Section 77
Overview
Section 77 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (canonized in the modern LDS Doctrine and Covenants as Section 80) is a short, one-verse revelation dictated by Joseph Smith in March 1832. The text serves as a direct missionary mandate to an early adherent, Stephen Burnett, commanding him to go into the world and preach the gospel to 'every creature.' Recognizing Burnett's desire for a companion, the revelation assigns Eden Smith to accompany him, establishing an early precedent for the Mormon practice of missionaries traveling in pairs. The revelation is notable for its geographical flexibility; the Lord explicitly states that it does not matter whether they travel north, south, east, or west, because they 'cannot go amiss.' The core epistemological instruction is for the missionaries to declare the things they have heard, verily believe, and know to be true. The text concludes with a strong assertion of divine authority, claiming to be the direct will and voice of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer. While brief, it encapsulates the early Mormon zeal for proselytizing, the reliance on modern prophetic direction for personal life decisions, and the foundational LDS epistemology of sharing personal testimony.
Key Figures
- Jesus Christ: Identified as the Redeemer and the direct author of the revelation, commanding the missionaries.
- Stephen Burnett: The primary recipient of the revelation, called to preach the gospel in any direction.
- Eden Smith: Assigned by revelation to be the missionary companion to Stephen Burnett.
- Joseph Smith: The implicit prophetic mediator who dictated this text as the literal voice of God.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Continuing Extra-Biblical Revelation
Assertion
God speaks directly through a modern prophet to give specific, personal instructions to individuals regarding their daily lives and ministries.
Evidence from Text
Verily, thus saith the Lord, unto you my servant Stephen Burnett... Behold this is the will of him who hath called you, your Redeemer, even Jesus Christ.
Evangelical Comparison
This text operates on the foundational Mormon doctrine of continuing revelation, wherein the leader of the church acts as a mouthpiece for God, dictating the exact words of Jesus Christ for the modern era. In this paradigm, God provides highly specific, localized instructions (such as assigning a specific missionary companion). Evangelical Christianity, holding to Sola Scriptura, maintains that the 66 books of the Bible contain all knowledge necessary for salvation and godly living (2 Timothy 3:16-17). While Evangelicals believe the Holy Spirit guides and illuminates believers, they reject the idea that any modern leader can dictate new, infallible scripture or speak with the authoritative 'thus saith the Lord' formula that adds to the canon (Revelation 22:18-19; Hebrews 1:1-2).
Epistemology of Personal Testimony
Assertion
Missionaries are to preach based on a progression of hearing, believing, and internally knowing the truth of the restored gospel.
Evidence from Text
...declare the things which ye have heard and verily believe, and know to be true.
Evangelical Comparison
The text instructs Burnett and Smith to declare what they have 'heard and verily believe, and know to be true.' This reflects the developing Mormon epistemology where truth is validated through personal, subjective spiritual witness (often referred to as a 'burning in the bosom' or personal testimony). In Evangelical theology, while a believer's personal experience of grace is vital, the authority of the message rests entirely on the objective, historical truth of the biblical text. An Evangelical preaches the Gospel because it is objectively true according to Scripture, regardless of subjective feelings. The Mormon emphasis shifts the weight of authority slightly toward the internal, experiential knowledge of the adherent.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The primary gap is the source of authority: the text claims to be a direct, modern revelation from Christ, bypassing the sufficiency of the biblical canon.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological incompatibility centers on the doctrines of Revelation and Authority. By utilizing the prophetic formula 'Verily, thus saith the Lord,' Joseph Smith places his own dictations on the same ontological level as the words of Christ in the New Testament. This directly contradicts the Evangelical doctrine of Sola Scriptura, which maintains that the canon of Scripture is closed and sufficient for all matters of faith and practice (Jude 1:3). Furthermore, while the text uses shared vocabulary ('preach the gospel,' 'Redeemer'), the underlying theological dictionary is different. In the context of 1832 Mormonism, 'the gospel' included the acceptance of Joseph Smith as a prophet, the Book of Mormon as scripture, and the necessity of restored priesthood authority—elements entirely foreign to the biblical Gospel of grace alone through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9).
For All Ages
Imagine you have a rulebook for a game that the creator said is completely finished. Evangelical Christians believe the Bible is that finished rulebook. But in this text, Joseph Smith is saying, 'Wait, the creator just gave me a new page of rules to read to you.' Even if the new page says good things, like 'go tell people about the game,' Christians don't accept the new page because the creator already said the book was done. Also, when this text says 'preach the gospel,' it means a different set of rules than what the Bible calls the gospel.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
The text claims to be a new, direct revelation from Jesus Christ, adding to the canon of Scripture.
Sola Fide
Implicitly, the 'gospel' being preached requires adherence to new laws, ordinances, and priesthood authority, denying justification by faith alone.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"The Gospel"
In This Text
The 'restored' gospel, which includes faith, repentance, baptism by proper LDS priesthood authority, and acceptance of modern revelation.
In Evangelicalism
The good news of Christ's substitutionary death, burial, and resurrection, through which believers are justified by faith alone apart from works (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 4:5).
"Redeemer"
In This Text
Jesus Christ, who provides resurrection for all and the possibility of exaltation for those who obey the laws and ordinances of the LDS gospel.
In Evangelicalism
Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, whose penal substitutionary atonement fully paid the price for sin, securing eternal life for all who believe.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Not explicitly defined in this specific text, though implied as the result of accepting the 'gospel' being preached.
How Attained: Implied through hearing, believing, and accepting the message delivered by the authorized missionaries.
Basis of Assurance: Confidence is derived from the internal knowledge ('know to be true') and obedience to the missionary call.
Comparison to Sola Fide: The text does not address justification directly, but the mandate to preach the Mormon 'gospel' inherently carries the LDS framework of salvation by grace plus obedience to laws and ordinances, contrasting with Romans 3:28.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Go into the world.
- Preach the gospel to every creature that comes under the sound of your voice.
- Take Eden Smith as a missionary companion.
- Declare the things which you have heard, believe, and know to be true.
Implicit Obligations
- Accept Joseph Smith's dictation as the literal voice of Jesus Christ.
- Submit to the authority structure that dictates where and with whom one serves.
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- When this text commands Stephen Burnett to 'preach the gospel,' what specific message do you think he was preaching in 1832?
- How do you discern if a modern revelation claiming to be from Jesus Christ is truly from Him?
- If the Bible says that God has spoken to us in these last days through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2), why would we need new, ongoing revelations to direct the church?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire to share the truth (Evangelism)
Evangelicals share the Mormon desire to fulfill the Great Commission. This shared zeal can be a bridge to discussing *what* the true Gospel actually is—that it is a message of rest in Christ's finished work, not a message of new requirements.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text places a direct, divine mandate on the individual to perform a specific task (missionary work). In the LDS framework, failing to fulfill a direct calling from God can lead to feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and fear of displeasing God, as one's standing is often tied to obedience to such callings.
The command to declare what one 'knows to be true' places immense pressure on the adherent to manufacture or maintain a subjective feeling of absolute certainty. If an adherent experiences doubt, they may feel they are failing this divine mandate, leading to cognitive dissonance and shame.