“I the Lord your Redeemer direct your attention to the glorious triumph of the Zion to which you belong and to the great point on which to fix your faith for I say unto you as I did to the Nephites concerning Isaiah that he prophecied of all things pertaining to Zion or my kingdom, and I repeat to you what I said to them that all things that he prophecied shall be fulfilled.”
Rigdon referred to himself as the chosen “Expounder” in the Post Collection, section 29 of Copying Book A & Book of the Revelations of Jesus Christ To The Children of Zion (1864, Friendship, NY):
“From the time the book of Mormon came forth the bringing to light and qualifying a priesthood to expound the revelations of the stick of Judah were constantly kept in view by me saith the Lord. It was the great result of all the things & events connected with the first organization and had that church been collected, and had there not been an expounder found in her, though it had multiplied to millions all would have been a failure and unavailing. The only fact which gave consequence to the former organization was that from her came forth an expounder of the stick of Judah as typified by the house of Abraham through whose separation there came a Savior into the world. In like manner by the separation of the former church from the rest of the world there came an expounder into the world without which there could be no Zion. And if there were no Zion there could be no Salvation. The fulfilling of the covenants made with the house of Israel were entirely dependant on an expounder making his appearance in the world in order that the way might be prepared to fulfil the covenants. And as it was with the house of Israel, so shall it be with the former organization. The Israel which rejected the Savior who came out of their midst were destroyed with vengeance poured out in fury so shall it be with that first order, those who reject the expounder shall be cast down in wrath cut off in fury and shall be hurled into fire from whence there is no return. And again behold! Saith the Lord there could not any one be an expounder only according to the law which governed that calling before the Lord your God,which law required that the holder of that priesthood must perfect it before the Lord. He could only do this by becoming acquainted with the histories of nations & kingdoms, of countries & peoples, of the laws of God and men: and also be deeply read in the teachings of heaven in the profound wisdom of the prophets and the holy instructions of the apostles, that he might possess the literature of the world, as well as the literature of the gospel, for such an one must be able, yea, mighty to expound all scriptures. And this he could not do unless he qualified himself to the full extent of the requirements of the law of his holy calling Verily saith the Lord If there come any unto you pretending to be sent of me to be the leader of the Children of Zion, and is not qualified according to the law of this holy calling, know assuredly that such an one is a liar and the truth is not in him. And that instead of teaching the Children of Zion in the doctrine of righteousness, he is working out his damnation to perfection for for such there is no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come for such are sinning unto death & you shall not pray for them. But concerning the holy calling of an expounder such have duties peculiar to themselves that are required of none others, and in the discharge of those duties of which none others have knowledge they obtain their high and holy calling, and consequently know things which none others know nor can know till they pass the same ordeal that they have passed, for such the Lord himself prepares the way in which they have got to walk And it is one that none but themselves can see. And now verily saith the Lord such an one is “Zion” for Zion can only exist through such an one. Men can build synagogues of Satan but the Zion of God they cannot build. Hence the necessity for raising up and qualifying an expounder.”