Section 48
Overview
Section 48 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (known as Section 25 in the modern LDS Doctrine and Covenants) is a revelation dictated by Joseph Smith in July 1830, specifically addressed to his wife, Emma Hale Smith. The text establishes Emma's unique role within the nascent church, designating her as an 'elect lady' called to comfort her husband, act as his scribe, expound scriptures, and compile the church's first hymnal. Historically and apologetically, the text is highly significant because it addresses Emma's inability to view the physical gold plates ('Murmur not because of the things which thou hast not seen'), commanding her to accept the limitation as divine wisdom. Theologically, the text establishes a strict framework of conditional salvation and works-righteousness. It explicitly states that Emma's preservation, inheritance in Zion, and ultimate ability to dwell in God's presence are entirely contingent upon her faithfulness, virtue, and continuous obedience to commandments ('Keep my commandments continually... And except thou do this, where I am you cannot come'). Furthermore, it reinforces Joseph Smith's role as a necessary mediator, stating that Emma will receive the Holy Ghost through the laying on of his hands, contrasting sharply with the evangelical understanding of the immediate indwelling of the Holy Spirit upon faith.
Key Figures
- Emma Smith: The primary recipient of the revelation, designated as an 'elect lady,' commanded to act as a scribe, compile hymns, and maintain strict obedience to secure her salvation.
- Joseph Smith, Jr.: The prophet and husband of Emma, positioned as the mediator through whom she will receive the Holy Ghost and the one to whom all things will be revealed.
- Oliver Cowdery: Mentioned as a primary scribe whom the Lord will send wherever He wills, necessitating Emma to fill in as scribe in his absence.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Conditional Salvation (Works-Righteousness)
Assertion
Eternal life and dwelling in God's presence are strictly conditional upon continuous obedience to commandments.
Evidence from Text
Keep my commandments continually, and a crown of righteousness thou shalt receive. And except thou do this, where I am you cannot come.
Evangelical Comparison
In this text, salvation (dwelling where God is) is explicitly predicated on human performance: 'Keep my commandments continually... except thou do this, where I am you cannot come.' This establishes a works-based soteriology where the believer bears the burden of maintaining their justified status through continuous obedience. In stark contrast, Evangelical Christianity teaches that justification is a forensic declaration by God based entirely on the imputed righteousness of Christ, received by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:4-5). The believer's presence with God is secured by Christ's finished work, not by the believer's continuous adherence to commandments. While evangelicals believe obedience is the fruit of salvation, it is never the root or the sustaining requirement for eternal life.
Priesthood Mediation of the Holy Ghost
Assertion
The Holy Ghost is imparted to a believer through the physical laying on of hands by an authorized priesthood holder (Joseph Smith).
Evidence from Text
...for he shall lay his hands upon thee, and thou shalt receive the Holy Ghost...
Evangelical Comparison
The text asserts that Emma Smith will receive the Holy Ghost specifically through the physical mediation of Joseph Smith laying his hands upon her. This reflects the broader LDS doctrine that the gift of the Holy Ghost requires priesthood authority and ordinances. Evangelical theology, rooted in the New Testament, teaches that the Holy Spirit is given directly by God to all who believe the Gospel at the very moment of conversion (Ephesians 1:13-14, Romans 8:9). No human mediator, priest, or prophet is required to dispense the Holy Spirit, as Christ is the sole mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5).
Continuing Prophetic Revelation
Assertion
God continues to give new, binding scriptural revelation through a living prophet, to whom 'all things might be revealed'.
Evidence from Text
...for unto them is his calling, that all things might be revealed unto them, whatsoever I will, according to their faith.
Evangelical Comparison
The text positions Joseph Smith as the conduit for ongoing, authoritative divine revelation ('that all things might be revealed unto them'). This establishes an open canon where the words of the modern prophet carry the same or greater weight than ancient scripture. Evangelical Christianity adheres to Sola Scriptura, maintaining that the 66 books of the Bible are the final, complete, and sufficient revelation of God to humanity (Jude 1:3, Revelation 22:18-19, 2 Timothy 3:16-17). The assertion that a modern individual is required to reveal 'all things' undermines the sufficiency of Christ's revelation in the New Testament.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text teaches that eternal life in God's presence is earned through continuous obedience to commandments, and that the Holy Spirit is mediated through human priesthood. This contradicts the biblical Gospel of grace alone through faith alone, and the immediate indwelling of the Spirit.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between this text and Evangelical Christianity is profound, centering primarily on Soteriology (the doctrine of salvation) and Pneumatology (the doctrine of the Holy Spirit). In this text, salvation is explicitly conditional upon human effort. The Lord allegedly tells Emma Smith, 'Keep my commandments continually... And except thou do this, where I am you cannot come.' This is a clear articulation of works-righteousness, where the burden of achieving and maintaining eternal life rests on the believer's ability to perform. This violates the core Evangelical pillar of Sola Fide (Justification by Faith Alone), which asserts that humans are justified before God solely on the basis of Christ's imputed righteousness, received through faith, apart from works of the law (Romans 3:28, Galatians 2:16). Furthermore, the text introduces a mediatorial priesthood requirement for receiving the Holy Ghost. Joseph Smith is commanded to lay his hands on Emma so that she might receive the Spirit. In Evangelical theology, the Holy Spirit is the seal of salvation given immediately by God to every believer at the moment of faith (Ephesians 1:13). The requirement of a human mediator to dispense the Spirit violates the biblical teaching of the Universal Priesthood of all believers and the sole mediatorship of Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). Finally, the text's demand that Emma not 'murmur' about the lack of physical evidence for the gold plates highlights an epistemology of blind obedience to a human prophet, contrasting with the biblical invitation to reasoned faith based on historical realities.
For All Ages
Imagine you are trying to get into a beautiful, perfect kingdom. This text says that to get in, you have to follow all the rules perfectly all the time, and if you stop following the rules, you can't come in. It also says you need a special person to put their hands on your head so you can get God's Spirit. But the Bible teaches something very different! The Bible says we could never follow the rules perfectly, so Jesus did it for us. Because of what Jesus did, getting into the kingdom is a free gift we just have to accept by believing in Him. And the moment we believe, God gives us His Spirit directly—we don't need another person to pass it to us.
Friction Points
Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
Salvation and dwelling in God's presence is explicitly conditioned on continuous commandment-keeping.
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)
The text implies that forgiveness and election ('elect lady') must be maintained through personal virtue and works.
Universal Priesthood / Sole Mediatorship of Christ
Requires Joseph Smith to physically mediate the giving of the Holy Ghost.
Sola Scriptura
Claims to be the direct, verbatim voice of God adding new requirements for salvation outside the Bible.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Ordained"
In This Text
In this context, being set apart by the laying on of hands by a priesthood holder for a specific calling or task (expounding scripture).
In Evangelicalism
The appointment of qualified individuals (typically elders/pastors) to formal church leadership and pastoral ministry.
"Receive the Holy Ghost"
In This Text
An ordinance performed after baptism by the laying on of hands by a Melchizedek priesthood holder to bestow the constant companionship of the Spirit.
In Evangelicalism
The immediate, automatic indwelling of the Third Person of the Trinity in the life of a believer at the exact moment of saving faith.
"Crown of righteousness"
In This Text
A reward of exaltation earned by keeping commandments continually.
In Evangelicalism
A reward given by God's grace to all who have loved Christ's appearing, secured by Christ's righteousness, not our own continuous perfection (2 Timothy 4:8).
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Receiving an inheritance in Zion, receiving a crown of righteousness, and being permitted to come to where God is (exaltation).
How Attained: By being faithful, walking in paths of virtue, cleaving to covenants, and keeping commandments continually.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is entirely dependent on the believer's ongoing performance and obedience. If obedience ceases, the promise is revoked ('except thou do this... you cannot come').
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text is the antithesis of Sola Fide. Romans 4:4-5 states, '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.' This text demands work (keeping commandments continually) as the prerequisite for dwelling with God, nullifying grace.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Hearken unto the voice of the Lord
- Walk in the paths of virtue
- Murmur not because of the things which thou hast not seen
- Comfort thy husband in his afflictions with consoling words
- Go with him at the time of his going
- Be unto him for a scribe
- Expound scriptures
- Exhort the church
- Lay aside the things of this world
- Seek for the things of a better
- Make a selection of sacred Hymns
- Lift up thy heart and rejoice
- Cleave unto the covenants which thou hast made
- Continue in the spirit of meekness
- Beware of pride
- Let thy soul delight in thy husband and the glory which shall come upon him
- Keep my commandments continually
Implicit Obligations
- Accept Joseph Smith's prophetic claims without demanding physical proof (the unseen plates)
- Submit to Joseph Smith's spiritual authority and mediation
- Prioritize church duties and support of the prophet over personal or worldly pursuits
Ritual Requirements
- Be ordained under Joseph Smith's hand
- Receive the Holy Ghost via the laying on of hands
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- When you read the command to 'keep my commandments continually' or else you cannot be where God is, how does that make you feel about your own standing before God?
- Have you ever had a day where you didn't keep the commandments continually? What does this verse say happens if we fail?
- How do you reconcile the heavy burden of this verse with Jesus's promise in Matthew 11:28-30 that His yoke is easy and His burden is light?
- Why do you think Emma was commanded not to murmur about not seeing the plates? If the plates were real, why wouldn't God want the prophet's own wife to see them to strengthen her faith?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The Song of the Heart as Prayer
God desires genuine, heartfelt worship rather than rote religious performance. In the Gospel, this 'song of the heart' flows naturally from a soul that has been set free by grace, rather than a soul striving to earn its salvation through continuous commandment-keeping. We sing because we are saved, not to get saved.
Forgiveness of Sins
The text acknowledges the need for forgiveness. The Gospel bridge is exploring *how* sins are forgiven. Are they forgiven based on our future continuous obedience (which we will fail at), or based on Christ's finished sacrifice on the cross?
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text places an impossible burden on the believer by conditioning their eternal destiny on keeping commandments 'continually.' This creates a perpetual state of anxiety, as any failure or sin theoretically disqualifies them from God's presence. There is no rest in Christ's finished work, only the exhausting treadmill of personal performance.
Because salvation is conditional ('except thou do this...'), the believer can never have true assurance of salvation in this life. They can only hope that their continuous efforts will eventually be deemed sufficient, directly contradicting the biblical promise that we can *know* we have eternal life right now (1 John 5:13).
By requiring Joseph Smith's mediation for the Holy Ghost and commanding blind acceptance of unseen artifacts, the text forces the believer to place their ultimate spiritual trust in a fallible human leader rather than directly in Jesus Christ.