Section 102
Overview
Section 102 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (canonized in modern LDS scripture as D&C 134) is a formal declaration of belief regarding the relationship between the church, its members, and civil government. Historically, this document was drafted and presented by Oliver Cowdery in August 1835 to a general assembly of the church while Joseph Smith was traveling. Its primary historical purpose was apologetic and political: the early Mormons had recently been violently expelled from Jackson County, Missouri, largely due to local fears that the growing Mormon population would dominate local politics and that they harbored abolitionist sympathies (which threatened the slave-holding Missourians). To pacify these fears, this section was published to explicitly state that the church believed in obeying the law, honoring magistrates, and respecting property rights. Theologically, the text presents a robust, almost Reformed view of the civil magistrate, asserting that governments are instituted by God for the benefit of man, and that rulers are accountable to God. It strongly advocates for the separation of church and state, religious liberty, and limits ecclesiastical discipline strictly to spiritual matters (excommunication), denying the church any right to inflict physical or financial punishment. However, the text concludes with Verse 12, a highly controversial capitulation to the institution of chattel slavery. To appease Missouri slaveholders, the text explicitly forbids preaching the gospel to or baptizing 'bond-servants' without the express will and wish of their masters, arguing that doing so would jeopardize lives and be 'unlawful and unjust.' This creates a profound theological tension regarding the universal scope of the Great Commission.
Key Figures
- God: Identified as the institutor of earthly governments and the sole judge of religious exercise.
- Civil Officers and Magistrates: Individuals required to enforce laws in equity and justice, placed for the protection of the innocent and punishment of the guilty.
- Bond-servants (Slaves): Mentioned in verse 12 as a class of people who are explicitly restricted from being preached to or baptized without their masters' consent.
- Masters: Slaveholders whose will and wish dictate whether their bond-servants can receive the gospel or baptism.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Divine Institution of Civil Government
Assertion
Earthly governments are instituted by God for the benefit of mankind, and God holds men accountable for how they make and administer laws.
Evidence from Text
We believe that Governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man, and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, either in making laws or administering them
Evangelical Comparison
Evangelical Christianity historically affirms the divine institution of the civil magistrate. Confessions such as the Westminster Confession of Faith and the 1689 Baptist Confession explicitly state that God has ordained civil magistrates to be under Him and over the people for His own glory and the public good. Section 102's assertion that governments are instituted by God and that rulers are accountable to Him is entirely consistent with biblical theology. Both traditions agree that the state wields the sword to punish evil and protect the good.
Separation of Church and State
Assertion
Human law has no right to dictate forms of worship, and religious societies have no right to inflict physical punishment or confiscate property.
Evidence from Text
we do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men... we do not believe that any religious society has authority to try men on the right of property or life... they can only excommunicate them
Evangelical Comparison
The text draws a sharp, biblical distinction between the power of the state (the physical sword) and the power of the church (the spiritual sword). By limiting church discipline strictly to fellowship and excommunication (verse 10), the text aligns with 1 Corinthians 5 and Matthew 18. It rightly rejects theocratic overreach where the church might attempt to execute heretics or confiscate property, a principle heavily championed by Evangelical forebears like the Anabaptists and early Baptists.
Restriction of the Great Commission (Slavery Capitulation)
Assertion
It is unjust, unlawful, and dangerous to preach the gospel to or baptize slaves without the permission of their masters.
Evidence from Text
we do not believe it right to interfere with bond-servants, neither preach the gospel to, nor baptize them, contrary to the will and wish of their masters... such interference we believe to be unlawful and unjust
Evangelical Comparison
This is the most problematic theological assertion in the text. While the Apostle Paul instructed slaves to obey their masters (Ephesians 6:5), the New Testament never restricts the preaching of the Gospel or the administration of baptism based on a slave master's permission. In Christ, 'there is neither slave nor free' (Galatians 3:28). Christ's command to 'make disciples of all nations, baptizing them' (Matthew 28:19) contains no caveats for human property laws. By elevating the temporal property rights of 19th-century slaveholders above the eternal salvation and discipleship of the enslaved, this text subordinates divine mandate to human political expediency.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The primary theological gap lies in Verse 12, where the text subordinates the divine command to preach the Gospel and baptize to the human institution of slavery and the will of earthly masters.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap centers on the supremacy of Christ's commands versus human political institutions. Verses 1-11 of this text are largely indistinguishable from standard Protestant political theology regarding the two kingdoms (Church and State). However, Verse 12 introduces a severe theological rupture. By declaring it 'unlawful and unjust' to preach the gospel to or baptize a slave without the master's consent, the text effectively grants a human slaveholder veto power over the Holy Spirit's work and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Evangelical theology, rooted in Sola Scriptura, maintains that while Christians should submit to civil authorities (Romans 13), they must 'obey God rather than men' (Acts 5:29) when human laws contradict divine mandates. The Gospel is universally applicable; 'there is neither slave nor free' in Christ (Galatians 3:28). While the Apostle Paul navigated the reality of Roman slavery, he never instructed the church to withhold the Gospel or the ordinances from slaves. Elevating a political compromise regarding chattel slavery to the level of canonized scripture demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the text's authority and its understanding of the Gospel's transcendent nature.
For All Ages
Imagine if Jesus told you, 'Go and share the good news of my love with everyone in the whole world.' But then, a group of powerful people who owned other people as slaves said, 'You can't talk to our slaves about Jesus unless we say it's okay.' This text says that the church should listen to the slave owners and not share Jesus or baptize the slaves without permission. Evangelical Christians believe that Jesus' command is higher than any human rule. We believe the Gospel is for everyone, no matter what, and we shouldn't let unjust human laws stop us from sharing God's love and baptizing people who want to follow Jesus.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura / Supremacy of Christ's Commands
The text restricts the universal application of the Great Commission (preaching and baptizing) based on the human institution of slavery and the permission of slaveholders.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Save themselves"
In This Text
Used in verse 12 as an action the righteous take to separate from the corruption of the world.
In Evangelicalism
Salvation is entirely a work of God's grace through faith, not an action man performs to save himself.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: In the context of verse 12, salvation is framed partially as escaping the 'corruption of the world.'
How Attained: The text uses the phrase 'save themselves,' implying human effort in separating from worldly corruption, though it also mentions preaching the gospel.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance in this specific text is tied to living peaceably, obeying laws, and not causing societal disruption.
Comparison to Sola Fide: The text does not explicitly address justification, but the phrase 'save themselves' contrasts with the Evangelical doctrine of Sola Fide, where believers are saved entirely by the finished work of Christ (Titus 3:5), not by their own efforts to escape corruption.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Sustain and uphold the respective Governments in which they reside (v5)
- Honor every man in his station, including rulers and magistrates (v6)
- Show respect and deference to the laws (v6)
- Step forward and use ability in bringing offenders against good laws to punishment (v8)
- Appeal to the civil law for redress of all wrongs and grievances (v11)
- Defend self, friends, property, and Government in times of exigencies when immediate appeal to law cannot be made (v11)
- Preach the gospel to the nations of the earth (v12)
- Warn the righteous to save themselves from the corruption of the world (v12)
- Do not interfere with bond-servants (v12)
- Do not preach the gospel to bond-servants contrary to the will and wish of their masters (v12)
- Do not baptize bond-servants contrary to the will and wish of their masters (v12)
- Do not meddle with or influence bond-servants to cause them to be dissatisfied with their situations (v12)
Implicit Obligations
- Pay taxes and fulfill civic duties (implied by sustaining government)
- Maintain public peace and tranquility
- Respect the property rights of others (which, in the 1835 context of this text, tragically included respecting the 'property rights' of slaveholders over human beings)
Ritual Requirements
- Baptism (mentioned in verse 12 as an ordinance that must be withheld from slaves if the master objects)
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- I noticed in verse 12 it says it's unjust to preach to or baptize slaves without their master's permission. How do you reconcile that with Jesus' command in Matthew 28 to preach the gospel to all creation?
- Since this section starts by saying it is 'our opinion' to prevent misunderstanding, do you view this section as a direct revelation from God, or a historical political statement by the early church?
- If a human law contradicts a command of Jesus (like sharing the Gospel), which one should a believer follow?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire for justice, equity, and peace in society.
The deep human longing for a perfectly just government and true peace is ultimately fulfilled only in the Kingdom of God, where Christ rules perfectly. Earthly governments are temporary and flawed (as seen by the text's own capitulation to slavery), but Christ's reign is eternal and perfectly just.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
A modern believer reading this text must grapple with the fact that their canonized scripture explicitly defends the institution of chattel slavery and forbids sharing the saving ordinances of the gospel with enslaved people without their oppressor's permission. This forces the believer to either defend a morally abhorrent historical position or admit that their canonized scripture contains flawed, politically compromised human opinions rather than eternal divine truth.