Section 72
Overview
Section 72 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (known as Section 62 in modern LDS editions) was dictated by Joseph Smith in August 1831 on the banks of the Missouri River. The text is framed as the direct, first-person voice of Jesus Christ addressing a group of traveling elders. It blends high Christological comfort—identifying Jesus as an advocate who understands human weakness and succors the tempted—with practical administrative directives regarding their journey to and from the 'land of Zion' in Missouri. Theologically, the text establishes a transactional framework for justification, explicitly linking the forgiveness of the elders' sins to the fact that they have borne testimony, which is recorded in heaven. It also reinforces the early Mormon doctrine of a literal, geographic Zion located in Missouri, where the faithful are promised preservation. The revelation concludes by granting the elders permission to use various modes of transportation (horses, mules, chariots) provided they maintain a thankful heart and follow the directions of the Spirit, culminating in a promise of Christ's abiding presence.
Key Figures
- Jesus Christ: Identified as the Lord, God, Advocate, and the one who succors the tempted; the claimed first-person author of the text.
- Elders of the church: The primary recipients of the revelation, tasked with traveling, preaching, and gathering to Zion.
- Angels: Heavenly beings described as looking upon the recorded testimonies of the elders and rejoicing over them.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Conditional Forgiveness via Missionary Works
Assertion
The forgiveness of sins is granted as a direct result of, and reward for, bearing testimony and fulfilling missionary duties.
Evidence from Text
...ye are blessed, for the testimony which ye have borne is recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon, and they rejoice over you; and your sins are forgiven you.
Evangelical Comparison
In this text, the remission of sins is explicitly tied to human effort: 'for the testimony which ye have borne... your sins are forgiven you.' This establishes a works-righteousness paradigm where missionary labor becomes the instrumental cause of justification. In stark contrast, Evangelical Christianity adheres to Sola Fide (Justification by Faith Alone). Ephesians 2:8-9 and Romans 4:4-5 make clear that salvation and forgiveness are unmerited gifts, completely divorced from human works, lest anyone should boast. Tying forgiveness to the act of preaching fundamentally alters the Gospel, turning grace into a wage earned by ecclesiastical service.
Geographic Zion
Assertion
The 'land of Zion' is a specific, physical geographic location in the state of Missouri where the faithful are to gather and be preserved.
Evidence from Text
...that the faithful among you should be preserved and rejoice together in the land of Missouri.
Evangelical Comparison
The text commands a physical gathering to 'the land of Missouri,' identifying it as the promised land of Zion. This reflects the early Mormon imperative to build a literal, utopian city of New Jerusalem in Jackson County, Missouri. Evangelical theology, drawing from the New Testament (Hebrews 12:22-24), understands Zion primarily in a spiritual sense—representing the heavenly city, the presence of God, and the universal Church. While some evangelicals hold to a future literal fulfillment in the Middle Eastern Jerusalem, none recognize North America as a divinely appointed geographic Zion for the gathering of the saints.
Continuing Prophetic Revelation
Assertion
Jesus Christ continues to give new, binding, verbatim scriptural revelation through a modern prophet.
Evidence from Text
Behold and hearken, O ye elders of my church, saith the Lord your God; even Jesus Christ...
Evangelical Comparison
The text presents itself as the exact, first-person words of Jesus Christ ('saith the Lord your God'). This requires the reader to accept Joseph Smith as a mediator of new, infallible scripture. Evangelical Christianity operates on Sola Scriptura, believing the 66-book Bible is the supreme, sufficient, and final authority for faith and practice. Based on passages like Jude 1:3 (the faith 'once for all delivered to the saints') and Hebrews 1:1-2 (God has spoken finally in His Son), evangelicals reject the premise that new, binding scriptural revelation is being given today.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text diverges fundamentally from Evangelicalism by conditioning the forgiveness of sins upon the act of bearing testimony (works-righteousness) and by presenting itself as new, post-biblical scripture.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The primary theological gap lies in the Ordo Salutis (the order of salvation). Verse 1 explicitly states: 'for the testimony which ye have borne... your sins are forgiven you.' This constructs a transactional soteriology where human effort—specifically missionary labor and public testimony—serves as the meritorious basis or instrumental cause for the remission of sins. This is a direct violation of Sola Fide and Sola Gratia. Evangelical theology insists that justification is an instantaneous, forensic act of God wherein He declares a sinner righteous solely on the basis of faith in Christ's imputed righteousness (Romans 3:24-28, Ephesians 2:8-9). Good works, including evangelism, are the fruit of salvation, never the root or cause of forgiveness. Furthermore, the text violates Sola Scriptura. By claiming to be the direct, verbatim dictation of Jesus Christ ('saith the Lord your God'), it demands canonical authority. Evangelicalism maintains that the canon of Scripture is closed and sufficient for all matters of faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Accepting this text requires abandoning the biblical boundary of revelation and submitting to the authority of Joseph Smith as a mediator of new scripture.
For All Ages
Imagine if you broke a rule at home, and your parents said, 'We forgive you, but only because you went out and told all the neighbors how great our family is.' That means you had to earn their forgiveness by doing a job. The Bible teaches something different: God forgives us simply because we trust in Jesus, who already did all the work for us on the cross. We don't have to earn it by going on a mission. Also, this text claims to be new words from Jesus spoken in 1831, but Christians believe the Bible is already complete and we don't need new books added to it.
Friction Points
Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
Forgiveness of sins is granted as a reward for bearing testimony ('for the testimony... your sins are forgiven you').
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)
Salvation/forgiveness is treated as a transaction based on human performance rather than an unmerited gift.
Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
The text claims to be new, binding revelation directly from Jesus Christ, adding to the closed canon.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Sacrament"
In This Text
An offering or ritual act performed by the believer 'unto the Most High' (often associated with the LDS partaking of bread and water, but here framed as something the elders 'offer').
In Evangelicalism
Evangelicals generally use 'ordinance' or 'sacrament' to refer to Baptism and the Lord's Supper, viewed as outward signs of inward grace instituted by Christ, not as a propitiatory offering made by the believer to God.
"Zion"
In This Text
A literal, geographic location in the state of Missouri designated for the gathering of the Latter-day Saints.
In Evangelicalism
Historically, the city of Jerusalem; theologically, the spiritual kingdom of God, the heavenly city, or the universal Church.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: In this specific text, salvation is framed as the forgiveness of sins and preservation in the land of Zion.
How Attained: Forgiveness is attained through the act of bearing testimony and fulfilling missionary assignments.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is based on the prophet's declaration that their testimonies have been recorded in heaven and accepted by God.
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text directly contradicts Sola Fide. While Romans 4:5 states, 'And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,' this text states, 'for the testimony which ye have borne... your sins are forgiven you.' It replaces faith alone with works (testimony bearing) as the mechanism for forgiveness.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Behold and hearken
- Continue your journey
- Assemble yourselves upon the land of Zion
- Hold a meeting
- Rejoice together
- Offer a sacrament unto the Most High
- Return to bear record
- Be faithful
- Declare glad tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, or among the congregations of the wicked
- Receive blessings (transportation) from the hand of the Lord with a thankful heart
Implicit Obligations
- Accept Joseph Smith as the authoritative mouthpiece of Jesus Christ
- Submit to the geographic centralization of the church in Missouri
- Maintain a state of constant missionary readiness
Ritual Requirements
- Offer a sacrament unto the Most High
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- In verse 1, Jesus says 'your sins are forgiven you' because of 'the testimony which ye have borne.' How does it feel to know that your forgiveness is tied to how well or how often you share your testimony?
- If Jesus is our advocate who knows our weaknesses (v. 1), why would He require our works (like bearing testimony) to secure our forgiveness?
- How do you balance the idea of earning forgiveness through missionary work with Bible verses like Ephesians 2:8-9 that say salvation is a gift, not of works?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
Jesus as the Advocate who succors the tempted
This is a beautiful, biblical truth borrowed directly from Hebrews. You can agree completely with this statement and use it to pivot to the Gospel: Because Jesus is such a perfect advocate who knows our weakness, He doesn't ask us to earn our forgiveness through our weak efforts (like bearing testimony). Instead, He offers it freely.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
By linking the forgiveness of sins directly to the act of bearing testimony, the believer is placed on a performance treadmill. If forgiveness is granted 'for the testimony which ye have borne,' the natural psychological consequence is a fear that if one stops bearing testimony, or fails to fulfill their mission, their sins will no longer be forgiven.
The phrase 'wherefore your mission is not yet full' implies an ongoing quota of spiritual labor that must be met. Believers may struggle with the uncertainty of never knowing when their 'mission is full' or when they have done enough to satisfy God's requirements.
The text demands absolute submission to the prophetic voice of Joseph Smith, equating his dictation with the literal voice of God. This creates a burden where questioning the prophet is equated with questioning Jesus Christ Himself.