Section 63
Overview
Section 63 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (known as Section 47 in modern LDS editions) is a brief, two-verse revelation dictated by Joseph Smith in March 1831. The text serves primarily as an administrative mandate, officially calling John Whitmer to replace Oliver Cowdery as the church historian and as a scribe to Joseph Smith. Theologically, the text establishes two critical precedents for the developing movement. First, it commands Whitmer to transcribe 'all things which shall be given you,' cementing the doctrine of an open canon and continuous, ongoing revelation flowing exclusively through Joseph Smith. Second, it introduces a conditional pneumatology, stating that Whitmer will receive the ability to write these things by the Comforter 'inasmuch as he is faithful.' This intertwines spiritual gifting and the presence of the Holy Spirit with personal performance and obedience to church-appointed duties. For believers, this text reinforces the necessity of sustaining the prophet, fulfilling assigned church callings, and maintaining personal worthiness to secure divine assistance.
Key Figures
- Joseph Smith (The prophetic conduit through whom God speaks in the first person, and the sole receiver of the ongoing revelations to be transcribed)
- John Whitmer (The individual called to be the new church historian, scribe, and preacher, whose spiritual assistance is conditional on his faithfulness)
- Oliver Cowdery (The former church historian who is reassigned to another office by divine decree)
- The Comforter / Holy Ghost (The divine entity promised to assist John Whitmer in his writing, contingent upon Whitmer's faithfulness)
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Open Canon and Continuous Revelation
Assertion
God continues to give new, authoritative revelations to Joseph Smith that must be transcribed and kept as official church records.
Evidence from Text
...assist you, my servant Joseph, in transcribing all things which shall be given you...
Evangelical Comparison
This text explicitly commands the transcription of 'all things which shall be given' to Joseph Smith, establishing a theological framework where divine revelation is continuous, open-ended, and channeled through a single prophetic leader. In contrast, Evangelical Christianity adheres strictly to Sola Scriptura, believing that the 66 books of the Bible represent the complete, sufficient, and final revelation of God to humanity. Evangelicals point to passages like Jude 1:3 (the faith 'once for all delivered to the saints') and Hebrews 1:1-2 (God speaking finally through His Son) to argue that the canon is closed. The LDS paradigm presented here requires adherents to accept post-biblical dictations as equally authoritative to the Bible.
Conditional Pneumatology (Conditional Assistance of the Spirit)
Assertion
The assistance and guidance of the Holy Ghost (the Comforter) in fulfilling one's duties is contingent upon personal faithfulness and obedience.
Evidence from Text
Wherefore it shall be given him, inasmuch as he is faithful, by the Comforter, to write these things...
Evangelical Comparison
The text promises the aid of the Comforter to John Whitmer with a strict conditional clause: 'inasmuch as he is faithful.' This reflects a broader LDS theology where the constant companionship and active gifting of the Holy Ghost are dependent on personal worthiness, obedience to commandments, and fulfillment of church duties. Evangelical Christianity, rooted in Sola Gratia and Sola Fide, teaches that the Holy Spirit is given as a free gift and an unconditional seal of salvation the moment a person believes (Ephesians 1:13-14). While Evangelicals believe a Christian can 'grieve' the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), the Spirit's presence and the distribution of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11) are based on God's sovereign grace, not human faithfulness or administrative performance.
Prophetic Ecclesiological Authority
Assertion
God directly micromanages church administrative roles and callings through the first-person dictation of the prophet.
Evidence from Text
...for Oliver Cowdery I have appointed to another office.
Evangelical Comparison
The text demonstrates a model of church governance where administrative changes—such as moving Oliver Cowdery to a new office and appointing John Whitmer as historian—are dictated directly by God speaking in the first person through Joseph Smith. This centralizes absolute ecclesiological authority in the prophetic office. Evangelical ecclesiology, while varied in structure (congregational, presbyterian, etc.), universally relies on the closed canon of Scripture to provide the qualifications for leadership (e.g., 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1). Leaders are recognized through the discernment of the local body and existing elders based on these biblical metrics, rather than through new, direct oracular commands.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text establishes an open canon dependent on a modern prophet and introduces a conditional pneumatology where the Holy Spirit's help is earned through faithfulness.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The fundamental theological gap between this text and Evangelical Christianity lies in the doctrines of revelation (Bibliology) and the Holy Spirit (Pneumatology). By commanding John Whitmer to transcribe 'all things which shall be given' to Joseph Smith, the text presupposes an open canon where Joseph Smith acts as a continuous, infallible oracle. This directly contradicts the Evangelical doctrine of Sola Scriptura, which maintains that the 66-book Bible is the final, sufficient, and complete revelation of God (Jude 1:3, Hebrews 1:1-2). Furthermore, the text introduces a conditional pneumatology ('inasmuch as he is faithful... by the Comforter'), suggesting that the Holy Spirit's active assistance is merited by human faithfulness. This contrasts sharply with the Evangelical understanding of the Spirit's unconditional indwelling and gifting by grace (Ephesians 1:13-14, 1 Corinthians 12:11).
For All Ages
Imagine if your teacher said the rulebook for a game was completely finished, but then another student claimed the principal was secretly whispering new rules to him every single day. That's the difference here. Christians believe the Bible is the finished rulebook for faith. This text says God is still giving new rules to Joseph Smith that must be written down. Also, the text says the Holy Spirit will only help you if you are 'faithful' (meaning you act good enough), but the Bible says the Holy Spirit is a free gift given to everyone who believes in Jesus, no matter what.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
The text commands the transcription of ongoing, extra-biblical revelations, establishing an open canon and a modern prophetic oracle.
Sola Gratia
The text makes the assistance of the Holy Spirit conditional upon human faithfulness and performance of duties.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"The Comforter"
In This Text
A divine guide whose assistance in fulfilling church administrative duties is conditional upon the believer's personal faithfulness.
In Evangelicalism
The Holy Spirit, who is the unconditional seal of salvation and the permanent indwelling presence of God in the life of every true believer.
"Faithful"
In This Text
Obedient to specific church callings, administrative duties, and the directives of the prophet.
In Evangelicalism
Trusting in the finished work of Christ for salvation; while it produces good works, faithfulness is the fruit of the Spirit, not the prerequisite for receiving Him.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: While not explicitly defining eternal salvation, the text implies that spiritual standing is maintained through obedience to church callings.
How Attained: Spiritual success and divine aid are attained through personal faithfulness and works (fulfilling the calling of historian).
Basis of Assurance: Assurance of the Comforter's presence is based entirely on the individual's ongoing faithfulness to their assigned duties.
Comparison to Sola Fide: The text operates on a works-based paradigm ('inasmuch as he is faithful'), which stands in contrast to Sola Fide. Justification by faith alone teaches that our standing before God is secured entirely by Christ's faithfulness, not our own (Romans 3:28).
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- John Whitmer must write and keep a regular history.
- John Whitmer must assist Joseph Smith in transcribing all things given to him.
- John Whitmer must keep the church record and history continually.
Implicit Obligations
- John Whitmer must maintain personal faithfulness to receive the Comforter's help.
- The church must accept Joseph Smith's ongoing dictations as divine revelation.
- Oliver Cowdery must accept his reassignment to another office.
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- If the Comforter's help is given 'inasmuch as he is faithful,' how faithful does someone have to be to ensure they don't lose the Holy Ghost's guidance?
- How do you discern if a new revelation given to a prophet should be added to scripture, especially if it seems to add to what the Bible says?
- When you read Ephesians 1:13-14, how does the biblical promise of the Holy Spirit as a 'guarantee' compare to the conditional promise given to John Whitmer here?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
Keeping a Record / History
The desire for an accurate record of God's people points to the ultimate, eternal record: the Lamb's Book of Life. Unlike John Whitmer's history, which required his own faithfulness to write, our names are written in the Book of Life entirely because of the faithfulness and shed blood of Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text explicitly ties the assistance of the Holy Ghost to the believer's personal faithfulness ('inasmuch as he is faithful'). This places a heavy performance burden on the adherent, creating chronic uncertainty. If they struggle in their calling or experience spiritual dryness, the theological framework suggests it is their own fault for not being 'faithful' enough, leading to a cycle of striving and guilt rather than resting in grace.