the Lord have a scourge prepared for the inhabitants thereof. 

And with my Servant Almon <​W​> Babbitt there are many things with which I am not well pleased; behold, he aspireth to establish his Council instead of the Council which I have ordained, even the presidency of my church; and he setteth up a golden calf for the worship of my people. Let no man go from this place who has come here essaying to keep my commandments. If they live here let them live unto me; and if they die let them die unto me; for they shall rest from all their labors here, and shall continue their works. Therefore, let my servant William put his trust in me, and cease to fear concerning his family, because of the sickness of the land. If ye love me keep my commandments, and the sickness of the land shall redound to your glory.

Let my servant William go and proclaim my everlasting gospel, with a loud voice, and with great joy, as he shall be moved upon by my Spirit unto the Inhabitants of Warsaw, and also unto the inhabitants of Carthage, and also unto the inhabitants of Burlington, and also unto the inhabitants of Madison, and await patiently and diligently for further instructions at my general Conference, saith the Lord, If he will do my will, let him from henceforth hearken to the counsel of my servant Joseph, and with his interest support the cause of the poor, and publish the new translation of my holy word unto the inhabitants of the earth; and if he will do this, I will bless him with a multiplicity of blessings, that he shall not be forsaken, nor his seed be found begging bread.

And again, verily I say unto you, let my servant William be appointed, ordained, and anointed, as a Counsellor unto my servant Joseph, in the room of my servant Hyrum; that my Servant Hyrum may take the office of priesthood and patriarch, which was appointed unto him by his Father, by blessing, and also by right, that from henceforth he shall hold the keys of the Patriarchal blessings upon the heads of all my people, that whoever he blesses shall be blessed, and whoever he curseth shall be cursed: that whatsoever he shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever he shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and from this time forth, I appoint unto him that he may be a prophet, and a seer, and a revelator unto my Church, as well as my servant Joseph, that he may act in concert also with my servant Joseph, and that he shall receive counsel from my servant Joseph, who shall show unto him the keys whereby he may ask and receive, and be crowned with the same blessing, and glory, and honor, and priesthood, and gifts of the Priesthood, that once were put upon him that was my servant Oliver Cowdery; that my servant Hyrum may bear record of the things which I shall show unto him, that his name may be had in honorable remembrance from generation to generation for ever and ever. 

Let my servant William Law also receive the keys by which he may ask and receive blessings; let him be humble before me, and be without guile, and he shall receive of my Spirit, even the Comforter, which shall manifest unto him the truth of all things, and shall give him in the very hour, what he shall say, and these signs shall follow him: he shall heal the sick, he shall cast out devils, and shall be delivered from those who would administer unto him deadly poison; and he shall be led in paths where the poisonous serpent cannot lay hold upon his heel, and he shall mount up in the imagination of his thoughts as upon eagle’s wings; and what if I will that he should raise the dead, let him not withhold his voice. Therefore let my servant William cry aloud and spare not, with joy and rejoicing, and with hosannas to Him that sitteth upon the throne for ever and ever, saith the Lord your God.

Behold I say unto you, I have a mission in store for my servant William and my servant Hyrum, and for them alone; and let my servant Joseph tarry at home, for he is needed; the remainder I will shew unto you hereafter: even so; Amen.

And again, verily I say unto you, if my servant Sidney [Rigdon] will serve me and be counsellor unto my servant Joseph, let him arise and come up and stand in the office of his calling, and humble himself before me; and if he will offer unto me an acceptable offering and acknowledgments, and remain with my people, behold I the Lord your God will heal him that he shall be healed; and he shall lift up his voice again on the mountains, and be a spokesman before my face. Let him come and locate his family in the neighborhood in which my servant Joseph resides, and in all his journeyings let him lift up his voice as with the sound of a trump, and warn the inhabitants of the earth to flee the wrath to come; let him assist my servant Joseph; and also let my servant William Law assist my servant Joseph, in making a solemn proclamation unto the kings of the Earth, even as I have before said unto you. If my servant Sidney will do my will, let him not remove his family unto the eastern lands, but let him change their habitation, even as I have said. Behold, it is not my will that he shall seek to find safety and refuge out of the city which I have appointed <​unto​> you, even the City of Nauvoo.— Verily I say unto you, even now, if he will hearken to my voice, it shall be well with him: even so; Amen. 

And again, verily I say unto you, let my servant Amos Davis pay stock into the hands of those whom I have appointed to build a house for boarding, even the Nauvoo House; this let him do if he will have an interest, and let him hearken unto the counsel of my servant Joseph, and labor with his own hands that he may obtain the confidence of men; and when he shall prove himself faithful in all things that shall be entrusted unto his care; yea, even a few things, he shall be made ruler over many; let him therefore abase himself that he may be exalted: even so; Amen.

And again, verily I say unto you, if my servant Robert D. Foster will obey my voice, let him build a house for my servant Joseph, according to the contract which he has made with him, as the door shall be open to him from time to time and let him repent of all his folly, and clothe himself with charity, and cease to do evil, and lay aside all his hard speeches, and pay stock also into the hands of the Quorum of the Nauvoo House for himself and for his generation after him, from generation to generation, and hearken unto the counsel of my servants Joseph, and Hyrum, and William Law, and unto the authorities which I have called to lay the foundation of Zion, and it shall be well with him for ever and ever: even so; Amen.

And again, verily I say unto you, let no man pay stock to the quorum of the Nauvoo House, unless he shall be a believer in the Book of Mormon, and the Revelations I have given unto you, saith the Lord your God: for that which is more or less than this cometh of evil, and shall be attended with cursings and not blessings, saith the Lord your God: even so; Amen.

And again, verily I say unto you, let the quorum of the Nauvoo House have a just recompense of wages for all their labors which they do in building the Nauvoo House, and let their wages be as shall be agreed among themselves, as pertaining to the price thereof; and let every man who pays stock bear his proportion of their wages, if it must needs be, for their support, saith the Lord; otherwise their labors shall be accounted unto them for stock in that house: even so; Amen. 

[Link to original source]

Wilford Woodruff

21 February 1843

"..if we did not build the temple & Nauvoo house it would prove the ruin of the place that if we did not build those buildings we might as well leave the place & that it was as necessary to build one as the other, & many other things were said much to the purpose

[Discourse 21 February 1843 as reported by Wilford Woodruff]

Willard Richards

21 February 1843

The building of N[auvoo] House is just as sacred in my view as the Temple.

I want the Nauvo[o] House bui[l]t it must be built, our salvation depends upon it. There is a great deal of murmuring in the church— about me, but I dont care any thing about it. I like to hear it thunder. to hear the saints grumbling.— the growling dog get the sorest head. If any man is poor and afflicted. let him come and tell of it.— & not complain— or grumble

finishing Nauvoo House like a man finihig [finishing] a fight. if he gives up he is killd— if he holds out a little longer he may live— a story. a man who will whip his wife is a coward. & fought with a man who had whippd wife.—— still remembrd he was whipped his wife. & whipped him till he cried enough.—hang on to the Nauvoo house thus & you will build it. & you will be on Pisagah [Pisgah] & the gr[e]at men who come will pile their gold & silver till you are weary of receivng them. & if you are not careful will be lifted up & fall and they will cover up & cloak all your former sins— & hide a multitude of sins. & shine forth fair as the sun &c

[Discourse 21 February 1843 as reported by Willard Richards]

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