Both of these texts contain revelations allegedly given to former Church of Christ (Temple Lot) Apostle Otto Fetting by an angelic being who claimed to be John the Baptist.
The Word of the Lord originated in the claimed angelic visitations of John the Baptist to Otto Fetting, an Apostle in the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) who lived in Port Huron, Michigan.
Those who accepted Draves formed the Church of Christ With the Elijah Message, while those who rejected him remained in the original Fettingite organization; it subsequently split during the 1950s over the introduction of Seventh-day Sabbatarianism.
Otto Fetting emphasized the ability to physically feel the touch of this alleged angel, indicating in his 1929 testimonial that he "felt his hand on my head, and the slap on my shoulder".
The Messenger—as he is called by Fetting and Draves—also claims to be fulfilling Deuteronomy 18:15-19's prophecy of a prophet like Moses, and to be the angel "flying in the midst of heaven" mentioned in Revelation 14:6.
This temple is described in the Articles of Faith and Practice for the church, which quotes from the original prophecy on this subject made by Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement.
Editions of The Word of the Lord utilized within those Fettingite organizations who rejected William Draves all contain only the thirty "messages" given to Otto Fetting.
The book is divided into 131 sections, on 3 levels, all with a view: the thirty messages originally given to Fetting, and ninety more allegedly given to William Draves.