Section 46
Overview
Section 46 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (known as Section 21 in the modern LDS Doctrine and Covenants) is a foundational text for the Latter-day Saint movement, purportedly given by revelation on April 6, 1830, the exact day the church was officially organized. The text serves as the divine charter for Joseph Smith's absolute authority over the newly formed institution. It commands that a record be kept and officially designates Smith with a litany of exalted titles: seer, translator, prophet, apostle, and elder. The theological crux of the text lies in its mandate to the church regarding Smith's teachings: adherents are commanded to give heed to all his words and commandments 'as if from mine own mouth.' This establishes a paradigm of ongoing, infallible, and binding modern revelation mediated exclusively through Smith. Furthermore, the text conditions spiritual security—specifically the promise that 'the gates of hell shall not prevail against you'—upon strict obedience to Smith's dictates. The revelation also outlines the initial priesthood hierarchy by commanding Oliver Cowdery to ordain Joseph Smith, and vice versa, thereby establishing the formal ecclesiastical structure of the new church. While it contains orthodox-sounding references to Jesus Christ being crucified for the sins of the world, the application of this grace is inextricably linked to participation in this specific church organization and submission to its designated prophet.
Key Figures
- Joseph Smith: Designated as seer, translator, prophet, apostle, and elder; positioned as the exclusive mouthpiece of God whose words must be obeyed for spiritual survival.
- Oliver Cowdery: Designated as an apostle and elder, commanded to ordain Joseph Smith and serve as the first preacher of the church.
- Jesus Christ: Acknowledged as the Lord who was crucified by sinful men for the sins of the world, granting remission of sins to the contrite.
- God the Father: The ultimate source of the will establishing the church.
- The Holy Ghost / The Comforter: The divine agent who inspires Joseph Smith and manifests the truth of Christ's crucifixion and Smith's words.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Prophetic Infallibility and Equivalence
Assertion
The words and commandments of the designated prophet (Joseph Smith) carry the exact same authority as the voice of God Himself.
Evidence from Text
thou shalt give heed unto all his words, and commandments, which he shall give unto you, as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me: for his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth
Evangelical Comparison
In Evangelical Christianity, the doctrine of Sola Scriptura dictates that the 66 books of the Bible are the sole, infallible rule of faith and practice. God's special revelation is complete in Christ and the apostolic witness (Hebrews 1:1-2, Jude 1:3). This text radically departs from that baseline by establishing a living prophet whose ongoing utterances must be received 'as if from mine own mouth.' This creates an open canon where the ultimate authority is not the historic, objective Word of God, but the subjective, ongoing dictates of a human leader. In evangelical theology, no post-apostolic human leader possesses this level of authority, and all teachings must be tested against the closed canon of Scripture (Acts 17:11, 1 John 4:1).
Conditional Spiritual Protection
Assertion
Protection from the powers of darkness and the gates of hell is explicitly conditioned upon receiving and obeying the words of Joseph Smith.
Evidence from Text
for his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith; for by doing these things, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you
Evangelical Comparison
The text takes the famous promise of Matthew 16:18 ('the gates of hell shall not prevail against it') and shifts its foundation. In the biblical context, the church's invincibility is based on the foundational confession of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. In this Mormon text, the promise is made conditional: 'for by doing these things [receiving Joseph's words as God's], the gates of hell shall not prevail against you.' This shifts the locus of spiritual security from the person and work of Jesus Christ to the believer's submission to a human ecclesiastical authority. Evangelicals view this as a dangerous form of spiritual mediation that usurps Christ's role as the sole protector and sustainer of His sheep (John 10:28).
Exclusive Institutional Authority
Assertion
The specific organization founded on April 6, 1830, is the exclusive 'church of Christ' built unto the 'most holy faith,' requiring specific priesthood ordinations to be legitimate.
Evidence from Text
which church was organized and established, in the year of your Lord eighteen hundred and thirty... that you might be an elder unto this church of Christ, bearing my name
Evangelical Comparison
The text asserts that the 'church of Christ' was organized on a specific date in 1830, implying a restoration of something that had been lost. It requires specific, physical ordinations (Oliver ordaining Joseph, Joseph ordaining Oliver) to establish legitimate authority. This contradicts the Evangelical doctrine of the Universal Church, which teaches that the body of Christ has existed continuously since Pentecost, composed of all who are justified by faith across various denominations. Evangelicals reject the necessity of a restored institutional hierarchy or apostolic succession, holding instead to the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9).
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text fundamentally alters the mediation between God and man by inserting Joseph Smith as an infallible mouthpiece whose words are required for spiritual protection, directly violating the sufficiency of Scripture and the sole mediatorship of Christ.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological chasm between this text and Evangelical Christianity centers on the doctrines of Revelation, Authority, and Mediation. Evangelicals hold to Sola Scriptura—the belief that the 66 books of the Bible are the complete, sufficient, and final revelation from God. Consequently, the canon is closed. This text shatters that paradigm by explicitly commanding followers to receive the words of Joseph Smith 'as if from mine own mouth.' This elevates a 19th-century man to the status of an infallible, ongoing source of canonical scripture. Furthermore, the text violates the doctrine of Solus Christus (Christ Alone) in its practical application of spiritual security. While it mentions Christ's crucifixion for sins, it conditions the ultimate safety of the believer—escaping the 'gates of hell' and the 'powers of darkness'—upon 'doing these things,' which in context means receiving and obeying Joseph Smith's words. This inserts Smith as a necessary mediator for spiritual survival. In Evangelical theology, Christ is the sole mediator (1 Timothy 2:5), and the believer's security is guaranteed by the sealing of the Holy Spirit and justification by faith alone, entirely apart from submission to any post-apostolic human leader or specific institutional church.
For All Ages
Imagine you have a direct phone line to the King, and the King wrote a book telling you everything you need to know to be safe and loved. That's what Christians believe about Jesus and the Bible. But this text says that a man named Joseph Smith showed up and said, 'You have to listen to everything I say as if I am the King. If you don't do exactly what I say, you won't be safe from the bad guys.' Evangelical Christians believe this is wrong because the Bible says Jesus is the only one we need to connect us to God (1 Timothy 2:5). We don't need a new prophet to give us new rules to be safe. Jesus already did all the work on the cross, and the Bible is the only rulebook we need. When someone says their words are exactly equal to God's words, it takes our focus away from Jesus and puts it on a normal human being.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
Commands adherents to receive the words of a modern man as if they were spoken directly from God's mouth, effectively creating an open canon and denying biblical sufficiency.
Solus Christus
Conditions spiritual protection (gates of hell not prevailing) on obedience to Joseph Smith, inserting him as a necessary mediator alongside Christ.
Sola Fide
While mentioning remission of sins for the contrite, it couples spiritual survival with 'doing these things' (obeying the prophet's commandments).
Universal Priesthood
Establishes a rigid hierarchy requiring specific men to hold exclusive titles (seer, prophet) and perform specific ordinations to legitimize the church.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Apostle"
In This Text
A specific priesthood office and title conferred upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to establish authority in the newly organized 1830 church.
In Evangelicalism
Specifically refers to the foundational, first-century eyewitnesses of the resurrected Christ who were directly commissioned by Him to write Scripture and establish the early church (Acts 1:21-22, Ephesians 2:20).
"Church of Christ"
In This Text
The specific, physical, institutional organization legally formed on April 6, 1830.
In Evangelicalism
The universal, invisible body of all true believers across all time and space who have been justified by faith in Jesus Christ.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Remission of sins, escaping the powers of darkness, and the gates of hell not prevailing against the believer.
How Attained: Through a combination of Christ's crucifixion for sins, having a contrite heart, AND strictly receiving/obeying the words of Joseph Smith.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is based on 'doing these things'—specifically, giving heed to all of Joseph's words in patience and faith.
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text diverges from Sola Fide. While it acknowledges Christ's atonement, it makes spiritual security contingent upon obedience to a human prophet. Romans 8:1 declares 'There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,' based entirely on faith, not on receiving the ongoing commandments of a 19th-century church leader.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Keep a record among the church members.
- Call Joseph Smith a seer, translator, prophet, apostle, and elder.
- Give heed to all of Joseph Smith's words and commandments.
- Receive Joseph Smith's word as if from God's own mouth in all patience and faith.
- Oliver Cowdery must ordain Joseph Smith.
- Joseph Smith must ordain Oliver Cowdery.
- Oliver Cowdery must be the first preacher of the church to the world.
Implicit Obligations
- Submit entirely to the ecclesiastical and spiritual authority of Joseph Smith.
- Accept the newly formed organization as the sole legitimate church of Christ.
- Believe that the Holy Ghost validates both Christ's crucifixion and Joseph Smith's prophetic calling simultaneously.
Ritual Requirements
- Priesthood ordination by the laying on of hands (Oliver ordaining Joseph, and Joseph ordaining Oliver).
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- If we are commanded to receive a leader's words 'as if from God's own mouth,' how do we test those words if they seem to contradict what God has already said in the Bible?
- In Matthew 16, Jesus says the gates of hell won't prevail against the church because of the confession that He is the Christ. In this section, the gates of hell not prevailing is tied to obeying Joseph Smith's words. How do you reconcile those two different foundations?
- What does it mean to you that your spiritual protection from the powers of darkness is linked to your patience and faith in a human leader's commandments?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire for a 'Seer' and 'Prophet' to guide the church.
The human heart longs for clear direction and a definitive word from God. We can agree that humanity needs a Prophet. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ is the ultimate Prophet, Priest, and King. We don't need to rely on fallible men, because God has given us the perfect Word in Christ.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text demands that adherents give heed to 'all his words, and commandments... in all patience and faith.' This places an immense burden of performance on the believer, as their spiritual safety (gates of hell not prevailing) is contingent upon perfect or near-perfect compliance with the ever-expanding dictates of the prophet.
By equating the prophet's words with God's own mouth, the believer is forced to place their ultimate spiritual trust in a fallible human being. When the leader fails, changes doctrine, or acts immorally, the believer's entire faith foundation is shaken because their faith was tethered to the man rather than Christ alone.
The believer is taught that true faith and remission of sins are inextricably linked to the specific church organization founded on April 6, 1830. This creates a fear of leaving the institution, as leaving the organization is equated with leaving God Himself.