Section 58
Overview
Section 58 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (which corresponds to Section 37 in the modern LDS Doctrine and Covenants) is a brief but historically pivotal revelation dictated by Joseph Smith in December 1830. At the time, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon were engaged in an 'inspired translation' or revision of the King James Bible (now known as the Joseph Smith Translation). Concurrently, the nascent church was facing increasing local opposition in New York, referred to in the text as 'the enemy.' In this revelation, the voice of God directly commands Smith and Rigdon to halt their translation work temporarily. Before they can relocate, they are mandated to preach the gospel in their current vicinity and strengthen the local congregations, with a specific emphasis on the believers in Colesville, New York, who are commended for their faith and prayers. The most significant theological and historical mandate in this text is the command for the entire church to 'assemble together at the Ohio' (Kirtland, Ohio). This marks the first official call for the 'gathering' of the Latter-day Saints, a foundational concept in Mormon theology that would drive the physical relocation of the church for decades. They are instructed to gather in Ohio and wait for the return of Oliver Cowdery, who was currently on a mission to the Native Americans (Lamanites) on the western frontier. The text establishes Joseph Smith's authority to dictate not only spiritual truths but also the logistical, geographical, and operational movements of the entire church body as the direct mouthpiece of God.
Key Figures
- God/Jesus Christ: The speaker of the text, issuing direct commandments and logistical directives to the church.
- Joseph Smith, Jr.: The recipient of the revelation, implicitly positioned as the authoritative mouthpiece through whom God directs the church's movements and translation efforts.
- Sidney Rigdon: Co-recipient of the revelation (historically acting as scribe for the Bible translation), commanded to preach and relocate.
- Oliver Cowdery: Mentioned as a servant currently away (historically on a mission to the Lamanites), whose return the church is to await in Ohio.
- The Church in Colesville: A specific group of early believers commended for praying in 'much faith' and targeted for strengthening.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Prophetic Authority over Church Logistics
Assertion
God uses a modern prophet to issue binding, direct commandments regarding the geographical relocation and operational focus of the entire church.
Evidence from Text
And again a commandment I give unto the church, that it is expedient in me that they should assemble together at the Ohio
Evangelical Comparison
In this text, the concept of continuing revelation extends beyond spiritual or moral instruction into the realm of strict logistical and geographical mandates. Joseph Smith is presented as the sole conduit through whom God commands the entire body of believers to uproot their lives and move to 'the Ohio.' This establishes a paradigm of absolute prophetic authority. In contrast, Evangelical Christianity, grounded in Sola Scriptura and the Universal Priesthood of all believers, maintains that while God certainly guides individuals and congregations providentially, the era of binding, canonical, new revelation ceased with the Apostolic age (Hebrews 1:1-2, Jude 1:3). Evangelicals do not recognize any modern leader as having the authority to issue new 'commandments' that carry the weight of scripture, especially regarding where believers must live or assemble. The New Testament model of church governance relies on local elders and the guidance of the Holy Spirit through the closed canon of Scripture, rather than a centralized, infallible prophetic oracle.
Inspired Translation (Joseph Smith Translation)
Assertion
Joseph Smith was engaged in a divinely mandated 'translation' process that God directly managed and scheduled.
Evidence from Text
it is not expedient in me that ye should translate any more until ye shall go to the Ohio
Evangelical Comparison
The command to cease 'translating' refers historically to Joseph Smith's work on what is now called the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) of the Bible. Mormon theology posits that the Bible was corrupted over time and that Smith was divinely commissioned to restore lost truths, add missing texts, and correct errors through direct revelation rather than linguistic scholarship. This text validates that process by having God directly manage its timeline. Evangelical Christianity fundamentally rejects this premise. Based on Sola Scriptura, Evangelicals hold that the 66 books of the Bible are the inspired, infallible, and preserved Word of God (Isaiah 40:8, 1 Peter 1:25). Textual criticism and thousands of ancient manuscripts demonstrate the reliable transmission of the biblical text. Joseph Smith's 'translation' is viewed by Evangelicals as an unauthorized alteration of God's Word, violating the severe biblical warnings against adding to or taking away from Scripture (Revelation 22:18-19, Proverbs 30:5-6).
The Gathering
Assertion
It is a divine commandment for the church to physically assemble together in a specific geographical location designated by God.
Evidence from Text
a commandment I give unto the church, that it is expedient in me that they should assemble together at the Ohio
Evangelical Comparison
This text introduces the foundational Mormon doctrine of 'The Gathering,' wherein the Saints are commanded to physically relocate to a central place (initially Ohio, later Missouri, Nauvoo, and Utah) to build Zion and escape worldly destruction. This physical gathering became a primary metric of faithfulness for early Mormons. Evangelical Christianity, conversely, views the Church as a spiritual, universal body (the universal invisible church) that exists wherever believers are found. Rather than gathering to a single geographical location, the New Testament mandate is centrifugal—believers are commanded to scatter and go into all the world to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8). While local assembly is commanded (Hebrews 10:25), the concept of a mandatory, centralized geographical gathering is seen as a regression to Old Testament, localized, nationalistic paradigms rather than the expansive, global nature of the New Covenant Church.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text asserts that God gives binding, scriptural commands through a modern prophet to direct the physical relocation of the church and to alter the biblical text via 'translation.'
Theological Gap (Explained)
The fundamental theological gap centers on the doctrines of Revelation and Authority. Evangelical Christianity operates on the principle of Sola Scriptura—the belief that the 66 books of the Bible are the sole, infallible rule of faith and practice. The canon is closed, and God's special revelation to humanity is complete in the person of Jesus Christ and the apostolic witness (Hebrews 1:1-2). This Mormon text operates on an entirely different paradigm: an open canon where a living prophet receives direct, verbatim dictation from God that carries the same or greater weight than ancient scripture. Furthermore, this text validates Joseph Smith's 'translation' of the Bible, which Evangelicals view as an illegitimate corruption of the biblical text, as it lacks any manuscript support and alters the meaning of historical passages to fit 19th-century Mormon theology. Finally, the command to 'gather' to Ohio shifts the focus of the church from a universal, spiritual body commissioned to spread globally, to a localized, physical kingdom dependent on geographical proximity to the prophet.
For All Ages
Imagine you have a complete rulebook for a game, and the creator of the game said, 'This is the final rulebook, don't add anything to it.' That is how Evangelical Christians view the Bible. Now imagine someone comes along and says, 'The creator just talked to me, and he wants us to change some of the old rules, and he also wants everyone playing the game to pack up their houses and move to Ohio.' That is what is happening in this text. Evangelical Christians believe the Bible is finished and gives us all we need to know about God and salvation. We don't believe God uses one man today to write new scripture or command everyone to move to a specific city.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
The text presents itself as new, binding scripture dictated directly by God, violating the closure of the canon.
Sola Scriptura (Preservation of the Word)
The text validates Joseph Smith's 'translation' (alteration) of the Bible, implying the Bible is corrupt and insufficient without modern prophetic revision.
Universal Priesthood / Ecclesiology
The text centralizes absolute authority in one man to dictate the geographical and logistical movements of all believers.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Translate"
In This Text
Joseph Smith's process of receiving revelation to revise, correct, and add to the King James Bible (the Joseph Smith Translation), without the use of ancient manuscripts or original languages.
In Evangelicalism
The scholarly process of rendering the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts of the Bible into a receptor language.
"My gospel"
In This Text
The restored gospel as taught by Joseph Smith, which includes new revelations, priesthood authority, and eventually necessary ordinances.
In Evangelicalism
The good news of Jesus Christ's sinless life, substitutionary death, and bodily resurrection, which provides justification by faith alone (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Not explicitly defined in this brief text, though 'my gospel' is referenced.
How Attained: Implied through obedience to the gospel and the prophet's commands.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance in this context is tied to obedience to specific directives (preaching, gathering).
Comparison to Sola Fide: While Sola Fide is not directly attacked in this specific excerpt, the heavy emphasis on obedience to logistical commands (moving to Ohio) as a 'commandment' of God shifts the focus from resting in Christ's finished work to performing specific actions dictated by a human leader.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Do not translate any more until you go to the Ohio.
- Do not go to Ohio until you have preached my gospel in those parts.
- Strengthen up the church whithersoever it is found, especially in Colesville.
- The church must assemble together at the Ohio against the time Oliver Cowdery returns.
- Let every man choose for himself until I come.
Implicit Obligations
- Accept Joseph Smith's voice as the literal, unquestionable voice of God.
- Be willing to abandon homes, farms, and livelihoods in New York to relocate to Ohio based solely on prophetic directive.
- Trust that the 'enemy' (persecutors) are a valid reason for God to alter the timeline of divine work (translation).
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- When this text talks about Joseph Smith 'translating,' what was he actually doing? How does that compare to how scholars translate the Bible from ancient Greek and Hebrew?
- If God gave us the Bible as His complete word, how should we evaluate new commands that tell an entire church to pack up and move to a specific state?
- How do you think the early Saints felt being told they had to leave their homes in New York to move to Ohio? What kind of authority does a leader need to make that demand?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
Gathering for safety and strength
The early Saints wanted safety from persecution and the strength of community. While Evangelicals reject a mandatory geographical gathering, the Bible does command believers to gather locally for mutual encouragement and protection against spiritual enemies.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text places a heavy burden on believers to uproot their entire lives, leave their homes, and migrate to a new state based solely on the word of one man. This creates a dynamic where spiritual standing is tied to radical, unquestioning obedience to a human leader's logistical demands.
Because the prophet can issue new, binding commandments at any time (such as 'stop translating' or 'move to Ohio'), the believer's life is inherently unstable. They must always be ready to pivot their entire life trajectory based on the latest revelation, preventing them from resting in the finished, unchanging truth of Scripture.