Joseph Smith, in a sermon, interprets the symbolic language in Revelation differently than found in the WHP.

Date
Apr 8, 1843
Type
Speech / Court Transcript
Source
Joseph Smith, Jr.
LDS
Hearsay
Scribed Verbatim
Reference

Joseph Smith, Discourse, April 8, 1843: [96-97], as Reported by Willard Richards, The Joseph Smith Papers website, accessed August 11, 2021

Scribe/Publisher
Willard Richards
People
Joseph Smith, Jr., Willard Richards, Pelatiah Brown
Audience
Latter-day Saints
Transcription

Rev— 5 chap. 8 verse.—

Father Brown had been to work & confounded all christendom, that these were figure John saw in heavn to represent the different kingdoms of God on earth he put down sectarianism, & so far so good.—— but I could not help laughing that God should take a figure of a beast to repr[e]sent his kingdom consisting of <​Men​>. . . . To take a lesser figure to represnt a gr[e]ater, old white head you missed it that time. By figure of Beasts God represented the kingdoms of the world.— Bear. Lion &c represe[n]ted the kingdoms. of the world, Says Daniel. <​for​> I refer to the prophets, to qualify my observations. to keep out of the wasp nests or young elders,

BHR Staff Commentary

Here, Joseph Smith is countering an explanation of Revelation 5:8 offered by Elder Pelatiah Brown who erroneously interpreted the four beasts as representing different phases of the kingdom of God on earth. Joseph, contra Brown (and the WHP) taught that the Lord would not use the figure of a creature to represent something more noble (i.e., the glories and majesty of the Kingdom of God) (i.e., John, the author of the book of Revelation, would not take a lesser figure [a beast/animal] to represent something greater [the Kingdom]).

Citations in Mormonr Qnas
Copyright © B. H. Roberts Foundation
The B. H. Roberts Foundation is not owned by, operated by, or affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.