Section 93
Overview
Doctrine and Covenants Section 93 is a pivotal theological text in Mormonism that fundamentally redefines the nature of God, Christ, and humanity. Purporting to be a revelation from Jesus Christ given through Joseph Smith in 1833, the text heavily references and modifies the prologue of the Gospel of John. It introduces the concept that Jesus Christ did not possess a fullness of divine glory from eternity, but rather progressed from 'grace to grace' until He achieved it. Crucially, the text extends this paradigm to humanity, asserting that the 'intelligence' or spirit of man is uncreated and co-eternal with God. It teaches that humans, like Christ, can progress to receive a fullness of the Father's glory through strict obedience to commandments. Furthermore, the section denies the traditional Christian doctrine of original sin, claiming that all spirits were innocent in the beginning and that infants are innocent before God, only losing 'light and truth' through personal disobedience and false traditions. The revelation concludes with severe rebukes directed at early church leaders—including Joseph Smith himself—for failing to properly instruct their children, establishing a heavy burden of parental responsibility for the spiritual success of their families. This text serves as the foundational bedrock for later, more developed Mormon doctrines of exaltation (theosis) and the eternal progression of man.
Key Figures
- Jesus Christ: The speaker of the text, presented as the Redeemer who progressed from grace to grace to receive a fullness of the Father.
- God the Father: The source of the fullness of glory that Christ and humanity can attain.
- John: Referenced as the author of a record (likely John the Baptist's testimony as recorded by John the Apostle) that testifies of Christ's progression.
- Frederick G. Williams: A counselor in the First Presidency, rebuked for not teaching his children light and truth.
- Sidney Rigdon: A counselor in the First Presidency, commanded to set his house in order and proclaim the gospel.
- Joseph Smith, Jun.: The prophet receiving the revelation, who is also rebuked and commanded to repent and set his family in order.
- Newel K. Whitney: A bishop in the church, chastened and commanded to be more diligent at home.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Christological Progression
Assertion
Jesus Christ did not possess a fullness of glory initially, but had to progress from grace to grace to attain it.
Evidence from Text
And I, John, saw that he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace; And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness (D&C 93:12-13)
Evangelical Comparison
In Evangelical theology, based on passages like Colossians 2:9 ('For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily') and John 1:1 ('the Word was God'), Jesus Christ is the eternal, unchanging second person of the Trinity. He did not lack any divine attribute or glory in His pre-incarnate state, though He voluntarily veiled His glory during the incarnation (Philippians 2). D&C 93 fundamentally alters this by asserting an adoptionist or subordinationist view where Christ 'received not of the fulness at the first.' This implies a time or state where the Son was less than fully divine or lacked the fullness of the Father, having to earn or progress into it through obedience ('grace for grace'). This undermines the eternal immutability and absolute deity of Christ.
Co-eternality of Man and Matter
Assertion
Human intelligence and elemental matter are uncreated and have existed eternally alongside God.
Evidence from Text
Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be... The elements are eternal (D&C 93:29, 33)
Evangelical Comparison
The biblical doctrine of creation asserts that God alone is eternal and uncreated. Genesis 1:1, Psalm 90:2, and Revelation 4:11 clearly teach that God created all things, both visible and invisible, out of nothing (creatio ex nihilo). There is a strict ontological distinction between the Creator and the creature. D&C 93 obliterates this distinction by claiming that 'Intelligence... was not created or made, neither indeed can be' and that 'The elements are eternal.' By elevating human essence and physical matter to the status of uncreated eternality, the text diminishes the sovereignty and unique aseity (self-existence) of God, making Him merely an organizer of pre-existing eternal materials rather than the sovereign Creator of all reality.
Exaltation through Obedience
Assertion
Humans can receive the fullness of God's glory and become like Christ by strictly keeping the commandments.
Evidence from Text
For if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father... And no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments. (D&C 93:20, 27)
Evangelical Comparison
Evangelical soteriology is anchored in Sola Fide and Sola Gratia—justification is a free gift received by faith alone, apart from works of the law (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 3:28). Glorification is the guaranteed culmination of this gracious salvation (Romans 8:30). D&C 93, however, establishes a works-righteousness paradigm where receiving the 'fulness' of God is strictly contingent upon human performance: 'no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments.' This places the burden of eternal progression squarely on the believer's ability to perfectly obey, transforming grace from an unmerited favor into a reward for obedience, and redefining salvation as exaltation to godhood.
Original Innocence and Rejection of Inherited Depravity
Assertion
All human spirits were innocent in the beginning, and infants are born innocent, only becoming sinful through personal disobedience and false traditions.
Evidence from Text
Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning; and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state, innocent before God. And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience... and because of the tradition of their fathers. (D&C 93:38-39)
Evangelical Comparison
Biblical hamartiology (the study of sin) teaches that through Adam's fall, sin entered the world, and all humanity inherits a corrupted, sinful nature (Romans 5:12, Psalm 51:5, Ephesians 2:3). Humans are spiritually dead by nature. D&C 93 explicitly denies this, asserting that because of Christ's redemption, all infants are born completely innocent and pure. Sin is portrayed not as an inherent condition of the human heart, but as an external loss of 'light and truth' caused by personal disobedience and the 'tradition of their fathers.' This diminishes the biblical understanding of the depth of human depravity and the absolute necessity of the new birth (regeneration) for every individual.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
D&C 93 fundamentally denies the Creator/creature distinction by asserting that human intelligence is uncreated and co-eternal with God, and it denies the eternal fullness of Christ by teaching He had to progress to attain deity.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological chasm between D&C 93 and Evangelical Christianity is profound, centering on Theology Proper, Christology, and Anthropology. Evangelicals hold to the absolute aseity of God—He alone is eternal, self-existent, and the Creator of all things ex nihilo (out of nothing). D&C 93 shatters this Creator/creature distinction by positing that human 'intelligence' and elemental matter are uncreated and co-eternal with God. This reduces God from the sovereign Creator of reality to merely an organizer of pre-existing eternal materials. Furthermore, the text attacks orthodox Christology by asserting that Jesus Christ did not possess a fullness of divine glory from eternity, but had to progress from 'grace to grace.' This subordinationist view denies the eternal, unchanging deity of the Son (Colossians 2:9). Finally, the text replaces the biblical gospel of grace with a system of exaltation through works-righteousness, explicitly stating that 'no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments' (v. 27), directly contradicting justification by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9).
For All Ages
Imagine you are building a Lego castle. In the Bible, God is the builder, and He created the Lego bricks out of absolutely nothing. He is completely different from the bricks. But in this text, it says the Lego bricks (our spirits) have always existed, just as long as the Builder has! It also says that Jesus, the Builder's Son, didn't have all His power at first, but had to earn it step by step. And it says if we follow all the rules perfectly, we can become Builders with all the same power too. This is very different from the Bible, which says God is the only eternal Creator, Jesus has always been fully God, and we are His special creations who are saved by His free gift, not by earning our way to the top.
Friction Points
Christology (Eternal Deity of the Son)
Asserts that Jesus did not have a fullness of glory at first but had to progress to attain it.
Theology Proper (Creator/Creature Distinction)
Claims human intelligence and matter are uncreated and co-eternal with God.
Sola Fide (Justification by Faith Alone)
Requires strict commandment-keeping to receive the fullness of God's glory.
Hamartiology (Original Sin)
Denies inherited depravity, claiming all infants are born completely innocent.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Grace to grace"
In This Text
A process of progression where one earns more power, light, and truth through obedience until achieving a fullness of godhood.
In Evangelicalism
The abundant, overflowing, and unmerited favor received from Christ's already-existing fullness (John 1:16, 'grace upon grace').
"Truth"
In This Text
Factual knowledge of things as they are, were, and are to come; a commodity that can be accumulated through obedience.
In Evangelicalism
Ultimate reality grounded in the nature of God, perfectly personified in Jesus Christ (John 14:6), and revealed in His Word.
"Intelligence"
In This Text
The uncreated, eternal core identity or spirit of a human being.
In Evangelicalism
The cognitive ability or mental capacity given by God to His created beings.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: In this text, ultimate salvation is defined as exaltation: receiving a fullness of the Father's glory, knowing all things, and being glorified in Christ as He is in the Father.
How Attained: Attained through a progressive process of keeping commandments, forsaking sins, and moving from 'grace to grace' until a fullness is achieved.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is entirely conditional upon ongoing, strict obedience and the successful spiritual management of one's family.
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text is antithetical to Sola Fide. Verse 27 explicitly states, 'And no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments.' In contrast, Romans 4:5 states, 'But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.'
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Forsake sins (v. 1)
- Come unto the Lord (v. 1)
- Call on the Lord's name (v. 1)
- Obey the Lord's voice (v. 1)
- Keep the commandments (v. 1, 20, 27)
- Bring up children in light and truth (v. 40)
- Set in order your own house (v. 43, 44, 50)
- Repent and forsake some things (v. 48)
- Give more earnest heed unto the Lord's sayings (v. 48)
- Pray always (v. 49, 50)
- Be more diligent and concerned at home (v. 50)
- Let Sidney Rigdon go on his journey and make haste (v. 51)
- Proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the gospel of salvation (v. 51)
- Let Joseph Smith and F.G. Williams make haste (v. 52)
- Hasten to translate the scriptures (v. 53)
- Obtain a knowledge of history, countries, kingdoms, laws of God and man (v. 53)
Implicit Obligations
- Reject traditional Christian doctrines of the Trinity and creation ex nihilo
- Accept Joseph Smith's authority to reinterpret biblical texts like the Gospel of John
- Pursue continuous spiritual and intellectual progression to attain godhood
Ritual Requirements
- Worship the Father in the name of Christ (v. 19)
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- In verse 12, it says Jesus didn't receive a fullness at first. How does that fit with Colossians 2:9, which says that in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form?
- If our intelligence was never created (verse 29), in what sense is God our Creator?
- Verse 27 says no man receives a fullness unless he keeps the commandments. Have you kept the commandments perfectly enough to receive this fullness? How does that compare to Ephesians 2:8-9 where salvation is a gift?
- The text places a heavy burden on parents for their children's spiritual state (verses 41-48). How does that make you feel when your children make mistakes?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire for Light and Truth
Latter-day Saints deeply value seeking light and truth. We can agree that God is the source of truth and light. We can then point them to Jesus, who doesn't just point to truth, but IS the Truth and the Light, offering Himself freely to those in darkness.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
Verse 27 explicitly states that 'no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments.' This creates an agonizing performance treadmill. Because no one can keep the commandments perfectly, the adherent is left in a constant state of uncertainty, always wondering if they have done enough to progress from 'grace to grace' and attain exaltation. It robs the believer of the peace and assurance found in Christ's finished work.
Verses 41-48 place the blame for family afflictions and the influence of the 'wicked one' squarely on the parents' failure to teach their children perfectly. If a child strays or struggles, the text implies it is because the parent 'hath not kept the commandments concerning his children.' This places a crushing, unbiblical weight of guilt on parents, making them feel responsible for the sovereign spiritual choices of their children.