Section 10
Overview
Section 10 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (known as Section 29 in the modern LDS edition) is a sweeping revelation given through Joseph Smith in September 1830. It serves as a foundational text for early Mormon eschatology, cosmology, and anthropology. The text begins with the voice of Jesus Christ declaring conditional forgiveness to the elders present, warning them to 'sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you.' It then outlines a vivid, apocalyptic vision of the Second Coming, detailing the physical gathering of the elect to 'one place' in America, the imminent destruction of the wicked by fire, hailstorms, and gruesome plagues, and the commencement of a thousand-year millennial reign. Beyond eschatology, the text introduces profound theological innovations regarding the nature of creation and humanity. It asserts that all creation is inherently spiritual to God and introduces the concept of a pre-mortal existence, explaining that Satan rebelled before Adam was created, seeking God's honor and drawing away a third of the hosts of heaven who exercised their 'agency.' The revelation posits that temptation is a metaphysical necessity for human agency, arguing that one cannot know the sweet without experiencing the bitter. It concludes by explaining the Fall of Adam as a spiritual death, the establishment of mortal probation, and the unconditional redemption of little children who are protected from Satan's temptations until they reach an age of accountability.
Key Figures
- Jesus Christ: The speaker of the text, identified as the Redeemer, the Great I AM, and the Advocate with the Father, who will return in glory to judge the earth.
- The Father: The supreme deity whose will and decrees govern the gathering of the elect and the eschatological timeline.
- The Twelve Apostles at Jerusalem: The biblical apostles who are prophesied to stand at Christ's right hand in robes of righteousness to judge the whole house of Israel.
- Michael the Archangel: Identified as the angelic figure who will sound the trump to awake the dead for the resurrection.
- Adam: The first man, created as an agent unto himself, who transgressed, brought about spiritual death, and initiated the period of mortal probation.
- The Devil / Satan: A pre-mortal entity who rebelled against God, sought God's honor, drew away a third of the hosts of heaven, and is necessary to tempt humanity to ensure their agency.
- Little Children: A demographic explicitly declared to be redeemed from the foundation of the world and immune to Satan's temptations until they become accountable.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Conditional Forgiveness and Perfectionism
Assertion
Forgiveness of sins is granted but is contingent upon future sinless behavior; subsequent sin invites divine peril.
Evidence from Text
Behold, verily, verily I say unto you, that at this time your sins are forgiven you, therefore ye receive these things: but remember to sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you.
Evangelical Comparison
In Evangelical theology, justification is an instantaneous, irrevocable act of God wherein He declares a sinner righteous based solely on the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1, 8:1). When a believer sins post-conversion, it affects their fellowship with God, but not their eternal justification or sonship. Section 10, however, presents a highly conditional view of forgiveness. The Lord declares that sins are forgiven 'at this time,' but immediately attaches a severe condition: 'remember to sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you.' This establishes a paradigm of perfectionism where the believer's standing is perpetually insecure. Instead of resting in the finished work of Christ (Hebrews 10:14), the adherent is burdened with the impossible task of absolute sinlessness to maintain their forgiven status and avoid divine retribution.
Pre-mortal Existence and the Fall of Satan
Assertion
Human spirits existed before the creation of the earth, and Satan's rebellion in this pre-mortal realm was over God's honor and the agency of these spirits.
Evidence from Text
And it came to pass, that Adam being tempted of the devil, for behold the devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against me saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power: and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency
Evangelical Comparison
This text introduces a radical departure from orthodox Christian anthropology and cosmology by asserting a pre-mortal existence. The phrase 'a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency' implies that human spirits existed prior to earthly birth and possessed moral agency in a heavenly realm. Evangelical Christianity, relying on texts like Zechariah 12:1 and 1 Corinthians 15:46 ('that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual'), teaches that human existence begins at conception/creation on earth. Furthermore, the text frames Satan's rebellion as a cosmic dispute over 'honor' and 'agency,' whereas the biblical witness (Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28) portrays Satan's fall as an angelic rebellion driven by inherent pride and a desire to usurp God's throne, unrelated to the pre-mortal agency of humanity.
The Metaphysical Necessity of Temptation
Assertion
Satan's temptation is a necessary component of human existence, required for humans to exercise agency and understand good.
Evidence from Text
and it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves, for if they never should have bitter, they could not know the sweet.
Evangelical Comparison
Section 10 posits a dualistic necessity: in order for humans to be 'agents unto themselves,' they must experience temptation, because knowing the 'sweet' requires experiencing the 'bitter.' This makes Satan's role functionally necessary for human progression. Evangelical theology strongly rejects this premise. According to the biblical narrative, God's original creation was 'very good' (Genesis 1:31) without the presence of sin or the necessity of evil. Adam and Eve possessed true free will before the Fall. Evil is viewed as a corruption and a parasite on God's good creation, not a necessary pedagogical tool. God does not need evil to accomplish His ultimate purposes, nor is the experience of sin required to truly understand righteousness (James 1:13).
Infant Salvation and the Age of Accountability
Assertion
Little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world and Satan is metaphysically barred from tempting them until they reach an age of accountability.
Evidence from Text
But behold I say unto you, that little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world, through mine Only begotten: Wherefore they cannot sin, for power is not given unto satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me
Evangelical Comparison
The text asserts that little children 'cannot sin' because 'power is not given unto satan to tempt' them until they reach an age of accountability. This reflects a Pelagian or semi-Pelagian view of human nature, suggesting a period of inherent innocence. Evangelical theology, grounded in passages like Psalm 51:5 ('Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me') and Romans 5:12, affirms the doctrine of original sin—that all humans inherit a fallen nature from Adam. While many Evangelicals hold that God, in His sovereign grace, applies the atonement of Christ to infants who die before possessing the cognitive ability to exercise saving faith, they do not believe this is because children are inherently sinless or because Satan is metaphysically restricted from tempting them. The need for redemption is universal from conception.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text diverges sharply from Evangelicalism by introducing a pre-mortal existence of human spirits, making forgiveness conditional upon sinless perfection, and asserting that temptation is a metaphysical necessity for human agency.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between Section 10 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants and orthodox Evangelical Christianity is profound, touching upon the doctrines of revelation, justification, anthropology, and hamartiology. Primarily, the text violates the principle of Sola Scriptura by presenting itself as the direct, verbatim dictation of Jesus Christ in the 19th century, thereby expanding the canon and establishing a new locus of divine authority outside the biblical text. This epistemological shift forces the adherent to rely on modern prophetic claims rather than the sufficiency of the closed biblical canon (Jude 1:3, Revelation 22:18-19). Furthermore, the text fundamentally alters the biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone (Sola Fide). In verse 1, forgiveness is granted but immediately conditioned upon future sinless perfection ('sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you'). This creates a system of conditional justification where the believer's standing before God is perpetually insecure, directly contradicting the evangelical understanding of justification as a definitive, irrevocable legal declaration based solely on the imputed righteousness of Christ (Romans 8:1, 5:1). Additionally, the text introduces significant anthropological and cosmological deviations. Verse 10 explicitly teaches a pre-mortal existence, asserting that Satan drew away a third of the 'hosts of heaven' because of their 'agency.' This implies that human spirits existed and made moral choices prior to their earthly birth, a concept entirely foreign to the biblical narrative, which teaches that humanity was created both physically and spiritually on earth (Genesis 2:7, Zechariah 12:1). The text also posits that temptation and evil are metaphysical necessities for human agency ('if they never should have bitter, they could not know the sweet'), whereas evangelical theology views evil as an intrusion into God's perfect creation, not a necessary component for human development. Finally, the assertion that Satan is metaphysically barred from tempting children until an 'age of accountability' (v. 13) alters the biblical doctrine of original sin and total depravity, suggesting a period of inherent human innocence rather than a universal need for regeneration from conception (Psalm 51:5).
For All Ages
Imagine you are given a free ticket to the best amusement park ever. In traditional Christianity, Jesus bought that ticket for you, and once He gives it to you, it's yours forever because He loves you. You can't lose it, and you don't have to keep paying for it. But in this text, it's like Jesus gives you the ticket and says, 'Here is your ticket, but if you break any rules in the park, I will take it away and you will be in big trouble.' This makes people very scared of making a mistake. Also, this text teaches that before we were born on Earth, we lived in heaven as spirits and had to choose whether to follow God or Satan. Traditional Christianity teaches that God created us right here on Earth, and we didn't exist before that. Because of these differences, the way people think about God's forgiveness and how we were created is very different.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
The text claims to be the direct, verbatim words of Jesus Christ given in 1830, adding to the closed canon of Scripture.
Sola Fide
Forgiveness is presented as a temporary state that must be maintained by sinless behavior ('sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you').
Theology Proper / Anthropology
Teaches that humans (hosts of heaven) existed prior to earthly creation and exercised agency in a pre-mortal realm.
Hamartiology
Asserts that evil/temptation is a metaphysical necessity for human agency and that children are inherently immune to Satan's temptation.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Spiritual Death"
In This Text
Separation from God's presence caused by Adam's transgression, which is overcome universally by resurrection and conditionally by obedience.
In Evangelicalism
A state of total depravity and inability to respond to God, requiring the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:1-5).
"Agency"
In This Text
An eternal principle of libertarian free will that existed in the pre-mortal realm and requires the presence of evil/temptation to function.
In Evangelicalism
The human capacity to make choices, which is currently bound by a fallen nature and operates within the sovereign decrees of God.
"Redemption"
In This Text
Often bifurcated into unconditional redemption (resurrection from physical death) and conditional redemption (eternal life based on faith and keeping commandments).
In Evangelicalism
The complete purchase and deliverance of a sinner from the penalty, power, and eventually presence of sin through the blood of Christ.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Being gathered on Christ's right hand unto eternal life, receiving a crown of righteousness, and being clothed in glory.
How Attained: Through faith on the name of the Son, repentance, enduring the days of probation, and keeping the commandments.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is highly conditional, based on maintaining obedience and heeding the warning to 'sin no more.'
Comparison to Sola Fide: The text explicitly contradicts Sola Fide by stating that the apostles will judge 'even as many as have loved me and kept my commandments, and none else' (v. 3), and by making the retention of forgiveness contingent on ceasing all sin (v. 1). Justification is not a finished work here, but an ongoing probation.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ
- hearken to my voice
- humble themselves before me
- call upon me in mighty prayer
- remember to sin no more
- declare my gospel with the sound of rejoicing
- lift up your hearts and be glad
- ask in faith
- being united in prayer according to my command
- bring to pass the gathering of mine elect
- repent
Implicit Obligations
- Accept Joseph Smith as the direct and infallible mouthpiece of Jesus Christ
- Relocate physically to the designated gathering place in America
- Prepare physically and spiritually for imminent apocalyptic tribulations
- Recognize that all commandments from God are spiritual, not temporal
Ritual Requirements
- Unite in prayer according to specific divine command
- Declare the gospel (missionary work)
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- How do you understand the command in verse 1 to 'sin no more, lest perils come upon you' in light of our daily struggles with sin?
- If Satan's rebellion was about human agency, how does that compare to the biblical account in Isaiah 14 where his fall is attributed to his own pride and desire to be like the Most High?
- When the text says we must experience the bitter to know the sweet, does that mean God needed sin to enter the world for us to truly progress?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
Christ as the Advocate
This perfectly aligns with the biblical truth that we need an advocate precisely because we DO sin. Instead of living in fear of the 'sin no more' command in verse 1, we can pivot to the reality that Christ's advocacy is based on His perfect righteousness, not our performance.
The Gathering of the Elect
Jesus used this exact imagery to express His deep, compassionate desire to protect and save His people. In the Gospel, this gathering is not to a physical location in America to escape apocalyptic plagues, but into the spiritual safety of the body of Christ through faith.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The command to 'sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you' places an impossible burden of perfectionism on the believer. Instead of resting in the finished work of Christ and the eternal security of the believer, the adherent is left in a state of constant anxiety, fearing that any subsequent sin will not only invalidate their forgiveness but also invite divine peril and physical/spiritual destruction.
The vivid, gruesome descriptions of imminent end-times judgments (flies eating flesh, eyes falling from sockets) combined with the requirement to be perfectly obedient to escape them, cultivates a faith driven by terror and survivalism rather than love, peace, and gratitude for grace.