Section 49
Overview
Section 49 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (which corresponds to Section 26 in the modern Latter-day Saint edition) is a brief but administratively significant revelation dictated by Joseph Smith in July 1830. Addressed to Joseph Smith Jr., Oliver Cowdery, and John Whitmer, the text serves as a transitional directive during a period of intense opposition following the organization of the church in April 1830. The revelation provides immediate, practical instructions: the men are commanded to dedicate their time to studying the scriptures, preaching, and 'confirming the church at Colesville' (a reference to a branch of the early church in New York that was facing severe local persecution). Acknowledging their temporal needs, the text also mandates that they perform necessary physical labor on the land. Theologically, the text establishes two major precedents for the developing movement. First, it reinforces the expectation of ongoing, situational revelation, instructing the leaders to wait until the next conference in the west where 'it shall be made known what you shall do.' Second, and most importantly for Latter-day Saint ecclesiology, it introduces the doctrine of 'common consent.' The mandate that 'all things shall be done by common consent in the church, by much prayer and faith' established a system where prophetic directives and leadership callings are presented to the congregation for a sustaining vote. While this appears democratic, in the context of Mormon theology, it functions as a congregational covenant to support the divinely appointed hierarchy rather than a mechanism for grassroots policy creation.
Key Figures
- God/Jesus Christ: The implied first-person speaker of the text ('I say unto you'), asserting direct, divine authority over the actions of the church leaders.
- Joseph Smith, Jr.: The primary recipient and prophetic mediator of the revelation, directed on how to spend his time and govern the church.
- Oliver Cowdery: Second elder of the church, commanded alongside Smith to study, preach, and labor.
- John Whitmer: Early church leader and scribe, included in the directive to minister to the Colesville saints and prepare for the upcoming conference.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Ongoing Situational Revelation
Assertion
God provides continuous, specific, and binding instructions for the daily administration of the church and the personal lives of its leaders.
Evidence from Text
...until after you shall go to the west, to hold the next conference; and then it shall be made known what you shall do.
Evangelical Comparison
This text operates on the foundational Mormon premise of an open canon and continuous revelation. The speaker (purportedly God) promises that future administrative and personal steps will be 'made known' at an upcoming conference. In Evangelical theology, while the Holy Spirit illuminates Scripture and provides personal guidance or conviction (often called illumination or leading), He does not give new, binding, authoritative revelation on par with Scripture. The Evangelical doctrine of Sola Scriptura (2 Timothy 3:16-17, Jude 1:3) asserts that the Bible contains all knowledge necessary for salvation and godly living. The expectation of continuous, institutional revelation creates a paradigm where the Bible is viewed as insufficient for governing the modern church.
Common Consent
Assertion
All actions, decisions, and callings within the church must be affirmed by the congregation through faith and prayer.
Evidence from Text
And all things shall be done by common consent in the church, by much prayer and faith...
Evangelical Comparison
The principle of 'common consent' introduced here became a staple of Latter-day Saint church governance. In practice, it means that when leaders receive revelation regarding callings or policies, these are presented to the membership for a sustaining vote. It is not a democratic process of nomination, but a covenantal agreement to support the leader's decision. In Evangelicalism, church governance varies widely (from congregational to presbyterian to episcopalian). However, Evangelical congregationalism usually involves the priesthood of all believers actively discerning God's will together through Scripture, often including the democratic election of elders and deacons (Acts 6:1-6). The Mormon model places the revelatory prerogative exclusively on the hierarchy, with the congregation's role limited to faithful assent.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text normalizes the reception of new, binding, extra-biblical revelation through a singular prophetic leader, which the church must then sustain. This violates the Evangelical doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture and alters the biblical model of church governance.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The fundamental theological gap in this text centers on the doctrines of revelation and authority. Evangelical Christianity operates on the principle of Sola Scriptura, which asserts that the 66 books of the Bible are the sole infallible rule of faith and practice. Because the apostolic era has ended, the canon of Scripture is closed; God has spoken finally and definitively in His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2). Therefore, no individual possesses the authority to dictate new, binding revelation for the church. In contrast, this text demonstrates the Latter-day Saint paradigm of an open canon and continuous prophetic revelation. Joseph Smith speaks in the first person as God, issuing commands that carry divine weight. Furthermore, the text promises that future instructions will be 'made known' at an upcoming conference, institutionalizing the expectation of ongoing revelation. This creates a system where the ultimate authority is not the static, objective text of Scripture, but the dynamic, subjective voice of the living prophet. Additionally, the introduction of 'common consent' creates a unique ecclesiology where the congregation's role is to covenantally sustain the prophet's revelations, fundamentally differing from the Evangelical concept of the universal priesthood of believers where the congregation submits only to Christ and His written Word.
For All Ages
Imagine you have a complete, perfect instruction manual for building a Lego castle. Evangelical Christians believe the Bible is that complete manual—God gave us everything we need to know about Him and how to live. We don't need new pages added to it. This text from Joseph Smith is like someone saying, 'I just got a new page of instructions directly from the creator of the Legos, and you have to follow these new steps now, and wait for even more steps later.' It changes the rules from following the finished manual to following a person who claims to be getting new pages all the time.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
The text claims to be direct, new revelation from God, adding to the closed canon of Scripture and promising even more future revelation.
Universal Priesthood
Establishes a paradigm where specific leaders receive revelation for the whole body, and the body's role is merely to consent to it, undermining the direct mediation of Christ for all believers.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Confirming the church"
In This Text
In early LDS context, this refers to the specific priesthood ordinance of laying on of hands to bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost upon newly baptized members.
In Evangelicalism
In the New Testament, 'confirming' or 'strengthening' the churches (Acts 15:41) refers to encouraging believers, teaching sound doctrine, and establishing them in the faith, not a specific sacramental ordinance.
"Common consent"
In This Text
The formal process where LDS members raise their right hand to sustain (agree to support) decisions, revelations, or callings already made by the hierarchical leadership.
In Evangelicalism
Evangelicals do not use this exact phrase as a formal doctrine, but congregational voting in Baptist or free-church traditions often involves actual democratic decision-making, debate, and the power to veto or elect, rather than merely sustaining a top-down mandate.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Not explicitly defined in this administrative text.
How Attained: Implied to be connected to obedience to prophetic directives and participation in church ordinances ('confirming the church').
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is derived from faithful participation in the church body, exercising 'much prayer and faith,' and being in harmony with the leadership via 'common consent.'
Comparison to Sola Fide: The text states 'all things you shall receive by faith,' which sounds superficially similar to Sola Fide. However, in this context, 'faith' is an action-oriented principle tied to obeying Joseph Smith's commands, performing physical labor, and sustaining church leaders, rather than resting solely in the finished work of Christ for justification (Romans 4:4-5).
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Devote time to studying the scriptures
- Devote time to preaching
- Confirm the church at Colesville
- Perform required labors on the land
- Go to the west to hold the next conference
- Do all things by common consent in the church
- Use much prayer and faith in church affairs
Implicit Obligations
- Submit to the ongoing revelatory authority of Joseph Smith
- Wait patiently for future divine instructions rather than acting presumptuously
- Balance spiritual ministry with temporal, physical responsibilities
Ritual Requirements
- Confirming the church (implying the ordinance of the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost)
- Participating in the formal process of 'common consent' (sustaining votes)
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- I noticed this section talks about 'common consent.' How does common consent work in your ward today compared to how it might have worked in 1830?
- The text says that 'all things you shall receive by faith.' How do you personally balance the requirement to have faith with the specific tasks and labors commanded here?
- When the text says 'it shall be made known what you shall do,' it points to a future revelation. How do you discern God's will for your life today? Do you rely more on the scriptures, personal prayer, or the words of the current prophet?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire for clear direction and guidance.
The early LDS leaders desired clear direction for their lives and ministry. Evangelicals share this desire for guidance. However, rather than waiting for a human prophet to dictate God's will, the Gospel promises that every believer has the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide them into truth and illuminate the Scriptures. We have direct access to God's wisdom.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text creates a paradigm where believers cannot fully know God's will for the church or their lives without the mediation of a living prophet. This creates a spiritual burden of dependency, where confidence in one's standing or direction is tied to obedience to a human leader rather than direct communion with God through Christ.
The leaders are commanded to perfectly balance intense spiritual duties (studying, preaching, confirming) with grueling physical survival ('labors on the land'). While practical for 1830, as a spiritual mandate, it reinforces a works-heavy paradigm where one must constantly perform both temporally and spiritually to remain in God's will.