David Patten to Fulfill Mission

Prophecy given in Far West, Missouri, April 17, 1838.  Also see HC 3:23.

D&C 114:1; “Verily thus saith the Lord: It is wisdom in my servant David W. Patten, that he settle up all his business as soon as he possibly can, and make a disposition of his merchandise, that he may perform a mission unto me next spring, in company with others, even twelve including himself, to testify of my name and bear glad tidings unto all the world.”

Deuteronomy 18:20-22; “But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.  21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?  22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.”

The reason this is a false prophecy is because David Patten died on October 25, 1838, just six months after it fell from the lips of Joe Smith to the ears of the LDS Church.  Patten was supposed to go on this mission the next spring, alas; we can see that this didn’t come to pass.