Section 23
Overview
Doctrine and Covenants Section 23 consists of five short, personalized revelations dictated by Joseph Smith in April 1830, shortly after the formal organization of the Latter-day Saint church. Addressed to Oliver Cowdery, Hyrum Smith, Samuel H. Smith, Joseph Smith Sr., and Joseph Knight Sr., the text functions as a divine dispatch, with Joseph Smith speaking in the first person as the voice of God. The revelations declare four of the men to be 'under no condemnation' while assigning them specific duties, primarily focusing on exhortation, strengthening the newly formed church, and preaching. Notably, Joseph Knight Sr. is commanded to 'take up your cross,' pray vocally in all settings, and 'unite with the true church' in order to receive the 'reward of the laborer.' The text is historically and theologically significant as it reinforces Joseph Smith's role as the exclusive prophetic conduit for God's will, establishes the exclusivity of the newly organized institution as the 'true church,' and intertwines spiritual standing with the performance of assigned ecclesiastical duties.
Key Figures
- Joseph Smith: The author and revelator, acting as the direct mouthpiece of God to assign callings and declare spiritual standing.
- Oliver Cowdery: Addressed in verses 1-2; declared under no condemnation, warned against pride, and called to preach the truth to the church and the world.
- Hyrum Smith: Addressed in verse 3; declared under no condemnation, called to exhortation and to strengthen the church continually because of his family.
- Samuel H. Smith: Addressed in verse 4; declared under no condemnation, called to exhortation and strengthening the church, but restricted from preaching to the world yet.
- Joseph Smith Sr.: Addressed in verse 5; declared under no condemnation, called to exhortation and strengthening the church forever.
- Joseph Knight Sr.: Addressed in verses 6-7; commanded to take up his cross, pray vocally in all places, unite with the true church, and exhort continually to receive a reward.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Prophetic Mediation and Continuing Revelation
Assertion
God speaks directly to individuals regarding their specific life duties, spiritual standing, and church callings exclusively through the mediation of a living prophet.
Evidence from Text
Behold, I speak unto you, Oliver, a few words... Behold, I manifest unto you, Joseph Knight, by these words...
Evangelical Comparison
In Evangelical theology, the doctrine of Sola Scriptura dictates that the 66 books of the Bible contain all knowledge necessary for salvation and godly living. While the Holy Spirit illuminates Scripture and guides believers personally, no modern individual possesses the authority to speak new, binding revelation in the first-person voice of God. Hebrews 1:1-2 emphasizes that God's final and ultimate revelation is through His Son, Jesus Christ. In stark contrast, D&C 23 operates on the premise that Joseph Smith is the authoritative mouthpiece of God. The text assumes that believers must rely on this prophetic office to know their true spiritual standing ('thou art under no condemnation') and their specific duties. This creates a theological paradigm where the believer's primary access to God's specific will is mediated through the institutional prophet rather than through the universal priesthood of believers relying on Scripture and the Holy Spirit.
Ecclesiastical Exclusivity (The True Church)
Assertion
There is a singular, identifiable 'true church' on earth that individuals must formally unite with to fulfill their duty to God and receive their reward.
Evidence from Text
And, behold, it is your duty to unite with the true church...
Evangelical Comparison
Evangelical ecclesiology defines the universal Church as the spiritual body of Christ, comprising all individuals who have been justified by faith alone, regardless of their local denominational affiliation (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). Institutional membership does not save, nor is any single earthly denomination the exclusive 'true church.' D&C 23, however, reflects the foundational Mormon doctrine of the Great Apostasy and the subsequent Restoration. By commanding Joseph Knight Sr. to 'unite with the true church' (referring to the organization Joseph Smith founded just days prior in April 1830), the text establishes institutional exclusivity. Spiritual duty and the 'reward of the laborer' are inextricably linked to formal affiliation with this specific organization, fundamentally altering the biblical definition of the body of Christ.
Conditional Spiritual Standing
Assertion
A believer's status of being 'under no condemnation' is a current state that can be lost through pride or failure to perform assigned duties.
Evidence from Text
Behold, thou art blessed, and art under no condemnation. But beware of pride, lest thou shouldst enter into temptation.
Evangelical Comparison
In Romans 8:1, the Apostle Paul declares, 'There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.' In Evangelical theology, this is a definitive, legal declaration of justification based entirely on the finished work of Christ (Sola Fide, Sola Gratia). It is a permanent positional reality. In D&C 23, Joseph Smith uses the phrase 'under no condemnation' as a status update for four of the men. However, the immediate warning to Oliver Cowdery to 'beware of pride, lest thou shouldst enter into temptation' and the subsequent commands to perform specific labors to receive a 'reward' indicate that this lack of condemnation is conditional. It is based on their current state of obedience and can be forfeited if they fail to execute their assigned ecclesiastical duties, shifting the basis of assurance from Christ's merit to human performance.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text replaces the sufficiency of Scripture with ongoing prophetic revelation and replaces the universal body of Christ with an exclusive, institutional 'true church' that one must join to receive God's reward.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between D&C 23 and Evangelical Christianity centers on authority and ecclesiology. Evangelicals hold to Sola Scriptura, believing the Bible is the final, sufficient authority for faith and practice. D&C 23 introduces a paradigm where a modern prophet speaks the exact words of God, adding to the canon and directing the minutiae of believers' lives. This creates a dependency on the prophetic office rather than the Word of God. Furthermore, the text violates the Evangelical understanding of the Church and Sola Fide. By commanding Joseph Knight Sr. to 'unite with the true church' to receive the 'reward of the laborer,' the text inextricably links spiritual salvation/reward to membership in a specific earthly organization and the continuous performance of works (exhortation, vocal prayer). This contradicts Ephesians 2:8-9, which states salvation is a gift of grace, not of works, and 1 Corinthians 12, which describes the church as a spiritual body of all believers, not a singular institution restored in 1830.
For All Ages
Imagine if someone told you that to make God happy, you couldn't just read the Bible and trust in Jesus. Instead, you had to listen to a specific man who claimed God was talking right through him, and you had to join his brand-new church. Christians believe Jesus already did everything needed to save us, and anyone who trusts Him is in His family. But this text says you have to join Joseph Smith's specific church and do a lot of continuous work to get God's reward.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
The text presents new, extra-biblical revelation dictated in the first-person voice of God, denying the closure and sufficiency of the biblical canon.
Universal Priesthood / Ecclesiology
The text asserts the existence of an exclusive 'true church' that must be formally joined, denying the spiritual unity of all believers in the universal body of Christ.
Universal Priesthood / Mediation
The text places Joseph Smith as the necessary mediator for individuals to know God's specific will and their spiritual standing.
Sola Fide
The text conditions the 'reward of the laborer' on uniting with a specific institution and continually performing works of exhortation.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"True Church"
In This Text
The specific, newly organized earthly institution led by Joseph Smith.
In Evangelicalism
The invisible, universal body of all genuine believers in Jesus Christ across all times and places.
"Under no condemnation"
In This Text
A temporary, conditional state of God's approval based on current obedience and humility, which can be lost through pride.
In Evangelicalism
A permanent, legal declaration of justification for those who are in Christ Jesus, based entirely on His atoning work.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: In this specific text, salvation is framed as receiving the 'reward of the laborer' and remaining 'under no condemnation.'
How Attained: Attained by avoiding pride, fulfilling specific ecclesiastical callings (exhorting, preaching), praying vocally, and uniting with the 'true church.'
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is derived externally from the prophet's declaration and internally by one's ongoing performance of assigned duties.
Comparison to Sola Fide: The text directly contrasts with Sola Fide. Romans 4:4-5 states, 'Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.' D&C 23 promises the 'reward of the laborer' based on the continuous work of exhortation and institutional loyalty, framing spiritual blessing as a wage earned rather than a gift received.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Beware of pride (v. 1)
- Make known thy calling unto the church (v. 2)
- Make known thy calling before the world (v. 2)
- Preach the truth from henceforth and forever (v. 2)
- Exhort and strengthen the church continually (v. 3, 4, 5)
- Take up your cross (v. 6)
- Pray vocally before the world (v. 6)
- Pray vocally in secret (v. 6)
- Pray vocally in your family (v. 6)
- Pray vocally among your friends (v. 6)
- Pray vocally in all places (v. 6)
- Unite with the true church (v. 7)
- Give your language to exhortation continually (v. 7)
Implicit Obligations
- Submit to the prophetic authority of Joseph Smith as the voice of God
- Accept the newly formed church as the exclusive 'true church'
- Maintain active, lifelong service in assigned ecclesiastical roles ('from henceforth and forever')
Ritual Requirements
- Unite with the true church (implicitly requiring the ordinance of baptism by proper authority, as established in contemporaneous revelations like D&C 22)
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- When Joseph Smith tells these men they are 'under no condemnation,' do you think that status is permanent, or something they have to maintain through their works?
- Verse 7 talks about receiving the 'reward of the laborer' for uniting with the church and exhorting. How does this compare to Paul's teaching in Romans 4:4-5 about salvation being a free gift rather than a wage earned by a laborer?
- If someone today has faith in Jesus but is not part of the LDS church, do you believe they are part of the 'true church' mentioned in verse 7?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire to know God's will and calling
These men had a genuine desire to serve God and know His will for their lives. Evangelicals can affirm this desire. However, rather than needing a modern prophet to assign us a calling, God has given us His Spirit and His Word. We can bridge this to the biblical truth that God has already called all believers to be His ambassadors and has equipped us for good works.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text places the burden of maintaining a 'no condemnation' status squarely on the believer's shoulders. By warning Oliver to beware of pride lest he fall, and by tying the 'reward' to continuous exhortation, the believer is left on a treadmill of performance, never able to rest in the finished work of Christ.
By declaring that one must 'unite with the true church' to fulfill their duty, the text binds the believer's conscience to an earthly organization and its human leaders. The believer cannot simply follow Jesus; they must remain in good standing with the institution to be right with God.