Section 14
Overview
Section 14 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (known as Section 43 in modern editions) serves as a critical administrative and theological boundary-marker for the early Latter Day Saint movement. Delivered in February 1831, the text addresses a period of internal instability where other members (historically, Hiram Page and others) were claiming to receive revelations for the church. Speaking in the first-person voice of Jesus Christ, the text definitively centralizes all prophetic authority in Joseph Smith, Jr. It establishes a strict law that no one else is appointed to receive commandments and revelations for the church, and that any succession of this power must come directly through Smith. Beyond establishing hierarchical authority, the text places heavy demands on the elders of the church. They are commanded to sanctify themselves, purge iniquity, and explicitly provide for Joseph Smith's temporal needs (food, raiment, and whatever he needs) as a prerequisite for receiving the 'mysteries of the kingdom.' The latter half of the revelation shifts to a highly urgent, apocalyptic tone. It warns of the imminent Day of the Lord, utilizing vivid eschatological imagery—earthquakes, tempests, the sounding of a trumpet, and unquenchable fire—to motivate the elders to labor in the vineyard for the 'last time.' The text blends administrative consolidation of power with intense eschatological urgency, framing obedience to Smith as synonymous with obedience to Christ.
Key Figures
- Jesus Christ: The claimed first-person speaker of the text, depicted as the Savior, the coming Judge, and the one who dictates church law and apocalyptic warnings.
- Joseph Smith, Jr.: The exclusively appointed prophet and mediator of revelation for the church, whom the members are commanded to uphold spiritually and support materially.
- Elders of the Church: The primary audience, commanded to teach the world, sanctify themselves, purge iniquity, and submit entirely to Smith's revelatory authority.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Exclusive Prophetic Mediation
Assertion
God channels binding revelation and commandments for His church exclusively through one appointed man (Joseph Smith), and believers must not accept teachings from anyone else claiming this gift.
Evidence from Text
there is none other appointed unto you to receive commandments and revelations until he be taken... receive not the teachings of any that shall come before you as revelations or commandments
Evangelical Comparison
This doctrine establishes a strict, single-point bottleneck for divine truth, placing Joseph Smith in a mediatorial role between Christ and the church. In this text, the validity of a believer's spiritual direction is entirely dependent on their submission to Smith's exclusive office. By contrast, Evangelical Christianity adheres to Sola Scriptura and the finality of Christ's revelation as articulated in Hebrews 1:1-2 ('in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son'). Furthermore, 1 Timothy 2:5 establishes that there is 'one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.' The Evangelical doctrine of the Universal Priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9) directly contradicts the necessity of an exclusive, institutional prophet to receive binding commandments for the body of Christ.
Transactional Revelation (Temporal Support for Spiritual Mysteries)
Assertion
The church must provide material support (food, clothing, necessities) to the prophet as a conditional prerequisite for receiving the 'mysteries of the kingdom.'
Evidence from Text
if ye desire the mysteries of the kingdom, provide for him food and raiment and whatsoever thing he needeth... and if ye do it not, he shall remain unto them that have received him
Evangelical Comparison
The text explicitly links the reception of spiritual 'mysteries' to the material and financial support of Joseph Smith. If the elders fail to provide for him, the threat is that he (and by extension, his revelations) will be withheld from them. This creates a transactional economy of grace. In Evangelical theology, while the Bible teaches that ministers of the Gospel should be supported (1 Timothy 5:18), the revelation of God's mysteries and the reception of spiritual truth are never held hostage to financial or material transactions. The Gospel is offered freely (Isaiah 55:1, Revelation 22:17). The idea of trading material goods for spiritual power or mysteries borders on the error of Simon Magus (Acts 8:20), who thought the gift of God could be obtained with money or goods.
Self-Sanctification for Power
Assertion
Believers must actively sanctify themselves through obedience and purging iniquity in order to be endowed with spiritual power.
Evidence from Text
Purge ye out the iniquity which is among you: sanctify yourselves before me... Sanctify yourselves and ye shall be endowed with power
Evangelical Comparison
The command to 'sanctify yourselves' places the burden of purification squarely on the believer's own efforts. In this framework, spiritual endowment and power are rewards for successful self-purification and the purging of iniquity. Evangelical theology distinguishes between positional sanctification (which is instantaneous and accomplished entirely by Christ's blood, Hebrews 10:10) and progressive sanctification (which is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life, Philippians 2:13). While believers are called to put sin to death (Romans 8:13), they cannot 'sanctify themselves' in a way that earns divine power. The power of the Holy Spirit is a gift of grace, not a wage earned through rigorous self-purging.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text fundamentally diverges from Evangelicalism by inserting a human mediator (Joseph Smith) between Christ and the believer, making spiritual blessings contingent on supporting this leader, and demanding self-sanctification for spiritual power.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological chasm between this text and Evangelical Christianity is profound, primarily concerning the doctrines of Revelation (Sola Scriptura) and Mediation (Solus Christus). By asserting that Joseph Smith is the sole, exclusive channel for divine commandments, the text effectively replaces the sufficiency of the biblical canon with an open, ongoing stream of institutional revelation. This violates the Evangelical understanding that God's final and ultimate revelation is found in the person and completed work of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the 66 books of the Bible. Furthermore, the text creates a transactional soteriology and ecclesiology. It explicitly commands believers to provide material goods (food, raiment) to the prophet in exchange for the 'mysteries of the kingdom.' This violates Sola Gratia (Grace Alone), which insists that the truths of God and the blessings of the Gospel cannot be purchased or bartered for, but are freely given. Finally, the repeated commands to 'sanctify yourselves' and 'keep all my commandments' to avoid the wrath of the coming judgment place a crushing burden of works-righteousness on the believer, directly contradicting the Evangelical assurance of justification by faith alone (Sola Fide) as taught in Ephesians 2:8-9 and Romans 8:1.
For All Ages
Imagine you have a direct phone line to the King, and the King has already written down everything you need to know in a special book. That is what Evangelical Christians believe about Jesus and the Bible. But this text says, 'No, you can't hear from the King directly anymore. You have to listen to this one specific man, Joseph Smith. And if you want to know the King's secrets, you have to give Joseph food and clothes.' It also tells people they have to make themselves perfectly clean to get power, instead of trusting that Jesus already washed them clean. This changes the rules from trusting in what Jesus did, to trusting in a human leader and working really hard to be good enough.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
Claims ongoing, binding, institutional revelation that supersedes or adds to the closed biblical canon.
Universal Priesthood / Solus Christus
Inserts a human mediator (Joseph Smith) whose authority is absolute and whose mediation is required to receive God's commandments.
Sola Gratia
Makes the reception of spiritual mysteries contingent upon providing material and financial support to a human leader.
Sola Fide
Requires believers to 'sanctify themselves' and 'keep all my commandments' to be prepared for the Day of the Lord, mixing works with standing before God.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Sanctify yourselves"
In This Text
A self-directed effort to purge iniquity and achieve a state of holiness required to earn spiritual power and endowment.
In Evangelicalism
The ongoing process by which the Holy Spirit transforms a believer who has already been declared positionally holy by the blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:11).
"Mysteries of the kingdom"
In This Text
Esoteric or advanced doctrines and revelations given exclusively through the prophet, contingent upon the church's material support of him.
In Evangelicalism
The previously hidden truths of God's redemptive plan, specifically the inclusion of the Gentiles in the Gospel, which has now been freely revealed to all saints (Colossians 1:26-27).
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Escaping the apocalyptic wrath of God, participating in the first resurrection ('Ye saints arise and live'), and reigning with Christ during the Millennium.
How Attained: By hearkening to the appointed prophet, purging iniquity, sanctifying oneself, and keeping all commandments.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is conditional, based on the believer's ongoing obedience to the prophet's laws and their success in self-sanctification. The text threatens that 'it shall be taken even that which ye have received' if they fail.
Comparison to Sola Fide: The text stands in stark contrast to Sola Fide. It demands that believers 'keep all my commandments' and 'sanctify yourselves' to avoid being 'found among the wicked.' This is a performance-based system, whereas Romans 4:5 declares that God justifies the ungodly who do not work, but believe in Him.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Hearken, ye elders of my church
- Give ear to the words which I shall speak
- Receive not the teachings of any that shall come before you as revelations
- Instruct and edify each other when assembled together
- Act upon the points of my law and commandments
- Bind yourselves to act in all holiness before me
- Purge ye out the iniquity which is among you
- Sanctify yourselves before me
- Appoint ye my servant Joseph Smith, jr.
- Uphold him before me by the prayer of faith
- Provide for him food and raiment and whatsoever thing he needeth
- Teach the children of men the things which I have put into your hands
- Gird up your loins
- Lift up your voices and spare not
- Call upon the nations to repent
- Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord
- Labor ye in my vineyard for the last time
- Treasure these things up in your hearts
- Let the solemnities of eternity rest upon your minds
- Be sober
- Keep all my commandments
Implicit Obligations
- Reject any internal or external voices claiming prophetic authority other than Joseph Smith
- Submit entirely to the hierarchical structure established by the text
- Maintain a state of high apocalyptic readiness and urgency
Ritual Requirements
- Ordination through the proper, established channels ('come in at the gate and be ordained as I have told you before')
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- If the Bible says in Hebrews 1 that God has spoken to us finally through His Son, why would a new, exclusive prophet be necessary to receive commandments?
- How do you feel about the requirement in verse 3 that the church must provide food and clothing to the prophet in order to receive the 'mysteries of the kingdom'?
- When the text commands you to 'sanctify yourselves' and 'keep all my commandments,' do you ever feel the weight of wondering if you have done enough to be prepared for the Day of the Lord?
- If someone else in the early church genuinely believed God was speaking to them, how does this text require them to suppress that belief in favor of Joseph Smith?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire for a clear, authoritative voice from God.
This deep human desire for certainty and a clear word from God is perfectly fulfilled in the Bible. We don't need to rely on a fallible human leader; we have the 'prophetic word more fully confirmed' in Scripture.
The imagery of the hen gathering her chicks.
This beautiful imagery, borrowed directly from Jesus in the New Testament, shows God's genuine, compassionate desire to protect and save His people. It highlights His grace, which is available to all who simply come to Him, without the need for human mediators.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text demands absolute intellectual and spiritual submission to a single human leader. Believers are forbidden from accepting any other spiritual insights as authoritative, creating a high-control environment where questioning the prophet is equated with rebelling against God.
By linking the reception of spiritual mysteries to the material provision for the prophet, believers are placed under pressure to give financially and materially, fearing that failure to do so will result in spiritual stagnation or divine disfavor.
The commands to 'sanctify yourselves,' 'purge iniquity,' and 'keep all my commandments' in the face of imminent apocalyptic judgment create a heavy burden of works-righteousness. Believers must constantly evaluate if they are 'clean enough' to survive the coming fire.
The text instills a deep fear of being deceived by outside voices, isolating the believer from external critiques or alternative theological viewpoints by labeling them inherently false.