Section 57
Overview
Given in December 1830, this revelation (known in modern LDS editions as Doctrine and Covenants Section 36) is directed to Edward Partridge, a newly converted hatmaker who would soon become the first Presiding Bishop of the early Mormon church. The text serves a dual purpose: it personally assures Partridge of his forgiveness and divine calling, and it establishes a rigid, centralized ecclesiastical protocol for the young church. Theologically, it introduces a highly mediated system of spiritual impartation. God declares that He will impart the Holy Ghost to Partridge specifically 'by the hand of my servant Sidney Rigdon.' Furthermore, it mandates that anyone wishing to embrace the calling to preach must 'come before my servants Sidney Rigdon and Joseph Smith, jr.' to be ordained. The text heavily borrows phrasing from the New Testament (Acts, Jude, 1 Peter) and the Old Testament (Malachi) to frame this new institutional authority within an urgent, eschatological context, warning adherents to save themselves from an 'untoward generation' before Christ suddenly returns to His temple.
Key Figures
- The Lord God / Jesus Christ: The claimed divine author of the text who is forgiving sins, calling missionaries, and promising to return suddenly to His temple.
- Edward Partridge: The primary recipient of the revelation, who is told his sins are forgiven and is commanded to preach the gospel.
- Sidney Rigdon: A prominent early church leader designated as the physical proxy through whose hands God will impart the Holy Ghost.
- Joseph Smith, Jr.: The prophet dictating the revelation, established alongside Rigdon as the necessary human gateway for official ordination and commissioning.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Mediated Impartation of the Holy Ghost
Assertion
The Holy Ghost is imparted to believers through the physical laying on of hands by specific, authorized human leaders acting as God's proxy.
Evidence from Text
I will lay my hand upon you by the hand of my servant Sidney Rigdon, and you shall receive my Spirit, the Holy Ghost
Evangelical Comparison
In this text, the reception of the Holy Ghost is explicitly tied to a physical ritual performed by a specific human mediator (Sidney Rigdon). God states He will lay His hand upon Edward 'by the hand of' Rigdon. This establishes a foundational LDS doctrine that the gift of the Holy Ghost requires the Melchizedek Priesthood and the laying on of hands. In stark contrast, Evangelical Christianity, rooted in Sola Fide and the Universal Priesthood of all believers, teaches that the Holy Spirit is given directly by God to the believer at the moment of faith. Ephesians 1:13 states, 'In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.' While the New Testament does record instances of the Apostles laying on hands for the Spirit (e.g., Acts 8), Evangelicals view this as a transitional, apostolic sign to validate the inclusion of new groups (Samaritans, Gentiles) into the church, not a perpetual mandate requiring a restored priesthood hierarchy.
Centralized Ordination Authority
Assertion
Valid ordination to preach the gospel requires coming before specific, designated human leaders (Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon).
Evidence from Text
as many as shall come before my servants Sidney Rigdon and Joseph Smith, jr. embracing this calling and commandment, shall be ordained and sent forth
Evangelical Comparison
The text centralizes ecclesiastical authority by demanding that anyone wishing to preach the gospel must physically or relationally 'come before' Joseph Smith Jr. and Sidney Rigdon to be ordained. This creates a bottleneck of spiritual authority, asserting that a believer's internal calling is invalid without the external validation of these specific men. Evangelical Christianity rejects this hierarchical bottleneck, adhering to the Universal Priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9). While Evangelicals practice pastoral ordination for local church governance, the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) is viewed as a mandate given to all believers. No Christian needs to come before a specific 'prophet' to be authorized to preach the everlasting gospel; their authority comes directly from Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text inserts human mediators (Smith and Rigdon) between the believer and God for the reception of the Holy Spirit and the authorization to minister, violating the biblical doctrine of the Universal Priesthood and the direct mediation of Christ.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The fundamental theological gap between this text and Evangelical Christianity lies in the doctrine of mediation and ecclesiastical authority. 1 Timothy 2:5 explicitly states, 'For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.' Evangelicalism, built on the Reformation pillars of Sola Fide and the Universal Priesthood, insists that every believer has direct, unmediated access to God's grace, forgiveness, and the indwelling Holy Spirit the moment they exercise saving faith. Section 57, however, constructs a mandatory human hierarchy. It asserts that God's power (the Holy Ghost) is dispensed 'by the hand of my servant Sidney Rigdon' and that the authority to preach must be validated by coming before 'my servants Sidney Rigdon and Joseph Smith, jr.' This replaces the sufficiency of Christ's direct mediation with a required institutional priesthood. It binds the work of the Holy Spirit to the physical actions of specific men, creating a theological system where salvation and spiritual empowerment are inextricably linked to submission to the LDS church hierarchy, rather than faith in Christ alone.
For All Ages
Imagine you want to talk to the principal of your school to get a special award. In the Bible, Jesus says He is the only one you need to go through to get to the principal, and the principal gives the award directly to you the moment you believe. But in this text, Joseph Smith is saying, 'No, the principal will only give you the award if my friend Sidney puts his hands on your head, and you can only be a helper in the school if you come to me and Sidney first.' Evangelical Christians believe Jesus is the only middleman we need, and we don't need special human leaders to get God's Spirit.
Friction Points
Universal Priesthood / Solus Christus
Requires believers to go through specific human mediators (Rigdon/Smith) to receive the Holy Ghost and valid ordination.
Sola Scriptura
Presents new, extra-biblical revelation as the direct, authoritative voice of Jesus Christ.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Gospel"
In This Text
The message of repentance, combined with the new institutional requirements of ordination and authority restored through Joseph Smith.
In Evangelicalism
The good news of Christ's life, substitutionary death, and resurrection for the justification of sinners by grace through faith (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
"Holy Ghost"
In This Text
A member of the Godhead whose presence and comforting teaching is imparted specifically through the physical laying on of hands by authorized priesthood holders.
In Evangelicalism
The third person of the Trinity who permanently indwells every believer at the exact moment of saving faith (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Being forgiven of sins, saved from the 'untoward generation,' and escaping the 'fire' of judgment at Christ's return.
How Attained: Initially, forgiveness is declared by God's sovereign choice ('your sins are forgiven you'), but ongoing salvation requires embracing the commandment, receiving the Holy Ghost via priesthood authority, and maintaining moral purity.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is based on the direct prophetic declaration of Joseph Smith and the subsequent experiential feeling of the 'peaceable things' taught by the Comforter.
Comparison to Sola Fide: While verse 1 sounds somewhat like grace ('your sins are forgiven you'), the immediate pivot to requiring Sidney Rigdon's hands for the Holy Ghost and Joseph Smith's approval for ministry demonstrates that in this system, faith alone is insufficient. Access to God's Spirit and authority requires institutional compliance, contradicting Romans 5:1, which states we have peace with God through faith alone.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Preach the gospel as with the voice of a trump
- Declare the peaceable things of the kingdom with a loud voice
- Say 'Hosanna, blessed be the name of the most high God'
- Come before Sidney Rigdon and Joseph Smith, jr. to be ordained
- Cry repentance
- Say 'Save yourselves from this untoward generation'
- Come forth out of the fire
- Hate even the garments spotted with the flesh
- Embrace the commandment with singleness of heart
- Gird up your loins
Implicit Obligations
- Submit entirely to the ecclesiastical authority of Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon
- Accept that God's power operates exclusively through the newly established church hierarchy
Ritual Requirements
- Submit to the laying on of hands by Sidney Rigdon to receive the Holy Ghost
- Undergo formal ordination by Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon to be sent forth
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- In verse 1, God says He will give Edward the Holy Ghost 'by the hand of my servant Sidney Rigdon.' Why do you think God required Sidney's physical hands, rather than giving the Spirit directly to Edward when he believed?
- When you read Ephesians 1:13, which says believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit the moment they believe the gospel, how do you reconcile that with the requirement to have a priesthood holder lay hands on you?
- If a person today wanted to preach the gospel but didn't have access to LDS leadership, would God still authorize them based on their faith in Christ?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire for forgiveness and peace.
Edward Partridge deeply desired to know his sins were forgiven and to experience peace. We can affirm this universal human longing. The true Gospel offers this exact assurance—not through a modern prophet's declaration, but through the objective, finished work of Christ on the cross, which brings true peace (Romans 5:1).
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The believer is taught that their connection to God (receiving the Holy Ghost, being authorized to serve) is entirely dependent on their submission to specific human leaders. This creates a spiritual bottleneck where one's relationship with God is held hostage by their standing with the church hierarchy, leading to fear of questioning leadership.
The command to 'hate even the garments spotted with the flesh' and 'save yourselves' places the burden of maintaining salvation and purity squarely on the believer's shoulders, rather than resting in Christ's imputed righteousness.