Section 74
Overview
Doctrine and Covenants Section 74 is an 1830 revelation given through Joseph Smith that serves as an authoritative, prophetic exegesis of 1 Corinthians 7:14. During the early days of the Latter Day Saint movement, questions arose regarding the necessity and validity of infant baptism. Joseph Smith sought revelation to clarify 1 Corinthians 7:14, a verse historically utilized by various Christian traditions to support covenantal infant baptism. The resulting text fundamentally recontextualizes the Apostle Paul's letter to the Corinthians. It asserts that the historical backdrop of Paul's counsel regarding mixed marriages (a believer married to an unbeliever) was a specific, intense conflict over the Law of Moses and circumcision. According to this revelation, unbelieving Jewish spouses were forcing their children to be circumcised and raised under the fulfilled Law of Moses, which caused the children to reject the Gospel of Christ. Consequently, the text claims Paul gave a commandment 'of himself' (not from the Lord) against unequal yoking to break this tradition. The revelation concludes with a definitive doctrinal statement: little children are inherently holy and sanctified through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, thereby negating any theological requirement for infant baptism. This section is pivotal in early Mormon development because it establishes the Prophet's role not merely as a translator of ancient records, but as the infallible interpreter of the Bible, capable of revealing 'lost' historical contexts to correct traditional Christian theology.
Key Figures
- Jesus Christ: The source of the Atonement which sanctifies little children and fulfills the Law of Moses.
- The Apostle (Paul): Identified as the author of the biblical text being interpreted, who gave a commandment 'of himself' to address a specific cultural crisis regarding circumcision.
- Unbelieving husband/wife: The subjects of Paul's counsel, whose adherence to the traditions of the fathers threatened the spiritual standing of their children.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Inherent Holiness of Children
Assertion
Little children are inherently holy and are automatically sanctified through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, requiring no ordinances for their salvation.
Evidence from Text
But little children are holy, being sanctified through the atonement of Jesus Christ; and this is what the scriptures mean. (74:7)
Evangelical Comparison
This doctrine represents a significant departure from the historical, orthodox Christian understanding of Original Sin and human depravity. In Evangelical theology, based on passages like Psalm 51:5 ('Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me') and Romans 5:12 ('sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin'), all human beings inherit a fallen nature. While many Evangelicals believe in an 'age of accountability' where God's grace covers infants who die, they still view infants as possessing a sin nature that requires the grace of Christ. D&C 74, however, posits that children are entirely 'holy' and 'sanctified' from birth, possessing no inherent unholiness or sin nature. This aligns with the broader Mormon rejection of Original Sin (Article of Faith 2), shifting the focus of the Fall from an inherited corrupt nature to merely inherited physical mortality.
Prophetic Exegesis and Biblical Reinterpretation
Assertion
Modern revelation can authoritatively declare the definitive historical context and meaning of biblical passages, overriding traditional grammatical-historical exegesis.
Evidence from Text
...and this is what the scriptures mean. (74:7)
Evangelical Comparison
The concluding phrase of this section, 'and this is what the scriptures mean,' establishes a profound epistemological and hermeneutical divide. In Evangelical Christianity, the principle of Sola Scriptura dictates that the Bible is the supreme authority, and its meaning is derived through careful study of the original languages, historical context, and immediate literary context (exegesis). D&C 74 introduces a model of 'prophetic eisegesis,' where a modern leader claims direct revelation to insert a historical narrative (a dispute over circumcision in Corinthian mixed marriages) that is entirely absent from the biblical text itself. This subordinates the objective reading of the Bible to the subjective, ongoing revelations of the LDS prophetic office.
Contingent Apostolic Inspiration
Assertion
Certain apostolic writings in the New Testament were merely human advice given to solve temporary cultural problems, not universally binding divine commands.
Evidence from Text
Wherefore, for this cause the apostle wrote unto the church, giving unto them a commandment, not of the Lord, but of himself... (74:5)
Evangelical Comparison
D&C 74:5 interprets Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 7:12 ('I say, not the Lord') as an admission that his instruction was purely of human origin ('of himself') and driven by a specific, temporary cultural crisis (the circumcision debate). In contrast, Evangelical theology holds to plenary verbal inspiration. When Paul says 'not the Lord,' Evangelicals understand this to mean that Jesus did not explicitly address this specific issue during His earthly ministry (unlike divorce, which Jesus did address, hence Paul saying 'not I, but the Lord' in v. 10). However, Paul is still writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as an authoritative Apostle. By categorizing Paul's writing as 'not of the Lord, but of himself,' D&C 74 undermines the Evangelical doctrine of biblical inerrancy and the universal authority of the apostolic epistles.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text fundamentally alters the doctrine of human nature by denying Original Sin and asserting the inherent holiness of infants. Furthermore, it undermines biblical authority by claiming modern revelation is required to provide the 'true' meaning and hidden historical context of New Testament epistles.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between D&C 74 and Evangelical Christianity is rooted in both hermeneutics and anthropology. Hermeneutically, Evangelicalism holds to the perspicuity (clarity) of Scripture and the grammatical-historical method of interpretation. D&C 74 bypasses this entirely, employing a prophetic eisegesis that inserts a foreign historical narrative—the Judaizer circumcision conflict—into the Corinthian marital dispute. By doing so, it claims that the Bible cannot be understood without a modern prophet to reveal its 'true' meaning, directly violating Sola Scriptura. Anthropologically, the text denies the doctrine of Original Sin. Evangelical theology, rooted in Romans 5 and Ephesians 2, teaches that all humanity fell in Adam, inheriting a corrupt nature that is spiritually dead and inclined toward sin from birth. Therefore, even infants require the grace of God for salvation (though Evangelicals debate the mechanism of this grace for infants). D&C 74 explicitly declares that little children are 'holy' and 'sanctified,' possessing no inherent unholiness. This shifts the Mormon understanding of the Fall away from a catastrophic moral corruption of human nature, viewing it instead as a necessary step for human progression that brought physical mortality, but not inherent spiritual depravity.
For All Ages
Imagine you wrote a letter to your friend about what to eat for lunch, but 2,000 years later, someone says your letter was actually a secret code about how to play baseball. That's kind of what happens here. The Bible's letter to the Corinthians is about whether married people should get divorced if one of them doesn't believe in Jesus. But this text says the letter was actually about stopping kids from getting circumcised. Also, the Bible teaches that everyone is born with a habit of sinning and needs Jesus to forgive them, but this text says little babies are born completely holy and perfect.
Friction Points
Original Sin / Human Depravity
The text explicitly denies that children possess a fallen, unholy nature from birth.
Sola Scriptura / Biblical Inerrancy
The text claims Paul's writings were uninspired human advice ('of himself') based on a historical situation that contradicts the actual biblical text, requiring modern revelation to correct the record.
Sola Gratia
By asserting children are inherently holy, it diminishes the necessity of grace to overcome a fallen nature, viewing grace merely as a mechanism to maintain an already existing purity.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Holy / Sanctified"
In This Text
Inherently pure, clean, and without any trace of sin or fallen nature, automatically applied to infants.
In Evangelicalism
Set apart for God's purposes. In the specific context of 1 Corinthians 7:14, it means the children of a believing parent are set apart and enjoy the covenantal blessings and influence of the Christian community, not that they are born without a sin nature.
"Atonement"
In This Text
The mechanism that automatically removes any concept of original sin or unholiness from infants.
In Evangelicalism
Christ's substitutionary death that pays the penalty for sin, applied to believers through faith (and graciously applied to infants according to God's sovereign mercy, though they still possess a fallen nature).
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: For children, it is defined as being inherently holy and sanctified.
How Attained: Automatically applied to little children through the Atonement of Jesus Christ without the need for faith, repentance, or ordinances.
Basis of Assurance: The prophetic declaration that children are holy.
Comparison to Sola Fide: While Evangelicals agree that infants who die are saved by God's grace (often citing David's confidence in 2 Samuel 12:23), Sola Fide applies to those capable of belief. The divergence here is not about *whether* infants are saved, but *why*—Evangelicals say it is despite their fallen nature, while D&C 74 says it is because they have no fallen nature.
Mandates & Requirements
Implicit Obligations
- Accept Joseph Smith's interpretation of the Bible as authoritative and final.
- Reject the doctrine of infant baptism.
- Reject the doctrine of Original Sin.
- Believe that little children are inherently holy and sanctified.
Ritual Requirements
- The cessation of any ritual (like circumcision or infant baptism) intended to cleanse or initiate little children, as they are already holy.
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- When you read 1 Corinthians 7 from the beginning, what seems to be the main topic Paul is addressing?
- If Paul was writing to the Corinthians about circumcision, why does he only mention it briefly in verses 18-19 as something that doesn't matter, rather than the main reason for his advice on marriage?
- How do we know if a modern interpretation of a biblical text is correct? Should it match the historical context of the original letter?
- If little children are born completely holy and without a fallen nature, why do we see selfish and sinful behavior in them from such a young age?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire to protect children and ensure their standing before God.
Evangelicals share this deep love for children and the desire for their salvation. We can bridge this by discussing how God's grace is so profound that Christ's atonement is sufficient to cover even the inherited sin nature of infants, demonstrating the depth of God's mercy without having to deny the reality of the Fall.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
By teaching that the plain reading and historical context of the Bible cannot be trusted without a modern prophet to reveal its 'true' hidden meaning, the adherent is stripped of their ability to confidently read and understand God's Word for themselves. They become entirely dependent on the LDS hierarchy to tell them what the Bible actually means, creating a barrier between the believer and the direct illumination of the Holy Spirit through Scripture.