Section 91
Overview
Doctrine and Covenants Section 91 was recorded in March 1833 while Joseph Smith was working on his inspired revision of the Bible (the Joseph Smith Translation). Upon reaching the Apocrypha, Smith inquired of the Lord whether it should be translated. The resulting revelation states that the Apocrypha contains many true things and is 'mostly translated correctly,' but it also contains many untrue things resulting from 'interpolations by the hands of men.' Consequently, the Lord declares it 'not needful' for Smith to translate it. Instead, the text shifts the burden of discernment to the individual reader, establishing a highly subjective epistemology: whoever reads it must be 'enlightened by the Spirit' to separate truth from error and obtain spiritual benefit. This brief section is significant in Mormon development because it formally addresses the canonical status of the Apocrypha by bypassing traditional historical, theological, and canonical debates, relying instead on modern prophetic authority and individual, subjective spiritual confirmation.
Key Figures
- The Lord: The claimed divine author of the revelation who dictates the status of the Apocrypha and the method for discerning truth.
- Joseph Smith: The implicit recipient of the revelation, acting as the prophetic mediator who inquires of God and receives authoritative instruction regarding biblical translation.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Subjective Spiritual Discernment (Epistemology of the Spirit)
Assertion
Truth within corrupted or non-canonical texts can be reliably discerned by the individual reader through the manifestation and enlightenment of the Spirit.
Evidence from Text
Therefore, whoso readeth it, let him understand, for the Spirit manifesteth truth; And whoso is enlightened by the Spirit shall obtain benefit therefrom
Evangelical Comparison
In Evangelical theology, the Holy Spirit illuminates the believer's mind to understand and apply the objectively given, closed canon of Scripture (1 Corinthians 2:12-14). The Spirit does not give new revelation to help a believer parse out which sentences in a non-canonical book are divine and which are human interpolations. Truth is determined by the objective standard of God's Word (John 17:17, 2 Timothy 3:16-17). D&C 91, however, establishes a subjective epistemology where the individual's internal spiritual experience ('enlightened by the Spirit') becomes the filter for determining objective truth. This creates a theological paradigm where feelings or internal impressions override historical, textual, and canonical evidence, leaving the believer vulnerable to self-deception (Jeremiah 17:9).
Textual Corruption via Interpolation
Assertion
Ancient religious texts, specifically the Apocrypha, contain falsehoods that were deliberately or accidentally inserted by uninspired men.
Evidence from Text
There are many things contained therein that are not true, which are interpolations by the hands of men.
Evangelical Comparison
D&C 91 treats the Apocrypha as a text that was originally or partially divine but has been marred by 'interpolations by the hands of men.' This aligns with the broader Mormon narrative that ancient scriptures (including the Bible, per 1 Nephi 13) have been corrupted over time. Evangelical Christianity, conversely, views the Apocrypha not as a corrupted divine text, but as a collection of intertestamental Jewish writings that were never inspired to begin with. They were not accepted by the Jews as part of the Tanakh, Jesus and the Apostles never quoted them as Scripture, and they contain theological errors (such as praying for the dead in 2 Maccabees). The Evangelical rejection is based on canonical and historical grounds, whereas D&C 91 implies a baseline of inspiration that was subsequently corrupted.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The primary gap is epistemological. D&C 91 teaches that individuals should use subjective spiritual feelings to determine which parts of a text are true and which are false, whereas Evangelicalism relies on the objective, closed canon of Scripture.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between D&C 91 and Evangelical Christianity centers on the doctrines of Sola Scriptura and Epistemology. D&C 91 asserts that a text containing a mixture of divine truth and human error (interpolations) can be safely navigated by the individual believer through subjective spiritual enlightenment. This places the ultimate authority for truth-determination not in an objective, historically verified, and closed canon, but in the internal, experiential feelings of the reader. Evangelicalism strictly adheres to Sola Scriptura, which posits that the 66 books of the Bible are the sole, infallible rule of faith and practice. The Holy Spirit's role (Illumination) is to help the believer understand and apply the objective truth already revealed in Scripture (1 Corinthians 2:12-14), not to act as an internal divining rod to separate truth from error in non-canonical or corrupted texts. Furthermore, D&C 91 undermines the doctrine of biblical preservation by reinforcing the Mormon narrative that ancient texts are highly susceptible to human corruption ('interpolations by the hands of men'). This creates a paradigm where the Bible itself is viewed with suspicion, requiring a modern prophet or subjective feelings to validate its contents, directly contradicting the Evangelical belief in the providential preservation and sufficiency of Scripture (Isaiah 40:8, Matthew 24:35).
For All Ages
Imagine you have a math test, and instead of using a calculator or a textbook to find the right answers, the teacher tells you to just close your eyes and wait for a good feeling to tell you if 2+2=4 or 5. That's a bit like what this text says about reading the Apocrypha. It tells people to rely on their feelings (what they call the Spirit) to figure out what is true and what is false in a book. Evangelical Christians believe God gave us a 'textbook' that is 100% true all the time—the 66 books of the Bible. We don't have to guess or rely on our feelings to know what God says. We read the Bible, and the Holy Spirit helps us understand what is already written there. We don't use our feelings to decide if a verse is true or a mistake made by men. Because our feelings can change from day to day, trusting them to tell us what is true can be very confusing and dangerous. God wants us to have a solid rock to stand on, and that rock is His written Word, the Bible, which never changes.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
Introduces new revelation to define canonical boundaries and promotes subjective spiritual experience over objective biblical authority for discerning truth.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"The Spirit"
In This Text
An internal mechanism or feeling that manifests truth to the reader, allowing them to discern between true statements and human interpolations.
In Evangelicalism
The third person of the Trinity, who inspired the objective Word of God (2 Peter 1:21) and illuminates the minds of believers to understand it, but does not give new revelation to alter or parse the canon.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: This specific text does not explicitly define salvation, but focuses on obtaining spiritual 'benefit' and enlightenment.
How Attained: Spiritual benefit is attained by reading and being 'enlightened by the Spirit.'
Basis of Assurance: Assurance of truth is based on receiving a manifestation from the Spirit.
Comparison to Sola Fide: While not directly addressing justification, the text's reliance on human effort (reading, understanding, seeking enlightenment) to obtain spiritual benefit contrasts with the Evangelical emphasis on resting entirely in Christ's finished work for spiritual standing.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- whoso readeth it, let him understand
Implicit Obligations
- Rely on personal spiritual revelation to discern truth from error when reading the Apocrypha.
- Accept Joseph Smith's prophetic authority to halt the translation of the Apocrypha.
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- When reading a text that contains both truth and error, how do you distinguish between a genuine manifestation of the Spirit and your own personal thoughts or desires?
- If the Apocrypha has interpolations by the hands of men, how does that affect your view of the Bible's reliability?
- In Evangelical Christianity, we believe God preserved His Word so we don't have to guess what is true. How does it feel to carry the responsibility of discerning truth from error based on internal feelings?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire for the Spirit to manifest truth.
Evangelicals also deeply value the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth. We can bridge this by agreeing that the Spirit leads us to truth, but clarifying that the ultimate truth the Spirit points to is the objective, finished work of Jesus Christ as revealed in the reliable, preserved Word of God.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
By teaching that texts contain a mixture of truth and human error, and that the individual must rely on subjective feelings to tell the difference, the believer is placed under a heavy burden of uncertainty. If they fail to feel the Spirit, they 'cannot be benefited.' This creates anxiety over whether their feelings are accurate, whether they are worthy enough to have the Spirit, and whether they are accidentally believing an 'interpolation' instead of divine truth.