Section 110
Overview
Doctrine and Covenants Section 110 records a series of visions experienced by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on April 3, 1836, in the Kirtland Temple. Following the distribution of the Lord's Supper, Smith and Cowdery retreated behind dropped veils to pray. The text asserts that the veil was taken from their minds, resulting in a direct, physical manifestation of Jehovah (identified as Jesus Christ). Christ accepts the Kirtland Temple as His house, declares their sins forgiven, and promises His ongoing presence conditionally—predicated upon the people keeping His commandments and not polluting the holy house. Following Christ's departure, the text claims three distinct historical figures appeared in succession to commit specific 'keys' (priesthood authority) to Smith and Cowdery. Moses restores the keys for the gathering of Israel; Elias restores the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham; and Elijah restores the keys of the sealing power, fulfilling Malachi's prophecy of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Theologically, this text is the foundational bedrock for the Latter-day Saint temple system, exclusive priesthood authority, and genealogical/sealing work. From an Evangelical perspective, the text represents a severe regression from the New Covenant back to Old Covenant shadows, re-establishing physical temples, exclusive mediating priests, and conditional grace, while demonstrating a critical textual anomaly by treating 'Elias' and 'Elijah' as two separate historical beings.
Key Figures
- Jehovah / Jesus Christ: Appears in glory, accepts the temple, forgives sins, and sets conditions for His continued presence.
- Joseph Smith: The primary recipient of the vision and the keys, establishing his exclusive authority as the conduit for restored priesthood.
- Oliver Cowdery: Co-recipient of the vision and keys, serving as the second witness to the restoration of these authorities.
- Moses: Old Testament prophet who allegedly appears to restore the keys of the gathering of Israel.
- Elias: Described as a distinct individual who restores the gospel of Abraham (notably, 'Elias' is the New Testament Greek transliteration of the Hebrew 'Elijah', creating a significant historical and textual anomaly).
- Elijah: Old Testament prophet who appears to restore the keys of this dispensation, fulfilling Malachi 4:5-6.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Conditional Divine Presence in Physical Temples
Assertion
God requires a dedicated, unpolluted physical building to manifest Himself, and His presence is strictly conditional upon the obedience of the people.
Evidence from Text
I will appear unto my servants, and speak unto them with mine own voice, if my people will keep my commandments, and do not pollute this holy house.
Evangelical Comparison
In D&C 110, the physical temple is elevated to a necessity for divine manifestation. Christ's promise to appear and speak is explicitly conditional ('if my people will keep my commandments, and do not pollute this holy house'). This creates a theology of sacred space that must be maintained by human righteousness. In stark contrast, Evangelical Christianity teaches that the veil of the temple was torn at Christ's crucifixion (Matthew 27:51), signifying the end of localized, physical temple worship. The New Testament explicitly declares that God 'does not dwell in temples made with hands' (Acts 17:24). Instead, the individual believer (1 Corinthians 6:19) and the corporate body of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:16, Ephesians 2:21-22) are the true temple. God's presence is guaranteed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, secured by grace, not by maintaining the purity of a physical structure.
Restoration of Priesthood Keys
Assertion
Specific, exclusive authority ('keys') for gathering Israel, administering the Abrahamic covenant, and sealing families had been lost and required physical restoration by resurrected or translated beings.
Evidence from Text
Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys... Elias appeared, and committed the dispensation... Elijah the prophet... stood before us, and said... the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands
Evangelical Comparison
This text establishes the LDS doctrine that specific 'keys' of authority are required to perform valid ordinances and that these keys were lost from the earth, necessitating a restoration. Moses, Elias, and Elijah physically hand these keys to Smith and Cowdery. Evangelicals view this as a direct violation of the doctrine of the Priesthood of All Believers (1 Peter 2:9). Furthermore, the Evangelical understanding of 'keys' (as mentioned in Matthew 16:19) refers to the authority of the Gospel message itself to open the kingdom of heaven to those who believe, an authority shared by the entire church, not a mystical substance or exclusive administrative right passed down through a hierarchical lineage. The assertion that Old Testament figures needed to return to grant authority undermines the finality and supremacy of Christ as the ultimate and final High Priest (Hebrews 7-10).
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text reintroduces Old Covenant shadows (physical temples, exclusive priesthoods, veils) into the New Covenant era, denying the sufficiency of Christ's finished work and the universal priesthood of believers.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between D&C 110 and Evangelical Christianity centers on the nature of the New Covenant and the sufficiency of Christ's atonement. The Book of Hebrews explicitly teaches that the Old Testament priesthood, temples, and sacrifices were mere shadows of the reality found in Christ (Hebrews 10:1). When Christ died, the veil of the temple was torn, symbolizing direct access to God for all believers without the need for earthly mediators or physical sacred spaces. D&C 110 reverses this redemptive-historical progression. It literally has Smith and Cowdery dropping veils in a physical temple to access God, and it requires the return of Old Testament figures to grant 'keys' of authority. Furthermore, the text conditions God's presence on human performance ('if my people will keep my commandments, and do not pollute this holy house'). This introduces a works-righteousness paradigm that violates Sola Fide and Sola Gratia. In Evangelical theology, the believer is permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit by grace through faith (Ephesians 1:13-14), not based on maintaining the purity of a physical building. The LDS reliance on restored keys creates an institutional monopoly on salvation and ordinances, directly contradicting the biblical doctrine of the universal priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9).
For All Ages
Imagine you had a map to find a hidden treasure. Once you find the treasure, you don't need the map anymore. In the Bible, the physical temple, the priests, and the animal sacrifices were like a map pointing to Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross, He said, 'It is finished.' He was the ultimate treasure! Because of Him, we don't need physical temples or special priests anymore; we can talk to God directly, and our own hearts become God's home. But this text says that Joseph Smith needed to build a new physical temple and get special 'keys' from old prophets to reach God. It's like going back to using the map after you already have the treasure. It takes away from how amazing and complete Jesus's work on the cross really was.
Friction Points
The Nature of the Temple / Indwelling of the Spirit
Re-establishes a physical temple as the necessary locus for God's presence and conditional manifestation.
Universal Priesthood of Believers
Establishes an exclusive hierarchy of 'keys' required for valid worship and ordinances.
Sola Fide / Sola Gratia
Conditions Christ's presence and mercy on keeping commandments and not polluting the house.
Sufficiency of Christ (Christology)
Implies Christ's work was insufficient to maintain His church, requiring Old Testament prophets to return and restore lost authority.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Elias"
In This Text
A distinct historical prophet who lived in the days of Abraham and committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham.
In Evangelicalism
The New Testament Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name Elijah (e.g., Matthew 17:3, James 5:17).
"Keys"
In This Text
Exclusive priesthood authority required to govern the church and perform valid saving ordinances (like sealing).
In Evangelicalism
The authority of the Gospel message itself to open the kingdom of heaven to those who believe, entrusted to the apostles and by extension the whole church (Matthew 16:19).
"Endowment"
In This Text
A specific set of temple ordinances and covenants required for exaltation.
In Evangelicalism
The giving of the Holy Spirit to believers, empowering them for witness and ministry (Luke 24:49).
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: In this specific text, salvation is framed as having sins forgiven and being clean before the Lord, but ultimate blessing is tied to temple ordinances and priesthood keys.
How Attained: Forgiveness is declared by Christ, but ongoing blessings and His presence are maintained by keeping commandments and preserving the purity of the temple.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is conditional. Verse 5 offers immediate comfort ('your sins are forgiven you'), but verse 8 introduces strict conditionality ('if my people will keep my commandments').
Comparison to Sola Fide: While verse 5 sounds like a gracious declaration of forgiveness, the surrounding context of restored keys, physical temples, and conditional presence (v. 8) undermines justification by faith alone. In Evangelicalism, the believer's cleanliness is permanently secured by Christ's blood (Hebrews 10:14), not contingent on keeping a physical building unpolluted.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Lift up your heads and rejoice
- Let the hearts of your brethren rejoice
- Keep my commandments
- Do not pollute this holy house
Implicit Obligations
- Accept Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery as the exclusive holders of the restored keys
- Participate in the gathering of Israel
- Engage in the work of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children (which evolved into LDS genealogical and proxy temple work)
Ritual Requirements
- Building and maintaining physical temples
- Receiving the 'endowment' mentioned in verse 9
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- In Matthew 17, Jesus says that the prophecy of Elijah returning was already fulfilled by John the Baptist. How do you reconcile Jesus's words with the claim in D&C 110 that Elijah still needed to return in 1836?
- When Jesus died, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom, showing we now have direct access to God. Why do you think D&C 110 has Joseph and Oliver dropping veils in a physical temple to pray?
- I noticed that both Elias and Elijah appear in this vision. Since 'Elias' is just the Greek translation of the Hebrew name 'Elijah' in the King James Bible, how can they be two different people appearing one after the other?
- Verse 8 says Jesus will appear 'if my people will keep my commandments, and do not pollute this holy house.' How does this conditional promise compare to Jesus's promise in Matthew 28:20, 'I am with you always'?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
Jesus as the Advocate
Both LDS and Evangelicals agree that Jesus is our Advocate. You can use this shared title to discuss *how* He advocates for us. In Evangelicalism, He advocates based on His finished, sufficient work, not our ability to keep a temple unpolluted.
The Slain and Living Savior
This beautiful description of Christ from Revelation 1 can be used to pivot to the sufficiency of His death. Because He was slain once for all, no further sacrifices, temples, or mediating priests are necessary.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
Verse 8 explicitly conditions God's presence and mercy on the people's ability to 'keep my commandments' and 'not pollute this holy house.' This places a heavy burden of perfectionism on the believer. If they fail, they risk losing God's presence and polluting the sacred space, leading to constant self-monitoring and fear of unworthiness.
By asserting that specific 'keys' are required for salvation/exaltation and that these keys are held exclusively by the LDS hierarchy (descending from Smith), the believer is stripped of direct, unmediated access to God's full blessings. Their eternal destiny becomes entirely dependent on their standing within the institution that holds these keys.