Section 97
Overview
Given in December 1833, this text (known as D&C 101 in the modern LDS edition) serves as a theodicy to explain a profound crisis in early Mormonism: the violent expulsion of the Saints from Jackson County, Missouri, which had been designated by Joseph Smith as the physical location of the New Jerusalem (Zion). The revelation explains that God allowed this affliction as a chastisement for the Saints' internal sins, including contention, envy, and covetousness. Despite this discipline, God promises that the geographical location of Zion remains unchanged and that the 'pure in heart' will eventually return to build it. The text blends sweeping eschatological promises of the Millennium—where enmity ceases, infants live to the age of a tree and are translated without tasting death, and Satan is bound—with highly practical, immediate directives. It commands the Saints to continue purchasing land in Missouri, to retain ownership of specific properties like Sidney Gilbert's storehouse, and to aggressively seek legal redress through the United States judicial and executive systems. To justify this political engagement, the text introduces the doctrine that the U.S. Constitution is a divinely inspired document, established by God through 'wise men' to protect moral agency. Through parables (the nobleman's vineyard and the unjust judge), the text frames the Saints' failure to build a commanded temple as the reason for their vulnerability, while promising divine vengeance upon the nation if the government fails to restore their rights.
Key Figures
- The Lord: The first-person speaker of the text, asserting sovereignty over the Saints' afflictions, demanding obedience, and promising future eschatological restoration.
- Abraham: Cited as an archetype of enduring severe divine chastening and trial to achieve sanctification.
- Satan: Mentioned as an entity who will lose all power to tempt mankind during the future millennial day.
- The Nobleman (Parable): Represents God, who commands the building of Zion and demands an explanation for the servants' failure.
- The Servants (Parable): Represent the early Latter-day Saints who questioned God's commands (specifically building a tower/temple) and were consequently scattered by enemies.
- The Enemy (Parable): Represents the Missouri mobs who drove the Saints from their lands and destroyed their settlements.
- Wise Men: The founding fathers of the United States, whom the text claims God specifically raised up to establish the Constitution.
- Sidney Gilbert: An early Mormon merchant explicitly commanded by God not to sell the Lord's storehouse to their enemies.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Divine Chastisement for Collective Sin
Assertion
God allows physical persecution and the loss of promised lands as a direct punishment for the internal sins (contention, covetousness) of the faith community.
Evidence from Text
I the Lord have suffered the affliction to come upon them, wherewith they have been afflicted in consequence of their transgressions... there were jarrings, and contentions, and envyings, and strifes, and lustful and covetous desires among them; therefore by these things they polluted their inheritances.
Evangelical Comparison
In Evangelical theology, divine discipline is a reality for the believer (Hebrews 12:5-11), intended for sanctification and spiritual growth. However, this text links the collective sins of the Mormon community directly to their violent expulsion from a specific geographic location (Jackson County, Missouri), which they believed to be the literal New Jerusalem. The text asserts that their 'inheritances' were polluted by their behavior. This creates a highly localized, physical manifestation of divine favor or wrath, contrasting with the New Testament focus on a spiritual inheritance kept in heaven that cannot perish, spoil, or fade (1 Peter 1:4).
Millennial Translation
Assertion
During the Millennium, death will cease; infants will live to old age and then be instantly transformed into a glorious state without being buried in the earth.
Evidence from Text
In that day an infant shall not die until he is old, and his life shall be as the age of a tree, and when he dies he shall not sleep, (that is to say in the earth,) but shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and shall be caught up, and his rest shall be glorious.
Evangelical Comparison
The text synthesizes imagery from Isaiah 65 (living to the age of a tree) with Paul's description of the rapture/resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15 (changed in the twinkling of an eye) to create a novel doctrine about the mechanics of life and death during the Millennium. It asserts that people will live out a full mortal lifespan and then be instantly translated or resurrected without their bodies resting in the grave. While Evangelicals hold various views on the Millennium (Premillennial, Amillennial, Postmillennial), the specific assertion that all inhabitants will experience this exact process of aging and instant translation is an extra-biblical addition that violates Sola Scriptura.
Celestial Glory by Works
Assertion
Eternal life and celestial glory are granted as a reward based on an individual's works.
Evidence from Text
...that the wheat may be secured in the garners to possess eternal life, and be crowned with celestial glory when I shall come in the kingdom of my Father, to reward every man according as his work shall be...
Evangelical Comparison
The text explicitly links the possession of 'eternal life' and being 'crowned with celestial glory' to a system where God will 'reward every man according as his work shall be.' In Evangelical theology, while believers will face a judgment of works for heavenly rewards (the Bema Seat, 2 Corinthians 5:10), eternal life itself is strictly a free gift of grace received by faith alone, entirely apart from works (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:4-5). By making eternal life and the highest tier of heaven (celestial glory) contingent upon works, the text fundamentally alters the biblical Gospel of grace.
Divine Inspiration of the U.S. Constitution
Assertion
The United States Constitution was established by God through men He specifically raised up, for the purpose of protecting moral agency.
Evidence from Text
And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.
Evangelical Comparison
This text elevates the United States Constitution to a level of divine establishment, claiming God specifically raised up the founders to write it to protect moral agency. While Evangelical Christians generally respect the Constitution and may believe God providentially guided history, they strictly maintain that only the 66 books of the Bible are divinely inspired (theopneustos, 2 Timothy 3:16). Elevating a secular political document to the status of divine establishment blurs the line between sacred scripture and human government, and localizes God's ultimate plans to American political history.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text intertwines spiritual salvation with geographical location, economic purchases, and political action, while introducing a works-based reward system for celestial glory.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between this text and Evangelical Christianity centers on the nature of the Kingdom of God, the basis of salvation, and the sufficiency of Scripture. In this text, the Kingdom of God is heavily materialized and localized; it is tied to specific real estate in Jackson County, Missouri, requiring financial purchase, political lobbying, and potential military action ('take all the strength of mine house... break down the walls of mine enemies') to secure. This directly conflicts with Christ's declaration that His kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36) and the Evangelical understanding of the Church as a spiritual body. Furthermore, the text explicitly conditions 'celestial glory' on a works-based metric ('to reward every man according as his work shall be'), which violates the Evangelical pillar of Sola Fide (Ephesians 2:8-9). While Evangelicals believe in rewards for believers, eternal life and heavenly glory are strictly gifts of grace. Finally, the text asserts divine authority over contemporary political documents (the U.S. Constitution) and dictates specific economic actions, expanding the scope of binding revelation far beyond the closed canon of the Bible, thus violating Sola Scriptura.
For All Ages
Imagine you are playing a game where the rules say if you just trust the team captain, you win. That's what the Bible teaches about Jesus—we trust Him, and He gives us the victory for free. But this text says you have to buy specific pieces of land, fight off enemies, and do a lot of hard work to get the best prize. It makes the prize depend on how well you follow a long list of instructions, rather than just trusting what Jesus already did.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
Adds new parables, eschatological mechanics, and binding commands regarding real estate and politics as the direct voice of God.
Sola Fide
Conditions eternal life and celestial glory on a reward system based on works.
Nature of the Kingdom
Conflates the spiritual Kingdom of God with a physical, political, and economic settlement in Missouri.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Zion"
In This Text
A specific geographic location in Jackson County, Missouri, to be purchased with money and built up physically.
In Evangelicalism
Historically refers to Jerusalem; theologically refers to the heavenly city or the spiritual body of Christ's Church (Hebrews 12:22).
"Celestial Glory"
In This Text
The highest tier of heaven, awarded based on an individual's works and obedience.
In Evangelicalism
Heavenly glory generally, which is granted to all justified believers by grace through faith.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Being saved in the day of wrath, possessing eternal life, and being crowned with celestial glory.
How Attained: By enduring chastening, gathering to Zion, keeping covenants, and accumulating righteous works.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is based on obedience to prophetic directives, maintaining purity of heart, and enduring persecution.
Comparison to Sola Fide: The text explicitly states that God will 'reward every man according as his work shall be' to possess eternal life and celestial glory. This stands in direct opposition to Sola Fide, which teaches that salvation is 'not a result of works, so that no one may boast' (Ephesians 2:9).
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Be still, and know that I am God
- Gather together and stand in holy places
- Prepare for the revelation which is to come
- Fear not even unto death
- Care not for the body, neither the life of the body; but care for the soul
- Seek the face of the Lord always
- Gather together the residue of my servants (applied from parable)
- Continue to gather together unto the places which I have appointed
- Let not your gathering be in haste, nor by flight
- Observe the commandments... to purchase all the lands by money
- Gather together all their moneys
- Let honorable men be appointed, even wise men, and send them to purchase these lands
- Continue to importune for redress, and redemption
- Importune at the feet of the Judge
- Importune at the feet of the governor
- Importune at the feet of the President
- Pray ye therefore, that their ears may be opened unto your cries
- Sidney Gilbert must not sell the store house to enemies
- Claim, and hold claim, upon that which I have appointed unto them
Implicit Obligations
- Endure divine chastening without denying God
- Maintain purity of heart to be worthy of returning to Zion
- Obey prophetic directives regarding land and finances without questioning (unlike the servants in the parable)
- Participate in the collective financial effort to redeem Zion
Ritual Requirements
- Worship God according to the everlasting gospel
- Covenant with an everlasting covenant
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- How do you reconcile the promise that Zion would not be moved out of her place with the historical fact that the Saints were permanently driven from Jackson County?
- When the text says we are rewarded with celestial glory 'according as his work shall be,' how does that compare to Paul's teaching in Ephesians 2 that salvation is a free gift?
- Why do you think God used the parable of the nobleman to command a physical, military-like redemption of the land ('take all the strength of mine house... break down the walls of mine enemies')?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The Nobleman's Vineyard
Just as the nobleman bought the vineyard, Christ bought us with a price. However, we do not need to fight physical battles to reclaim earthly land; Christ has already secured our eternal, heavenly inheritance through His blood.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text places a heavy burden on the community by asserting that their internal sins (even thoughts like covetousness) caused the loss of God's promised blessings and physical safety. Believers must constantly monitor their behavior and 'endure chastening' to prove they are 'pure in heart' enough to return to Zion.
By explicitly tying eternal life and celestial glory to a reward based on works, the text strips the believer of the assurance found in Christ's finished work, leaving them on a treadmill of performance to earn the highest degree of heaven.