Section 60
Overview
Given in January 1831, this short revelation (known in modern editions as Doctrine and Covenants Section 40) serves as a divine post-mortem on the brief investigation and subsequent departure of James Covel, a Methodist minister. Covel had previously covenanted to obey any command given through Joseph Smith (recorded in the preceding revelation, modern D&C 39). However, Covel quickly reneged and returned to his former associates. In this text, the voice of God explains Covel's apostasy by heavily borrowing language from Jesus's Parable of the Sower. The text asserts that Covel's heart was initially right because of his willingness to covenant, but that Satan, the fear of persecution, and the cares of the world caused him to reject 'the word' (specifically, the command to relocate to Ohio and preach Mormonism). Consequently, Covel is declared a covenant-breaker left to God's judgment. For believers, this text reinforces the prophetic authority of Joseph Smith, framing the rejection of his revelations not as a reasoned theological disagreement, but as a spiritual failure driven by fear, worldliness, and demonic temptation.
Key Figures
- God/Jesus Christ: The first-person speaker of the text who judges Covel's heart, dictates the revelation, and holds Covel accountable for breaking the covenant.
- James Covill [Covel]: A Methodist minister who briefly accepted Joseph Smith's prophetic claims, covenanted to obey, but quickly apostatized due to fear and worldly concerns.
- Joseph Smith, jr.: The prophet receiving the revelation, establishing his role as the conduit for God's binding word.
- Sidney Rigdon: Co-recipient of the revelation, serving as a scribe and leading figure in the early church.
- Satan: The adversary identified as the active agent who tempted Covel immediately after he received the word.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Equivalence of Prophetic Dictation and Divine Covenant
Assertion
The text claims that a commitment to obey Joseph Smith's specific, situational revelations constitutes a binding covenant with God, and rejecting Smith's word is equivalent to breaking a covenant with God.
Evidence from Text
...he covenanted with me, that he would obey my word... caused him to reject the word; wherefore he broke my covenant...
Evangelical Comparison
In Evangelical theology, the ultimate and final 'Word' is Jesus Christ (John 1:1), and the authoritative written word is the closed canon of the 66-book Bible (Jude 1:3, Hebrews 1:1-2). Covenants are grand, redemptive-historical promises instituted by God, culminating in the New Covenant of grace. In contrast, this text reduces 'the word' and 'my covenant' to a specific, situational directive given through Joseph Smith (in this historical case, a command for Covel to move to Ohio). By equating the rejection of Smith's administrative directive with breaking a divine covenant, the text elevates the prophet's ongoing utterances to the level of absolute, binding scriptural authority, directly violating Sola Scriptura.
Conditional Standing Based on Covenant Obedience
Assertion
A person's heart is considered 'right' before God based on their covenant to obey new revelations, and they fall under ominous judgment when they fail to perform that obedience.
Evidence from Text
...the heart of my servant James Covill was right before me, for he covenanted with me, that he would obey my word... wherefore he broke my covenant, and it remaineth in me to do with him as seemeth me good.
Evangelical Comparison
The text asserts that Covel's heart was 'right before me, FOR he covenanted with me, that he would obey'. This establishes a works-righteousness paradigm where right standing before God is contingent upon human performance—specifically, the willingness and success in obeying new mandates. When Covel fails due to fear and worldly cares, his standing is revoked, and he is left to an ominous, unspecified judgment ('to do with him as seemeth me good'). Evangelical theology, rooted in Sola Fide, teaches that believers are justified entirely by grace through faith in Christ's finished work (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:5). A believer's standing is secure in Christ, not precariously balanced on their ability to perfectly execute covenants of obedience.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text redefines 'the word' from the biblical Gospel to Joseph Smith's specific administrative revelations, and shifts the basis of right standing before God from faith in Christ to the making and keeping of obedience covenants.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The fundamental theological gap lies in the doctrines of Revelation (Sola Scriptura) and Justification (Sola Fide). In this text, 'the word' is not the incarnate Christ or the apostolic Gospel message; it is a specific, extra-biblical directive given by Joseph Smith (in historical context, for Covel to move to Ohio). By appropriating the language of Jesus's Parable of the Sower, Smith elevates his own administrative commands to the level of the Gospel itself. Rejecting Smith's command is equated with rejecting God's word and breaking God's covenant. Furthermore, the text explicitly states that Covel's heart was right *because* he covenanted to obey. This establishes a conditional, works-based paradigm where human obedience to ongoing prophetic mandates is the mechanism for maintaining right standing before God. Evangelicalism vehemently rejects this, maintaining that right standing is imputed solely by grace through faith in Christ (Romans 3:21-28), and that no modern leader has the authority to bind the conscience with new, extra-biblical covenants.
For All Ages
Imagine you have a rulebook from the coach (the Bible) that tells you how to play the game. Someone comes along and says, 'The coach gave me a new, secret rulebook, and if you don't follow my new rules, you're off the team.' Evangelical Christians believe the Bible is the only rulebook we need, and Jesus already won the game for us. This text says God gave Joseph Smith new rules, and if you reject them, you are breaking a promise to God and will be punished. It changes the focus from what Jesus did for us, to what we have to do for Joseph Smith.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
Elevates Joseph Smith's contemporary directives to the status of infallible, binding divine revelation.
Sufficiency of Scripture
Appropriates the Parable of the Sower to apply to Smith's new revelations rather than the biblical Gospel.
Sola Fide
Conditions a 'right heart' before God on the making and keeping of obedience covenants rather than faith in Christ.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"The word"
In This Text
The specific, contemporary revelations and commands dictated by Joseph Smith.
In Evangelicalism
The incarnate Son of God (John 1:1) and the written, closed canon of Scripture containing the Gospel of grace (1 Peter 1:23-25).
"Covenant"
In This Text
A two-way promise where a person agrees to obey the specific directives of the prophet in exchange for right standing before God.
In Evangelicalism
A sovereign administration of grace and promise by God, culminating in the New Covenant sealed by Christ's blood, which guarantees the salvation of the elect (Hebrews 8:6-13).
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Maintaining a 'right heart' before God and avoiding divine judgment.
How Attained: By making covenants to obey the prophet's word and successfully enduring persecution and worldly cares to keep those covenants.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is entirely conditional upon the believer's ongoing performance in keeping the covenant and obeying new revelations.
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text stands in direct opposition to Sola Fide. It explicitly links Covel's right standing to his covenant of obedience ('for he covenanted with me, that he would obey'). When his obedience failed, his standing was lost. Romans 4:4-5 teaches that to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.
Mandates & Requirements
Implicit Obligations
- Obey the revelations and words given through Joseph Smith
- Keep covenants made with God regarding obedience to prophetic direction
- Resist Satan's temptations to abandon the faith
- Overcome the fear of persecution
- Reject the cares of the world that compete with spiritual obedience
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- When this text uses the exact words of Jesus from the Parable of the Sower, do you think Jesus originally meant 'the word' was the Gospel of salvation, or a command to move to Ohio?
- If James Covel was a Methodist minister, he already believed in Jesus and the Bible. Why was his standing before God suddenly dependent on obeying a new covenant from Joseph Smith?
- How do you find peace with God if your standing depends on perfectly keeping covenants of obedience, knowing that we all sometimes fail due to the 'cares of the world'?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The Parable of the Sower
You can use the text's own borrowed language to pivot back to the actual Bible. Ask the adherent to read Mark 4 with you. Discuss what 'the word' actually was in Jesus's context—the good news of the Kingdom of Grace, not a burden of new administrative rules. Jesus offers rest (Matthew 11:28), whereas this text offers the burden of perfect covenant-keeping.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The believer is placed on a performance treadmill. Their heart is only 'right' as long as they are actively keeping their covenants to obey the prophet. Any failure due to normal human struggles (cares of the world) is framed as a catastrophic covenant-breaking event.
The text ends with an ominous, open-ended threat: 'it remaineth in me to do with him as seemeth me good.' This instills a deep fear of divine retribution for anyone considering leaving the faith or questioning the prophet's directives.