“Continue Preaching the Gospel, . . . and . . . Continue the Work of Translation Until It Be Finished”
Doctrine and Covenants 73:1–6
1 For verily, thus saith the Lord, it is expedient in me that they should continue preaching the gospel, and in exhortation to the churches in the regions round about, until conference;
2 And then, behold, it shall be made known unto them, by the voice of the conference, their several missions.
3 Now, verily I say unto you my servants, Joseph Smith, Jun., and Sidney Rigdon, saith the Lord, it is expedient to translate again;
4 And, inasmuch as it is practicable, to preach in the regions round about until conference; and after that it is expedient to continue the work of translation until it be finished.
5 And let this be a pattern unto the elders until further knowledge, even as it is written.
6 Now I give no more unto you at this time. Gird up your loins and be sober. Even so. Amen.
Elder Hyrum M. Smith and Janne M. Sjödahl wrote:
“A conference had been appointed to be held at Amherst, Ohio, January 25th, 1832. The elders [for their names, see D&C 75,] while waiting for conference time, were anxious to know the will of the Lord, whereupon the Prophet received this revelation [D&C 73], in which He (1) directs the elders to preach the gospel to the world and exhort the churches until conference (vv. 1–2); [and] (2) instructs the Prophet Joseph and Sidney Rigdon to resume the Bible revision and to preach whenever convenient, until conference time (vv. 3–4).
“[‘Gird up your loins’ (D&C 73:6).] Be ready for a journey, or for work in the Lord’s service, always. “Gird up the loins of your mind” (1 Peter 1:13). That is, let your minds be prepared for the work in which you are engaged; let it be free from the cares, lusts, and aspirations that make you less proficient in the Master’s service.
“. . . ‘Sober’ [D&C 73:6] means ‘not excited by intoxicants,’ but it also means ‘cool,’ ‘deliberate,’ ‘serious,’ and ‘subdued in demeanor.’ A minister of the gospel should be ‘sober’ in every sense of the word.”
(The Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, rev. ed. [1951], 431.)
