Section 41
Overview
Section 41 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (known as Section 16 in the modern LDS Doctrine and Covenants) is a short revelation dictated by Joseph Smith in June 1829, directed to Peter Whitmer Jr. Historically, this occurred during the final stages of the Book of Mormon translation at the Whitmer family farm in Fayette, New York. The text follows a distinct pattern common in early Mormonism: Joseph Smith speaks in the first-person voice of Jesus Christ to address the private, unspoken desires of an inquiring follower. Christ validates Peter's secret inquiries ('I will tell you that which no man knoweth save me and thee alone') as proof of the revelation's divine origin. The core theological argument of the text elevates missionary work—specifically the declaration of repentance—as the highest possible calling ('the thing which will be of the most worth unto you'). Furthermore, the text creates a conditional link between the act of proselytizing and the believer's eschatological reward, stating that bringing souls to Christ is the pathway to resting with them in the kingdom of the Father. This establishes a foundational ethos of aggressive proselytizing and works-oriented salvation that would become a hallmark of the Latter-day Saint tradition.
Key Figures
- Jesus Christ: The claimed first-person speaker of the text, identified as Lord and Redeemer, who asserts omniscience and divine authority to command Peter Whitmer Jr.
- Peter Whitmer [Jr.]: The recipient of the revelation, commended for his secret desires to know God's will and commanded to dedicate his life to preaching repentance.
- The Father: Mentioned as the sovereign of the heavenly kingdom where faithful laborers and their converts will ultimately rest.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Continuing Direct Revelation
Assertion
Jesus Christ speaks directly to individuals in the modern era through a prophetic mouthpiece, providing new, binding, extra-biblical commandments.
Evidence from Text
Hearken my servant Peter, and listen to the words of Jesus Christ, your Lord and your Redeemer, for behold I speak unto you with sharpness and with power
Evangelical Comparison
This text operates on the foundational Mormon premise of an open canon and continuing revelation. Joseph Smith positions himself as the literal mouthpiece of Jesus Christ, dictating words that carry the exact same weight and authority as the red-letter words of the New Testament. In contrast, Evangelical Christianity adheres strictly to Sola Scriptura. Evangelicals believe that God's special revelation to humanity was completed with the apostolic era and the closing of the New Testament canon (Jude 1:3, Revelation 22:18-19). While Evangelicals believe the Holy Spirit illuminates Scripture and guides believers, they categorically reject the idea that any modern leader can dictate new, infallible words of Jesus Christ.
Omniscience as Prophetic Validation
Assertion
The speaker proves His divine identity (and thereby validates the prophet's mantle) by revealing the secret thoughts and desires of the recipient.
Evidence from Text
I will tell you that which no man knoweth save me and thee alone: for many times you have desired of me to know that which would be of the most worth unto you.
Evangelical Comparison
The text utilizes a specific epistemological proof: Joseph Smith reveals a secret desire of Peter Whitmer Jr. that supposedly no one else knew. By doing so, the text attempts to prove that the omniscient Jesus is truly speaking. Evangelicals affirm the omniscience of God (Psalm 139:1-4) and agree that God knows the secrets of the heart. However, Evangelicals warn against accepting supernatural knowledge as absolute proof of divine origin, as Deuteronomy 13:1-3 and 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 warn that signs, wonders, and supernatural knowledge can accompany false teaching. For the Evangelical, any prophetic claim must be tested primarily against the established Word of God (Isaiah 8:20), not merely by the demonstration of supernatural insight.
Soteriological Value of Evangelism
Assertion
The highest worth for a believer is to preach repentance, and doing so is the means by which one secures rest in the Father's kingdom.
Evidence from Text
the thing which will be of the most worth unto you, will be to declare repentance unto this people that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father.
Evangelical Comparison
The text creates a conditional framework: Peter is commanded to declare repentance *so that* ('that you may') he can bring souls to Christ, *so that* ('that you may') he can rest with them in the kingdom. This links eschatological rest to the believer's evangelistic performance. In Evangelical theology, resting in the kingdom of God is secured entirely by the finished work of Jesus Christ and received by faith alone (Sola Fide). Ephesians 2:8-9 explicitly denies that salvation is a result of works. While Evangelicals highly value the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and view evangelism as a vital fruit of a transformed life, they vehemently deny that a believer's eternal rest is contingent upon their success in bringing souls to Christ.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text diverges from Evangelicalism by presenting new, extra-biblical revelation as the literal words of Christ, and by subtly conditioning eternal rest upon the believer's performance in evangelism.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between this text and Evangelical Christianity centers on authority and soteriology. First, the text violates Sola Scriptura by claiming to be the direct, verbatim words of Jesus Christ delivered in 1829. Evangelicals maintain that the canon of Scripture is closed and sufficient for all matters of faith and practice; therefore, any claim to new, binding revelation is categorically rejected as a false authority. Second, the text violates Sola Fide by establishing a transactional relationship between human effort and eschatological reward. Verse 3 explicitly links the act of declaring repentance and bringing souls to Christ with the outcome of resting in the Father's kingdom. In Evangelical theology, justification and the resulting eternal rest are granted solely by grace through faith in Christ's substitutionary atonement. While good works—including evangelism—are the necessary fruit of a justified life, they are never the root or the prerequisite for entering God's rest.
For All Ages
Imagine you have a completed instruction manual from the creator of a game, and the manual says, 'You win because I already won the game for you; just trust me.' That is what Evangelical Christians believe the Bible says about Jesus. But this text is like someone coming along with a new, extra page of instructions, claiming the creator just gave it to them. This new page says, 'To actually get to rest at the end of the game, you have to go out and convince a lot of other people to play.' Christians believe we should invite others to play because we love the creator, but we don't believe our rest depends on how many people we convince. We believe our rest depends only on what Jesus already did.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
The text claims to be new, direct revelation from Jesus Christ, adding to the closed canon of Scripture.
Sola Fide
The text conditions resting in the Father's kingdom upon the believer's work of declaring repentance and bringing souls to Christ.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Repentance"
In This Text
In the developing LDS context, repentance becomes heavily associated with a continuous process of behavioral modification, forsaking sins, and keeping commandments to maintain worthiness.
In Evangelicalism
A fundamental change of mind and heart (metanoia) that turns away from self-righteousness and sin, and turns toward Christ in faith for justification.
"Kingdom of my Father"
In This Text
While used generically here in 1829, in later LDS theology (post-1832), this term specifically denotes the Celestial Kingdom, the highest tier of heaven where exaltation and godhood are achieved.
In Evangelicalism
The sovereign rule of God and the eternal dwelling place of all justified believers, without tiered degrees of salvation.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Resting with converted souls in the kingdom of the Father.
How Attained: By declaring repentance and bringing souls to Christ (implied conditional requirement).
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is based on one's obedience to the command to preach and the successful gathering of souls.
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text stands in tension with Sola Fide. 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.' In contrast, this text suggests that the believer must perform the work of evangelism 'that you may rest... in the kingdom.'
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Hearken to the words of Jesus Christ
- Listen to the words of Jesus Christ
- Declare repentance unto this people
Implicit Obligations
- Accept Joseph Smith as the legitimate mouthpiece of Jesus Christ
- Continue speaking the words previously given by God
- Actively engage in proselytizing to bring souls to Christ
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- If Jesus gave the exact same word-for-word revelation to John Whitmer and Peter Whitmer Jr., what does that suggest about how these revelations were produced?
- The text says that declaring repentance is how you will 'rest with them in the kingdom.' How much missionary work or how many souls must you bring to be assured of that rest?
- If our rest in the kingdom depends on our efforts to bring souls to Christ, how does that align with Ephesians 2:8-9, which says salvation is not a result of works?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire to know what is of 'most worth.'
Evangelicals can deeply relate to the desire to know what is most valuable in life. We can bridge this to the Apostle Paul, who found that the thing of 'most worth' was not his own works or religious performance, but simply knowing Christ and being found in His righteousness.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
By linking eternal rest in the Father's kingdom to the act of declaring repentance and bringing souls to Christ, the text places a heavy performance burden on the believer. The adherent may constantly wonder if they have shared the message enough, or successfully converted enough people, to truly earn their rest.
Because the metric for success (bringing souls) is open-ended, the believer lacks the objective assurance of salvation provided by the finished work of Christ. They must rely on their ongoing obedience to prophetic mandates rather than resting in grace.