Section 29
Overview
Doctrine and Covenants Section 29 is a foundational eschatological and theological text in early Mormonism, dictated by Joseph Smith in September 1830. It serves as a sweeping narrative of God's plan, bridging the pre-mortal past, the fallen present, and the apocalyptic future. The text begins with a declaration of Christ's atonement and a call for the early Saints to gather the elect in preparation for imminent tribulations and the Second Coming. It vividly describes apocalyptic judgments—a darkened sun, weeping, hailstorms, and plagues—culminating in Christ's millennial reign where the original Twelve Apostles will judge the house of Israel. Beyond eschatology, the revelation introduces distinct Mormon theological concepts: the pre-mortal rebellion of Satan, who drew away a third of the hosts of heaven; the assertion that all commandments are inherently spiritual rather than temporal; and a unique view of the Fall of Adam. In this text, the Fall is framed not merely as a tragic rebellion, but as a necessary step for human agency, asserting that without the 'bitter,' humanity could not know the 'sweet.' Finally, it addresses the soteriological status of little children, declaring them redeemed from the foundation of the world and immune to Satan's temptations until the age of accountability. For believers, this text provides a comprehensive worldview that emphasizes human agency, the necessity of obedience, and the urgency of gathering before the end times.
Key Figures
- Jesus Christ: The speaker of the text, identified as the Redeemer, Great I Am, and Advocate, who will return in glory to judge the earth.
- The Father: The supreme authority who decrees the gathering and gives the kingdom to the flock.
- The Twelve Apostles (at Jerusalem): Prophesied to stand at Christ's right hand and judge the whole house of Israel.
- Ezekiel: An Old Testament prophet cited as having foretold the destruction of the great and abominable church.
- Michael, the archangel: Tasked with sounding the trump to initiate the resurrection of the dead.
- Adam: The first man, created as an agent unto himself, who transgressed and brought about spiritual and temporal death.
- The devil (Satan): A pre-mortal rebel who sought God's honor, drew away a third of the hosts, and tempted Adam to enable human agency.
- Little children: A demographic explicitly declared redeemed from the foundation of the world and immune to Satan's temptation until accountable.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
The Necessity of the Fall for Agency
Assertion
The devil had to tempt humanity so they could be agents, and experiencing the 'bitter' is necessary to know the 'sweet.'
Evidence from Text
And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet— (v. 39)
Evangelical Comparison
In D&C 29, the Fall of Adam is presented as a necessary mechanism to activate human agency. Verse 39 states, 'it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet.' This implies that God's design required Satan's temptation and Adam's subsequent transgression for humanity to experience moral progression and exercise true free will. The Fall is thus viewed as a downward, yet ultimately forward, step in the eternal progression of mankind. This stands in stark contrast to the Evangelical Christian understanding of the Fall. Biblically, the Fall was a catastrophic rebellion against a holy God, bringing sin, death, and condemnation to the human race (Romans 5:12). God did not need Adam to sin in order for Adam to have free will; Adam already possessed the capacity to obey or disobey. Furthermore, the idea that one must experience evil ('the bitter') to understand good ('the sweet') contradicts the nature of God Himself, who is perfectly good and knows no evil (1 John 1:5, James 1:13). Evangelicals view the Fall as an unmitigated tragedy that required the radical intervention of Christ's substitutionary death to reconcile humanity to God, not as a strategic necessity for human development.
Pre-mortal Rebellion
Assertion
Satan existed before Adam, rebelled to take God's honor, and drew away a third of the hosts of heaven because of their agency.
Evidence from Text
for, behold, the devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency; (v. 36)
Evangelical Comparison
D&C 29:36 introduces the concept that Satan and the 'hosts of heaven' existed before Adam and possessed agency. Satan rebelled, seeking God's honor and power, and drew away a 'third part of the hosts of heaven... because of their agency.' In Mormon theology, this event occurred in a pre-mortal existence where all human spirits lived with God before being born on earth. The spirits who followed Satan became demons, while those who remained faithful earned the right to receive physical bodies on earth. Evangelical Christianity rejects the doctrine of the pre-mortal existence of human souls. The Bible teaches that human beings are created beings whose existence begins at conception (Zechariah 12:1, Psalm 139:13-16). The 'hosts of heaven' referred to in biblical passages like Revelation 12:4 are understood strictly as angelic beings, not the pre-existent spirits of humans. The Evangelical view maintains a sharp ontological distinction between the Creator and the creature, and between angels and humans. The Mormon conflation of angels, demons, and human spirits into a single species of eternal intelligences fundamentally alters the biblical doctrines of creation, anthropology, and the unique nature of humanity as created in the imago Dei (Genesis 1:27).
Conditional Forgiveness
Assertion
Forgiveness of sins is granted but is contingent upon ceasing from sin to avoid future perils.
Evidence from Text
Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that at this time your sins are forgiven you, therefore ye receive these things; but remember to sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you. (v. 3)
Evangelical Comparison
In verse 3, the text grants forgiveness to the listeners but immediately attaches a severe condition: 'remember to sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you.' This establishes a paradigm where forgiveness is a temporary state that must be maintained through perfect obedience. If the believer sins again, they are threatened with 'perils,' implying a loss of their justified standing before God. Evangelical Christianity teaches that justification is a one-time, forensic act of God where He declares the sinner righteous based solely on the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ (Romans 4:5, 2 Corinthians 5:21). While Christians are called to pursue holiness and will experience the loving discipline of a Father when they sin (Hebrews 12:6), their fundamental standing as forgiven and adopted children of God is secure and cannot be lost through subsequent failures (Romans 8:1, 38-39). The demand to 'sin no more' to avoid 'perils' places the burden of salvation back onto the believer's performance, directly contradicting Sola Fide.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text introduces the pre-mortal existence of human spirits, redefines the Fall as a necessary step for moral agency, and conditions ongoing forgiveness on ceasing from sin.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between D&C 29 and Evangelical Christianity is profound, centering primarily on anthropology, hamartiology (the study of sin), and soteriology. First, the text redefines the nature of the Fall. By asserting that 'it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men... for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet' (v. 39), the text posits a dualistic necessity for evil. It frames Adam's transgression not as a catastrophic moral failure that plunged humanity into total depravity (Romans 5:12, Ephesians 2:1-3), but as a utilitarian necessity for the activation of moral agency. This violates the evangelical understanding of God's absolute holiness and the biblical assertion that God does not tempt anyone, nor does He require evil to accomplish His perfect will (James 1:13). Secondly, the text introduces the doctrine of pre-mortal existence. Verse 36 speaks of the devil drawing away a third part of the hosts of heaven 'because of their agency.' In the broader context of Mormon theology, these hosts include the pre-existent spirits of humanity. This contradicts the biblical doctrine of creation ex nihilo and the specific creation of the human soul at conception (Zechariah 12:1). It blurs the Creator-creature distinction by elevating human origins to the pre-mortal, eternal realm. Finally, the text's soteriology subtly undermines Sola Fide (Justification by Faith Alone). While verse 1 speaks of Christ's arm of mercy atoning for sins, verse 3 immediately conditions this forgiveness on future perfection: 'at this time your sins are forgiven you... but remember to sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you.' Furthermore, verse 12 states that the Apostles will judge 'as many as have loved me and kept my commandments, and none else.' This introduces a works-righteousness paradigm where ultimate salvation and standing before God are contingent upon the believer's ability to maintain obedience, directly contradicting the evangelical assurance that justification is a one-time, forensic declaration based solely on the imputed righteousness of Christ (Romans 4:5, 8:1).
For All Ages
Imagine you are playing a game where the rules are perfectly set up for you to win, but you decide to break the rules anyway. In traditional Christianity, when Adam and Eve broke God's rule in the Garden of Eden, it was a terrible mistake that broke their relationship with God. It brought sadness, sickness, and death into the world. God had to send Jesus to rescue us because we couldn't fix the broken rules ourselves. We believe God is completely good, and He didn't want or need us to do bad things just to learn what good things are. However, in this text from the Doctrine and Covenants, the story is told a bit differently. It says that Adam and Eve *had* to be tempted by the devil and break the rule so they could learn the difference between good and bad (the 'bitter' and the 'sweet'). It teaches that making that mistake was actually a necessary step for them to grow up and make their own choices. This creates a big difference in how we see God and sin. Christians believe sin is always an enemy that God hates, and the Fall was a tragedy that Jesus had to conquer. The Mormon text teaches that the Fall was actually part of God's plan to help us grow. Also, this text says that if you want to be forgiven, you have to 'sin no more' or bad things will happen to you. But the Bible teaches that we are saved by simply trusting in Jesus (faith alone), not by perfectly stopping all our sins, because Jesus already paid the full price for our mistakes!
Friction Points
Hamartiology / Nature of God
Teaching that evil/temptation is necessary for moral agency and that the Fall was a required step in God's plan.
Sola Scriptura
Adding new revelation and putting new words into the mouth of Jesus Christ.
Anthropology / Creation
Blurring the line between angels and humans by implying a shared pre-mortal existence where agency was exercised before earthly creation.
Sola Fide / Justification
Conditioning ongoing forgiveness and final judgment on keeping commandments and sinning no more.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Spiritual Death"
In This Text
Separation from God's presence due to the Fall (v. 41), which Mormonism teaches is overcome for everyone through the resurrection.
In Evangelicalism
Being dead in trespasses and sins, alienated from the life of God, requiring spiritual rebirth (regeneration) through the Holy Spirit.
"Hell"
In This Text
A place prepared for the devil and his angels (v. 38), but in broader Mormon theology, often refers to a temporary 'spirit prison' or a state of mental anguish, with very few going to eternal outer darkness.
In Evangelicalism
The eternal, conscious punishment for all who die outside of faith in Jesus Christ.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Eternal life, being gathered on the right hand, and receiving a crown of righteousness.
How Attained: Through faith on the name of the Only Begotten Son, repentance, keeping commandments, and enduring (sinning no more).
Basis of Assurance: Hearing Christ's voice, gathering with the elect, and successfully keeping the commandments.
Comparison to Sola Fide: Verse 12 says the Twelve will judge 'as many as have loved me and kept my commandments, and none else.' This adds works and commandment-keeping to faith as a requirement for standing on the right hand, contrasting sharply with Romans 4:5, which states that God justifies the ungodly by faith apart from works.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ (v. 1)
- Hearken to my voice (v. 2)
- Humble themselves before me (v. 2)
- Call upon me in mighty prayer (v. 2)
- Remember to sin no more (v. 3)
- Declare my gospel with the sound of rejoicing (v. 4)
- Lift up your hearts and be glad (v. 5)
- Ask in faith, being united in prayer (v. 6)
- Bring to pass the gathering of mine elect (v. 7)
- Repent (v. 49)
Implicit Obligations
- Accept Joseph Smith as the legitimate mouthpiece for the voice of Jesus Christ.
- Prepare physically and spiritually for imminent apocalyptic events.
- View the physical gathering as a necessary component of spiritual safety.
Ritual Requirements
- While no specific liturgical rites are detailed, the command to 'gather' (v. 8) implies physical relocation and community organization under prophetic authority.
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- How do you understand the command in verse 3 to 'sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you'? Does that affect your assurance of forgiveness?
- Verse 39 says the devil had to tempt man so they could be agents. How does this compare to James 1:13-14, which says God tempts no one and cannot be tempted by evil?
- If the Fall was necessary for us to know the 'sweet,' how do we understand God's original command in the Garden not to eat the fruit?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire to be gathered and protected.
Jesus expressed this exact sentiment over Jerusalem. We can use this shared imagery to discuss how Christ protects us—not by gathering us to a specific geographic location to hide from tribulation, but by covering us with His righteousness on the cross, shielding us from the wrath of God.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The command to 'sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you' (v. 3) places a heavy burden of perfectionism on the believer. It removes the assurance of salvation, making God's continued favor contingent on the believer's ability to completely eradicate sin from their life, leading to constant anxiety and fear of divine retribution.
Teaching that the devil *had* to tempt man (v. 39) forces the believer to view evil and Satan's actions as a necessary, almost sanctioned, part of God's plan. This can create confusion about God's holiness and His absolute opposition to sin.