Section 94
Overview
Doctrine and Covenants Section 94, delivered by Joseph Smith in August 1833, serves as an administrative and architectural directive for the early Latter-day Saint community in Kirtland, Ohio. The text outlines the physical expansion of the church's infrastructure, commanding the consecration of specific lots for two primary structures: a house for the church presidency and a house for printing scriptures and revelations. The revelation dictates exact dimensions (fifty-five by sixty-five feet) and specifies that the construction must follow a divinely revealed 'pattern.' Theologically, the text is highly significant because it establishes a localized, conditional theology of divine presence. In verses 8 and 9, the Lord explicitly states that His glory and presence will dwell in the presidency's house only if 'no unclean thing' is allowed to enter; if defiled, His presence will depart. This introduces a heavy performance-based metric for maintaining communion with God, reverting to an Old Covenant temple paradigm where sacred space must be ritually guarded by human effort. Furthermore, the text reinforces the hierarchical authority of the 'presidency' and the 'order of the priesthood,' while institutionalizing the ongoing production of new scriptures. For the modern LDS believer, this section lays the foundational theology for modern temple worship, worthiness interviews, and the belief that God's highest presence is restricted to specific, undefiled physical locations.
Key Figures
- The Lord (Speaker): Asserts divine authority, dictates architectural dimensions, and conditions His presence on the purity of the physical space.
- The Presidency (Joseph Smith and counselors): The designated recipients of a specific building meant for their ministry and for 'obtaining revelations.'
- Hyrum Smith: Appointed to receive an inheritance on the third lot and serve on the building committee.
- Reynolds Cahoon: Appointed to receive an inheritance and serve on the building committee.
- Jared Carter: Appointed to receive an inheritance and serve on the building committee.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Localized and Conditional Divine Presence
Assertion
God's glory and presence will inhabit a specific physical building, but will permanently depart if any unclean thing enters it.
Evidence from Text
And ye shall not suffer any unclean thing to come in unto it; and my glory shall be there, and my presence shall be there. But if there shall come into it any unclean thing, my glory shall not be there; and my presence shall not come into it. (D&C 94:8-9)
Evangelical Comparison
In D&C 94, the presence of God is treated as localized (dwelling in a specific 55x65 foot building) and highly conditional (contingent upon the absolute exclusion of any 'unclean thing'). This represents a theological regression to the Old Covenant temple system, where sacred space had to be meticulously guarded by human priests to prevent defilement and the subsequent departure of God's glory (Ichabod). In stark contrast, Evangelical Christianity, based on the New Testament, teaches that the veil was torn at Christ's crucifixion (Matthew 27:51). God no longer dwells in temples made with hands (Acts 17:24). Instead, the believer's body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), and the corporate body of Christ is the dwelling place of God (Ephesians 2:21-22). Furthermore, the believer's cleansing is not maintained by their own flawless exclusion of 'unclean things,' but by the once-for-all, finished work of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:10-14), which guarantees the permanent sealing and presence of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Continuing Revelation and Open Canon
Assertion
The church presidency requires a dedicated building specifically for the purpose of obtaining new revelations and printing new translations of scriptures.
Evidence from Text
...for the building of a house for the presidency, for the work of the presidency, in obtaining revelations... for the work of the printing of the translation of my scriptures... (D&C 94:3, 10)
Evangelical Comparison
D&C 94 institutionalizes the prophetic office of Joseph Smith by commanding the construction of physical infrastructure dedicated to the ongoing production of scripture. The text explicitly mentions 'obtaining revelations' and printing the 'translation of my scriptures' (referring to Joseph Smith's inspired revision of the Bible and other LDS texts). This directly violates the Evangelical pillar of Sola Scriptura, which asserts that the 66-book Bible is the sole, infallible, and sufficient rule of faith. Evangelicals believe that God's special revelation concluded with the apostolic era and the closing of the New Testament canon (Jude 1:3, Hebrews 1:1-2, Revelation 22:18-19). The LDS paradigm presented here requires an ongoing, institutionalized mechanism for generating new divine mandates, rendering the biblical text insufficient on its own.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
D&C 94 reverts to an Old Covenant model where God's presence is localized in a physical building and is strictly conditional upon human beings maintaining the purity of that space. This denies the New Covenant reality that believers themselves are the permanent temple of the Holy Spirit, cleansed once for all by Christ.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between D&C 94 and Evangelical Christianity centers on the nature of sacred space, mediation, and the New Covenant. D&C 94 establishes a paradigm where God's glory and presence are localized within a specific, man-made structure (the house of the presidency). Furthermore, this presence is highly volatile and conditional; it is entirely dependent on the community's ability to 'not suffer any unclean thing to come in unto it.' If human effort fails and defilement occurs, the divine presence departs. This is a direct continuation of the Old Testament Tabernacle/Temple system, which served as a shadow of things to come (Hebrews 10:1). Evangelical theology, rooted in the New Testament, asserts that the shadow has been replaced by the substance, which is Christ. At the crucifixion, the temple veil was torn, signifying that access to God is no longer restricted by physical barriers or maintained by human ritual purity. Under the New Covenant, the individual believer (1 Corinthians 6:19) and the corporate church (Ephesians 2:22) constitute the temple of God. The cleansing required for God to dwell with man was accomplished 'once for all' by the blood of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:10). Therefore, God's presence is not maintained by our ability to keep a physical space 'undefiled,' but is guaranteed by the sealing of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14). D&C 94's requirement places an impossible burden of works-righteousness on the community to maintain God's presence, fundamentally undermining the sufficiency of Christ's atonement.
For All Ages
Imagine you have a very special guest coming to your house, but the guest says, 'I will only stay in your house if it is perfectly spotless. If even one piece of dirt gets inside, I will leave immediately.' That is how this text describes God's presence—He needs a special building, and if anyone makes a mistake and brings something 'unclean' inside, God leaves. But the Bible teaches something much better! Because of what Jesus did on the cross, He washes us completely clean. When we trust in Jesus, God doesn't move into a brick building; He moves into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. And because Jesus's cleaning is perfect and lasts forever, God promises He will never leave us, even when we mess up. We don't have to be afraid of God running away because of a speck of dirt, because Jesus already paid for all our sins.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
The text commands the building of a house specifically for 'obtaining revelations' and printing new 'scriptures,' denying the closure and sufficiency of the biblical canon.
Christology / New Covenant Theology
Reverts to an Old Covenant model of localized divine presence in a physical building, ignoring that Christ's body and the Church are the true New Covenant temple.
Sola Fide / Sola Gratia
Conditions God's presence and glory on human performance (keeping the building perfectly clean/undefiled) rather than on the finished, imputed righteousness of Christ.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Scriptures"
In This Text
Includes ongoing revelations given to Joseph Smith and his 'translation' (alteration) of the Bible.
In Evangelicalism
The closed canon of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments.
"Priesthood"
In This Text
A hierarchical, exclusive authority structure required to dedicate buildings and govern the church.
In Evangelicalism
The universal status of all believers who have direct access to God through Christ, the only High Priest.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: While not explicitly defining eternal salvation, the text defines spiritual life and communion with God as dwelling in His 'glory' and 'presence.'
How Attained: Communion with God is attained and maintained by strict obedience to architectural commands and rigorous boundary maintenance to keep out 'any unclean thing.'
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is based on the physical completion of the buildings and the ongoing human effort to prevent defilement.
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text stands in stark contrast to Sola Fide. In Evangelicalism, access to God's presence is granted solely through faith in Christ's perfect sacrifice (Ephesians 2:8-9, Hebrews 4:16). In D&C 94, access to God's presence is a fragile state maintained by human works and ritual purity.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Commence laying out and preparing the foundation of the city of the stake of Zion in Kirtland.
- Build according to the specific pattern given by the Lord.
- Consecrate the first lot on the south for a house for the presidency.
- Build the inner court exactly fifty-five by sixty-five feet.
- Dedicate the house wholly unto the Lord from the foundation.
- Do not allow any unclean thing to enter the house.
- Dedicate the second lot on the south for a printing house.
- Assign inheritances to Hyrum Smith, Reynolds Cahoon, and Jared Carter.
- Do not build the two houses until a further commandment is given.
Implicit Obligations
- Submit to the authority of the 'presidency' who alone obtain revelations for the church.
- Provide the financial and physical labor required to build these structures.
- Maintain strict communal and personal purity to ensure the buildings remain 'undefiled.'
Ritual Requirements
- Dedicate the buildings 'according to the order of the priesthood' (D&C 94:6).
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- In verses 8 and 9, God says His presence will leave if anything unclean enters the building. Since we all stumble and sin, how can anyone ever be confident that God's presence will stay with them?
- When you read the New Testament, where does the Apostle Paul say the 'temple of God' is located today?
- If Jesus's sacrifice on the cross was 'once for all' to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, why would God's presence still depend on us keeping a physical building perfectly clean?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire for a dedicated, holy place for God's presence.
The longing for God's glory to dwell among His people is a beautiful, biblical desire. The Gospel fulfills this desire not by giving us a building to maintain, but by God Himself taking on flesh (John 1:14) and then sending His Spirit to permanently dwell inside us. We don't have to build a house for God; He makes us His house.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The believer is placed under the immense psychological burden of maintaining absolute purity. Because God's presence is explicitly conditioned on the absence of 'any unclean thing,' adherents must constantly monitor themselves and their community. This breeds a culture of fear, where one mistake or 'unclean' act could theoretically drive the Spirit of God away from the community.
Because revelation is ongoing and mediated exclusively through a 'presidency' who requires special buildings to obtain it, the believer can never rest in a finished, sufficient word from God. They must always be waiting for the next directive, creating spiritual instability.