Section 18
Overview
This text, given in August 1831 in Independence, Missouri, serves as a foundational document for the establishment of the Mormon 'Zion.' It addresses the early elders of the church who had traveled to Missouri, setting expectations for their behavior, financial consecration, and spiritual duties. The revelation establishes Edward Partridge as a 'judge in Israel' to divide lands and manage the consecration of properties. It introduces a critical Mormon theological concept regarding human agency: that individuals should be 'anxiously engaged in a good cause' rather than waiting to be commanded in all things, warning that those who must be compelled are 'damned.' Furthermore, it provides specific disciplinary warnings to prominent figures like Martin Harris, William W. Phelps, and Ziba Peterson, defining true repentance strictly as confessing and forsaking sins. The text also commands the purchase of lands in Missouri to avoid obtaining them by 'the shedding of blood,' and directs Sidney Rigdon to dedicate the land and the temple site. For believers, this section is pivotal as it outlines the practical and spiritual requirements for building a holy city, intertwining financial obedience with spiritual standing, and establishing the expectation of tribulation before ultimate glory. Crucially, it introduces the concept that God revokes His commands and blessings when men fail to obey, providing a theological framework for unfulfilled prophecies.
Key Figures
- God/The Lord: The speaker of the revelation, asserting absolute authority, demanding obedience, and promising rewards or damnation based on compliance.
- Edward Partridge: Appointed as a 'judge in Israel' to divide lands and manage the heritage of God; warned to repent of unbelief.
- Martin Harris: Commanded to be an example by giving his money to the bishop and warned against seeking the praise of the world.
- William W. Phelps: Commanded to repent of pride and seeking to excel; used as a case study for the definition of repentance.
- Sidney Rigdon: Commanded to write a description of Zion to raise funds, and to dedicate the land and temple spot.
- Joseph Smith, Jr.: Mentioned as returning with Sidney Rigdon and Oliver Cowdery after the conference.
- Oliver Cowdery: Mentioned as returning with Joseph and Sidney.
- Ziba Peterson: Disciplined and stripped of his bestowals for hiding his sins.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Human Agency and Proactive Righteousness
Assertion
Men must act of their own free will to bring to pass righteousness, rather than waiting to be commanded in all things, or else they face damnation.
Evidence from Text
it is not meet that I should command in all things, for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant... men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness... But he that doeth not any thing until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned.
Evangelical Comparison
In this text, human agency is elevated to a primary mechanism for achieving righteousness and securing a reward. The Lord states that those who wait to be commanded are 'damned' and that men have the power within themselves to 'bring to pass much righteousness.' This contrasts sharply with the Evangelical understanding of total depravity and justification by faith alone. In Evangelical theology, humans cannot bring to pass righteousness of their own free will without the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (Romans 3:10-12, Ephesians 2:1-5). Good works are the result of salvation, prepared beforehand by God (Ephesians 2:10), not the independent, proactive generation of righteousness that merits a reward or avoids damnation. The Mormon view presented here places a heavy burden on the individual's performance and self-generated zeal.
Conditional Promises and Divine Revocation
Assertion
God revokes His commands and associated blessings when men fail to obey.
Evidence from Text
I commanded and a man obeys not, I revoke and they receive not the blessing: then they say in their hearts, this is not the work of the Lord, for his promises are not fulfilled.
Evangelical Comparison
The text asserts that God's promises and commands are mutable, subject to revocation based on human disobedience. This creates a theological framework where divine faithfulness is entirely contingent on human performance. In contrast, Evangelical theology emphasizes God's sovereign faithfulness even when humans are faithless (2 Timothy 2:13). While God does issue conditional warnings in Scripture, His redemptive promises and the security of His covenants (especially the New Covenant) rest on Christ's finished work, not human obedience (Hebrews 8:6-12). The Mormon concept of God revoking commands to explain unfulfilled prophecies or lost blessings shifts the burden of prophetic failure onto the followers, creating a system of spiritual uncertainty.
Repentance Defined by Confession and Forsaking
Assertion
True repentance is strictly defined by confessing sins and completely forsaking them.
Evidence from Text
By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins. Behold he will confess them and forsake them.
Evangelical Comparison
The text provides a clear metric for repentance: 'confess them and forsake them.' While this echoes Proverbs 28:13, in the broader context of Mormon theology, 'forsaking' is often understood as the absolute cessation of the sin. If the sin is repeated, former sins are said to return (as codified in later Mormon scripture). Evangelical theology understands repentance (metanoia) as a fundamental change of mind and heart toward God and sin. While it results in a changed life and a turning away from sin, forgiveness is based on Christ's atoning blood, not the believer's perfect success in never committing the sin again (1 John 1:8-9). The Mormon definition places the assurance of forgiveness on the believer's ability to perfectly forsake the sin, leading to a works-based assurance.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text promotes a works-righteousness system where individuals must proactively generate good works to avoid damnation and earn rewards, and where God's promises are contingent on human performance.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The fundamental theological gap lies in the text's soteriology and view of human agency. Section 18 asserts that men must be 'anxiously engaged in a good cause' and 'bring to pass much righteousness' of their own free will, warning that those who wait to be commanded or obey slothfully are 'damned.' This establishes a paradigm of performance-based standing before God. It directly contradicts the Evangelical pillar of Sola Fide (Justification by Faith Alone) and Sola Gratia (Grace Alone). In biblical theology, human beings are spiritually dead and incapable of bringing to pass true righteousness apart from Christ (Ephesians 2:1-9, Isaiah 64:6). Furthermore, the text's assertion that God revokes His commands and blessings when men fail to obey undermines the biblical doctrine of God's sovereign, unconditional covenants (such as the New Covenant in Christ's blood). It shifts the anchor of salvation and blessing from God's faithfulness to human obedience, creating a heavy burden of legalism and constant striving.
For All Ages
Imagine you are given a free ticket to the best amusement park ever, just because the park owner loves you. That's how Evangelical Christians view salvation—it's a free gift from Jesus. But in this text, it's like the park owner says, 'I gave you a ticket, but if you don't run around cleaning up the park on your own without me asking, I'll take the ticket away and you'll be in big trouble.' It makes people feel like they have to constantly work hard to keep God happy, instead of resting in the fact that Jesus already did all the hard work for us on the cross.
Friction Points
Sola Fide
The text demands proactive, self-generated works ('bring to pass much righteousness') to avoid being 'damned' and to secure a reward.
Sola Gratia
The text defines repentance strictly as confessing and forsaking, placing the burden of maintaining forgiveness entirely on the believer's ability to perfectly cease the sin.
Theology Proper
The text portrays God as revoking His promises and commands based on human failure, undermining His sovereign faithfulness.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Repentance"
In This Text
Confessing sins and completely forsaking them, with the implication that failure to forsake means repentance was invalid.
In Evangelicalism
A change of mind and heart produced by the Holy Spirit that leads to turning toward God and away from sin, but not demanding absolute sinless perfection to maintain justification.
"Damned"
In This Text
Condemned or halted in spiritual progress for failing to be proactively zealous or for obeying with a doubtful heart.
In Evangelicalism
Eternal separation from God in hell due to rejecting Christ and remaining in one's sins.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: In this specific text, salvation/exaltation is framed as being 'crowned with much glory' in the kingdom of heaven after tribulation, and avoiding being 'damned.'
How Attained: Attained through keeping commandments, being faithful in tribulation, being proactively zealous ('anxiously engaged'), and perfectly repenting (confessing and forsaking).
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is based entirely on one's own performance—whether they are anxiously engaged, whether they have fully forsaken their sins, and whether they are obeying without a 'doubtful heart.'
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text stands in stark opposition to Sola Fide. It explicitly states that a person who does not proactively do good works is 'damned.' Romans 4:5 states, 'But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.' This text demands works as a prerequisite to avoid damnation.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Hearken O ye elders of my church, and give ear to my word
- Let no man break the laws of the land
- let them bring their families to this land
- Martin Harris should be an example... in laying his moneys before the bishop
- let him [Martin Harris] repent of his sins
- let my servant William W. Phelps stand in the office... And also, he hath need to repent
- assemble yourselves together
- preach the gospel in the regions round about
- Sidney Rigdon... shall write a description of the land of Zion
- purchase this whole region of country
- Sidney Rigdon consecrate and dedicate this land, and the spot of the temple
- Let that which has been bestowed upon Ziba Peterson, be taken from him
Implicit Obligations
- Be anxiously engaged in a good cause without needing to be commanded.
- Submit to the authority of the appointed bishop (Edward Partridge) as a judge in Israel.
- Financially contribute to the purchasing of lands in Zion.
- Maintain meekness and avoid seeking the praise of the world.
Ritual Requirements
- Consecration and dedication of the land and temple spot.
- Holding conference meetings.
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- Verse 6 says that if we wait to be commanded and don't do things of our own free will, we are 'damned.' How do you know if you are being 'anxiously engaged' enough to avoid that?
- The text defines repentance as confessing and forsaking sins. Have you ever confessed a sin but then struggled with it again later? How does that affect your standing with God based on this definition?
- When verse 6 talks about God revoking His commands when people don't obey, how does that impact your trust in God's promises to you personally?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The Feast of Fat Things
This imagery, drawn from Isaiah 25 and Revelation 19, points to the ultimate Messianic banquet. Evangelicals can use this shared imagery to discuss how one gets invited to this banquet—not by buying land in Missouri or being anxiously engaged, but by accepting the invitation of the King and wearing the provided garments of Christ's imputed righteousness (Matthew 22:1-14).
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The mandate to be 'anxiously engaged in a good cause' and the warning that waiting to be commanded leads to damnation places a crushing burden of constant performance on the believer. There is no rest; one must always be generating good works to prove their worthiness.
Because God can 'revoke' His promises if obedience is lacking (v. 6), the believer can never be certain if a promised blessing will actually come to pass. Their future is entirely dependent on their flawless execution of God's commands.
The strict definition of repentance (confess and forsake) means that any relapse into a confessed sin invalidates the repentance. This breeds deep shame and encourages hiding sins (ironically, what Ziba Peterson was punished for) because admitting a struggle means admitting one hasn't truly repented.
The threat of receiving an inheritance 'by the shedding of blood' if they don't purchase the land quickly enough instills a fear-based motivation for financial consecration.