Section 44
Overview
This text, originally given in March 1830 (known in modern LDS editions as Doctrine and Covenants Section 19), is a pivotal revelation directed at Martin Harris. Historically, Harris was hesitating to mortgage his farm to pay E.B. Grandin for the printing of the Book of Mormon. The text uses the first-person voice of Jesus Christ to apply immense theological and psychological pressure on Harris to secure the funding. Theologically, it introduces two radical departures from orthodox Christianity. First, it redefines 'endless punishment' and 'eternal damnation,' claiming these terms do not denote infinite duration, but rather are titles for 'God's punishment' because God's name is Endless. Second, it vividly describes Christ's suffering (bleeding at every pore) and asserts that if individuals do not repent, they must suffer 'even as I.' This establishes a framework where unrepentant humans can endure a quantum of suffering to satisfy divine justice for their own sins, fundamentally altering the orthodox understanding of the Atonement as an exclusively sufficient, substitutionary act. The text concludes with explicit financial directives for Harris to impart his property, pay the printer's debt, and leave his home to preach.
Key Figures
- Jesus Christ: The claimed speaker of the text, identified as Alpha and Omega, who describes His own atoning agony and threatens Harris with destruction if he disobeys.
- Martin Harris (implied 'thou'): The recipient of the revelation, a wealthy farmer who is commanded to liquidate his assets to fund the printing of the Book of Mormon.
- Joseph Smith, Jr.: Identified as God's servant through whom commandments are given by almighty power, establishing his exclusive prophetic authority.
- God the Father: Mentioned as the one whose will Christ accomplished.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Redefinition of Eternal Punishment
Assertion
The text claims that 'endless punishment' and 'eternal damnation' do not mean punishment without end. Instead, because God's name is 'Endless', it simply means 'God's punishment'.
Evidence from Text
nevertheless it is not written, that there shall be no end to this torment; but it is written endless torment... for behold I am endless, and the punishment which is given from my hand, is endless punishment, for endless is my name
Evangelical Comparison
In Evangelical theology, based on passages like Matthew 25:46 and Revelation 20:10, the punishment of the wicked is of the exact same infinite duration as the eternal life of the righteous. The Greek word 'aionios' is used for both. This text radically redefines the English words 'endless' and 'eternal' to be synonymous with the noun 'God', stripping them of their chronological meaning. This creates a theological framework where hell is temporary and individuals can eventually be released after suffering for their own sins, which contradicts the biblical doctrine of final, eternal judgment.
Conditional and Replicable Atonement
Assertion
The text asserts that if a person does not repent, they must suffer the exact same agony that Christ suffered to pay for their sins.
Evidence from Text
if they would not repent, they must suffer even as I: which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore
Evangelical Comparison
Evangelical Christology and Soteriology maintain that Jesus Christ's atoning work on the cross was a 'once for all' penal substitution (Hebrews 10:10-14). A finite human cannot satisfy the infinite wrath of God against sin. This text, however, posits that humans can 'suffer even as I' to satisfy justice if they fail to repent. This implies that human suffering has atoning value and that Christ's atonement is merely a backup plan to save humans from having to pay the debt themselves, rather than the only possible means of satisfying divine justice.
Prophetic Exclusivity of Joseph Smith
Assertion
The text claims that the commandments given through Joseph Smith are delivered by God's almighty power and must be obeyed to avoid divine wrath.
Evidence from Text
keep the commandments which you have received by the hand of my servant Joseph Smith, jr. in my name: and it is by my almighty power that you have received them
Evangelical Comparison
Evangelicalism adheres to Sola Scriptura, believing the 66-book biblical canon is closed and sufficient for all matters of faith and practice (Jude 1:3, Revelation 22:18-19). This text demands absolute obedience to the ongoing, extra-biblical revelations of Joseph Smith, placing his words on par with or above the established biblical canon, and threatening severe spiritual and physical consequences for disobedience.
Baptismal Regeneration
Assertion
The text commands the preaching of remission of sins specifically through the act of baptism.
Evidence from Text
thou shalt declare repentance and faith on the Savior, and remission of sins by baptism and by fire
Evangelical Comparison
Evangelical theology teaches Sola Fide—that salvation and the remission of sins are received by grace through faith alone, apart from any works or rituals (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:5). Baptism is viewed as an outward sign of an inward reality that has already occurred. This text links the actual remission of sins directly to the ritual of baptism, making it a necessary requirement for salvation.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text fundamentally alters the nature of the Atonement and Hell, suggesting that humans can suffer to pay for their own sins and that eternal punishment is temporary. It also mandates works (financial sacrifice, baptism) as necessary to avoid God's wrath.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between this text and Evangelical Christianity is profound, particularly regarding Soteriology and Christology. Evangelicals hold to Penal Substitutionary Atonement—the belief that Christ bore the full, infinite wrath of God on the cross, a sacrifice that is exclusively sufficient and cannot be replicated by finite humans (Hebrews 9:26-28). This text, however, asserts that if a person does not repent, they 'must suffer even as I,' implying that human suffering possesses atoning efficacy and can satisfy divine justice. Furthermore, the text redefines 'endless punishment.' In orthodox Christianity, hell is a place of conscious, eternal torment for those who reject Christ (Matthew 25:46). By redefining 'endless' as merely a title for God ('God's punishment'), the text introduces a form of universalism or purgatory, where individuals can suffer for their own sins for a temporary period and then be released. Finally, the text violates Sola Fide by explicitly tying the avoidance of God's wrath to financial compliance (paying the printer's debt) and ritual observance (baptism).
For All Ages
Imagine you broke a really expensive window, and you owe a million dollars. In the Bible, Jesus pays the million dollars for you because you could never afford it. Once He pays it, the debt is gone forever if you trust Him. But in this text, Jesus says, 'If you don't say you're sorry and do what I tell you, you will have to pay the million dollars yourself, and it will hurt you just as much as it hurt me to get the money.' It also changes what 'forever' means. In the Bible, if you go to 'time-out' (hell), it's forever. In this text, 'forever time-out' just means it's 'God's time-out,' and you can eventually get out after you've suffered enough.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
Adds new revelation, commands the printing of a new scripture (Book of Mormon), and redefines biblical words.
Christology / Sufficiency of the Atonement
Claims humans can suffer 'even as I' to pay for their own sins, denying the exclusive sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice.
Theology Proper / Eternal Judgment
Redefines eternal punishment as temporary, contradicting the biblical doctrine of final judgment.
Sola Fide
Requires baptism for the remission of sins and mandates financial works to avoid destruction.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Endless punishment / Eternal damnation"
In This Text
Punishment administered by God (whose name is Endless); it does not mean the punishment lasts forever.
In Evangelicalism
Punishment that is everlasting and infinite in duration, with no end.
"Suffer"
In This Text
To endure the exact same atoning agony that Christ experienced in order to pay for one's own sins.
In Evangelicalism
To experience hardship or persecution, but never to atone for sin, as only Christ's suffering is sufficient for redemption.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Avoiding the wrath of God and the necessity of suffering for one's own sins.
How Attained: Through repentance, faith, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and strict obedience to the commandments given through Joseph Smith.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is based on continuous obedience and the subjective feeling of 'peace in me' resulting from walking in meekness.
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text directly contradicts Sola Fide. While it mentions 'faith on the Savior,' it immediately couples it with 'remission of sins by baptism' and threatens 'destruction' if specific financial and behavioral works are not performed. In contrast, Romans 4:5 states that to the one who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Repent
- Keep the commandments received by Joseph Smith
- Preach nought but repentance
- Show not these things unto the world until it is wisdom in me
- Walk in the meekness of my Spirit
- Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife
- Nor seek thy neighbor's life
- Thou shalt not covet thine own property
- Impart property freely to the printing of the book of Mormon
- Pray vocally as well as in thy heart
- Pray before the world as well as in secret
- Declare glad tidings upon the mountains and high places
- Do it with all humility, reviling not against revilers
- Of tenets thou shalt not talk
- Declare repentance and faith on the Savior, and remission of sins by baptism and by fire
- Impart a portion of thy property; yea, even part of thy lands and all save the support of thy family
- Pay the debt thou hast contracted with the printer
- Release thyself from bondage
- Leave thy house and home, except when thou shalt desire to see thy family
- Speak freely to all, preach, exhort, declare the truth with a loud voice
- Pray always
Implicit Obligations
- Submit entirely to Joseph Smith's financial and spiritual authority
- Accept the redefinition of biblical terms like 'eternal' and 'endless'
- Prioritize the institutional needs (printing the book) over personal financial security
Ritual Requirements
- Baptism for the remission of sins
- Receiving the Holy Ghost by fire
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- If 'endless punishment' just means 'God's punishment' and has an end, does 'eternal life' also have an end, since the Bible uses the exact same word for both?
- The text says that if we don't repent, we must suffer 'even as I' (Christ). If we can pay for our own sins by suffering, why did Jesus need to die on the cross?
- How do you feel when you read the warnings of 'destruction of thyself and property' if Martin Harris didn't give his money? Does that sound like the voice of the Good Shepherd in the New Testament?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
Release from bondage and debt
The text focuses on physical/financial debt, but this can be bridged to our spiritual debt. We are in bondage to sin and owe a debt we cannot pay. Christ paid that debt in full on the cross, releasing us from spiritual bondage.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text places immense psychological pressure on the adherent by threatening them with unimaginable agony ('how sore you know not!') and physical/financial ruin ('destruction of thyself and property') if they do not comply with the leader's demands.
By teaching that a person might have to suffer exactly as Christ did if their repentance is inadequate, the text removes the assurance of the cross and places the burden of perfect repentance squarely on the believer's shoulders.
The explicit command to liquidate assets ('all save the support of thy family') to fund the institution creates a heavy financial burden and sets a precedent that God's favor is tied to financial sacrifice to the church.