Section 36
Overview
Doctrine and Covenants Section 36 is a brief but ecclesiologically significant revelation dictated by Joseph Smith in December 1830 for Edward Partridge. The text serves two primary functions. First, it acts as a personal calling and absolution for Partridge, declaring his sins forgiven and commanding him to preach the gospel. Second, and more importantly for the development of Mormon theology, it establishes a strict, centralized hierarchy for spiritual empowerment and authority. The text explicitly states that the Holy Ghost will be imparted to Partridge via the physical laying on of hands by Sidney Rigdon, acting as God's proxy. Furthermore, it mandates that anyone desiring to embrace the calling to preach must 'come before' Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon to be officially ordained. The revelation concludes with an eschatological warning, utilizing heavy King James Version biblical phraseology, urging the elders to cry repentance to an 'untoward generation' before Christ suddenly returns to His temple.
Key Figures
- Jesus Christ / Lord God: The claimed speaker of the text, who forgives sins, promises the Holy Ghost, and announces His sudden return to the temple.
- Edward Partridge: The primary recipient of the revelation, whose sins are declared forgiven and who is called to preach the gospel.
- Sidney Rigdon: Designated as the physical mediator through whom God will lay His hand to impart the Holy Ghost; established as a co-authority for ordaining elders.
- Joseph Smith, Jun.: The prophet receiving the revelation and the primary authority figure before whom men must come to be ordained to preach.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Mediated Impartation of the Holy Ghost
Assertion
The Holy Ghost is imparted to believers through the physical laying on of hands by specific, authorized human leaders acting as God's proxy.
Evidence from Text
And I will lay my hand upon you by the hand of my servant Sidney Rigdon, and you shall receive my Spirit, the Holy Ghost
Evangelical Comparison
In this text, the reception of the Holy Ghost is explicitly tied to a physical ritual performed by a specific human mediator. God states He will lay His hand upon Partridge 'by the hand of my servant Sidney Rigdon.' This establishes a theology of mediated grace, where human priesthood authority is a necessary conduit for the Spirit. In contrast, Evangelical theology, based on the New Covenant, teaches that the Holy Spirit is poured out directly upon all who believe in Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14, Romans 8:9). While the New Testament does record instances of the Spirit being received subsequent to the laying on of hands (e.g., Acts 8), it is not presented as an exclusive, institutionalized requirement mediated only by a centralized hierarchy. The Evangelical baseline affirms the 'Universal Priesthood' (1 Peter 2:9), meaning believers have direct access to God's Spirit without human intermediaries.
Centralized Ordination Authority
Assertion
Authority to preach the gospel is exclusively granted by coming before specific, designated leaders (Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon) for ordination.
Evidence from Text
That as many as shall come before my servants Sidney Rigdon and Joseph Smith, Jun., embracing this calling and commandment, shall be ordained and sent forth to preach
Evangelical Comparison
D&C 36 creates an ecclesiastical bottleneck. It mandates that 'all men' who wish to embrace the calling to preach must 'come before' Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon to be ordained. This centralizes spiritual authority in the hands of two specific individuals. Evangelical Christianity, conversely, operates on the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), which authorizes all believers to make disciples. While local Evangelical churches do ordain pastors and missionaries for specific roles, the fundamental authority to preach the gospel is inherent in the believer's union with Christ, not derived from a centralized, exclusive prophetic office. The Apostle Paul rejoiced when the gospel was preached even by those outside his immediate circle (Philippians 1:15-18).
Eschatological Temple Return
Assertion
Jesus Christ will make a sudden, literal return to a physical temple.
Evidence from Text
I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God; wherefore, gird up your loins and I will suddenly come to my temple.
Evangelical Comparison
The text appropriates Malachi 3:1 ('suddenly come to his temple') to establish an eschatological expectation for the early Mormon church. In Mormon theology, this necessitates the building of physical temples to prepare for Christ's return. In Evangelical theology, the fulfillment of Malachi 3:1 is often seen in Christ's first advent (cleansing the temple in Jerusalem) or is understood spiritually, as the New Testament explicitly identifies the gathered body of believers (1 Corinthians 3:16) and the individual believer (1 Corinthians 6:19) as the temple of the Holy Spirit. The requirement of a physical, masonry temple for Christ's return is foreign to the Evangelical understanding of the New Covenant.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text establishes a mediated priesthood hierarchy where the Holy Ghost and the authority to preach are dispensed exclusively through specific human leaders, contradicting the biblical doctrine of the universal priesthood of believers.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The fundamental theological gap centers on the mediation of the Holy Spirit and ecclesiastical authority. In Evangelical theology, rooted in the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31, Hebrews 8), the Holy Spirit is poured out on all believers directly upon faith in Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14, Romans 8:9). The 'universal priesthood of believers' (1 Peter 2:9) means no human mediator is required to access God's grace or Spirit. D&C 36, however, explicitly links the reception of the Holy Ghost to the physical laying on of hands by a specific, authorized human proxy ('I will lay my hand upon you by the hand of my servant Sidney Rigdon'). Furthermore, it centralizes the authority to preach the gospel exclusively in those who 'come before' Smith and Rigdon. This creates an exclusive, institutional bottleneck for spiritual empowerment and ministry that contradicts the Evangelical understanding of Sola Fide and the direct, unmediated headship of Christ over His Church.
For All Ages
Imagine you want to talk to the King, and the King's son said, 'You can talk to me anytime, anywhere, and I will give you my special helper, the Holy Spirit.' That's what the Bible teaches. But this text says that to get the Holy Spirit and be allowed to tell others about the King, you *must* go through two specific men named Joseph and Sidney. It makes these men a required bridge between you and God, which goes against the Bible's teaching that Jesus is the only bridge we need.
Friction Points
Universal Priesthood
Requires believers to go through specific human mediators (Smith and Rigdon) to receive the Holy Ghost and the authority to preach.
Sola Scriptura
Presents new, binding revelation claiming to be the direct voice of Jesus Christ, adding to the closed canon of Scripture.
Sola Fide
Ties spiritual empowerment and valid ministry to institutional compliance and ritual ordination rather than faith alone.
Theology Proper / Christology
Implies that Christ's return is contingent upon or directed toward a physical, restored masonry temple, altering New Testament eschatology.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Everlasting gospel"
In This Text
In the context of the D&C, this encompasses the restored ordinances, priesthood authority, and new revelations brought forth by Joseph Smith.
In Evangelicalism
The good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the justification of sinners by grace through faith.
"Ordained"
In This Text
The conferral of specific priesthood keys and authority necessary to act in God's name, mediated through a strict hierarchy.
In Evangelicalism
A local church's recognition and commissioning of an individual's calling and gifting for ministry.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Being saved from the 'untoward generation' and coming 'out of the fire' (v. 6).
How Attained: Through repentance, receiving the gospel, and receiving the Holy Ghost via authorized ordination.
Basis of Assurance: The direct declarative word of the prophet speaking for God ('your sins are forgiven you', v. 1).
Comparison to Sola Fide: While verse 1 declares sins forgiven seemingly by fiat, the broader context of the section ties spiritual standing and empowerment to obedience to the new ecclesiastical structure (coming before Smith/Rigdon). It lacks the explicit Evangelical framework of justification by faith alone in Christ's imputed righteousness (Romans 4:5), replacing it with a system where grace is mediated through institutional priesthood.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Preach my gospel as with the voice of a trump
- Declare it with a loud voice, saying: Hosanna, blessed be the name of the most high God
- Come before my servants Sidney Rigdon and Joseph Smith, Jun.
- Preach the everlasting gospel among the nations
- Cry repentance
- Say: Save yourselves from this untoward generation
- Come forth out of the fire
- Hate even the garments spotted with the flesh
- Gird up your loins
Implicit Obligations
- Submit to the ecclesiastical authority of Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon
- Embrace the calling with 'singleness of heart'
- Accept the physical mediation of Sidney Rigdon to receive the Holy Ghost
Ritual Requirements
- The laying on of hands by Sidney Rigdon to receive the Holy Ghost
- Formal ordination by Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon to be sent forth to preach
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- In verse 2, the Lord says He will lay His hand on Edward *by the hand of Sidney Rigdon* to give the Holy Ghost. How does this compare to how the believers received the Holy Spirit in Acts 10:44-48?
- Verse 5 requires men to come before Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon to be ordained to preach. If someone today wants to preach the gospel, who must they come before?
- The text uses several phrases found exactly in the King James Bible (like 'untoward generation' from Acts 2:40). Why do you think the Lord used the exact 17th-century English translation phrasing when speaking to Joseph Smith in 1830?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire to be cleansed and forgiven
The universal human need for forgiveness and a clean slate is met perfectly and permanently in Christ's finished work on the cross, without the need for a modern prophet's declaration or institutional mediation.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The believer is taught that their reception of the Holy Ghost and their authority to serve God is entirely dependent on a specific human hierarchy. This creates a burden of institutional loyalty, where questioning the leaders (Smith/Rigdon, or their modern successors) equates to severing one's connection to God's Spirit and authority. It replaces the freedom of direct access to God with a mediated, top-down control structure.