Section 85
Overview
Given in August 1833 during a period of intense and escalating persecution against the Latter-day Saints in Jackson County, Missouri, this text (now known as Doctrine and Covenants 98) serves as a divine policy manual for how adherents should respond to secular hostility. The revelation begins by assuring the Saints that their prayers have been heard and that their afflictions will work for their good, provided they remain strictly obedient. It explicitly endorses the constitutional law of the land as a divine instrument for freedom, urging the Saints to seek out and support wise and honest political leaders. The core of the text, however, is a detailed, formulaic codification of the ethics of conflict and forgiveness. It establishes a 'law of retaliation' wherein believers are commanded to bear physical assaults patiently up to three times, with each endurance yielding an exponentially multiplied spiritual reward. Upon a fourth unprovoked attack, the believer is divinely justified in executing vengeance, though sparing the enemy yields an even greater generational reward. Similarly, the text caps the forgiveness of unrepentant offenders at three instances; on the fourth offense, forgiveness is strictly forbidden until the offender makes a four-fold restitution. By blending biblical phrases with rigid, ledger-based legalism, the text fundamentally alters the Christian ethic of unconditional grace, replacing it with a highly calculated system of conditional worthiness, measured patience, and justified retribution.
Key Figures
- The Lord: The first-person speaker of the text, portrayed as a sovereign lawgiver who meticulously calculates rewards, limits forgiveness, and conditions His protection on absolute obedience.
- Nephi: A Book of Mormon prophet cited alongside biblical patriarchs to legitimize the text's specific 'law of war' as an ancient, universal divine standard.
- Joseph, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham: Biblical patriarchs invoked to establish historical precedent for the text's rules of engagement and peace offerings.
- The Saints / 'my friends': The intended recipients, characterized as a persecuted people who must prove their worthiness by abiding in covenants even unto death.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Conditional Worthiness and Divine Protection
Assertion
God's protection from wrath and a believer's ultimate worthiness are strictly conditional upon observing all commandments and abiding in the covenant even unto death.
Evidence from Text
for if ye will not abide in my covenant, ye are not worthy of me... if ye observe to do whatsoever I command you, I the Lord will turn away all wrath and indignation from you
Evangelical Comparison
In this text, the Lord establishes a transactional relationship with the believer. Worthiness to be claimed by God ('worthy of me') and protection from divine wrath are explicitly predicated on the believer's ability to 'abide in my covenant' and 'observe to do whatsoever I command you.' This creates a theology of conditional grace, where the believer's standing before God is constantly in flux, dependent on their performance, endurance of persecution, and adherence to a myriad of behavioral mandates. Evangelical Christianity, rooted in Sola Fide and Sola Gratia, fundamentally rejects this premise. According to the biblical Gospel, human beings are entirely incapable of observing all commandments (Romans 3:10-20). Therefore, worthiness is not achieved through abiding in covenants or behavioral perfection, but is imputed to the believer through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). A believer's protection from God's wrath is secured permanently at the moment of justification (Romans 5:9), not maintained through a precarious system of ongoing obedience.
The Calculus of Forgiveness and Retaliation
Assertion
Believers must patiently bear three offenses from an enemy to receive multiplied rewards, but on the fourth unrepentant offense, they are justified in retaliation or withholding forgiveness until four-fold restitution is made.
Evidence from Text
if he trespass against thee the fourth time, thou shalt not forgive him but shall bring these testimonies before the Lord, and they shall not be blotted out until he repent and reward the[e] four fold
Evangelical Comparison
This text introduces a highly systematized, legalistic framework for interpersonal conflict. It requires adherents to keep a strict ledger of offenses. If an enemy attacks or trespasses, the believer must bear it patiently three times. On the fourth occasion, the believer is explicitly commanded *not* to forgive the unrepentant offender unless a specific, four-fold material or spiritual restitution is made. Furthermore, on the fourth physical attack, the believer is divinely 'justified' in executing vengeance ('thine enemy is in thine hands, and if thou reward him according to his works, thou art justified'). This stands in stark contrast to the Evangelical understanding of biblical ethics and Christology. Jesus Christ commanded His followers to love their enemies and turn the other cheek without attaching a numerical limit or a multiplier for rewards (Matthew 5:38-44). When Christ spoke from the cross, He offered unconditional forgiveness to unrepentant executioners (Luke 23:34). The Apostle Paul instructs believers never to avenge themselves, but to leave wrath to God (Romans 12:19). The introduction of a mathematical formula that forbids forgiveness on the fourth strike fundamentally undermines the grace-based ethic of the New Testament.
Divine Endorsement of Constitutional Law
Assertion
God explicitly justifies and commands adherence to the constitutional law of the land that supports freedom, equating its defense with divine will.
Evidence from Text
I the Lord justifieth you, and your brethren of my church, in befriending that law which is the constitutional law of the land: and as pertaining to law of man, whatsoever is more or less than these, cometh of evil.
Evangelical Comparison
The text elevates the 'constitutional law of the land' (referring to the United States Constitution) to a quasi-sacred status. It asserts that this specific legal framework is 'justifiable before me' and that any human law that deviates from it ('more or less than these') 'cometh of evil.' This intertwines the spiritual standing of the believer with their political allegiance to a specific earthly document, making the defense of constitutional rights a matter of religious obedience. Evangelical Christianity recognizes the biblical mandate to submit to governing authorities (Romans 13:1-7) and to pray for leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2). However, it maintains a strict distinction between the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of men. No secular constitution, regardless of how just or freedom-oriented it may be, is viewed as divinely inspired or equated with the eternal laws of God. Elevating a political document to the status of divine mandate risks Christian nationalism and conflates temporal civic duties with eternal spiritual realities.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text replaces the New Testament ethic of unconditional grace and limitless forgiveness with a rigid, legalistic formula that caps forgiveness, demands restitution, and conditions God's love and protection on absolute behavioral perfection.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological chasm between this text and Evangelical Christianity centers on the nature of grace, justification, and Christian ethics. In this revelation, the believer's relationship with God is fundamentally transactional and conditional. The text repeatedly uses 'if/then' constructs regarding salvation and protection: 'if ye will not abide in my covenant, ye are not worthy of me,' and 'if ye observe to do whatsoever I command you, I the Lord will turn away all wrath.' This is a system of works-righteousness that directly violates Sola Fide. It places the burden of worthiness entirely on the shoulders of the adherent, demanding a level of perfection ('observe all things whatsoever I have said') that the biblical Gospel declares impossible for fallen humanity. Furthermore, the text radically alters the Christian ethic of forgiveness. By instituting a mathematical formula—bearing three offenses for multiplied rewards, but forbidding forgiveness on the fourth unrepentant offense until four-fold restitution is made—the text replaces the scandal of unconditional grace with a ledger of legalistic retribution. Christ's command in Matthew 5 to love enemies and pray for persecutors contains no such caveats or limits. The Evangelical understanding of forgiveness is rooted in Ephesians 4:32: 'forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.' Because God's forgiveness of the believer is not capped at three offenses, the believer's forgiveness of others must not be capped. This text's codification of vengeance and conditional forgiveness represents a severe departure from the character of Christ.
For All Ages
Imagine you have a friend who hurts your feelings. Jesus taught in the Bible that we should forgive them over and over again, just like God forgives us when we do wrong. Jesus didn't give us a limit because God's love for us doesn't have a limit. But this text teaches something very different. It says you should keep track of how many times someone hurts you. If they hurt you three times, you bear it. But if they hurt you a fourth time and don't say sorry, you are commanded *not* to forgive them until they pay you back four times as much as they took. This text also says that God will only protect you and think you are 'worthy' if you obey every single rule perfectly. It makes God's love sound like a contract: 'If you do everything right, I will bless you. If you don't, you aren't worthy of me.' Evangelical Christians believe that we can never be perfect enough to earn God's love. That's why Jesus came! Jesus was perfect for us, and when we trust in Him, God gives us His protection and love as a free gift, not as a reward for keeping a perfect score.
Friction Points
Sola Fide / Sola Gratia
The text conditions worthiness, protection from wrath, and eternal life on the believer's ability to 'observe to do whatsoever I command you' and 'abide in my covenant, even unto death.'
Biblical Ethics / Christology
The text commands believers *not* to forgive an unrepentant enemy on the fourth offense, demanding four-fold restitution, which contradicts Christ's unconditional forgiveness.
Sola Scriptura
The text introduces entirely new, highly specific laws regarding war, retaliation, and forgiveness that are absent from the biblical canon, claiming them as direct divine revelation.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Covenant"
In This Text
A two-way promise where God's blessings and the believer's worthiness are strictly contingent upon the believer's ongoing obedience and endurance.
In Evangelicalism
In the New Covenant, it is God's unilateral promise to save, seal, and keep believers by grace through faith in Christ's shed blood.
"Worthy"
In This Text
A status achieved by the believer through enduring persecution, keeping all commandments, and abiding in the covenant.
In Evangelicalism
A status imputed to the believer solely through the righteousness of Christ; no human is inherently worthy.
"Eternal life"
In This Text
A reward granted to those who lay down their lives in the Mormon cause and perfectly abide in the covenant.
In Evangelicalism
The free gift of God given to all who believe in Jesus Christ, defined as knowing the true God.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Attaining 'life eternal', dwelling in the 'many mansions' of the Father's house, and being found 'worthy' of the Lord.
How Attained: By laying down one's life in the cause, abiding in the covenant unto death, forsaking all evil, and living by every word of God.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is highly precarious, based entirely on the believer's ongoing performance, patience in affliction, and strict obedience to all commandments.
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text is diametrically opposed to Sola Fide. It explicitly states, 'if ye will not abide in my covenant, ye are not worthy of me.' In contrast, Ephesians 2:8-9 declares that salvation is by grace through faith, not of works, so that no one may boast. The text's requirement to 'observe all things whatsoever I have said' to turn away wrath is a textbook definition of works-righteousness.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Fear not
- Let your hearts be comforted
- Rejoice evermore
- In every thing give thanks
- Wait patiently on the Lord
- Observe to do all things whatsoever I command
- Befriend the constitutional law of the land
- Seek diligently for honest and wise men
- Observe to uphold good and wise men
- Forsake all evil
- Cleave unto all good
- Live by every word which proceedeth forth out of the mouth of God
- Be not afraid of your enemies
- Renounce war
- Proclaim peace
- Seek diligently to turn the hearts of their children to their fathers
- Let not your hearts be troubled
- Forsake sins, wicked ways, pride, covetousness, and detestable things
- Observe the words of wisdom and eternal life
- Repent
- Bear smiting patiently
- Revile not against enemies
- Seek not revenge
- Warn your enemy in the Lord's name after the third offense
- Lift a standard of peace to an attacking nation three times before battling
- Forgive a repentant enemy until seventy times seven
- Forgive an unrepentant enemy up to three times
- Do not forgive an unrepentant enemy on the fourth trespass
- Bring testimonies of the fourth trespass before the Lord
Implicit Obligations
- Maintain a strict mental or physical ledger of offenses committed by enemies to know when the fourth strike occurs
- Evaluate the sincerity of an enemy's repentance to determine which forgiveness formula applies
- Calculate and demand four-fold restitution from an enemy on the fourth offense before granting forgiveness
- Discern which laws of the land are 'constitutional' and which are 'more or less than these'
Ritual Requirements
- Abide in the covenant (implicitly referring to Mormon ordinances and baptismal promises)
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- In verse 7, the text gives a very specific formula for when to forgive and when not to forgive an enemy. How do you practically keep track of whether someone has offended you three times or four times?
- When Jesus was on the cross, He asked the Father to forgive the people crucifying Him, even though they hadn't repented or offered restitution. How does Christ's example fit with the command here to not forgive on the fourth offense?
- Verse 4 says the Lord will turn away wrath 'if ye observe to do whatsoever I command you.' Do you feel confident that you are observing every single commandment perfectly enough to secure God's protection?
- If our worthiness depends on our ability to abide in the covenant perfectly, how can we ever have peace or assurance that we've done enough?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The deep desire for justice and the heavy burden of enduring persecution.
The text recognizes the real pain of being wronged and the human desire for justice. The Gospel answers this not by giving us a ledger to track offenses, but by pointing to the cross, where God's perfect justice and perfect mercy meet. Because God promises to handle all vengeance perfectly, we are freed from the burden of keeping score and can forgive freely.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text imposes a heavy psychological burden by requiring believers to meticulously track the offenses of others. A believer must calculate whether an attack is the first, second, third, or fourth instance, evaluate the sincerity of the offender's repentance, and demand exact mathematical restitution (four-fold). This turns interpersonal relationships and conflict resolution into a stressful, legalistic accounting process, destroying the freedom of spontaneous grace.
By stating 'if ye observe to do whatsoever I command you, I the Lord will turn away all wrath,' the text places the entire burden of divine protection on the believer's flawless performance. Because no human can perfectly observe all commandments, the sincere adherent is left in a constant state of uncertainty, wondering if their current suffering is due to a hidden sin or a failure to keep a specific rule.