The following portion of a sermon given by Joseph Smith, recorded by William Clayton, dated 8 April 1843, shows that a full knowledge of eschatology is on the lower rungs of importance for Latter-day Saints (in comparison to other, more central doctrines such as the nature of God [good news for me as I am allergic to eschatology . . . ;-)]):
I make this broad declaration, that where God ever gives a vision of an image, or beast or figure of any kind he always holds himself responsible to give a revelation or interpretation of the meaning thereof, otherwise we are not responsible or accountable for our belief in them it. Don't be afraid of being damned for not knowing the meaning of a vision or figure where God has not given a revelation or interpretation on the subject. (The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo discourses of the Prophet Joseph [comp. Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook; Orem, Utah: Grandin Book Company, 1991], 185)
The note for this passage reads:
In the version of this discourse recorded by Willard Richards, this thought is expressed in the following manner: "The prophets always had interpretations of their visions &c God always holds himself responsible to give revelations of his visions & if he does it not, we are not responsible." (Ibid., 275 n. 11)
