Church members who consecrated their property through the bishop—in this case, Newel K. Whitney—were eligible to receive an “inheritance” of land on which to live. (See Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:30–33]; see also Revelation, 20 May 1831 [D&C 51:3–4].)

“The firm” refers to the United Firm. A subset of the United Firm, the Literary Firm was responsible for publishing the revelations. “That portion” to be devoted to bringing forth God’s word may refer either to acreage allotted for building a print shop or to land-sale proceeds that could be used to support such a printing operation. Although a later revelation called for the construction of a printing house on land belonging to Frederick G. Williams, the print shop was eventually housed in the schoolhouse built, not on Williams’s land to the south of the temple, but to the west, on the former French farm property. (See Revelation, 1 Mar. 1832 [D&C 78:3–12]; and Revelation, 26 Apr. 1832 [D&C 82]; for information on the formation of the Literary Firm, see Revelation, 12 Nov. 1831 [D&C 70]; Revelation, 2 Aug. 1833–B [D&C 94:10–12]; Parkin, “Joseph Smith and the United Firm,” 19, 32; and “Portion of Kirtland Township, Ohio, 31 December 1835.”.)

Parkin, Max H. “The Courthouse Mentioned in the Revelation on Zion.” BYU Studies 14 (Summer 1974): 451–457.

John Johnson owned a farm in Hiram, Ohio, and had previously housed JS and his family. (JS History, vol. A-1, 153.)

See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 66–68 [2 Nephi chap. 3].

See Revelation, 11 Sept. 1831 [D&C 64:36].

Johnson was the second person added to the United Firm since its founding in April 1832. (Revelation, 15 Mar. 1833 [D&C 92]; see also Revelation, 26 Apr. 1832 [D&C 82].)

Johnson was ordained to the high priesthood and formally admitted to the United Firm in the same meeting at which JS dictated this revelation. (Minutes, 4 June 1833.)

The house mentioned here refers to the two-story brick tavern on the former French farm that later became known as the John Johnson inn. One “incumberance” on the house was a preexisting contract between Thomas Knight and Peter French that allowed Knight to use the main floor as a store. This arrangement would have prevented Johnson from fully using the building as a dwelling for him and his family or, later, as an inn. Presumably, the problem was resolved by the fall of 1833 when Knight liquidated his Kirtland holdings and moved away. (Geauga Co., OH, Deed Records, 1795–1921, vol. 17, pp. 38–39, 359–360, 10 Apr. 1833, microfilm 20,237, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL; Staker, Hearken, O Ye People, 414–415.)

U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.

Staker, Mark L. Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith’s Ohio Revelations. Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2009.