Section 73
Overview
Section 73 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (known as Section 74 in modern LDS editions) functions as an authoritative, prophetic exegesis of 1 Corinthians 7:14. Joseph Smith claims to reveal the true historical context behind the Apostle Paul's teachings regarding mixed marriages between believers and unbelievers. According to this text, the early church experienced 'great contention' because unbelieving Jewish husbands wanted to circumcise their children and subject them to the fulfilled Law of Moses. The text asserts that children raised under these old traditions rejected the gospel of Christ and became unholy. Consequently, Paul's counsel was a pragmatic, apostolic injunction ('not of the Lord but of himself') to prevent believers from marrying unbelievers unless the practice of the Law of Moses was abandoned, thereby protecting the children from being bound to obsolete traditions. The text concludes with a definitive theological declaration: contrary to traditions that label infants as unholy or possessing original sin, little children are inherently holy because they are sanctified through the atonement of Jesus Christ. This text serves a dual purpose in early Mormonism: it establishes Joseph Smith's authority to definitively interpret and correct the historical understanding of the Bible, and it reinforces the emerging LDS rejection of infant depravity and infant baptism.
Key Figures
- Jesus Christ: The source of the atonement which sanctifies little children and fulfills the Law of Moses.
- The Apostle Paul: The unnamed but implied author of the epistle to the Corinthians, whose historical context and intent are being explained.
- Unbelieving Husband/Wife: Archetypes used to explain the historical marital dynamics and the transmission of religious tradition to children.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Infant Holiness and Sanctification
Assertion
Little children are inherently holy and are sanctified through the atonement of Jesus Christ, rejecting any tradition that claims they are unholy.
Evidence from Text
...that the tradition might be done away, which saith, that little children are unholy: for it was had among the Jews: but little children are holy being sanctified through the atonement of Jesus Christ...
Evangelical Comparison
This doctrine represents a significant departure from classical Evangelical theology regarding Original Sin and Total Depravity. Evangelicalism, drawing from passages like Psalm 51:5 ('Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me') and Romans 5:12, teaches that all human beings inherit a fallen, sinful nature from Adam. While many Evangelicals believe that infants who die are saved by God's grace applying Christ's atonement, they maintain that infants are still inherently sinful by nature and require salvation. In contrast, this text asserts that little children are actively 'holy' and 'sanctified' from birth because of the atonement, effectively neutralizing the concept of an inherited sin nature. This aligns with broader LDS theology (e.g., Moroni 8) which vehemently rejects infant baptism by denying infant depravity.
Prophetic Exegesis and Interpretive Authority
Assertion
A modern prophet has the authority to reveal the definitive historical context and true meaning of biblical passages.
Evidence from Text
...and this is what the scriptures mean.
Evangelical Comparison
The concluding phrase, 'and this is what the scriptures mean,' establishes an epistemological framework where the modern prophet acts as the ultimate arbiter of biblical truth. Evangelical Christianity operates on the principle of Sola Scriptura, which includes the perspicuity (clarity) of Scripture and the hermeneutical principle that 'Scripture interprets Scripture' (analogia scripturae). Evangelicals use historical, grammatical, and linguistic analysis to understand the Bible. By claiming direct revelation to explain the historical background of Corinth—specifically inserting a narrative about Jewish circumcision disputes into a predominantly Gentile church context—Joseph Smith bypasses standard exegesis and requires the adherent to trust his extra-biblical revelation over historical-grammatical analysis.
Fulfillment of the Law of Moses
Assertion
The Law of Moses, specifically the requirement of circumcision, was fulfilled by Jesus Christ and should no longer be practiced as a religious obligation.
Evidence from Text
...become subject to the law of Moses, which law was fulfilled.
Evangelical Comparison
On this point, the text is in harmony with Evangelical theology. Both traditions agree, based on the New Testament (e.g., Romans 10:4, Galatians 5:1-6, Hebrews 8:13), that the ceremonial and civil aspects of the Law of Moses, including circumcision, were fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The text uses this shared theological truth as the premise for explaining why Paul would advise against mixed marriages in that specific historical era.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text diverges from Evangelicalism by denying Original Sin (asserting infants are born holy) and by establishing a modern prophet as the necessary, infallible interpreter of biblical history and meaning.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap manifests primarily in anthropology and epistemology. Anthropologically, Evangelicalism holds to the doctrine of Original Sin, teaching that the fall of Adam resulted in a corrupted human nature inherited by all descendants (Romans 5:12). Therefore, infants are born with a sin nature, even if God graciously saves those who die in infancy. This text explicitly denies that tradition, asserting that little children are inherently 'holy' and 'sanctified' from birth due to the atonement, effectively removing the concept of an inherited fallen nature. Epistemologically, the text violates Sola Scriptura by positioning Joseph Smith as an infallible, inspired commentator. By claiming to reveal a historical context for 1 Corinthians 7 that contradicts standard historical-grammatical exegesis (inserting a Jewish circumcision dispute into a Gentile pagan context), the text demands that adherents place their ultimate trust in the modern prophet's revelation rather than the objective study of the biblical text itself.
For All Ages
Imagine you have a really old letter from your great-grandfather, and you and your friends are trying to figure out what it means by reading it carefully. Evangelical Christians believe that if we study the Bible carefully, God helps us understand it. But this text says that we need a modern leader (a prophet) to tell us exactly what the old letter means, and whatever he says is the final answer. Also, Evangelical Christians believe that everyone is born with a little bit of a 'sin sickness' that makes us want to do wrong things, and we all need Jesus to heal us. But this text says that babies are born completely perfectly holy and don't have that sin sickness at all.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
The text claims extra-biblical revelation is required to understand the true historical context and meaning of the Bible.
Theology Proper / Anthropology (Original Sin)
The text denies the inherited sin nature of humanity by declaring infants inherently holy and sanctified.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Sanctified / Holy"
In This Text
An inherent state of purity and innocence possessed by infants from birth due to the atonement.
In Evangelicalism
To be set apart for God's purposes. In Evangelicalism, believers are positionally sanctified at justification (1 Cor 6:11) and progressively sanctified throughout life. Infants are not viewed as inherently 'holy' in their nature, but rather possessing a fallen nature.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Being holy, sanctified, and believing the gospel of Christ.
How Attained: For infants, it is attained automatically through the atonement of Jesus Christ. For adults, it is attained by believing the gospel and rejecting false traditions.
Basis of Assurance: Confidence is based on the prophetic declaration that the atonement covers children, and by aligning one's family with the gospel rather than old laws.
Comparison to Sola Fide: The text does not explicitly address the mechanics of adult justification by faith alone versus works. However, it emphasizes 'believing the gospel of Christ' as the antithesis to following the Law of Moses, which loosely parallels the Evangelical contrast between faith and works of the law (Galatians 2:16).
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- A believer should not be united to an unbeliever except the law of Moses should be done away among them (presented as a historical command from Paul).
Implicit Obligations
- Accept Joseph Smith's revealed interpretation of the Bible over traditional or scholarly interpretations.
- Reject any theological traditions that teach little children are unholy or possess original sin.
- Raise children to believe the gospel of Christ rather than the traditions of their fathers.
Ritual Requirements
- Cease the practice of circumcision as a religious requirement under the Law of Moses.
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- When we read Paul's letters, how do we usually figure out what was going on in the city he was writing to?
- Since Corinth was a Greek city with mostly Gentile believers, why do you think this section says the main argument there was about Jewish circumcision?
- If babies are born completely holy and without sin, why do we see selfishness and bad behavior in toddlers before they are even taught right from wrong?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire for children to be holy and safe in Christ.
Every parent deeply desires to know their children are safe in God's hands. While we disagree that children are born without a sin nature, we can bridge to the Gospel by sharing the Evangelical hope that God is perfectly just and merciful, and that Christ's atonement is entirely sufficient to cover those who cannot yet believe.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
By teaching that the Bible's true meaning and historical context are hidden and can only be unlocked by a modern prophet, the adherent is stripped of the ability to confidently read and understand the Bible on their own. They must constantly rely on the LDS Church hierarchy to tell them 'what the scriptures mean,' creating a dependency that undermines personal biblical literacy and confidence in God's preserved Word.