Section 42
Overview
Doctrine and Covenants Section 42, historically known as 'The Law,' serves as a comprehensive legislative and moral framework for the newly organized Church of Christ (later LDS Church). Received by Joseph Smith in February 1831 shortly after the church relocated to Kirtland, Ohio, the text synthesizes ethical imperatives, economic communalism, and ecclesiastical order. It reiterates traditional Christian morality—prohibiting murder, theft, adultery, and lying—while introducing distinctively Mormon theological concepts. Chief among these is the 'Law of Consecration,' an economic system requiring members to deed their property to the church bishop, receiving back a 'stewardship' based on their needs, with the surplus used to care for the poor and build the anticipated New Jerusalem. The text also establishes strict protocols for church discipline, delineating which sins require excommunication ('casting out') and which should be handed over to secular authorities. Furthermore, it codifies the necessity of priesthood authority for preaching, asserts that the Bible and Book of Mormon contain the 'fulness of the gospel,' and promises ongoing, progressive revelation. For the believer, this section is paramount as it shifts the movement from a purely charismatic revival to a structured, law-bound community with defined boundaries of fellowship, economic obligations, and behavioral expectations.
Key Figures
- Jesus Christ: The speaker of the revelation, identifying as the Son of God and Savior, who dictates the law to the church.
- Joseph Smith, Jun.: The Prophet receiving the revelation, exempted from immediate preaching to receive further revelation and scriptures.
- Sidney Rigdon: Companion to Joseph Smith, also exempted for a season from preaching.
- Edward Partridge: The first Bishop of the church, appointed to receive consecrated properties and administer stewardships.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
The Law of Consecration
Assertion
Believers must formally deed their property to the bishop and receive back a stewardship, with all surplus going to the church storehouse.
Evidence from Text
thou wilt remember the poor, and consecrate of thy properties for their support that which thou hast to impart unto them, with a covenant and a deed which cannot be broken. (v. 30)
Evangelical Comparison
The Law of Consecration mandates a formal, binding transfer of personal property to the ecclesiastical hierarchy (the bishop), who then redistributes it as a 'stewardship.' This creates a system where economic compliance is deeply intertwined with spiritual obedience and standing within the covenant community. In contrast, Evangelical Christianity views giving as a fruit of the Spirit and an act of grace, strictly voluntary and not tied to justification or maintaining one's standing in the church (2 Corinthians 9:7). While the early church in Acts 2 and 4 shared possessions, it was voluntary (Acts 5:4) and not a codified, perpetual law requiring deeds and covenants administered by a bishop.
The Unforgivable Sin of Murder
Assertion
Murderers cannot receive forgiveness in this world or the world to come.
Evidence from Text
Thou shalt not kill; and he that kills shall not have forgiveness in this world, nor in the world to come. (v. 18)
Evangelical Comparison
D&C 42 explicitly states that a murderer 'shall not have forgiveness in this world, nor in the world to come.' This places a limit on the atoning work of Jesus Christ, suggesting that certain moral failures are beyond the reach of His grace. Evangelical theology, rooted in passages like 1 John 1:7 ('the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin') and the historical examples of Moses, David, and the Apostle Paul (formerly Saul, a murderer of Christians), maintains that Christ's sacrifice is sufficient for any sin if the sinner repents and believes. Limiting the atonement's power contradicts the Evangelical understanding of Sola Gratia and the infinite merit of Christ's penal substitutionary death.
Conditional Salvation via Law-Keeping
Assertion
Salvation is contingent upon obeying the specific laws and commandments given in this revelation.
Evidence from Text
And he that doeth according to these things shall be saved, and he that doeth them not shall be damned if he so continue. (v. 60)
Evangelical Comparison
Verse 60 explicitly ties salvation to the performance of the laws outlined in the section ('he that doeth according to these things shall be saved'). This is a clear articulation of works-righteousness, where eternal destiny is determined by obedience to specific ecclesiastical and moral mandates. Evangelical theology stands firmly on Sola Fide—justification by faith alone. Passages like Ephesians 2:8-9 and Romans 3:28 declare that salvation is a free gift, entirely apart from works of the law. The Mormon paradigm presented here makes salvation a wage to be earned through sustained obedience, fundamentally altering the biblical definition of grace.
Exclusive Priesthood Authority
Assertion
No one can preach or build the church unless formally ordained by recognized church leaders.
Evidence from Text
it shall not be given to any one to go forth to preach my gospel, or to build up my church, except he be ordained by some one who has authority, and it is known to the church that he has authority (v. 11)
Evangelical Comparison
The text establishes strict ecclesiastical gatekeeping for ministry, requiring formal ordination by recognized church leaders to preach or build the church. This reflects the Mormon doctrine of restored priesthood keys. Evangelicalism, while valuing pastoral ordination for local church order, holds to the Universal Priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9). Every born-again Christian possesses the Holy Spirit and the authority of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19) to share the gospel. The requirement of a specific, institutional chain of authority to validate gospel preaching contradicts the Evangelical view that the Word of God is powerful in itself and that the Spirit empowers all believers for witness.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
D&C 42 establishes a works-based system of salvation and fellowship, requiring strict adherence to new laws, including communal property deeding, and denies the sufficiency of Christ's atonement for certain sins like murder.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological chasm between D&C 42 and Evangelical Christianity centers on the nature of justification, the sufficiency of the atonement, and the source of spiritual authority. D&C 42 constructs a paradigm of conditional salvation based on law-keeping ('he that doeth according to these things shall be saved,' v. 60). This directly contradicts the Evangelical pillar of Sola Fide, which asserts that justification is a forensic declaration by God based solely on the imputed righteousness of Christ, received by faith apart from works (Romans 3:28, 4:5). Furthermore, the text limits the efficacy of Christ's atonement by declaring murder an unforgivable sin (v. 18), whereas Evangelicalism holds that Christ's blood is sufficient to cleanse all sin for the repentant believer (1 John 1:7). Finally, the imposition of the Law of Consecration and the requirement of institutional priesthood authority for ministry replace the biblical model of voluntary grace-driven giving and the universal priesthood of all believers with a rigid, hierarchical legalism.
For All Ages
Imagine you owe a billion dollars, and a rich king pays it all off for you. That's what Christians believe Jesus did for our sins on the cross—He paid it all! But this text says that to be saved, you have to follow a long list of new rules, like giving your property to the church leaders. It also says that if you commit a really bad sin like murder, Jesus's payment doesn't cover it, and you can never be forgiven. It changes salvation from a free gift you receive by trusting Jesus into a wage you have to earn by following the church's laws perfectly.
Friction Points
Sola Fide (Justification by Faith Alone)
Verse 60 explicitly states that salvation is contingent upon doing the things commanded in this law.
Sufficiency of the Atonement
Verse 18 states that a murderer cannot have forgiveness in this world or the next, limiting the power of Christ's blood.
Sola Scriptura
The text introduces new binding scriptures and laws, and promises ongoing revelation that governs the church.
Universal Priesthood of Believers
Verse 11 requires formal ordination by church heads to preach or build the church.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Salvation"
In This Text
Attained by doing 'according to these things' (the laws and commandments given in the text).
In Evangelicalism
Deliverance from sin and its penalty, given as a free gift by grace through faith in Christ alone.
"The Gospel"
In This Text
The principles found in the Bible and Book of Mormon, encompassing the new laws, ordinances, and church structures.
In Evangelicalism
The good news of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins (1 Cor 15:1-4).
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Escaping damnation and being gathered as God's covenant people; ultimately eternal life.
How Attained: By keeping the commandments, observing the laws of the church, and enduring in obedience (v. 60).
Basis of Assurance: Adherents can only have assurance as long as they are actively obeying the laws and have not been 'cast out.'
Comparison to Sola Fide: D&C 42 is antithetical to Sola Fide. It presents a transactional soteriology where obedience to specific laws (including economic consecration) is the prerequisite for salvation. Romans 4:4-5 contrasts this: 'Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.'
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Go forth in my name (v. 4)
- Go forth in the power of my Spirit, preaching my gospel, two by two (v. 6)
- Baptize with water, saying: Repent ye (v. 7)
- Go forth into the regions westward and build up my church (v. 8)
- Teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon (v. 12)
- Observe the covenants and church articles to do them (v. 13)
- Observe to do as I have commanded concerning your teaching (v. 15)
- Speak and prophesy as seemeth me good (v. 16)
- Thou shalt not kill (v. 18, 19)
- Thou shalt not steal (v. 20)
- Thou shalt not lie (v. 21)
- Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else (v. 22)
- Thou shalt not commit adultery (v. 24)
- Forgive the adulterer who repents with all his heart and forsakes it (v. 25)
- Thou shalt not speak evil of thy neighbor, nor do him any harm (v. 27)
- Serve me and keep all my commandments (v. 29)
- Remember the poor, and consecrate of thy properties for their support (v. 30)
- Thou shalt not be proud in thy heart (v. 40)
- Let all thy garments be plain (v. 40)
- Let all things be done in cleanliness before me (v. 41)
- Thou shalt not be idle (v. 42)
- Nourish the sick with all tenderness, with herbs and mild food (v. 43)
- Call the elders of the church to pray for and lay their hands upon the sick (v. 44)
- Live together in love (v. 45)
- Weep for the loss of them that die (v. 45)
- Bear the infirmities of those who have not faith to be healed (v. 52)
- Stand in the place of thy stewardship (v. 53)
- Thou shalt not take thy brother’s garment (v. 54)
- Pay for that which thou shalt receive of thy brother (v. 54)
- Give excess property into my storehouse (v. 55)
- Ask, and my scriptures shall be given (v. 56)
- Hold thy peace concerning the scriptures and not teach them until received in full (v. 57)
- Teach the scriptures unto all men (v. 58)
- Take the things received in scriptures as a law to govern my church (v. 59)
- Ask to receive revelation upon revelation (v. 61)
- Ask where the New Jerusalem shall be built (v. 62)
- Teach converts to flee to the west (v. 64)
- Observe all these things (v. 65)
- Observe the laws which ye have received and be faithful (v. 66)
- Let him that lacketh wisdom ask of me (v. 68)
- Lift up your hearts and rejoice (v. 69)
- Do not cast out those who put away companions for fornication (v. 74)
- Cast out those who leave companions for adultery (v. 75)
- Be watchful and careful to receive none such among you (v. 76)
- Observe to keep all the commandments and covenants of the church (v. 78)
- Deliver killers up to be dealt with according to the laws of the land (v. 79)
- Try adulterers before two or more elders with two witnesses (v. 80)
- Deliver robbers up unto the law of the land (v. 84)
- Deliver thieves up unto the law of the land (v. 85)
- Deliver liars up unto the law of the land (v. 86)
- Deliver those who do any manner of iniquity up unto the law of God (v. 87)
- Take an offending brother or sister alone to be reconciled (v. 88)
- Deliver an unconfessing offender up unto the church elders in a meeting (v. 89)
- Chasten those who offend many before many (v. 90)
- Rebuke open offenders openly (v. 91)
- Rebuke secret offenders in secret (v. 92)
- Conduct in all things thus (v. 93)
Implicit Obligations
- Submit to the authority of the Bishop regarding property and stewardship.
- Accept Joseph Smith as the sole conduit for the 'fulness of scriptures' and church law.
- Maintain absolute sexual purity in thought, as lust results in losing the Spirit (v. 23).
- Participate in the communal economic system without murmuring.
- Trust the church disciplinary councils as speaking for God.
Ritual Requirements
- Baptism by water (v. 7).
- Ordination by the laying on of hands by recognized authority (v. 11).
- Execution of a formal covenant and deed for property consecration (v. 30).
- Laying on of hands by elders for the healing of the sick (v. 44).
- Formal church disciplinary trials with witnesses and the lifting up of hands by the church (v. 80-81).
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- In verse 18, it says that a murderer cannot be forgiven in this world or the next. How does this fit with the biblical story of the Apostle Paul, who consented to the murder of Stephen before becoming a Christian?
- Verse 60 says that he who does these things will be saved. Do you ever worry that you aren't doing enough of 'these things' to guarantee your salvation?
- How do you balance the requirement to keep all these laws with the biblical teaching that salvation is a free gift of grace?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire for a Zion community (New Jerusalem) where there are no poor among them.
The longing for a perfect, equitable community is ultimately fulfilled not by human economic systems or church laws, but in the Kingdom of God, inaugurated by Christ and consummated at His return. True unity and care for the poor flow from a heart transformed by grace, not mandated by a deed.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text places a heavy burden on the believer to perfectly keep a comprehensive set of moral and economic laws to maintain their standing in the church and secure their salvation. The constant threat of being 'cast out' for failure creates an environment of anxiety and performance-driven religion.
By categorizing certain sins as entirely beyond the reach of God's forgiveness, the text can induce profound despair in those who struggle with severe moral failures, convincing them that they are beyond the grace of Christ.
The repeated mandate that unrepentant sinners be 'cast out' and the strict boundary maintenance creates a fear of social and spiritual isolation, binding the believer's identity entirely to institutional compliance.