Section 55
Overview
Section 55 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (which corresponds to Section 33 in modern LDS editions) is a revelation dictated by Joseph Smith in October 1830, directed to Ezra Thayre and Northrop Sweet. The text is characterized by a high degree of apocalyptic urgency, declaring that it is the 'eleventh hour' and the final time laborers will be called into the vineyard. It establishes a narrative of total apostasy, claiming the world is a 'crooked and a perverse generation' and that the spiritual vineyard has become 'corrupted every whit' due to 'priestcrafts.' In response to this universal corruption, the text asserts that God has called forth His true church 'out of the wilderness.' The revelation heavily utilizes King James Bible phraseology to mandate aggressive proselytizing ('thrust in your sickles,' 'open your mouths'). Soteriologically, the text outlines a specific, multi-step process for salvation: faith in Christ, water baptism for the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Furthermore, it explicitly elevates the Book of Mormon to the level of 'holy scriptures' and requires adherents to keep the 'church articles and covenants' to ensure the gates of hell do not prevail against them. The text concludes with an exhortation to remain faithful and prepared for the imminent return of Christ, the Bridegroom.
Key Figures
- The Lord / God: The speaker of the text, asserting absolute authority, omniscience, and the power to dictate the terms of salvation and church organization.
- Ezra Thayre: A newly converted follower commanded to act as a laborer in the vineyard, preach the gospel, and administer ordinances.
- Northrop Sweet: Another early convert given the same mandate as Thayre to preach and baptize.
- Nephi: An ancient Book of Mormon prophet cited as an archetype of faithful, bold preaching and journeying in the wilderness.
- The Bridegroom (Jesus Christ): The eschatological figure whose imminent return requires believers to have their 'lamps trimmed and burning.'
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Total Apostasy
Assertion
The text claims that the entire spiritual vineyard (the world/historical church) has become completely corrupted, with no one doing good, necessitating a restoration.
Evidence from Text
And my vineyard has become corrupted every whit: and there is none which doeth good save it be a few; and they err in many instances, because of priestcrafts, all having corrupt minds.
Evangelical Comparison
The doctrine of Total Apostasy is foundational to Mormonism, as it provides the necessary premise for Joseph Smith's 'Restoration.' This text asserts that the vineyard is 'corrupted every whit' and that historical Christians 'err in many instances, because of priestcrafts.' This creates a narrative where true priesthood authority and pure doctrine vanished from the earth. Evangelical Christianity fundamentally rejects this premise. Relying on Matthew 16:18, Ephesians 3:21, and Jude 3, Evangelicals believe that while local churches may err and seasons of deep theological confusion have occurred, the true, invisible Church—the body of regenerate believers—has never ceased to exist. The Holy Spirit has continuously preserved the core Gospel and the scriptures throughout history. Therefore, a complete 'restoration' of the Church is viewed as both unnecessary and unbiblical, as it implies Christ failed to preserve His bride.
Baptismal Regeneration and Ordinance Necessity
Assertion
The text asserts that water baptism is required for the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands is required to receive the Holy Ghost.
Evidence from Text
yea, repent and be baptized every one of you; for a remission of your sins; yea, be baptized even by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost... and whoso having faith you shall confirm in my church, by the laying on of the hands, and I will bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost upon them.
Evangelical Comparison
This text explicitly links the remission of sins to the physical act of water baptism and the reception of the Holy Ghost to the physical ritual of the laying on of hands by authorized administrators. This establishes a soteriology where human mediators and physical ordinances are strict prerequisites for justification and sanctification. Evangelical Christianity adheres to Sola Fide (Faith Alone). Based on passages like Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:1, and the example of the thief on the cross (Luke 23:43), Evangelicals believe that justification is an instantaneous legal declaration by God based solely on the believer's faith in Christ's finished work. Water baptism is viewed as an outward sign of an inward reality—an act of obedience that follows salvation, not a mechanism that causes it. Similarly, Evangelicals believe the Holy Spirit seals the believer at the exact moment of belief (Ephesians 1:13), without the necessity of a secondary ritual like the laying on of hands.
Expanded Canon
Assertion
The text elevates the Book of Mormon to the status of divine scripture alongside the Bible.
Evidence from Text
And the book of Mormon, and the holy scriptures, are given of me for your instruction
Evangelical Comparison
By explicitly stating that the 'book of Mormon, and the holy scriptures, are given of me,' this text places Joseph Smith's translation on equal footing with the Bible. It establishes an open canon where new revelations can be added to the body of authoritative scripture. Evangelical Christianity operates on the principle of Sola Scriptura. Evangelicals believe that the biblical canon is closed, having been completed with the apostolic era (Revelation 22:18-19, Hebrews 1:1-2). The 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are viewed as entirely sufficient for all matters of faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Any text claiming to be new scripture is rejected, as the faith was 'once for all delivered to the saints' (Jude 3).
Conditional Preservation and Covenant Keeping
Assertion
The text teaches that believers must keep specific church articles and covenants to ensure the gates of hell do not prevail against them.
Evidence from Text
yea, upon this rock ye are built, and if ye continue, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; and ye shall remember the church articles and covenants to keep them
Evangelical Comparison
The text modifies the biblical promise of Matthew 16:18 by adding a conditional clause: 'if ye continue... and ye shall remember the church articles and covenants to keep them.' This places the burden of spiritual preservation squarely on the believer's ability to maintain obedience to specific institutional rules and covenants. Evangelical Christianity teaches the security of the believer, rooted in the grace of God rather than human performance. While Evangelicals believe true faith produces good works, they rely on passages like John 10:28 ('they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand') and Romans 8:38-39 to assert that salvation cannot be lost through a failure to perfectly keep covenants. The 'gates of hell' failing to prevail is a promise about the invincibility of Christ's church, not a conditional threat hanging over individual believers based on their performance.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text diverges fundamentally from Evangelicalism by requiring physical ordinances (baptism, laying on of hands) and adherence to institutional covenants for salvation, and by asserting that the historical Christian church completely apostatized.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between this text and Evangelical Christianity is profound, centering primarily on Soteriology (the doctrine of salvation) and Ecclesiology (the doctrine of the church). Evangelicals hold strictly to Sola Fide—that justification is an instantaneous, forensic declaration by God based solely on faith in Christ's imputed righteousness. This text, however, presents a synergistic soteriology where faith is merely the first step. It explicitly mandates water baptism 'for a remission of your sins' and the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Ghost, making human mediators and physical rituals absolute prerequisites for salvation. Furthermore, it conditions spiritual security on the believer's ability to 'remember the church articles and covenants to keep them.' Ecclesiologically, the text relies on the premise of a 'Total Apostasy'—the idea that the vineyard became 'corrupted every whit' and that historical Christianity was entirely lost to 'priestcrafts.' This directly contradicts the Evangelical understanding of Christ's promise in Matthew 16:18 that the gates of hell would not prevail against His church. Evangelicals believe the Holy Spirit has preserved the true Gospel and the universal body of believers throughout history. By claiming the church had to be 'called forth out of the wilderness,' this text denies the historical continuity of Christ's body and sets up the LDS institution as the sole legitimate authority on earth.
For All Ages
Imagine you owe a billion dollars, and a rich king pays your debt completely. Evangelical Christians believe Jesus is that King, and He paid our debt on the cross. All we have to do is trust Him, and we are saved right then and there. We get baptized to show we love Him, not to earn the payment. But this text teaches something different. It says that to get your debt paid, you have to trust the King, PLUS you have to be baptized in water by a specific group of people, PLUS you have to have their leaders put their hands on your head, PLUS you have to keep a list of rules and promises perfectly. If you don't keep doing all those things, you might lose the King's payment. It also says that for a long time, nobody on earth knew the real rules until this new church was started.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
Elevates the Book of Mormon to the status of 'holy scriptures' and presents new, binding revelation.
Sola Fide
Requires water baptism for remission of sins, laying on of hands for the Holy Ghost, and keeping covenants to avoid the gates of hell.
Universal Priesthood / Ecclesiology
Asserts a total apostasy of the historical church and establishes a new, exclusive institutional authority.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Gospel"
In This Text
A system of faith, repentance, and specific physical ordinances (baptism, laying on of hands) administered by authorized priesthood, along with keeping church covenants.
In Evangelicalism
The 'good news' of Christ's finished work on the cross, His death, burial, and resurrection, which provides full justification by grace through faith alone (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
"Priestcrafts"
In This Text
False religious authority, corrupt teachings, or preaching for money, which allegedly caused the total apostasy of historical Christianity.
In Evangelicalism
This specific term is not used in the Bible. Evangelicals reject mediating priesthoods (believing in the priesthood of all believers, 1 Peter 2:9), but do not view historical Christian ministry as 'priestcraft' that destroyed the church.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Receiving a remission of sins, obtaining the Holy Ghost, and surviving the gates of hell to be ready for the Bridegroom.
How Attained: Through a sequential process: faith, repentance, water baptism, laying on of hands, and ongoing obedience to church articles and covenants.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is highly conditional. It is based on the premise 'if ye continue' and requires constant vigilance ('lamps trimmed and burning') and covenant-keeping.
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text is entirely incompatible with Sola Fide. While it mentions faith ('they shall have faith in me, or they can in no wise be saved'), it makes faith merely the prerequisite for the actual saving mechanisms: water baptism and covenant-keeping. Romans 4:5 states, 'But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.' This text demands works and ordinances for justification.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Open ye your ears and hearken to the voice of the Lord
- Lift up your voices as with the sound of a trump
- Declare my gospel unto a crooked and a perverse generation
- Thrust in your sickles, and reap with all your might, mind and strength
- Open your mouths
- Spare not
- Repent
- Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight
- Be baptized every one of you; for a remission of your sins
- Remember that they shall have faith in me
- Continue
- Remember the church articles and covenants to keep them
- Confirm in my church, by the laying on of the hands
- Be faithful
- Praying always
- Having your lamps trimmed and burning, and oil with you
Implicit Obligations
- Accept Joseph Smith as the exclusive conduit for the Lord's voice
- Reject all other Christian denominations as 'corrupted every whit' and practicing 'priestcrafts'
- View oneself as a laborer in the final, 'eleventh hour' dispensation
Ritual Requirements
- Baptism by water for the remission of sins
- Confirmation into the specific church by the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Ghost
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- The text says the vineyard was 'corrupted every whit' and no one was doing good. If the church completely failed, how do we trust that the Bible was preserved accurately during those hundreds of years?
- In verse 3, it says 'if ye continue, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; and ye shall remember the church articles and covenants to keep them.' How do you know if you are keeping the covenants well enough to be safe?
- When you read Ephesians 2:8-9, which says salvation is a gift and not of works, how do you reconcile that with the requirement here to keep church articles and covenants to be saved?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The Coming of the Bridegroom
Both Evangelicals and Latter-day Saints deeply desire to be ready for the return of Jesus Christ. The bridge is discussing *how* we are made ready. Instead of being ready by perfectly keeping our covenants (which we fail at), we are made ready because we are clothed in the perfect righteousness of the Bridegroom Himself.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text demands that adherents 'reap with all your might, mind and strength' and conditions their spiritual safety on their ability to 'remember the church articles and covenants to keep them.' This creates a heavy burden of perpetual performance, where one can never be truly certain they have done enough.
The conditional 'if ye continue' removes the objective assurance of salvation. Believers must constantly evaluate their own worthiness and adherence to rules, leading to spiritual anxiety rather than peace.
By tying the remission of sins and the Holy Ghost to specific physical rituals administered by a specific hierarchy, the believer's relationship with God is mediated by institutional compliance rather than direct, grace-based fellowship.
The text paints the entire outside world and all other Christians as 'corrupted every whit' and full of 'priestcrafts.' This fosters an isolationist mindset where the adherent views all non-LDS individuals as spiritually dark or deceived.