Section 98
Overview
Given in August 1833 during a period of intense persecution against Mormons in Jackson County, Missouri, Doctrine and Covenants 98 serves as a divine directive on how the Saints should handle violence, legal injustice, and interpersonal conflict. The text begins by comforting the Saints, assuring them that their afflictions will work for their good, and commanding them to support the constitutional law of the land by seeking honest and wise political leaders. The core of the revelation introduces a complex, highly structured 'law of retaliation and forgiveness.' It commands the Saints to bear physical attacks patiently up to three times, promising exponentially increasing spiritual rewards for each instance of forbearance. However, if an enemy attacks a fourth time without repenting, the victim is explicitly commanded not to forgive them, but to bring testimonies against them to the Lord, justifying vengeance unless the enemy restores four-fold. Similarly, the text outlines a law of war requiring nations to offer peace three times before warfare is divinely justified. The revelation claims these exact laws were given to ancient biblical patriarchs. Theologically, the text emphasizes proving one's worthiness through strict obedience to covenants, even unto death, and establishes a transactional ethic of forgiveness that sharply contrasts with the unconditional grace taught in the New Testament.
Key Figures
- The Lord (Jesus Christ): The claimed author of the revelation, who establishes the laws of war, peace, and conditional forgiveness.
- The Saints in Kirtland and Missouri: The primary audience, who are reproved for their sins and instructed on how to endure persecution.
- Enemies/Persecutors: Those attacking the Saints, who are subject to a calculated system of warnings, forgiveness, and eventual divine or human vengeance.
- Nephi, Joseph, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham: Ancient figures cited as having historically received and practiced this specific law of war and peace.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Conditional Worthiness and Proving
Assertion
Believers must prove their worthiness to God by abiding in covenants, even to the point of death.
Evidence from Text
I will prove you in all things, whether you will abide in my covenant, even unto death, that you may be found worthy. For if ye will not abide in my covenant ye are not worthy of me. (v. 14-15)
Evangelical Comparison
In this text, worthiness is presented as a status that must be achieved and proven by the believer. The Lord states He will 'prove' the Saints to see if they will abide in the covenant unto death, explicitly stating that failure to do so renders them 'not worthy of me.' This creates a works-based paradigm where human endurance and obedience are the metrics for spiritual acceptability. Evangelical Christianity, rooted in Sola Fide, teaches that human beings are inherently unworthy and incapable of proving themselves acceptable to a holy God (Romans 3:10-20). Worthiness is not achieved through enduring trials or keeping covenants; rather, the perfect worthiness of Jesus Christ is imputed (credited) to the believer by faith alone (2 Corinthians 5:21). While trials do produce endurance and character (James 1:2-4), they are not a test to determine if one is 'worthy' of salvation, because justification is a finished work based entirely on Christ's merit, not the believer's performance.
Calculated and Conditional Forgiveness
Assertion
Believers are commanded to forgive an unrepentant enemy only three times; on the fourth offense, forgiveness is strictly forbidden unless the enemy repents and pays four-fold restitution.
Evidence from Text
And if he trespass against thee the fourth time thou shalt not forgive him, but shalt bring these testimonies before the Lord... until he repent and reward thee four-fold (v. 44)
Evangelical Comparison
D&C 98 establishes a highly legalistic, mathematical formula for forgiveness. If an enemy repents, they are to be forgiven 'seventy times seven' (v. 40). However, if an enemy does *not* repent, the believer is commanded to forgive them for the first, second, and third offenses (v. 41-43). On the fourth unrepentant offense, the text explicitly commands: 'thou shalt not forgive him' (v. 44). Forgiveness is withheld until the enemy repents and provides four-fold restitution, at which point vengeance is turned away. This directly contradicts the Evangelical understanding of biblical forgiveness. Jesus Christ commanded His followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them, without mathematical limits (Matthew 5:44). When Jesus spoke of forgiving 'seventy times seven' (Matthew 18:22), He was using a hyperbole to illustrate that forgiveness should be limitless, not establishing a threshold where grace expires. Furthermore, believers are commanded to forgive others 'just as in Christ God forgave you' (Ephesians 4:32)—which is unconditionally and entirely by grace, not based on the offender's restitution.
The Law of War and Retaliation
Assertion
War and vengeance are justified only after an enemy has rejected three formal offerings of peace.
Evidence from Text
And if that people did not accept the offering of peace, neither the second nor the third time, they should bring these testimonies before the Lord; Then I, the Lord, would give unto them a commandment, and justify them in going out to battle (v. 35-36)
Evangelical Comparison
The text outlines a specific protocol for warfare: a nation must lift a 'standard of peace' three distinct times. If rejected three times, the Lord justifies them in going to battle and promises to fight for them and their descendants to the third and fourth generation. The text claims this exact law was given to ancient patriarchs like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Evangelical Christianity relies on the biblical text for ethics regarding war and peace. While the Old Testament contains specific commands for Israel regarding warfare (e.g., Deuteronomy 20, which includes offering peace to a city before besieging it), there is no biblical record of a universal 'three strikes' law given to the patriarchs. Furthermore, the New Testament shifts the focus away from physical warfare and earthly vengeance entirely, declaring that the weapons of Christian warfare are not carnal (2 Corinthians 10:4) and commanding believers to leave vengeance entirely to God (Romans 12:19).
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text replaces the biblical ethic of unconditional grace and limitless forgiveness with a transactional, mathematically calculated system of worthiness, retaliation, and conditional forgiveness.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between D&C 98 and Evangelical Christianity centers on the nature of grace, worthiness, and the ethics of forgiveness. In this text, worthiness is a conditional state that must be achieved and maintained by the believer. The Lord explicitly states that He will 'prove' the Saints to see if they will abide in the covenant unto death, and if they fail, they are 'not worthy of me' (v. 14-15). This establishes a works-righteousness paradigm where human performance dictates spiritual standing. In contrast, Evangelical theology teaches that human beings are entirely unworthy, and that worthiness is imputed to the believer solely through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ (Sola Fide). Furthermore, the text introduces a highly legalistic and transactional ethic of forgiveness. It commands believers to forgive an unrepentant enemy three times, but explicitly forbids forgiveness on the fourth offense ('thou shalt not forgive him', v. 44) unless the enemy repents and provides four-fold restitution. This directly contradicts the teachings of Jesus Christ in the New Testament, who commanded limitless forgiveness (Matthew 18:21-22) and unconditional love for enemies (Matthew 5:44). The biblical model for Christian forgiveness is the cross: believers are to forgive others 'just as in Christ God forgave you' (Ephesians 4:32)—freely, unconditionally, and without demanding restitution first. By instituting a mathematical limit on grace, D&C 98 fundamentally alters the character of God and the ethical obligations of the believer.
For All Ages
Imagine if your parents told you, 'If your brother breaks your toys and doesn't say sorry, you only have to forgive him three times. But if he does it a fourth time, you are NOT allowed to forgive him until he buys you four new toys.' That is exactly what this text teaches about enemies. It makes forgiveness a math problem. But Jesus taught something completely different. Jesus said we should love our enemies and forgive them no matter what, just like God forgives us. God doesn't keep a scorecard of our sins and stop forgiving us on the fourth try. Because Jesus died on the cross, God's forgiveness is a free gift. This text makes people feel like they have to earn God's love by proving how tough they are and keeping track of how many times they've been hurt, which takes away the joy of Jesus' free gift of grace.
Friction Points
Sola Fide / Imputed Righteousness
The text claims believers must 'prove' themselves to be 'found worthy' by abiding in covenants unto death, denying that worthiness is a free gift of grace.
Biblical Ethics / Sufficiency of Christ's Teachings
The text commands believers NOT to forgive an unrepentant enemy on the fourth offense, directly contradicting Christ's command for limitless forgiveness.
Sola Scriptura
The text claims that ancient biblical patriarchs and apostles operated under this specific 'three strikes' law of war and forgiveness, adding historical and theological claims to the Bible.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Worthy"
In This Text
A status achieved by proving oneself through obedience and abiding in covenants, even unto death.
In Evangelicalism
A status imputed to the believer by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, who alone is truly worthy.
"Forgiveness"
In This Text
A conditional act that is required three times for the unrepentant, but strictly forbidden on the fourth offense until four-fold restitution is made.
In Evangelicalism
An unconditional, limitless release of offense, modeled after God's grace toward sinners.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Attaining 'life eternal' (v. 13) and being 'found worthy' of the Lord (v. 14).
How Attained: By laying down one's life in the Lord's cause, forsaking all evil, and proving oneself by abiding in the covenant even unto death.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is conditional, based on the believer's ability to endure trials patiently and pass the Lord's tests ('I will try you and prove you herewith', v. 12).
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text stands in direct opposition to Sola Fide. It explicitly states that eternal life and worthiness are contingent upon human performance, endurance, and covenant-keeping (v. 14-15), whereas the Bible teaches that eternal life is a free gift received by faith alone, not by works or enduring tests of worthiness (Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5).
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Fear not
- Let your hearts be comforted
- Rejoice evermore
- In everything give thanks
- Wait patiently on the Lord
- Observe to do all things whatsoever I command
- Befriend the constitutional law of the land
- Seek diligently for honest and wise men for government
- Forsake all evil
- Cleave unto all good
- Live by every word which proceedeth forth out of the mouth of God
- Be not afraid of your enemies
- Renounce war
- Proclaim peace
- Seek diligently to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers
- Let not your hearts be troubled
- Forsake sins, wicked ways, pride, and covetousness
- Observe the words of wisdom
- Bear smiting patiently
- Revile not against enemies
- Seek not revenge
- Warn your enemy in the Lord's name if they escape vengeance
- Forgive a repentant enemy up to seventy times seven
- Forgive an unrepentant enemy up to three times
- Do not forgive an unrepentant enemy the fourth time
- Bring testimonies of the fourth trespass before the Lord
Implicit Obligations
- Keep a strict mental or physical record of offenses committed against you by enemies
- Calculate the exact number of times an enemy has attacked or trespassed
- Judge the sincerity of an enemy's repentance
- Determine what constitutes 'constitutional' law versus unconstitutional law
- Calculate four-fold restitution to determine if an enemy has sufficiently paid for their trespass
Ritual Requirements
- Abide in the covenant (implying participation in and adherence to LDS ordinances and promises)
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- In verse 44, the Lord commands that you 'shalt not forgive' an enemy on the fourth offense unless they repent and pay you back four-fold. How do you reconcile this with Jesus' teaching in Matthew 18 to forgive 'seventy times seven'?
- Verse 14 talks about the Lord proving you so that you may be 'found worthy.' Do you feel like you have proven yourself enough to be worthy of Him? What happens if you fall short?
- If the ancient apostles and patriarchs had this exact law of war and forgiveness (as verse 32 claims), why do you think there is no record of it in the Bible, and why did Jesus teach something so different in the Sermon on the Mount?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
God fighting our battles
Just as the text promises that God will fight for His people against their physical enemies, the Gospel declares that Christ has already fought the ultimate battle against our greatest enemies—sin, death, and Satan—and won the victory on our behalf.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text places a severe emotional and spiritual burden on the believer by demanding they 'prove' themselves worthy through flawless endurance of persecution and strict obedience to covenants. This creates a constant state of anxiety, as the believer can never be certain they have endured enough or proven themselves sufficiently to be accepted by God.
By turning forgiveness into a mathematical formula, the believer is burdened with the task of keeping a mental or physical ledger of offenses. They must calculate whether an offense is the first, second, third, or fourth, judge the sincerity of the offender's repentance, and calculate four-fold restitution. This destroys the freedom and peace that comes from extending unconditional grace.