Section 98
Overview
Section 98 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (known as Section 104 in the modern LDS edition) represents a critical juncture in early Mormon economic and ecclesiastical history. Given in April 1834, the revelation addresses the collapse of the 'United Firm' (or United Order), a consecration-based communal economic system that bound the church leaders in Kirtland, Ohio, with those in Jackson County, Missouri. Due to severe financial debt, internal disobedience ('covetousness and feigned words'), and the violent expulsion of the Saints from Missouri, this revelation officially dissolves the overarching joint order. Instead, it reorganizes the Kirtland assets, assigning specific properties—such as the printing office, tannery, ashery, and store—as individual 'stewardships' to key leaders like Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Newel K. Whitney. Notably, the 1835 publication of this text utilized elaborate pseudonyms (e.g., Enoch, Pelagoram, Shinehah) to obscure the identities of the men and properties from hostile creditors, a textual feature of significant historical interest. Theologically, the text intertwines temporal economic management with eternal spiritual standing, warning that those who break this financial covenant will face the 'buffetings of Satan' and that those who fail to care for the poor will lift up their eyes in hell. It establishes two treasuries—one for sacred printing and one for general business—and concludes with a divine promise of deliverance from their crushing debts if they remain humble and faithful.
Key Figures
- Enoch / Gazelam (Joseph Smith): The prophet receiving the revelation, assigned specific lots and ultimate directive authority over the order.
- Pelagoram (Sidney Rigdon): First Counselor, assigned the tannery (Tahhanes) and his residence for his support.
- Mahemson (Martin Harris): Financial backer, assigned a lot and commanded to devote his money to proclaiming the word.
- Zombre (John Johnson): Assigned his house and commanded to sell lots to build the city.
- Shederlaomach (Frederick G. Williams): Second Counselor, assigned his dwelling and joint stewardship of the printing office.
- Olihah (Oliver Cowdery): Assigned lots and joint stewardship of the printing office (Lane-shine-house).
- Ahashdah (Newel K. Whitney): Bishop, assigned the store (Ozondah) and ashery (Shule) to manage for the order.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Stewardship and Consecration
Assertion
All earthly property belongs to the Lord, and individuals act as accountable stewards who must impart their wealth to the poor or face eternal damnation.
Evidence from Text
Therefore if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor, and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment.
Evangelical Comparison
In this text, the doctrine of stewardship is elevated from a general principle of Christian living to a strict requirement for eternal salvation. The text explicitly states that failing to impart one's portion according to this specific 'law of my gospel' results in literal hellfire. This creates a system where eternal destiny is directly tied to financial generosity and compliance with a church-run economic order. Evangelical Christianity, based on Sola Fide, teaches that salvation is a free gift of grace received through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). While evangelicals strongly affirm the biblical mandate to care for the poor (1 John 3:17) and view stewardship as an act of worship and obedience, they vehemently deny that financial works or property consecration can earn salvation or that failing in these areas results in a loss of justification. A believer's standing before God is secured by Christ's perfect righteousness, not their economic stewardship.
The Buffetings of Satan
Assertion
Covenant breakers and transgressors within the church are delivered over to Satan for torment in this life until the day of redemption.
Evidence from Text
inasmuch as ye are cut off by transgression, ye cannot escape the buffetings of satan until the day of redemption.
Evangelical Comparison
The text introduces a concept where individuals who break the economic covenant of the United Order are 'cut off' and delivered to the 'buffetings of satan until the day of redemption.' In Mormon theology, this implies a period of intense spiritual and physical torment necessary to satisfy justice for sins that are not covered by the immediate application of Christ's atonement, acting as a form of temporal purgatory. Evangelical Christianity interprets Paul's instruction to 'deliver such a one to Satan' (1 Corinthians 5:5) as the removal of a rebellious believer from the protective fellowship of the church, with the goal of bringing them to repentance. However, Evangelicals reject any notion that a believer must suffer the 'buffetings of Satan' to earn or complete their redemption. Christ's sacrifice was 'once for all' (Hebrews 10:10), and there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). The idea that a believer must suffer torment to achieve redemption denies the sufficiency of the cross.
Conditional Multiplicity of Blessings
Assertion
God multiplies blessings upon individuals and their descendants strictly contingent upon their faithfulness to their assigned economic stewardships.
Evidence from Text
inasmuch as he is faithful in keeping my commandments, which I have given unto him, I will multiply blessings upon him, and his seed after him, even a multiplicity of blessings.
Evangelical Comparison
Throughout the text, God promises a 'multiplicity of blessings' to various church leaders, but these promises are strictly conditional ('inasmuch as he is faithful'). The faithfulness required here is specifically tied to managing real estate, running businesses (like the tannery or printing press), and submitting to the council of the order. This creates a transactional relationship with God based on administrative performance. Evangelical Christianity teaches that while God may choose to bless obedience temporally, all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places have already been given to believers in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3). God's favor and blessing are rooted in His grace and our union with Christ, not in our successful management of church-assigned properties. The transactional nature of this text places a heavy burden of performance on the believer.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text conflates temporal economic systems with eternal salvation, making eternal destiny contingent upon participation in a specific church-run financial order.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between this text and historical Evangelicalism is profound, primarily centering on the nature of salvation and the sufficiency of Christ's atonement. In this text, eternal destiny is inextricably linked to a believer's participation in a specific, 19th-century communal economic system. The text explicitly warns that failing to impart one's property according to the 'law of my gospel' will result in the believer lifting up their eyes in hell. Furthermore, it asserts that those who break this financial covenant will be handed over to the 'buffetings of Satan' until the day of redemption, implying a purgatorial state of torment necessary to expiate sins that Christ's blood apparently did not cover. Evangelical Christianity, grounded in Sola Fide and Solus Christus, vehemently rejects this paradigm. The biblical Gospel asserts that justification is a free gift of grace received through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:4-5), entirely apart from works of the law, let alone compliance with a church-mandated real estate and wealth-redistribution scheme. Furthermore, the evangelical understanding of the atonement is that Christ's sacrifice was 'once for all' (Hebrews 10:10-14). There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1), and believers are not handed over to Satan to suffer for their own redemption. By conflating temporal financial obedience with eternal salvation, this text replaces the finished work of Christ with a burdensome system of works-righteousness and communal legalism.
For All Ages
Imagine if your church told you that to go to heaven, you had to give all your money and property to the church's business, and if you didn't, you would be punished by Satan. In this text, God is supposedly setting up a real estate business and telling people that if they don't follow the rules of this business, they will go to hell. But the Bible teaches that we are saved only by believing in Jesus and what He did for us on the cross, not by how well we manage property or follow a church's financial rules. Jesus paid our spiritual debt completely, so we don't have to earn our way to heaven by giving our money to a church business.
Friction Points
Sola Fide
Salvation and escaping hell are explicitly tied to imparting property according to the 'law of my gospel' (the United Order).
Sola Scriptura
Adds new revelation dictating temporal business affairs and real estate transactions as the infallible word of God.
Christology (Sufficiency of Atonement)
Asserts that transgressors must suffer the 'buffetings of satan until the day of redemption,' implying Christ's atonement is insufficient without personal suffering.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Salvation"
In This Text
Temporal deliverance from financial debt and eternal exaltation tied to obedience to the United Order.
In Evangelicalism
Deliverance from the penalty of sin through faith in Christ alone.
"Covenant"
In This Text
A specific financial and property agreement among church leaders.
In Evangelicalism
God's redemptive promises, culminating in the New Covenant in Christ's blood.
"Stewardship"
In This Text
Specific real estate or business assigned by the prophet for the benefit of the church.
In Evangelicalism
General faithful management of one's life, gifts, and resources for God's glory.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Deliverance from temporal bondage (debt) and receiving a 'crown of glory' at God's right hand.
How Attained: By keeping the covenant of the order, being a faithful steward, and imparting wealth to the poor.
Basis of Assurance: Remaining in 'full fellowship' and being deemed a wise steward by the council of the order.
Comparison to Sola Fide: The text explicitly states that failing to impart property according to this specific law results in lifting up one's eyes in hell. This is a direct works-righteousness system, contrasting sharply with Romans 4:4-5 and Ephesians 2:8-9, where salvation is a free gift apart from works.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Organize yourselves and appoint every man his stewardship.
- Give an account unto the Lord of the appointed stewardship.
- Impart a portion of abundance to the poor and needy.
- Dissolve the united order binding Kirtland and Zion.
- Prepare a place for a sacred treasury and consecrate it.
- Appoint one to keep the treasury and ordain him to this blessing.
- Deliver all sacred things into the sacred treasury.
- Prepare a second treasury for general moneys and appoint a treasurer.
- Cast all profits (talents) into the treasury.
- Pay all your debts.
- Humble yourselves and exercise the prayer of faith.
- Write speedily to creditors in New York (Cainhannoch).
Implicit Obligations
- Submit entirely to the 'voice of the order' (the consensus of the church council).
- Relinquish personal ownership claims over assigned properties and profits.
- Maintain absolute loyalty to the Prophet's (Gazelam's) directives regarding property.
Ritual Requirements
- Ordain the keeper of the sacred treasury to a specific blessing.
- Place a physical or spiritual 'seal' upon the treasuries that cannot be loosed except by the voice of the order.
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- I noticed this revelation uses code names like 'Pelagoram' and 'Shinehah.' Why do you think God would use pseudonyms in a revelation, and how do you feel about the fact that they were added later to hide from creditors?
- In verse 2, it says a person will go to hell if they don't impart their portion according to this specific law. How does this fit with the idea that salvation is a free gift of grace?
- If the United Order was established as an 'everlasting order' in earlier revelations, why did it have to be dissolved here?
- How do you find peace when the requirements for exaltation are so heavily tied to perfect obedience and stewardship?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The crushing weight of debt and the need for deliverance.
Just as the early LDS leaders were drowning in financial debt and desperately needed a deliverer, we are all drowning in spiritual debt due to our sin. Jesus Christ is the ultimate deliverer who pays our unpayable spiritual debt.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The constant pressure to manage earthly stewardships perfectly, knowing that failure could result in being cursed, trodden down, and deemed an 'unwise steward' by the church council.
The explicit threat of lifting up one's eyes in hell for failing to impart property adequately, creating a fear-based motivation for generosity rather than a grace-based one.
The requirement to cast all profits into a communal treasury and relinquish personal ownership claims, creating immense financial stress and dependence on the church hierarchy.