Section 33
Overview
Doctrine and Covenants Section 33 is a revelation dictated by Joseph Smith in October 1830, shortly after the formal organization of the Latter-day Saint church. Addressed to Ezra Thayre and Northrop Sweet, the text serves as a missionary mandate, commanding them to preach to a 'crooked and perverse generation.' The text makes several profound theological claims that sharply distinguish early Mormonism from orthodox Christianity. First, it asserts a 'Great Apostasy,' claiming that the Lord's vineyard has 'become corrupted every whit' and that existing religious leaders operate by 'priestcrafts' with 'corrupt minds.' Second, it positions the newly formed LDS Church as the sole authorized body 'called forth out of the wilderness' to gather the elect in the 'eleventh hour.' Third, it outlines a specific soteriology that requires faith, water baptism for the remission of sins, the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and strict adherence to 'church articles and covenants.' The revelation heavily appropriates King James Version biblical phraseology—quoting from Hebrews, Matthew, John, and Acts—recontextualizing these ancient passages as the direct, first-person voice of Jesus Christ speaking in 1830. It also elevates the Book of Mormon to the status of 'holy scriptures,' explicitly adding to the biblical canon.
Key Figures
- The Lord God / Jesus Christ: The claimed first-person speaker of the text, asserting authority to command, judge, and establish His church.
- Ezra Thayre: An early convert commanded to act as a laborer/missionary in the 'eleventh hour.'
- Northrop Sweet: An early convert commanded alongside Ezra to preach, baptize, and confirm.
- Nephi: An ancient Book of Mormon prophet cited as an archetype of boldness and obedience for the missionaries to emulate.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Total Apostasy
Assertion
The text claims that all existing Christianity has become entirely corrupt, practicing priestcraft, and that no one does good except a few.
Evidence from Text
And my vineyard has become corrupted every whit; and there is none which doeth good save it be a few; and they err in many instances because of priestcrafts, all having corrupt minds.
Evangelical Comparison
The doctrine of the Great Apostasy is foundational to Mormonism, as it creates the necessity for a 'Restoration' through Joseph Smith. D&C 33:4 asserts that the vineyard is 'corrupted every whit' and attributes this to 'priestcrafts' (a term often used in LDS literature to disparage paid Christian clergy). In contrast, Evangelical Christianity holds to the doctrine of the Preservation of the Church. While acknowledging historical periods of corruption and the need for reformation, Evangelicals believe the true, invisible Church—the body of all true believers—has never ceased to exist. Christ's promise in Matthew 16:18 guarantees the Church's survival, making a complete corruption and subsequent 19th-century restoration theologically incompatible with biblical ecclesiology.
Baptismal Regeneration and Ordinance Necessity
Assertion
Water baptism and the physical laying on of hands are absolute requirements for the remission of sins and the reception of the Holy Ghost.
Evidence from Text
Yea, repent and be baptized, every one of you, for a remission of your sins... And whoso having faith you shall confirm in my church, by the laying on of the hands, and I will bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost upon them.
Evangelical Comparison
D&C 33 explicitly links the remission of sins to the act of water baptism (v. 11) and the reception of the Holy Ghost to the physical laying on of hands by authorized LDS priesthood holders (v. 15). Furthermore, verse 14 mandates keeping 'church articles and covenants.' This creates a soteriology of faith plus works/ordinances. Evangelical Christianity strictly adheres to Sola Fide (Faith Alone). According to Ephesians 2:8-9 and Romans 4:5, justification is a forensic declaration by God based solely on the imputed righteousness of Christ, received by faith apart from any works, rituals, or sacraments. The Holy Spirit is given at the moment of belief (Ephesians 1:13), not mediated through the hands of a human priesthood.
Open Canon / Sola Scriptura Denial
Assertion
The Book of Mormon is elevated to the status of holy scripture alongside the Bible, and the text of D&C 33 itself is presented as direct, binding revelation.
Evidence from Text
And the Book of Mormon and the holy scriptures are given of me for your instruction; and the power of my Spirit quickeneth all things.
Evangelical Comparison
Verse 16 explicitly places the Book of Mormon on par with 'the holy scriptures' (the Bible), validating it as divine instruction. Furthermore, the entire section is dictated as the first-person voice of Jesus Christ, adding new mandates and covenants to the body of required belief. Evangelical Christianity operates on Sola Scriptura, maintaining that the biblical canon is closed and sufficient for all matters of faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17, Jude 1:3). The addition of new scriptures and the reliance on a modern prophet for ongoing, binding doctrinal revelation fundamentally fractures the epistemological foundation of Evangelicalism.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text fundamentally redefines the Church by claiming a total apostasy, requires physical ordinances and covenant-keeping for salvation, and expands the canon of scripture to include the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith's revelations.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between D&C 33 and Evangelical Christianity is vast and centers on ecclesiology, soteriology, and bibliology. Ecclesiologically, D&C 33 posits a 'Great Apostasy' where the entire Christian vineyard became 'corrupted every whit.' This necessitates a restoration of authority, which the text claims is exclusively found in the newly established LDS Church. Evangelicals reject this, holding to the preservation of the true Church throughout history. Soteriologically, the text explicitly denies Sola Fide by mandating water baptism 'for a remission of your sins' and requiring adherents to 'remember the church articles and covenants to keep them' to avoid the gates of hell. This introduces a works-righteousness paradigm that directly conflicts with Ephesians 2:8-9 and Romans 3-4. Bibliologically, the text shatters Sola Scriptura by elevating the Book of Mormon to the level of 'holy scriptures' and presenting itself as binding, divine revelation.
For All Ages
Imagine you have a free ticket to the best theme park ever, given to you by a friend who already paid for it. Evangelical Christianity says Jesus bought that ticket for you on the cross, and you just have to trust Him to get in. But this text (D&C 33) says that the original tickets were all lost or ruined a long time ago. It says you have to go to a specific new ticket booth (the LDS Church), get washed in a specific way (their baptism), have special men put their hands on your head, and promise to follow a new list of rules to get a valid ticket. It changes salvation from a free gift you receive by faith into a process of doing specific rituals and keeping rules.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
Verse 16 adds the Book of Mormon to the canon; the entire section claims to be new, binding revelation.
Sola Fide
Verses 11 and 14 require water baptism and the keeping of church covenants for salvation and remission of sins.
Ecclesiology / Preservation of the Church
Verse 4 claims the entire vineyard (historical Christianity) is completely corrupted, denying Christ's promise to preserve His Church.
Universal Priesthood
Verse 15 requires the mediation of specific human authorities (laying on of hands) to bestow the Holy Ghost.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Gospel"
In This Text
The 'gospel' in this text includes faith, repentance, water baptism by LDS authority, laying on of hands for the Holy Ghost, and keeping church articles and covenants (vv. 11-14).
In Evangelicalism
The 'gospel' is the good news of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection for the justification of sinners by grace through faith alone (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
"Priestcrafts"
In This Text
A derogatory term used to describe the practices of non-LDS religious leaders, implying they preach for money, power, or with 'corrupt minds' (v. 4).
In Evangelicalism
The Bible does not use this specific term, though it warns against false teachers. Evangelicals view pastoral ministry and biblical preaching as a legitimate, honorable calling, and pastoral compensation is biblically supported (1 Timothy 5:18).
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Remission of sins, receiving the Holy Ghost, and being gathered into the newly established LDS Church to avoid the gates of hell.
How Attained: Through a combination of faith, repentance, water baptism, the laying on of hands by LDS authority, and ongoing obedience to church articles and covenants.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is highly conditional, based on continuous obedience. Verse 13 states, 'if ye continue, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you.'
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text stands in direct opposition to Sola Fide. While verse 12 mentions faith, the surrounding verses (11, 14, 15) explicitly add baptism, confirmation, and covenant-keeping as mandatory components of the 'gospel' required to be saved. This contradicts Romans 3:28, 'Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.'
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- open ye your ears
- hearken to the voice of the Lord your God
- lift up your voices as with the sound of a trump
- declare my gospel unto a crooked and perverse generation
- thrust in your sickles
- reap with all your might, mind, and strength
- Open your mouths
- spare not
- Repent, repent
- prepare ye the way of the Lord
- make his paths straight
- be baptized, every one of you
- remember the church articles and covenants to keep them
- confirm in my church, by the laying on of the hands
- be faithful
- praying always
- having your lamps trimmed and burning, and oil with you
Implicit Obligations
- Accept Joseph Smith as the exclusive mouthpiece of God.
- View all other Christian denominations as corrupt and practicing 'priestcrafts'.
- Believe in the historical authenticity of the Book of Mormon and figures like Nephi.
- Submit to the authority of the newly established LDS Church structure.
Ritual Requirements
- Water baptism for the remission of sins.
- Confirmation by the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Ghost.
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- In verse 4, the text says the vineyard has become 'corrupted every whit.' How does that align with Jesus's promise in Matthew 16:18 that the gates of hell would not prevail against His church?
- Verse 14 talks about keeping the church articles and covenants. If our salvation depends on our ability to keep covenants, how can we ever have true peace or assurance that we've done enough?
- I noticed this section uses a lot of phrases from the New Testament (like Hebrews 4:12 and Matthew 25). Why do you think the Lord in 1830 used the exact wording of the 1611 King James translation to speak to Joseph Smith?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The Eleventh Hour Urgency
Evangelicals share this sense of urgency regarding the brevity of life and the return of Christ. We can bridge this shared urgency to discuss *how* one prepares. Instead of preparing by striving to keep covenants (which leads to anxiety), we prepare by resting in the finished work of Christ.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text commands adherents to reap with 'all your might, mind, and strength' (v. 7) and makes salvation conditional on keeping 'church articles and covenants' (v. 14). This places a crushing burden of perfectionism on the believer. Because they can never perfectly keep all covenants or preach with absolute maximum effort at all times, they are left with a perpetual sense of inadequacy and lack of assurance regarding their salvation.
By declaring that the entire world is a 'crooked and perverse generation' and that all other religious expressions are 'corrupted every whit' and 'priestcrafts' (v. 4), the text fosters an 'us vs. them' mentality. This isolates the believer from the broader Christian community and instills a fear that leaving the LDS Church means stepping into total darkness and apostasy.