Section 25
Overview
Section 25 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (known as Section 67 in the modern LDS edition) was given in November 1831 during a conference of elders who were preparing the 'Book of Commandments' for publication. The text addresses a specific historical and theological crisis: several elders harbored doubts about the divine authenticity of Joseph Smith's revelations, largely due to Smith's poor grammar and linguistic imperfections. In response, the text presents a unique epistemological challenge. God acknowledges Smith's imperfections but challenges the 'most wise' among the elders to write a revelation equal to the 'least' of Smith's. If they fail, they are placed under divine condemnation unless they bear testimony that Smith's revelations are true. Beyond this literary and spiritual test, the text establishes a profound theological precedent regarding theophany and soteriology. It asserts that the 'vail shall be rent' and men can see God in the flesh, but strictly conditions this beatific vision on the believer being 'quickened by the Spirit,' stripping themselves of all jealousy and fear, and continuing in patience until they are 'perfected' and 'worthy.' This establishes a framework where experiencing the presence of God is contingent upon achieving a state of personal worthiness and perfection.
Key Figures
- God (The Lord): The speaker of the text, who claims omniscience over the elders' hearts, ownership of the heavens and earth, and the authority to condemn or justify.
- Joseph Smith, Jr.: The prophet whose language and imperfections are explicitly acknowledged, yet whose revelations are defended as divinely authored and unreplicable by human wisdom.
- The Elders of the Church: The audience of the revelation, who are rebuked for their fears and jealousies, challenged to replicate a revelation, and commanded to become perfect to see God.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
The Epistemological Replication Test
Assertion
The divine authenticity of Joseph Smith's revelations is proven by the inability of the wisest men to write a document of equal spiritual and literary weight.
Evidence from Text
seek ye out of the book of commandments, even the least that is among them, and appoint him that is the most wise among you; or if there be any among you, that shall make one like unto it, then ye are justified in saying that ye do not know that they are true: but if ye cannot make one like unto it, ye are under condemnation if ye do not bear record that they are true
Evangelical Comparison
In this text, the burden of proof for divine revelation is shifted from objective consistency with prior Scripture to a subjective, pragmatic test of human ability. The text asserts that if a human cannot replicate the 'least' of Joseph Smith's revelations, it must logically follow that the revelations are from God, and the individual is under condemnation if they do not testify to this. This is a significant departure from the Evangelical and biblical standard of epistemology. In the Bible, prophets and revelations are tested by their adherence to previously revealed truth (Deuteronomy 13:1-5, Isaiah 8:20, Acts 17:11) and the fulfillment of specific prophecies (Deuteronomy 18:22). The inability of a person to forge a convincing spiritual document does not, in Evangelical theology, prove that the document in question is divinely inspired. This doctrine establishes an experiential and pragmatic foundation for Mormon epistemology that bypasses Sola Scriptura.
Conditional Theophany and Worthiness
Assertion
Believers can have the veil rent and see God in the flesh, but only if they achieve a state of perfection, worthiness, and total humility.
Evidence from Text
inasmuch as you strip yourselves from jealousies and fears, and humble yourselves before me... the vail shall be rent and you shall see me and know that I am... wherefore continue in patience until ye are perfected. Let not your minds turn back; and when ye are worthy, in mine own due time, ye shall see and know
Evangelical Comparison
The text promises a profound spiritual experience—the rending of the veil and the literal sight of God—but places an immense conditional burden on the believer to achieve it. The believer must 'strip' themselves of all jealousy and fear, become 'perfected,' and be deemed 'worthy.' In Evangelical theology, the veil separating man from God's presence was already permanently rent by the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (Matthew 27:51). Consequently, believers are invited to enter the holy places with confidence, not based on their own achieved perfection or worthiness, but solely by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-22). By re-erecting the veil and making its removal contingent upon human effort ('until ye are perfected', 'when ye are worthy'), the text fundamentally alters the Gospel of grace, replacing the imputed righteousness of Christ with a mandate for progressive, works-based sanctification as a prerequisite for divine access.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text replaces justification by faith alone with a requirement for personal perfection and worthiness to access God's presence, and it replaces biblical sufficiency with an open canon validated by subjective experiential tests.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between this text and Evangelical Christianity centers on soteriology (how one is saved and accesses God) and epistemology (how one knows truth). Evangelicals hold to Sola Fide, the doctrine that justification is an instantaneous legal declaration by God, based solely on the imputed righteousness of Christ, received by faith alone. Because of this, the believer has immediate, unhindered access to the presence of God (Hebrews 10:19-22). The veil was torn at the cross, signifying that the barrier of human unworthiness was removed by Christ's sacrifice. In stark contrast, this text re-establishes the veil and makes its removal contingent upon human effort. By commanding the elders to 'continue in patience until ye are perfected' and stating 'when ye are worthy... ye shall see and know,' the text shifts the burden of access from Christ's finished work to the believer's progressive sanctification and moral achievement. Furthermore, the text violates Sola Scriptura by demanding adherence to the 'Book of Commandments' under threat of condemnation, using a subjective literary challenge (the inability to replicate the text) as the ultimate proof of its divine origin, rather than testing the text against the closed canon of the Bible.
For All Ages
Imagine you have a huge debt that you can never pay off, and because of it, you aren't allowed into the King's castle. The Bible teaches that Jesus paid your debt completely. Because of Jesus, the King opens the doors and invites you in right now, just as you are, because He loves you. You don't have to earn it; you just have to trust Jesus. This is called grace. But this text teaches something different. It says that to get into the King's presence, you have to work really hard to become 'perfected' and 'worthy.' It says you have to get rid of all your fears and flaws first. It makes getting into the castle depend on how good you are, rather than on what Jesus already did for you. It also says that the King is giving brand new rules that aren't in the Bible, and if you can't write rules that sound just as good, you have to believe these new ones are from the King.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
The text demands acceptance of extra-biblical revelations (the Book of Commandments) as the infallible word of God, using a subjective replication test rather than biblical consistency.
Sola Fide / Sola Gratia
The text makes access to God's presence (the rending of the veil) contingent upon the believer becoming 'perfected' and 'worthy' through their own patience and humility, denying the sufficiency of Christ's imputed righteousness.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Perfected"
In This Text
A state of moral and spiritual achievement attained over time through patience, humility, and obedience, which qualifies a person to see God.
In Evangelicalism
In justification, believers are already positionally perfected forever by Christ's single offering (Hebrews 10:14). In sanctification, it refers to spiritual maturity, not sinless perfection required for divine access.
"Worthy"
In This Text
A status achieved by the believer through obedience and stripping away of flaws, which earns them the right to experience divine manifestations.
In Evangelicalism
No human is inherently worthy; believers are counted worthy only because they are clothed in the righteousness of Christ (Philippians 3:9).
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: In the context of this specific revelation, salvation/exaltation is framed as having the veil rent, abiding the presence of God, and receiving the riches of eternity.
How Attained: Attained by stripping oneself of jealousy and fear, humbling oneself, being quickened by the Spirit, and continuing in patience until one is 'perfected' and 'worthy.'
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is based on the believer's ongoing performance—their ability to maintain humility, overcome fear, and eventually achieve the worthiness required to see God.
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text stands in direct opposition to Sola Fide. Ephesians 2:8-9 states that salvation is a gift of God, not of works. Hebrews 10:19-22 declares that believers have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus. This text, however, requires the believer to become 'perfected' and 'worthy' before they can abide God's presence, making access a reward for works rather than a gift of grace.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- hearken, O ye elders of my church
- seek ye out of the book of commandments, even the least that is among them
- appoint him that is the most wise among you [to attempt to write a revelation]
- bear record that they are true [if you cannot make one like it]
- strip yourselves from jealousies and fears
- humble yourselves before me
- continue in patience until ye are perfected
- Let not your minds turn back
Implicit Obligations
- Accept Joseph Smith as God's authoritative mouthpiece despite his known human imperfections and poor grammar.
- Submit to the authority of the Book of Commandments as divine scripture.
- Overcome all internal doubts and fears regarding the new revelations.
Ritual Requirements
- The text addresses those who 'have been ordained unto this ministry,' implying a prerequisite of priesthood ordination to receive the specific promise of seeing God.
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- If someone today claimed to have a new revelation from God and challenged us to write something better, would our inability to do so prove their revelation was divine?
- The text says we must continue in patience until we are 'perfected' and 'worthy' to see God. How do you know when you have finally reached that level of worthiness?
- When Jesus died, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom. If Christ already tore the veil to give us access to God, why does this text say we must become perfect before the veil can be rent for us?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The Rending of the Veil
The desire to have the veil removed and to be in God's presence is a beautiful, God-given desire. The Gospel declares the glorious news that this veil has *already* been rent—not by our perfection, but by Christ's sacrifice on the cross.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text places an immense, crushing burden on the believer by demanding they 'continue in patience until ye are perfected' and wait until they are 'worthy' to experience God's presence. This creates a perpetual treadmill of performance, where the believer can never be truly certain they have done enough, stripped away enough fear, or become humble enough to be accepted by God.
By stating 'there were fears in your hearts; and verily this is the reason that ye did not receive,' the text weaponizes natural human doubt. It teaches believers that their internal fears or doubts are the direct cause of their spiritual failures, leading to a suppression of honest questions and a deep-seated fear of one's own thoughts.