Section 99
Overview
Section 99 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (canonized as Section 106 in modern LDS editions) is a revelation dictated by Joseph Smith in November 1834 directed at Warren A. Cowdery, the older brother of Oliver Cowdery. The text serves a dual administrative and pastoral function. Administratively, it calls Warren to be ordained as a 'presiding high priest' over the local church branch in Freedom, New York, and surrounding regions, commanding him to dedicate his entire time to the ministry. Pastorally, the text utilizes heavy eschatological imagery, warning that the Lord's return is imminent and will come as a 'thief in the night.' The revelation commends Warren for his initial submission to God ('bowed to my scepter') but introduces a highly conditional soteriological framework. God promises to lift him up, grant him grace, and prepare a crown for him in the Father's mansions, but these promises are explicitly contingent upon Warren humbling himself and continuing as a 'faithful witness.' This text encapsulates early Mormonism's developing hierarchical priesthood structure and its synthesis of biblical phraseology with a works-oriented, conditional theology of eternal reward.
Key Figures
- The Lord (Jesus Christ): The first-person speaker of the text, who claims authority to appoint priesthood leaders, dispense grace, and judge the world at His imminent return.
- Warren A. Cowdery: The recipient of the revelation, called to be a presiding high priest, commended for his submission, warned about his vanity, and given conditional promises of eternal reward.
- The Father: Mentioned as the owner of the 'mansions' where a crown is prepared, reflecting a distinction between the Lord (speaker) and the Father.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Hierarchical Priesthood Office
Assertion
The text asserts that specific men must be 'appointed and ordained a presiding high priest' to govern local church bodies.
Evidence from Text
It is my will that my servant Warren A. Cowdery should be appointed and ordained a presiding high priest over my church in the land of Freedom
Evangelical Comparison
In this text, the office of 'high priest' is an earthly, administrative, and spiritual position to which a man is ordained to preside over others. This reflects the developing ecclesiastical hierarchy of early Mormonism. In strict Evangelical Christianity, the office of High Priest is fulfilled exclusively and permanently by Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7:23-28). Because Christ's sacrifice was 'once for all,' the mediating, hierarchical priesthood of the Old Covenant is abolished. Furthermore, Evangelicalism holds to the 'Priesthood of All Believers' (1 Peter 2:9), meaning all Christians have equal, direct access to God through Christ without the need for an earthly presiding high priest.
Conditional Grace and Eternal Reward
Assertion
The text claims that God's grace, assurance, and ultimate eternal reward (a crown) are contingent upon the believer's continued faithfulness, humility, and works.
Evidence from Text
...I will lift him up inasmuch as he will humble himself before me; and I will give him grace and assurance wherewith he may stand; and if he continues to be a faithful witness and a light unto the church, I have prepared a crown for him...
Evangelical Comparison
The text presents a transactional view of salvation and grace. God's lifting up of Warren is strictly proportional ('inasmuch as') to his humility, and the ultimate reward of a crown in heaven is prefaced by a conditional 'if he continues to be a faithful witness.' In Evangelical theology, justification is a definitive, completed legal declaration by God based entirely on the imputed righteousness of Christ, received by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:4-5). While Evangelicals believe true faith produces good works, the works themselves (continuing as a faithful witness) are not the condition upon which the 'crown' of eternal life is secured. The LDS text makes human performance the hinge upon which eternal destiny turns.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text diverges fundamentally from Evangelicalism by establishing an earthly High Priesthood and making eternal salvation (the crown) conditional upon continuous human effort and faithfulness.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between this text and Evangelical Christianity centers on Soteriology and Ecclesiology. Soteriologically, the text presents a synergistic model of salvation where grace is an enabling power ('grace and assurance wherewith he may stand') rather than an unmerited declaration of righteousness. The ultimate reward—a crown in the Father's mansions—is explicitly conditional ('if he continues to be a faithful witness'). This violates Sola Fide, which insists that justification is received by faith alone, apart from works of the law, and that eternal security rests in Christ's grip, not the believer's endurance (John 10:28, Romans 8:38-39). Ecclesiologically, the text commands the ordination of a 'presiding high priest.' This violates the Evangelical understanding of the New Covenant, wherein the veil was torn, the Levitical priesthood was abolished, and Christ became the sole, eternal High Priest (Hebrews 7-10). By reinstating an earthly high priesthood, the text implicitly denies the sufficiency of Christ's mediation and the universal priesthood of all believers.
For All Ages
Imagine you are drowning, and a lifeguard pulls you out of the water, puts you on the beach, and says, 'You are saved!' That is the Evangelical view of salvation—Jesus does all the saving, and it is a free gift. Now imagine the lifeguard throws you a life ring but says, 'I will pull you in, but only if you keep kicking your legs and don't stop until you reach the shore.' That is what this text teaches. It says God will give Warren a crown in heaven, but *only if* he continues to be a faithful witness. It makes heaven depend on Warren's hard work, rather than just on Jesus's finished work.
Friction Points
Universal Priesthood / Christology
The text commands the ordination of a mortal man to the office of 'presiding high priest,' usurping the unique title and mediatorial role of Jesus Christ and denying the equal priesthood of all believers.
Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
The text makes the reception of a heavenly crown conditional upon the believer's ongoing works ('if he continues to be a faithful witness'), denying that eternal life is a secure, unmerited gift.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"High Priest"
In This Text
An administrative and spiritual office within the Melchizedek Priesthood held by mortal men to preside over local congregations.
In Evangelicalism
The supreme mediator between God and man, a role fulfilled exclusively and permanently by Jesus Christ in the New Covenant.
"Grace"
In This Text
Divine assistance or enabling power given to help a person stand and continue in faithfulness, often conditional on humility.
In Evangelicalism
Unmerited favor; God's free gift of salvation and justification bestowed upon the elect despite their total depravity.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Receiving a 'crown' in the 'mansions of my Father' (exaltation/eternal life).
How Attained: Through a combination of initial submission ('bowed to my scepter'), ongoing humility, and enduring works ('if he continues to be a faithful witness').
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is granted by God to help the believer 'stand,' but ultimate assurance of the crown is contingent upon the believer's continuous performance.
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text stands in direct opposition to Sola Fide. While Romans 4:5 states, 'And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,' this text asserts that the heavenly reward is only secured *if* the believer continues in faithful works.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Be appointed and ordained a presiding high priest
- Preach the everlasting gospel
- Lift up his voice and warn the people
- Devote his whole time in this high and holy calling
- Seek diligently the kingdom of heaven and its righteousness
- Gird up your loins
- Humble himself before the Lord
- Continue to be a faithful witness and a light unto the church
Implicit Obligations
- Submit to the prophetic authority of Joseph Smith, who is dictating the revelation
- Maintain the administrative structure of the church in the region of Freedom, NY
- Overcome the 'vanity of his heart' mentioned by the Lord
Ritual Requirements
- Ordination to the office of High Priest
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- In verse 3, the Lord says He has prepared a crown for Warren 'if he continues to be a faithful witness.' How do you know if you have been faithful *enough* to receive that crown?
- When you read the phrase 'presiding high priest' here, how do you reconcile that with Hebrews 7 and 8, which teach that Jesus is our final and only High Priest because His sacrifice was once for all?
- The text says God will lift Warren up 'inasmuch as he will humble himself.' Does this mean God's grace is limited by our ability to be humble? How does that compare to Ephesians 2:8-9?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
Bowing to the Scepter
The imagery of bowing to a king's scepter is a beautiful picture of submission to the Lordship of Christ. Evangelicals can agree that there is 'joy in heaven over one sinner who repents' (Luke 15:7). This can be used as a bridge to discuss what true submission to the King looks like—trusting entirely in His merit rather than our own.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The believer is placed on a spiritual treadmill. Because the ultimate reward (the crown) is prefaced by 'if he continues to be a faithful witness,' the believer can never rest in the finished work of Christ. They must constantly monitor their output, their time devoted, and their faithfulness, knowing that a failure to endure could cost them their exaltation.
The text states God will lift the believer up 'inasmuch as he will humble himself.' This proportional grace creates deep uncertainty. A believer must constantly ask, 'Am I humble enough? Have I overcome the vanity of my heart?' Because human hearts are deceitful, this introspective metric guarantees a lack of true assurance.
By establishing 'presiding high priests,' the text places spiritual authority and mediation in the hands of fallible men. Believers may feel they cannot approach God directly or understand His will without the mediation or approval of their local priesthood leaders.