Section 19
Overview
This text, historically given in August 1831 in Jackson County, Missouri (designated as 'Zion'), serves as a foundational behavioral and liturgical charter for the newly established Mormon settlement. It blends traditional biblical morality—echoing the Ten Commandments regarding theft, murder, and adultery—with specific Latter-day Saint liturgical demands, such as offering sacraments, strict Sabbath keeping, and confessing sins to brethren. The text heavily emphasizes a transactional theology: exact obedience and 'works of righteousness' directly yield both material prosperity ('the fulness of the earth is yours') and spiritual salvation ('eternal life in the world to come'). It also introduces unique behavioral mandates, notably the prohibition against 'much laughter,' which it explicitly categorizes as a sin. Ultimately, the text reinforces Joseph Smith's prophetic authority by speaking in the first-person voice of God, establishing a community bound by strict covenantal obligations and the promise of earthly and heavenly rewards based on performance.
Key Figures
- The Lord: The first-person speaker of the text, dictating commandments, defining sin, and promising conditional rewards.
- Jesus Christ: Mentioned as the mediator in whose name believers must serve God.
- The Father: Mentioned as the one who has prepared 'mansions' for the faithful who die.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Works-Based Salvation
Assertion
Eternal life is granted as a reward for performing works of righteousness.
Evidence from Text
he who doeth the works of righteousness, shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.
Evangelical Comparison
The text explicitly frames 'eternal life' as a 'reward' for the one who 'doeth the works of righteousness.' This establishes a merit-based soteriology where human effort and obedience are the direct causative agents of ultimate salvation. In stark contrast, Evangelical Christianity, rooted in Sola Fide, teaches that eternal life is a free gift of God's grace, received solely through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Romans 4:4-5 explicitly warns against viewing salvation as a reward for works: '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.' Furthermore, Ephesians 2:8-9 declares that salvation is 'not a result of works, so that no one may boast.'
Sabbath Observance for Spiritual Purity
Assertion
Keeping the Sabbath strictly and offering sacraments on that day is the mechanism by which a person remains unspotted from the world.
Evidence from Text
And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day
Evangelical Comparison
The text mandates strict Sabbath observance—including resting from labor, offering sacraments, and preparing food with singleness of heart—as the specific means to 'keep thyself unspotted from the world.' This places the burden of spiritual purity on liturgical performance and day-keeping. Evangelical Christianity teaches that believers are kept unspotted and cleansed from sin by the blood of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:7) and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, the New Testament explicitly removes the binding, legalistic requirement of Sabbath-keeping for New Covenant believers. Colossians 2:16-17 states, 'Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.'
The Sin of Laughter
Assertion
Engaging in 'much laughter' is explicitly categorized as a sin.
Evidence from Text
not with much laughter, for this is sin, but with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance
Evangelical Comparison
The text creates an extra-biblical moral law by declaring that 'much laughter' is a 'sin.' While the Bible warns against foolishness or mocking, it never condemns laughter itself as sinful. In fact, Scripture frequently portrays laughter as a natural and blessed expression of joy given by God. Psalm 126:2 says, 'Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy.' Ecclesiastes 3:4 notes there is 'a time to weep, and a time to laugh.' By criminalizing a natural human expression of joy, this text binds the conscience of the adherent to a standard of legalism and scrupulosity not found in the biblical canon, violating the sufficiency of Scripture (Sola Scriptura) to define sin.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text teaches that eternal life is a reward earned by doing works of righteousness and mandates strict Sabbath observance to remain spiritually pure, directly contradicting the biblical teaching of justification by faith alone.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The fundamental theological gap lies in the text's soteriology and its addition to the moral law. D&C 59 (1835 Sec 19) explicitly states that 'he who doeth the works of righteousness, shall receive his reward... eternal life in the world to come.' This is a direct contradiction of Sola Fide (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:4-5), which teaches that eternal life is a free gift of grace received through faith, not a reward for righteous works. Furthermore, the text imposes a strict, almost legalistic Sabbath observance as the means to 'keep thyself unspotted from the world,' whereas the New Testament teaches that believers are cleansed by the blood of Christ (1 John 1:7) and that Sabbath-keeping is not a binding requirement for New Covenant believers (Colossians 2:16-17). Finally, the text invents new sins, such as 'much laughter,' which binds the conscience of the believer to extra-biblical legalism.
For All Ages
Imagine you are trying to buy a gift that costs a billion dollars. You could never earn enough money to buy it. In the Bible, God says Jesus already bought the gift for us, and we just have to accept it by trusting Him. But this text says you have to keep working, obeying rules, and doing chores to earn the gift of eternal life. It also adds new rules, like saying laughing too much is a sin, which the Bible doesn't say.
Friction Points
Sola Fide
The text explicitly calls eternal life a 'reward' for 'he who doeth the works of righteousness.'
Sola Scriptura
The text adds new moral laws not found in Scripture, specifically categorizing 'much laughter' as a sin.
Christian Liberty / Sufficiency of Christ
The text mandates strict Sabbath observance as the means to remain 'unspotted from the world,' contradicting Colossians 2:16-17 and Hebrews 10:10.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Eternal life"
In This Text
A reward in the world to come granted to those who do works of righteousness.
In Evangelicalism
A free gift of God's grace received through faith in Jesus Christ, defined relationally as knowing God.
"Sacraments"
In This Text
Rituals (specifically the bread and water) offered up on the Lord's day as a work to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
In Evangelicalism
Ordinances (Baptism, Communion) instituted by Christ as outward signs of inward grace, not as meritorious works that maintain justification.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Receiving 'a crown in the mansions of my Father' and 'eternal life in the world to come.'
How Attained: By obeying the gospel, being faithful and diligent, and doing 'the works of righteousness.'
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is entirely contingent upon continuous obedience, strict Sabbath observance, and confessing God's hand in all things.
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text stands in direct opposition to Sola Fide. It explicitly uses the language of merit and wages ('receive his reward') for eternal life based on 'works of righteousness.' Romans 4:4 explicitly states that to the one who works, his reward is not a gift but a debt. The biblical Gospel teaches that eternal life is a free gift (Romans 6:23) received by faith apart from works (Romans 3:28).
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength
- Serve him in the name of Jesus Christ
- Love thy neighbor as thyself
- Thou shalt not steal
- Neither commit adultery
- Nor kill
- Nor do any thing like unto it
- Thank the Lord thy God in all things
- Offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness: even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit
- Go to the house of prayer
- Offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day
- Rest from your labors
- Pay thy devotions unto the Most High
- Offer thy vows in righteousness on all days, and at all times
- Offer thine oblations, and thy sacraments, unto the Most High on the Lord's day
- Confess thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord
- Do none other thing on this day
- Let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart
- Do these things, with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts, and countenances
- Do not laugh much (not with much laughter)
- Confess his hand in all things
- Obey his commandments
Implicit Obligations
- Migrate to or support the physical land of 'Zion' (Jackson County, Missouri)
- Maintain strict personal purity through behavioral compliance
- View material blessings as directly contingent upon exact obedience
Ritual Requirements
- Offer sacraments on the Lord's day
- Offer oblations
- Confess sins publicly or semi-publicly to brethren
- Fast and pray (defined here as rejoicing and prayer)
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- Verse 5 says that eternal life is a reward for doing works of righteousness. How do you know when you've done enough works to earn that reward?
- The text says 'much laughter' is a sin. How does this impact your daily joy, and how do you balance this with biblical verses like Psalm 126:2 that speak of God filling our mouths with laughter?
- If keeping the Sabbath perfectly is required to remain 'unspotted from the world,' what happens to our spiritual purity when we inevitably fall short of perfect observance?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
A broken heart and a contrite spirit
This is a profoundly biblical concept. God does indeed desire our humility and repentance. However, true brokenness leads us to realize that we *cannot* perform the 'works of righteousness' required to save ourselves. A truly contrite spirit drives us to abandon our own merits and cling solely to the cross of Christ for salvation.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text places the immense burden of earning eternal life squarely on the believer's shoulders. By defining eternal life as a 'reward' for 'works of righteousness,' the adherent is trapped in a perpetual cycle of trying to do enough to qualify for heaven, leading to deep uncertainty and exhaustion, as one can never be sure they have done enough.
By criminalizing natural human behaviors like 'much laughter' and demanding strict, exact Sabbath observance to remain 'unspotted,' the text breeds scrupulosity. Believers must constantly monitor their demeanor and weekend activities, fearing that a moment of excessive joy or a minor Sabbath infraction will kindle God's wrath or spot their soul.