Section 34
Overview
Doctrine and Covenants Section 34 is a brief but highly authoritative revelation dictated by Joseph Smith on November 4, 1830, directed to a newly converted nineteen-year-old, Orson Pratt. The text is framed as the direct, first-person speech of Jesus Christ. It begins by establishing Christ's identity using heavy, almost verbatim borrowing from the King James Version of the Gospel of John (Christ as the light shining in darkness, loving the world, and giving His life so believers can become sons of God). The revelation commends Pratt for his belief but states he is 'more blessed' because of his calling to preach the gospel. The core of the text is a missiological and eschatological mandate: Pratt is commanded to cry repentance to a 'crooked and perverse generation' to prepare the way for the Second Coming, which is described as 'soon at hand.' The text lists classic biblical apocalyptic signs (darkened sun, blood moon, falling stars) to underscore the urgency of the message. The revelation concludes with a command to prophesy by the power of the Holy Ghost and a conditional promise of Christ's abiding presence, contingent upon Pratt's continued faithfulness.
Key Figures
- Jesus Christ: The claimed first-person speaker of the text, identifying Himself as the Redeemer, the light and life of the world, and the one who will soon return in glory.
- Orson Pratt: The nineteen-year-old recipient of the revelation, addressed as 'My son', commended for his belief, and commanded to preach and prophesy.
- Joseph Smith: The unmentioned but implicit mediator of the text, acting as the prophetic mouthpiece through whom Christ's words are dictated.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Continuing Direct Revelation
Assertion
Jesus Christ continues to speak directly to individuals in modern times through a prophetic mediator, providing new, binding scripture.
Evidence from Text
My son Orson, hearken and hear and behold what I, the Lord God, shall say unto you, even Jesus Christ your Redeemer
Evangelical Comparison
This text fundamentally relies on the premise of continuing, direct, verbal revelation from Jesus Christ. By framing the text as the literal words of 'the Lord God... even Jesus Christ', Joseph Smith positions himself as an oracle on par with the biblical prophets and apostles. In contrast, Evangelical Christianity adheres to Sola Scriptura, believing that the 66-book Bible is the final, sufficient, and complete revelation of God to humanity. Hebrews 1:1-2 asserts that while God spoke through prophets in the past, in these last days He has spoken definitively through His Son, whose revelation is captured in the closed canon of Scripture. The addition of new scriptural mandates violates the evangelical understanding of biblical sufficiency.
Conditional Abiding Presence of Christ
Assertion
Christ's presence with a believer is contingent upon their ongoing faithfulness and obedience.
Evidence from Text
And if you are faithful, behold, I am with you until I come
Evangelical Comparison
Verse 11 introduces a conditional 'if/then' paradigm regarding the presence of Christ: 'And if you are faithful, behold, I am with you until I come.' This implies that a lapse in faithfulness results in the withdrawal of Christ's presence. Evangelical theology, rooted in Sola Gratia and the finished work of Christ, teaches that Christ's presence and the sealing of the Holy Spirit are permanent guarantees for the justified believer. Hebrews 13:5 declares, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you,' without a conditional caveat regarding daily performance. Furthermore, 2 Timothy 2:13 states, 'if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.' The LDS doctrine places the burden of maintaining Christ's presence on human effort.
Imminent Apocalyptic Eschatology
Assertion
The Second Coming of Christ is 'soon at hand' and will be preceded by specific cosmic signs and great destructions.
Evidence from Text
the time is soon at hand that I shall come in a cloud with power and great glory... the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood
Evangelical Comparison
The text heavily utilizes biblical apocalyptic language to assert that the Second Coming is imminent. It promises that Christ will come in a cloud with power and glory, accompanied by cosmic disturbances (darkened sun, blood moon, falling stars) and the destruction of the wicked. Evangelical Christianity shares this orthodox belief in the literal, bodily, and glorious return of Christ (Titus 2:13, Matthew 24). The primary divergence is not in the eschatology itself, but in the LDS claim that the 'restored gospel' (via Joseph Smith) is the necessary preparation for this event, whereas Evangelicals believe the biblical Gospel has been sufficient for this preparation since the first century.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The primary theological gaps are the source of authority (Joseph Smith dictating new scripture vs. Sola Scriptura) and the nature of Christ's abiding presence (conditional upon human faithfulness vs. unconditional grace).
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between D&C 34 and Evangelical Christianity centers on authority and the nature of grace. Epistemologically, the text demands the acceptance of an open canon. By utilizing the exact phrasing of the King James Bible (John 1, John 3, Matthew 24) but presenting it as fresh, direct dictation from the resurrected Christ in 1830, Joseph Smith establishes a paradigm where biblical sufficiency is denied. The Evangelical pillar of Sola Scriptura asserts that the apostolic era closed the canon, and any new claims to infallible, binding revelation are to be rejected (Jude 1:3). Soteriologically, while verse 3 echoes the biblical truth of becoming sons of God through belief, verse 11 introduces a subtle but profound shift toward works-righteousness. The promise 'if you are faithful, behold, I am with you' makes the sustaining presence of Christ contingent upon human performance. In Evangelical theology, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the presence of Christ are the unconditional guarantees of the New Covenant, secured entirely by Christ's finished work (Sola Fide, Sola Gratia), not maintained by the believer's fluctuating faithfulness.
For All Ages
Imagine your parents wrote you a letter with all the rules for the house, and they signed it and said, 'This is the final list.' That's how Christians view the Bible. But in this text, a man named Joseph Smith said, 'Wait, Jesus is giving me a new letter to add to the rules.' Christians believe we don't need a new letter because the Bible is already perfect and complete. Also, in this new letter, Jesus says, 'I will stay with you IF you are faithful.' But in the Bible, Jesus promises, 'I will NEVER leave you,' even when we make mistakes. Christians believe Jesus's love and presence depend on how good He is, not on how perfect we are.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
The text claims to be new, direct, verbatim revelation from Jesus Christ, adding to the closed canon of Scripture.
Sola Gratia / Eternal Security
Verse 11 makes Christ's abiding presence conditional upon the believer's faithfulness ('if you are faithful... I am with you').
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Gospel"
In This Text
In the broader LDS context (implied here), the 'restored gospel' which includes the necessity of modern prophets, priesthood authority, and eventually temple ordinances.
In Evangelicalism
The good news of Christ's life, death, and resurrection, which justifies the sinner by faith alone apart from works (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Romans 1:16).
"Prophesy"
In This Text
To speak under the influence of the Holy Ghost, often meaning to preach or testify of LDS truth claims, not necessarily foretelling the future.
In Evangelicalism
In the New Testament, proclaiming the authoritative word of God, a gift that Evangelicals generally believe ceased in its infallible, revelatory capacity with the closing of the canon.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Becoming 'the sons of God' (v. 3) and escaping the 'great destructions' that await the wicked at the Second Coming (v. 9).
How Attained: Initially attained by belief ('as many as would believe', v. 3), but maintained through faithfulness and obedience to the call to preach (v. 11).
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is fragile, based on one's ability to remain 'faithful' to secure Christ's ongoing presence.
Comparison to Sola Fide: While verse 3 sounds remarkably similar to Sola Fide (echoing John 1:12), verse 11 undermines it by introducing a performance metric. In Evangelicalism, justification by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9) secures Christ's permanent presence; in this text, faith initiates the relationship, but human faithfulness maintains it.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Hearken
- Hear
- Behold what I, the Lord God, shall say unto you
- Preach my gospel
- Lift up your voice as with the sound of a trump, both long and loud
- Cry repentance unto a crooked and perverse generation
- Prepare the way of the Lord for his second coming
- Lift up your voice and spare not
- Prophesy
Implicit Obligations
- Accept Joseph Smith as the legitimate mouthpiece of Jesus Christ
- Maintain personal faithfulness to ensure Christ's continued presence
- View the surrounding culture and generation as 'crooked and perverse'
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- In verse 3, it says that those who believe become the sons of God. How does that compare to verse 11, where Jesus says He will be with you 'if you are faithful'? Do you ever worry about what happens if your faithfulness slips?
- I noticed that verses 2 and 3 sound exactly like John 1 and John 3 from the King James Bible. Why do you think Jesus would use the exact wording of a 17th-century English translation when speaking to Joseph Smith in 1830?
- If Jesus promised in Hebrews 13:5 that He will 'never leave you nor forsake you', how should we understand the condition in verse 11 that He is only with us 'if' we are faithful?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
Jesus as the Light and Life of the World
Both LDS and Evangelicals agree that Jesus is the only light in a dark world. This shared reverence for Christ's identity can be a bridge to discussing what it truly means to rely entirely on that Light for salvation, rather than our own works.
Becoming Sons of God through Belief
This verse is beautifully aligned with the biblical Gospel. An evangelist can affirm this verse wholeheartedly and use it to explore the biblical definition of 'belief'—which means resting entirely in Christ's finished work, not striving to earn sonship.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
Verse 11 places a heavy psychological burden on the believer by making Christ's presence conditional. 'If you are faithful... I am with you' implies that during moments of sin, doubt, or weakness, Christ abandons the believer. This strips away the comfort of eternal security and replaces it with a constant, low-grade anxiety about whether one is 'faithful enough' to warrant God's presence.
The command to cry repentance to a 'crooked and perverse generation' fosters a strong in-group/out-group dynamic. While Christians are called to be distinct from the world, the LDS framework often isolates members by framing all non-LDS Christianity as part of the 'darkness' or the 'crooked generation' that needs the restored gospel.