Section 109
Overview
Doctrine and Covenants Section 109 is the dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland Temple, delivered by Joseph Smith on March 27, 1836. Uniquely for a dedicatory prayer, it is canonized as direct revelation. The text serves as a foundational document for Latter-day Saint temple theology, establishing the temple as a necessary conduit for God's power, presence, and ultimate blessings. The prayer petitions God to accept the sacrifices of the Saints who built the structure in poverty, and asks for a Pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit—which LDS history claims subsequently occurred. The text heavily emphasizes the exclusivity of the LDS movement, portraying the Saints as God's sole covenant people who are armed with divine power to gather Israel, redeem Jerusalem, and convert the Native Americans (Lamanites). Furthermore, the prayer contains strong imprecatory elements, pleading with God to pour out wrath and judgment upon the mobs who drove the Saints from Jackson County, Missouri, and to confound all who speak against the church. Theologically, it bridges early Mormonism's focus on Zion-building with its developing emphasis on esoteric temple ordinances, sealing, and exaltation, setting the trajectory for the Nauvoo period.
Key Figures
- Lord God of Israel / Jehovah: The recipient of the prayer, viewed as a covenant-keeping God who demands holiness and a physical house.
- Jesus Christ / Son of Man: The Savior in whose name salvation is administered, expected to physically manifest in the temple.
- Joseph Smith, Jun.: The prophet and intercessor, whose afflictions are presented to God for vindication.
- The Saints / Thy people: The builders of the temple, tasked with warning the world and gathering the righteous.
- The Wicked / Enemies / Mobs: Those who persecuted the Saints in Missouri and spread lying reports, targeted for divine retribution.
- Children of Jacob / Jews / Remnants of Jacob (Lamanites): The scattered covenant people slated for eschatological gathering and conversion.
- Presidents of the church: Leaders specifically prayed for to be exalted with their families.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Temple Necessity and Sanctification
Assertion
A physical temple is required for God to manifest Himself, endow His servants with power, and pour out specific ordained blessings.
Evidence from Text
that the Son of Man might have a place to manifest himself to his people... that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power
Evangelical Comparison
In LDS theology, the temple is not merely a meetinghouse but a literal house of the Lord where esoteric ordinances essential for exaltation are performed. This text establishes the temple as the locus of divine power and angelic protection. In contrast, Evangelical Christianity, based on the New Testament (Hebrews 9, 1 Corinthians 6:19, Ephesians 2:19-22), teaches that the veil was torn at Christ's crucifixion, ending the era of localized, physical temples. God's presence now dwells permanently in every regenerate believer through the Holy Spirit, and power for ministry is not geographically or architecturally bound.
Imprecatory Justice and Divine Retribution
Assertion
God is petitioned to actively curse, confound, and destroy the enemies of the LDS church who have persecuted them or spread negative reports.
Evidence from Text
confound, and astonish, and to bring to shame and confusion, all those who have spread lying reports... swept away by the hail, and by the judgments
Evangelical Comparison
The prayer heavily features requests for God's wrath upon the mobs in Missouri and critics of Joseph Smith. It asks God to smite them, sweep away their works, and waste them 'root and branch' if they do not repent. While this mirrors Old Testament imprecatory prayers, it stands in stark contrast to the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:44) and the apostolic commands to bless those who persecute (Romans 12:14). Evangelicalism emphasizes enduring persecution with grace and leaving vengeance entirely to God, rather than actively praying for the physical destruction of specific contemporary enemies.
Exclusivity of the LDS Church
Assertion
The LDS church is the sole kingdom of God on earth, uniquely bearing His name and authority.
Evidence from Text
that the kingdom, which thou hast set up without hands, may become a great mountain and fill the whole earth... And also this church, to put upon it thy name.
Evangelical Comparison
By applying Daniel 2 to the LDS church, the text asserts that Mormonism is the exclusive, divinely established kingdom that will consume all others. It asks God to put His name specifically upon 'this church.' This violates the Evangelical understanding of the universal priesthood and the invisible church, which holds that the true church is composed of all born-again believers across various denominations, united by faith in Christ, not by institutional affiliation or prophetic succession.
Exaltation and Eternal Progression
Assertion
Faithful leaders and their families can be 'exalted' in God's presence, implying elevation to a higher divine status.
Evidence from Text
Have mercy, O Lord, upon his wife and children, that they may be exalted in thy presence... Remember, O Lord, the presidents... that thy right hand may exalt them
Evangelical Comparison
The use of the term 'exalted' in the context of Joseph Smith's family and church presidents points toward the developing LDS doctrine of Exaltation—the belief that humans can attain the highest degree of the celestial kingdom and become like God. Evangelical theology teaches that while believers will be glorified and made sinless (Romans 8:30), the ontological distinction between the Creator and the created remains forever. God alone is exalted in His nature; humans are saved by grace to worship Him, not to achieve a parallel divine status.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text shifts the locus of God's power and presence from the indwelling Spirit in the believer to a physical building and specific institutional ordinances. It also introduces a works-righteousness paradigm where ultimate blessings depend on human worthiness and covenant-keeping.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The fundamental theological gap lies in the transition from the New Covenant of grace to a restored system of localized worship and conditional covenants. In Evangelical theology, the veil of the temple was torn at Christ's death, signifying that access to God is now direct, universal for believers, and unmediated by physical buildings or exclusive earthly priesthoods (Hebrews 10:19-22). D&C 109 reverses this by re-establishing a physical temple as the necessary conduit for divine power, anointings, and ultimate salvation (exaltation). Furthermore, the text's emphasis on being 'found worthy' (v. 11) and keeping covenants to secure promises introduces a synergistic soteriology that directly conflicts with Sola Fide (justification by faith alone).
For All Ages
Imagine you have a best friend who says, 'I will always be with you, no matter where you go.' That's what Jesus promises Christians—His Spirit lives inside us! But this text says that to really get God's special power and best blessings, you have to build a very special, expensive building called a temple, and you have to be perfectly good to go inside it. It changes God's free gift of being close to us into something we have to earn by following lots of rules and going to a specific place.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
Violated by canonizing a modern prayer as divine revelation.
Universal Priesthood
Violated by requiring a physical temple and exclusive priesthood hierarchy to access God's full power.
New Covenant Ethics
Violated by imprecatory prayers asking for the physical destruction and cursing of enemies.
Sola Fide
Violated by making ultimate blessings contingent on personal worthiness, financial sacrifice, and covenant-keeping.
Theology Proper / Glorification
Violated by the concept of 'exaltation' for leaders and their families, hinting at the LDS doctrine of deification.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Salvation"
In This Text
Often used interchangeably with exaltation or ultimate deliverance, which requires temple ordinances, covenant-keeping, and enduring to the end.
In Evangelicalism
Deliverance from the penalty of sin, granted as a free gift by grace through faith alone, resulting in eternal life.
"Anointing"
In This Text
A specific, literal temple ordinance (initiatory) performed by LDS priesthood holders to seal power upon a person.
In Evangelicalism
The indwelling and empowering of the Holy Spirit given to all believers at the moment of salvation (1 John 2:20, 27).
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Eternal joy, being clothed with robes of righteousness, and exaltation in the presence of God (v. 69, 75-76).
How Attained: Initiated in the name of Jesus Christ (v. 4), but actualized through keeping covenants (v. 1), building temples (v. 5), receiving anointings (v. 35), and maintaining personal worthiness (v. 11, 20).
Basis of Assurance: Adherents find assurance in their standing within the LDS church, their worthiness to enter the temple, and the receipt of priesthood ordinances.
Comparison to Sola Fide: The text explicitly states salvation is in Christ's name alone (v. 4), which sounds evangelical. However, the entire premise of the prayer is that Christ's name and power are administered *through* the temple, its ordinances, and the LDS priesthood. This contradicts Romans 3:28 and Ephesians 2:8-9, which teach that justification is by faith apart from works of the law or ritual ordinances.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Build a house to God's name (v. 2)
- Call a solemn assembly (v. 6)
- Seek learning by study and faith (v. 7, 14)
- Organize and prepare every needful thing (v. 8)
- Repent speedily when transgressing (v. 21)
- Proclaim the word and warn the generation (v. 38, 41)
Implicit Obligations
- Give of one's substance and poverty to fund church projects (v. 5)
- Maintain strict personal worthiness to avoid polluting the temple (v. 20)
- Submit to the authority of the church presidents (v. 71)
Ritual Requirements
- Dedicate the temple (v. 12)
- Perform washings and anointings (implied in v. 35 'anointing of thy ministers be sealed')
- Participate in solemn assemblies with uplifted hands (v. 9, 19)
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- In verse 4, it says salvation is administered in the name of Jesus Christ alone. How do you balance that with the necessity of temple ordinances for exaltation?
- When you read the requests for God to smite and destroy the church's enemies in verses 25-30, how does that fit with Jesus' command in the New Testament to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us?
- If the veil of the temple was torn when Jesus died, opening the way for all believers to enter God's presence directly, why do we need physical temples today to feel His power?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire for God's holy presence (v. 12).
The deep human longing to be in God's presence is valid and beautiful. The Gospel fulfills this not by requiring us to build a flawless building, but by God making *us* His dwelling place through the Holy Spirit.
The need for a sacrifice to build God's house (v. 5).
The Saints sacrificed greatly to build the temple. We can bridge this to the ultimate sacrifice—Christ giving of His own life and blood to build His church, purchasing us out of our spiritual poverty.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text repeatedly emphasizes being 'found worthy' (v. 11) and ensuring 'no unclean thing' enters the temple (v. 20). This places a heavy burden of perfectionism on the believer. If they do not feel God's power or receive the promised blessings, the implication is that they have transgressed or are unworthy, leading to a constant cycle of striving and anxiety over their spiritual standing.
The intense focus on enemies, mobs, and lying reports (v. 25-30) cultivates an 'us vs. them' mentality. Believers may feel inherently isolated from the broader society, viewing outsiders with suspicion or as potential agents of wickedness. This can create a fearful and defensive posture toward the non-LDS world.