Section 39
Overview
Section 39 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (known as Section 14 in the modern LDS edition) is a revelation dictated by Joseph Smith in June 1829, directed specifically to David Whitmer. Historically, this text emerges during the translation of the Book of Mormon at the Whitmer farm in Fayette, New York. The text is framed as the direct, first-person voice of Jesus Christ. It utilizes heavy agricultural metaphors ('the field is white already to harvest') to call Whitmer to missionary labor and spiritual witness. Theologically, the text establishes a strict works-based soteriology, explicitly stating that eternal life—described paradoxically as the 'greatest of all the gifts of God'—is contingent upon keeping the commandments 'in all things' and enduring to the end. Furthermore, the text asserts that Christ is bringing forth the 'fulness of my gospel' from the Gentiles to the house of Israel, a claim that implies the existing biblical record and historical Christian church lacked this 'fulness.' The revelation promises the Holy Ghost as a mechanism for spiritual utterance and witnessing, provided the recipient asks the Father in faith.
Key Figures
- Jesus Christ: The claimed speaker of the text, identified as the Son of the living God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and the source of the 'fulness of the gospel.'
- God the Father: The person of the Godhead to whom prayers are to be directed in the name of Jesus Christ to receive the Holy Ghost.
- David Whitmer: The specific recipient of the revelation, called by name to assist in the 'marvelous work,' declare repentance, and stand as a witness.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Conditional Eternal Life
Assertion
Eternal life is granted only to those who keep all commandments and endure to the end.
Evidence from Text
Keep my commandments in all things, and if you keep my commandments and endure to the end, you shall have eternal life; which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.
Evangelical Comparison
In Evangelical theology, eternal life is the present possession of the believer, secured entirely by the finished work of Jesus Christ and received through faith alone (John 5:24, Ephesians 2:8-9). Good works and obedience are the fruit of salvation, not the root or requirement for attaining it. This text, however, establishes a conditional framework: 'if you keep my commandments in all things, and endure to the end, you shall have eternal life.' This places the burden of attaining eternal life squarely on the believer's performance and ability to maintain strict obedience. Paradoxically, the text calls this earned status a 'gift,' which violates the biblical definition of a gift as something unmerited (Romans 4:4-5, Romans 11:6).
The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel
Assertion
The 'fulness' of the gospel is being newly brought forth by Christ through this modern work.
Evidence from Text
wherefore, I must bring forth the fulness of my gospel from the Gentiles unto the house of Israel.
Evangelical Comparison
Evangelical Christianity holds to Sola Scriptura and the belief that the faith was 'once for all delivered to the saints' (Jude 1:3). The gospel—defined as the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)—has been fully preserved in the New Testament. This text asserts that Christ 'must bring forth the fulness of my gospel,' indicating that what existed in 1829 (traditional Christianity and the Bible) lacked this 'fulness.' This lays the theological groundwork for the necessity of the Book of Mormon and modern prophets, fundamentally undermining biblical sufficiency.
Experiential Epistemology of the Holy Ghost
Assertion
The Holy Ghost is given to provide utterance and make the believer a witness of things heard and seen.
Evidence from Text
if you shall ask the Father in my name, in faith believing, you shall receive the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance, that you may stand as a witness of the things of which you shall both hear and see
Evangelical Comparison
Evangelicals believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer at the moment of salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14) and illuminates the written Word of God. In this text, the reception of the Holy Ghost is promised as a result of asking in faith, specifically for the purpose of 'utterance' and standing as a 'witness' to the new revelations and events (like the Book of Mormon translation) occurring in Joseph Smith's ministry. This shifts the epistemological foundation from the objective truth of Scripture to subjective spiritual experiences and personal witnessing of new phenomena.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text fundamentally diverges from Evangelicalism by making eternal life conditional upon strict obedience to commandments and personal endurance, rather than being a free gift received by faith alone. It also asserts that the 'fulness' of the gospel was missing and had to be brought forth in 1829.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between this text and Evangelical Christianity is profound, centering primarily on Soteriology and Bibliology. Soteriologically, the text explicitly denies Sola Fide (Justification by Faith Alone). Verse 3 states: 'if you keep my commandments in all things, and endure to the end, you shall have eternal life.' This establishes a covenant of works where eternal life is the wage earned by flawless obedience ('in all things') and perpetual endurance. This directly contradicts the Apostle Paul's teaching in Romans 4:4-5 and Ephesians 2:8-9, which explicitly exclude works from the mechanism of salvation to prevent human boasting. Bibliologically, the text violates Sola Scriptura by claiming that Christ 'must bring forth the fulness of my gospel.' This implies a Great Apostasy—that the gospel preserved in the New Testament was insufficient, corrupted, or lost, necessitating a 19th-century restoration. Evangelicals maintain that the faith was 'once for all delivered' (Jude 1:3) and that the Scriptures are entirely sufficient for salvation and godliness (2 Timothy 3:16-17). By introducing new revelation that claims to be the 'fulness,' this text undermines the authority and completeness of the Bible.
For All Ages
Imagine you are drowning, and a lifeguard pulls you out of the water and saves your life. In biblical Christianity, Jesus is the lifeguard who saves you completely because you couldn't save yourself. You just have to trust Him. But in this text, it's like the lifeguard throws you a life jacket and says, 'I will save you, but only if you swim perfectly all the way to the shore and never stop following my rules.' The Bible says eternal life is a free gift (Romans 6:23), but this text says you have to earn that gift by keeping all the commandments until the very end of your life.
Friction Points
Sola Fide (Justification by Faith Alone)
The text makes eternal life strictly conditional upon keeping commandments 'in all things' and enduring to the end.
Sola Scriptura (Sufficiency of Scripture)
The text claims to be direct, new revelation from Christ and asserts that the 'fulness' of the gospel was missing and had to be brought forth.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Eternal Life"
In This Text
A conditional reward granted only to those who keep the commandments 'in all things' and endure to the end.
In Evangelicalism
The present possession of knowing God, granted as a free, unmerited gift at the moment of belief in Jesus Christ.
"Fulness of my gospel"
In This Text
New revelations, ordinances, and authority structures being brought forth through Joseph Smith (historically pointing to the Book of Mormon).
In Evangelicalism
The complete message of Christ's substitutionary death, burial, and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins, as recorded in the New Testament.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: The text uses the terms 'everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God' and 'eternal life,' describing it as the 'greatest of all the gifts of God.'
How Attained: It is attained by thrusting in one's sickle with might, keeping the commandments 'in all things,' and enduring to the end.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is entirely dependent on the believer's ongoing performance, faithfulness, and endurance. There is no objective assurance outside of one's own works.
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text stands in direct opposition to Sola Fide. While Romans 4:5 states, 'But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,' this text demands works ('keep my commandments in all things') as the prerequisite for eternal life.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- give heed to my word
- thrust in his sickle with his might
- reap while the day lasts
- ask of me
- knock
- Seek to bring forth and establish my Zion
- Keep my commandments in all things
- endure to the end
- ask the Father in my name, in faith believing
- stand as a witness of the things of which you shall both hear and see
- declare repentance unto this generation
- assist
- be faithful
Implicit Obligations
- Accept Joseph Smith as the legitimate mouthpiece of Jesus Christ
- Accept the 'marvelous work' (the Book of Mormon) as divine
- Prioritize this new religious movement over previous religious affiliations
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- Verse 3 says that eternal life is the 'greatest of all the gifts of God,' but it also says you only get it 'if you keep my commandments in all things.' In your experience, how can something be a true gift if you have to earn it by keeping all the rules?
- If eternal life requires keeping the commandments 'in all things' and enduring to the end, how can you ever have peace or assurance today that you are truly saved?
- Verse 5 mentions bringing forth the 'fulness of my gospel.' What specific parts of the gospel do you believe were missing from the New Testament that needed to be restored?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The Greatest Gift
We can agree that eternal life is the greatest gift of God. However, we can explore the nature of a 'gift.' A true gift cannot be earned by keeping commandments; otherwise, it is a wage. Jesus paid the full price so that the gift could be truly free to us.
The Desire to Labor for God
The desire to serve God and 'reap' is a noble impulse. In the biblical gospel, we do not labor *in order to be saved* (as the text implies by saying 'that he may treasure up for his soul everlasting salvation'), but rather we labor *because we are already saved* out of profound gratitude for Christ's finished work.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text places an immense, crushing weight on the believer by demanding they keep the commandments 'in all things' to attain eternal life. This creates a treadmill of perpetual striving, where the believer can never rest in Christ's finished work because their eternal destiny is always contingent on their daily performance.
Because eternal life requires 'enduring to the end,' a believer can never possess true, objective assurance of their salvation in this life. They must constantly wonder if they have done enough, repented enough, or endured enough, leading to deep spiritual anxiety.
By claiming that this specific movement is bringing forth the 'fulness' of the gospel, adherents are isolated from the broader historical Christian church. They are taught that only their specific organization possesses the complete truth, fostering an 'us vs. them' mentality.