Section 74
Overview
Section 74 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (canonized as Section 66 in the modern LDS Doctrine and Covenants) is a personalized revelation dictated by Joseph Smith for William E. McLellin. Historically, McLellin, a recent convert, approached Smith and secretly asked the Lord to answer five specific questions through the prophet. McLellin later testified that this revelation answered all five of his unspoken questions perfectly, serving as a profound epistemological anchor for his early faith. The text begins by commending McLellin for receiving the 'everlasting covenant' and the 'fulness of my gospel,' terms synonymous in early Mormonism with the restored church and its ordinances. However, the text introduces a theology of partial or progressive justification, declaring McLellin 'clean, but not all,' and requiring further repentance as the Lord reveals his ongoing flaws. The revelation mandates strict apostolic-style itinerant preaching, commanding McLellin to travel to eastern lands with Samuel H. Smith, preach in synagogues, and heal the sick by the laying on of hands. Notably, the text publicly exposes a deeply private struggle, commanding McLellin: 'Commit not adultery, a temptation with which thou hast been troubled.' The revelation concludes with a conditional promise of salvation, stating that if McLellin continues in these works and magnifies his office to the end, he will receive a 'crown of eternal life.' This establishes a clear works-righteousness paradigm where eternal life is a future reward contingent upon lifelong performance, ministerial success ('push many people to Zion'), and moral perfection, contrasting sharply with the evangelical understanding of eternal life as a present, secure possession based solely on the finished work of Christ.
Key Figures
- Jesus Christ (The claimed divine author and speaker of the revelation, identified as the Redeemer and Savior)
- William E. McLellin (The primary recipient, a recent convert called to missionary service, commended for his faith but warned about specific sins including adultery)
- Samuel H. Smith (Joseph Smith's brother, assigned to be McLellin's missionary companion and to receive instructions from him)
- Joseph Smith (The implicit prophetic mediator through whom the revelation is dictated)
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Conditional and Progressive Justification
Assertion
A believer's standing before God is incomplete and requires ongoing, specific repentance as directed by ongoing revelation to achieve full cleanliness.
Evidence from Text
Verily I say unto you, my servant William, that you are clean, but not all; repent therefore of those things which are not pleasing in my sight, saith the Lord, for the Lord will show them unto you.
Evangelical Comparison
In Evangelical theology, justification is a definitive, forensic act of God wherein He declares the sinner righteous based entirely on the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1, 2 Corinthians 5:21). When Christ washes a believer, they are positionally entirely clean (Hebrews 10:14). This text, however, presents a paradigm of progressive justification. By stating 'you are clean, but not all,' the text conflates justification (legal standing) with sanctification (practical holiness). It places the burden on the believer to achieve full cleanliness through an ongoing process of discovering hidden sins ('the Lord will show them unto you') and repenting of them. This denies the sufficiency of the believer's initial faith to secure complete justification.
Conditional Eternal Life
Assertion
Eternal life is a future reward that must be earned by continuing in specific behavioral and ministerial mandates until the end of one's life.
Evidence from Text
Keep these sayings true and faithful, and thou shalt magnify thine office, and push many people to Zion... Continue in these things, even unto the end, and you shall have a crown of eternal life
Evangelical Comparison
The Evangelical doctrine of Sola Fide asserts that salvation is received by faith alone, and eternal life is a present possession for the believer (John 5:24, 1 John 5:11-13). The believer's security rests in the finished work of Christ and the sealing of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14). In stark contrast, this text makes the 'crown of eternal life' strictly conditional upon McLellin's ability to 'continue in these things, even unto the end.' The 'things' he must continue in include magnifying his office, pushing people to Zion, and maintaining moral perfection. This transforms eternal life from a free gift of grace (Romans 6:23) into a wage that is paid only upon the successful completion of a lifelong probationary period of performance.
The Fulness of the Gospel as a Restored Covenant
Assertion
The 'fulness of the gospel' is equated with the 'everlasting covenant' newly revealed through Joseph Smith, which includes specific latter-day mandates.
Evidence from Text
...blessed are you for receiving mine everlasting covenant, even the fulness of my gospel, sent forth unto the children of men, that they might have life, and be made partakers of the glories, which are to be revealed in the last days...
Evangelical Comparison
Biblically, the Gospel is defined by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 as the historical reality of Christ's substitutionary death, burial, and resurrection. It is the 'power of God unto salvation' (Romans 1:16). In Mormon theology, as demonstrated in this text, the 'fulness of the gospel' and the 'everlasting covenant' refer to the comprehensive system of laws, ordinances, priesthood authority, and revelations restored through Joseph Smith. Receiving this 'fulness' is presented as a prerequisite for having life and partaking in latter-day glories. This redefinition adds extrabiblical requirements to the simple message of grace, violating the biblical warning against preaching 'another gospel' (Galatians 1:8-9).
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text diverges fundamentally from Evangelicalism by establishing a works-based soteriology where eternal life is a conditional reward for lifelong performance, and by redefining the 'gospel' to include the specific covenants and ecclesiastical structures of Mormonism.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological chasm between this text and Evangelical Christianity centers on the Ordo Salutis (the order of salvation) and the nature of justification. In Evangelical theology, justification is a punctiliar, forensic declaration by God. When a person places faith in Christ, they are immediately and fully declared righteous based on the imputed righteousness of Christ (Sola Fide). Their sins—past, present, and future—are atoned for, making them positionally 'clean' before God (Colossians 2:13-14). Sanctification follows as a progressive growth in holiness, but it does not secure or maintain justification. This text, however, presents a system of progressive justification. By declaring McLellin 'clean, but not all,' it asserts that faith and reception of the covenant are insufficient for total cleansing. The believer must continuously uncover and repent of specific sins to improve their standing. Furthermore, the promise of a 'crown of eternal life' is explicitly conditioned upon the believer's ability to 'continue in these things, even unto the end.' This creates a works-righteousness paradigm where eternal life is not a present possession guaranteed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14), but a future reward contingent upon lifelong obedience, missionary success, and moral perfection. This fundamentally denies the sufficiency of Christ's atonement and the biblical doctrine of grace.
For All Ages
Imagine you are given a free, permanent ticket to the best amusement park ever because your best friend paid for it. That's how Evangelical Christians view salvation—Jesus paid for it completely on the cross, and we just accept the free gift. We are totally forgiven right then and there. But in this text, it's like being given a ticket, but you are told you are only 'partially clean.' You still have to work at the park, clean up, follow a bunch of new rules, and never make a big mistake until the end of the day. If you do all that work perfectly until the end, *then* you get to stay. It changes salvation from a free gift into a wage you have to earn by working hard your whole life.
Friction Points
Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
The text makes eternal life conditional upon continuing in specific works (preaching, gathering, moral perfection) to the end of one's life.
Sufficiency of Christ's Atonement
The declaration 'clean, but not all' implies that Christ's sacrifice, applied through faith, is insufficient to fully cleanse the believer without additional, ongoing works of repentance.
Sola Scriptura
The text claims to be the direct, verbatim voice of Jesus Christ, adding new, binding commandments and doctrines outside of the closed biblical canon.
The Gospel
Equates the 'fulness of the gospel' with the 'everlasting covenant' of Mormonism, adding extrabiblical requirements to the biblical gospel of grace.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Gospel"
In This Text
The 'everlasting covenant' restored through Joseph Smith, encompassing new revelations, priesthood authority, and specific ordinances required for exaltation.
In Evangelicalism
The good news of Jesus Christ's substitutionary death, burial, and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins, received by faith alone.
"Clean"
In This Text
A partial or progressive state of moral purity that requires ongoing, specific acts of repentance to complete.
In Evangelicalism
The definitive, positional state of a believer who has been washed by the blood of Christ and declared fully righteous.
"Zion"
In This Text
A literal, physical geographic location (at this time, Missouri) where converts were commanded to gather to build a utopian society.
In Evangelicalism
Historically Jerusalem; spiritually, the heavenly city of God and the spiritual community of all believers.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Attaining a 'crown of eternal life' at the right hand of the Father, which in LDS theology equates to exaltation in the highest degree of glory.
How Attained: By receiving the everlasting covenant, repenting of all sins, magnifying one's church calling, and continuing in faithful works until the end of life.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is highly conditional and based on continuous self-evaluation of one's obedience, missionary success, and avoidance of sin.
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text directly contradicts Sola Fide. While it mentions believing on Christ's name, the actual attainment of eternal life is explicitly tied to a conditional 'if-then' proposition based on works: 'Continue in these things, even unto the end, and you shall have a crown of eternal life.' This contrasts with Romans 4:5, which states that faith is credited as righteousness to the one who does not work.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Repent of things not pleasing in the Lord's sight
- Proclaim the gospel from land to land and city to city
- Tarry not many days in this place
- Go not up unto the land of Zion, as yet
- Send property if possible, otherwise think not of it
- Go unto the eastern lands
- Bear testimony in every place, unto every people, and in their synagogues
- Reason with the people
- Let Samuel H. Smith go with you
- Forsake him [Samuel] not
- Give him [Samuel] thine instructions
- Lay your hands upon the sick
- Return not till the Lord sends you
- Be patient in affliction
- Ask and ye shall receive
- Knock and it shall be opened unto you
- Seek not to be cumbered
- Forsake all unrighteousness
- Commit not adultery
- Keep these sayings true and faithful
- Magnify thine office
- Push many people to Zion
- Continue in these things, even unto the end
Implicit Obligations
- Accept Joseph Smith as the exclusive mouthpiece of God
- Submit to the public exposure of private sins (adultery temptation) as a valid exercise of prophetic authority
- Prioritize church assignments over personal property and geographic preferences
Ritual Requirements
- Laying on of hands for the healing of the sick
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- When the text says 'you are clean, but not all,' how do you know when you have finally repented enough to be completely clean?
- If eternal life requires us to 'continue in these things, even unto the end,' do you ever worry that a failure near the end of your life could cost you your crown?
- How does the idea of being 'clean, but not all' compare to Hebrews 10:14, which says that by one sacrifice Christ has made perfect forever those who are being made holy?
- If someone struggles with a persistent temptation, like the one mentioned in this text, how can they find peace if their eternal life depends on their performance?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire to be completely clean
Every believer feels the weight of remaining sin and desires total purity. While this text places the burden of achieving that purity on the believer's ongoing repentance, the Gospel offers the beautiful truth that we are already washed completely clean in our standing before God, and our practical growth in holiness is fueled by gratitude for that finished reality, not fear of losing our salvation.
The struggle with persistent temptation
The text exposes a deep, shameful struggle. The Gospel acknowledges our deep brokenness and persistent temptations, but instead of merely commanding us to stop under threat of losing eternal life, Christ offers Himself as a sympathetic High Priest who provides grace and mercy in our time of need.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The believer is placed on a lifelong treadmill where eternal life is dangled as a future reward ('crown') contingent upon continuous, unbroken performance ('continue in these things, even unto the end'). This creates exhaustion, as the believer can never rest in the finished work of Christ.
The declaration 'clean, but not all' instills a deep sense of insecurity. The believer is left wondering what hidden sins remain that displease God, making true assurance of salvation impossible until the end of life.
The public canonization of a highly private, shameful temptation (adultery) establishes a culture where spiritual authority can be used to expose and leverage personal vulnerabilities, creating a fear-based compliance.