Categories: Mind
Doctrine and Covenants 29 was revealed to Joseph Smith in September 1830 at Fayette, New York, in the presence of six elders prior to an upcoming church conference. These six elders were “seeing somewhat different upon the death [and transgression] of Adam” (original heading by John Whitmer) and also sought to better understand the establishment of Zion (Isaiah 52:8; 3 Nephi 16:18; 20:32; 21:22-24). After praying together and enquiring of the Lord, Joseph received this revelation.
In June 1830, only a few months prior, Joseph Smith had received the Visions of Moses (Moses 1). By the time he received D&C 29, he had begun his “New Translation” of the Bible and was somewhere in the process of translating Genesis 1-4 (Moses 2-5). Themes from the books of Moses and the Exodus strongly shape the content of this revelation.
Read the full section without my cross references and notes on the Church’s website here.
Subsections of Section 29
- God calls the Latter-day Saints as He did the children of Israel (v. 1-8)
- Eschatology: The Last Days, the Second Coming, the Millenium, & the Judgement (v. 9-30)
- The Plan of Salvation: The Creation, The Fall, & The Atonement of Jesus Christ (v. 30-45)
- Little Children & Those Without Understanding (v. 46-50)
God calls the Latter-day Saints as He did the children of Israel (v. 1-8)
| Verse | Text | Cross References | Additional Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the Great I Am, whose arm of mercy hath atoned for your sins; | “Listen to the words [or voice] of Jesus Christ, your Lord and your Redeemer” (D&C 15:1; 16:1; 27:1; note that revelations in the D&C frequently start with a similar prophetic proclamation). “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you” (Exodus 3:14). “Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments” (Exodus 6:6; Deut. 7:8). The God of Israel is referred to as the “Redeemer” throughout the Old Testament because He redeemed Israel from Egyptian bondage (see Psalms 78:35; Isaiah 41:14; 43:14; 47:4; 49:7,26; 54:5). “arm of mercy” (Jacob 6:5; Mosiah 29:20; 3 Nephi 9:14) | This revelation starts with allusions to Moses and the Exodus. Just as He redeemed Israel from Egyptian bondage, Jesus Christ redeemed all mankind from sin through His Atonement. |
| 2 | Who will gather his people even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, even as many as will hearken to my voice and humble themselves before me, and call upon me in mighty prayer. | “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem… how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37; see also 3 Nephi 10:4-6) “mighty prayer” is a Book of Mormon phrase (it occurs 6 times). | “I gathered you together, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings” (4 Ezra 1:30 – part of the Old Testament Apocrypha) The very first time that the phrase “humble [yourself/themselves] before [me/God/the Lord]” is used in all of scripture is in the Exodus story: “And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me” (Exodus 10:3). |
| 3 | Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that at this time your sins are forgiven you, therefore ye receive these things; but remember to sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you. | “Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee” (John 5:14; see also John 8:11). | The use of the word “peril” is interesting. Although D&C 29:3 isn’t quoting 2 Timothy 3:1, the subject matter of the last days and use of the word “peril” seem relevant: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” |
| 4 | Verily, I say unto you that ye are chosen out of the world to declare my gospel with the sound of rejoicing, as with the voice of a trump. | “I have chosen you out of the world” (John 15:19; 3 Nephi 19:20). “declare the gospel with the sound of rejoicing” (D&C 19:37; 28:16) At Mount Sinai, God tells Moses that He has chosen the Israelites as a “a peculiar treasure unto me above all people” and that they “shall be unto [Him] a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” according to His covenant (Exodus 19:5-6). The Israelites agree to this covenant. God commands the Israelites to consecrate themselves for three days. “And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled… And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice” (Exodus 19:16,19). | D&C 29 references the sounding of a trump three times: v. 4, 13, and 26. |
| 5 | Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom. | “Lift up their hearts and rejoice” (2 Nephi 11:8) “Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens” (Lamentations 3:41). The phrase “be glad” occurs more than 40 times in the Bible, many of which are in the Psalms. The phrase “I am in your midst” refers to God dwelling among the children of Israel (see Exodus 29:45-46; Leviticus 26:11-12; Joel 2:27). In Jesus’ prophecies in the Book of Mormon concerning the latter days, the gathering of Israel, and the establishment of the New Jersusalem (which pertain to v. 4-8 of this chapter), He says twice “I will be in the midst of you” (3 Nephi 20:22; 21:25). “And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1; see also Moroni 7:28). “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32; see also 3 Nephi 28:10). | |
| 6 | And, as it is written—Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive. | “Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it” (Enos 1:15). “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering” (James 1:5-6). “And it came to pass that as the disciples of Jesus were journeying and were preaching the things which they had both heard and seen, and were baptizing in the name of Jesus, it came to pass that the disciples were gathered together and were united in mighty prayer and fasting. And Jesus again showed himself unto them, for they were praying unto the Father in his name; and Jesus came and stood in the midst of them, and said unto them: What will ye that I shall give unto you?” (3 Nephi 27:1-2). | Jesus’ explicit commandment to pray always (Luke 21:36; 3 Nephi 18:15,18). |
| 7 | And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts; | “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:31; Mark 13:27). “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27; see also Mosiah 26:21; 3 Nephi 15:17). “Harden your heart” is a phrase that alludes back to the Exodus in two different ways: Pharoah’s heart was hardened (Exodus 4-14) and the children of Israel also hardened their hearts against the Lord in their wander in the wilderness (Psalms 95:8-11; Hebrews 3:8-15). | Note again the reference in Matthew 24:31 & Mark 13:27 to the trumpet that will sound. This is a frequent theme throughout D&C 29 (see v. 4, 13, and 26). |
| 8 | Wherefore the decree hath gone forth from the Father that they shall be gathered in unto one place upon the face of this land, to prepare their hearts and be prepared in all things against the day when tribulation and desolation are sent forth upon the wicked. | Prophecies about the gathering of the elect on the face of the American continent: 3 Nephi 20-21, Ether 13 “Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD’s anger come upon you. Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’s anger” (Zephaniah 2:1-3). “Prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only” (1 Samuel 7:3). “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)… For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be… Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: (Matthew 24:15,21,29). |
Eschatology: The Last Days, the Second Coming, the Millenium, & the Judgement (v. 9-30)
| Verse | Text | Cross References | Additional Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | For the hour is nigh and the day soon at hand when the earth is ripe; and all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that wickedness shall not be upon the earth; | “And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come” (Jacob 5:71). “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand” (Joel 2:1) “So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand” (Luke 21:31). “And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe” (Revelations 14:15). “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch” (Malachi 4:1). | Joel 2 is referenced frequently throughout this revelation. Note again the reference to the trumpet that will sound. This is a frequent them throughout D&C 29 (see v. 4, 13, and 26). This is the first time the phrase “the hour is nigh” appears in scripture. A reference in D&C 1:35-36 (given chronologically after D&C 29) uses a similar phrase. |
| 10 | For the hour is nigh, and that which was spoken by mine apostles must be fulfilled; for as they spoke so shall it come to pass; | Prophecies from the apostles in the New Testament concerning the last days: – Matthew 24 (Joseph Smith—Matthew) (given by Jesus but recounted by His apostles – Acts 1:9-11 – Acts 2:17-21 – Acts 3:19-21 – 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 – Ephesians 1:10 – 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 – 1 Timothy 4:1-3 – 2 Timothy 3:1-5 – James 5:1-8 – 2 Peter 3:3-13 – 1 John 2:18 – Jude 1:18 – The Book of Revelation | |
| 11 | For I will reveal myself from heaven with power and great glory, with all the hosts thereof, and dwell in righteousness with men on earth a thousand years, and the wicked shall not stand. | “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30; Luke 21:27). The reign of Christ for 1000 years is described in Revelation 20. “The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand” (Proverbs 12:7). | |
| 12 | And again, verily, verily, I say unto you, and it hath gone forth in a firm decree, by the will of the Father, that mine apostles, the Twelve which were with me in my ministry at Jerusalem, shall stand at my right hand at the day of my coming in a pillar of fire, being clothed with robes of righteousness, with crowns upon their heads, in glory even as I am, to judge the whole house of Israel, even as many as have loved me and kept my commandments, and none else. | “And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30; see also 1 Nephi 12:9; Mormon 3:18). “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night” (Exodus 13:21). “The righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness” (2 Nephi 9:14; see also Isaiah 61:10). “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15; see also v. 21). | |
| 13 | For a trump shall sound both long and loud, even as upon Mount Sinai, and all the earth shall quake, and they shall come forth—yea, even the dead which died in me, to receive a crown of righteousness, and to be clothed upon, even as I am, to be with me, that we may be one. | “And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled… And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice” (Exodus 19:16,19). “The earth shall quake before them” (Joel 2:10). “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16-17; see also Alma 40:4). “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8). “For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life” (2 Corinthians 5:2-4; see also Isaiah 61:10). “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are… I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world… They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world… That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one” (John 17:11,14,16,21-22). “And now Father, I pray unto thee for them, and also for all those who shall believe on their words, that they may believe in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one… Father, I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me out of the world, because of their faith, that they may be purified in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one, that I may be glorified in them” (3 Nephi 19:23,29). “Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am” (3 Nephi 27:27). “And for this cause ye shall have fulness of joy; and ye shall sit down in the kingdom of my Father; yea, your joy shall be full, even as the Father hath given me fulness of joy; and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are one” (3 Nephi 28:10). | Note again the reference to the trumpet that will sound. This is a frequent theme throughout D&C 29 (see v. 4 and 26). The “first resurrection” of the righteous is described in Revelation 20:4–6. |
| 14 | But, behold, I say unto you that before this great day shall come the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall be turned into blood, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and there shall be greater signs in heaven above and in the earth beneath; | “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come” (Joel 2:31; Acts 2:20; see also Joel 2:10; Revelation 6:12). “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken” (Matthew 24:29; see also Mark 13:25). “And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath” (Acts 2:19; see also Luke 21:11). | Transformation into blood was also a plague of Egypt, albeit it was the river and not the moon (Exodus 7:17-21). |
| 15 | And there shall be weeping and wailing among the hosts of men; | “weeping and wailing” (Revelation 18:15,19, referring to men in the last days; see also Mosiah 16:2; Alma 40:13; 3 Nephi 10:10) Reminiscent of the aftermath of the 10th plague (when the firstborns of the Egyptians were killed): “And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead” (Exodus 19:20). | |
| 16 | And there shall be a great hailstorm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth. | A great hailstorm to destroy crops was one of the plagues sent by God against the Egyptians (Exodus 9:18-34). Great hailstorms are also prophesied for the last days in the Book of Revelation (8:7; 11:19; 16:21). | |
| 17 | And it shall come to pass, because of the wickedness of the world, that I will take vengeance upon the wicked, for they will not repent; for the cup of mine indignation is full; for behold, my blood shall not cleanse them if they hear me not. | “And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness” (1 John 5:19). “Vengeance is mine, and I will repay; and because this people repented not after I had delivered them, behold, they shall be cut off from the face of the earth” (Mormon 3:15; see also Romans 12:19) “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb” (Revelation 14:9-10). “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7; see also Alma 5:21,27; Mormon 9:6). | |
| 18 | Wherefore, I the Lord God will send forth flies upon the face of the earth, which shall take hold of the inhabitants thereof, and shall eat their flesh, and shall cause maggots to come in upon them; | A swarm of flies was one of the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 8:20-24). | |
| 19 | And their tongues shall be stayed that they shall not utter against me; and their flesh shall fall from off their bones, and their eyes from their sockets; | And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth” (Zechariah 14:12). | Similar to the plague of boils that affect the Egyptians’ bodies (Exodus 9:8-12) |
| 20 | And it shall come to pass that the beasts of the forest and the fowls of the air shall devour them up. | There are several last days prophecies in the Old and New Testament about animals and birds devouring the flesh of the wicked (Jeremiah 7:33; 15:3; 16:4; Ezekiel 39:17-20; Revelation 19:17-18). | The plague of flies that eat the flesh of the Egyptians in Exodus 8 is also sometimes translated as “wild beasts” (Gendsburg, “Beasts or Bugs? Solving the Problem of the Fourth Plage”, Bible Review, April 2003). |
| 21 | And the great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall be cast down by devouring fire, according as it is spoken by the mouth of Ezekiel the prophet, who spoke of these things, which have not come to pass but surely must, as I live, for abominations shall not reign. | “Behold, that great and abominable church, the whore of all the earth, must tumble to the earth, and great must be the fall thereof” (2 Nephi 28:18; see also 1 Nephi 13; 14; 22:13; 2 Nephi 6:12). ————— “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication… And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Revelation 17:1-2, 5). ————— “For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand” (Revelation 19:2). ————— “Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness. And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy. And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare. They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords. And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more” (Ezekiel 16:37-41 – note the “harlot” metaphor for the unfaithful city). ————— “And I will set my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee: they shall take away thy nose and thine ears; and thy remnant shall fall by the sword: they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire. They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels. Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease from thee, and thy whoredom brought from the land of Egypt: so that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more” (Ezekiel 23:25-27 – note the references to Egypt and the Exodus). ————— “Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her” (Revelation 18:8). | |
| 22 | And again, verily, verily, I say unto you that when the thousand years are ended, and men again begin to deny their God, then will I spare the earth but for a little season; | And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season” (Revelation 20:2-3) | |
| 23 | And the end shall come, and the heaven and the earth shall be consumed and pass away, and there shall be a new heaven and a new earth. | “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14). “And there shall be a new heaven and a new earth; and they shall be like unto the old save the old have passed away, and all things have become new” (Ether 13:9 – in a prophecy about the New Jerusalem). “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:1-5 – note both the reference to the New Jerusalem and the allusions to the Exodus and the children of Israel). | |
| 24 | For all old things shall pass away, and all things shall become new, even the heaven and the earth, and all the fulness thereof, both men and beasts, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea; | ||
| 25 | And not one hair, neither mote, shall be lost, for it is the workmanship of mine hand. | “There shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame” (Alma 11:44; 40:23; see also Luke 21:18). “For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word. Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was created, O then, why not able to command the earth, or the workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure?” (Jacob 4:9). “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). | Mote: “A small particle; any thing proverbially small; a spot” (Webster’s Dictionary, 1828); that is, not one particle shall be lost. “And gavest a body unto Adam without soul, which was the workmanship of thine hands, and didst breathe into him the breath of life, and he was made living before thee” (4 Ezra 3:5 – from the Apocrypha). References the creation as the work of God: Moses 2-3 |
| 26 | But, behold, verily I say unto you, before the earth shall pass away, Michael, mine archangel, shall sound his trump, and then shall all the dead awake, for their graves shall be opened, and they shall come forth—yea, even all. | “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16-17). “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book” (Daniel 12:1; compare to Revelation 20:12). | Note again the reference to the trumpet that will sound. This is a frequent theme throughout D&C 29 (see v. 4 and 14). |
| 27 | And the righteous shall be gathered on my right hand unto eternal life; and the wicked on my left hand will I be ashamed to own before the Father; | “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26). | |
| 28 | Wherefore I will say unto them—Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. | Matthew 25:41 | |
| 29 | And now, behold, I say unto you, never at any time have I declared from mine own mouth that they should return, for where I am they cannot come, for they have no power. | “Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me. Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.” (John 7:33-34). “Keep my commandments continually, and a crown of righteousness thou shalt receive. And except thou do this, where I am you cannot come” (D&C 25:15). | |
| 30a | But remember that all my judgments are not given unto men; | O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?” (Romans 11:33-34). |
The Plan of Salvation: The Creation, The Fall, & The Atonement of Jesus Christ (v. 30-45)
| Verse | Text | Cross References | Additional Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30b | and as the words have gone forth out of my mouth even so shall they be fulfilled, that the first shall be last, and that the last shall be first in all things whatsoever I have created by the word of my power, which is the power of my Spirit. | “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen” (Matthew 20:16). “And by the word of my power, have I created them, which is mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth” (Moses 1:32) | The only instance of this phrase in the Bible: “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3). |
| 31 | For by the power of my Spirit created I them; yea, all things both spiritual and temporal— | And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten” (Moses 1:33). | |
| 32 | First spiritual, secondly temporal, which is the beginning of my work; and again, first temporal, and secondly spiritual, which is the last of my work— | “For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth” (Moses 3:5). “And now behold, I say unto you then cometh a death, even a second death, which is a spiritual death; then is a time that whosoever dieth in his sins, as to a temporal death, shall also die a spiritual death; yea, he shall die as to things pertaining unto righteousness.” (Alma 12:16). “Yea, behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first death — that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual” (Helaman 14:16). | The pairing “temporal”-“spiritual” is heavily used in the Book of Mormon (1 Nephi 14:7; 15:32; 22:3; 2 Nephi 2:5; Mosiah 2:41; 4:26; 18:29; Alma 7:23; 12:16; 36:4; 37:43; 42:7,9; Helaman 14:16; Mormon 2:15), and never in the Bible. |
| 33 | Speaking unto you that you may naturally understand; but unto myself my works have no end, neither beginning; but it is given unto you that ye may understand, because ye have asked it of me and are agreed. | “But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him” (Moses 1:11). “The heavens, they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are mine. And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof even so shall another come; and there is no end to my works, neither to my words” (Moses 1:37-38; see also Moses 1:5). “Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name; for I am without beginning of days or end of years; and is not this endless?” (Moses 1:3). | In Moses 1:30, Moses asks the Lord, “Tell me, I pray thee, why these things are so, and by what thou madest them?” and the Lord willingly gives Moses an answer: “an account of this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, give I unto you…” (Moses 1:35). Also, a callback to v. 6 (“Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive.) – because they were united in prayer and asked, Jesus provided an answer. |
| 34 | Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal; neither any man, nor the children of men; neither Adam, your father, whom I created. | For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin” (Romans 7:14 – definitely similar in meaning, but D&C 29:34 is much more). | |
| 35 | Behold, I gave unto him that he should be an agent unto himself; and I gave unto him commandment, but no temporal commandment gave I unto him, for my commandments are spiritual; they are not natural nor temporal, neither carnal nor sensual. | “And I, the Lord God, commanded the man, saying: Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Moses 3:16-17). “Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself” (2 Nephi 2:16). The word pair “carnal”-“sensual” is used in the Book of Mormon to represent the fallen state of mankind after Adam and Eve’s transgression (Mosiah 16:3; Alma 42:10). | This verse almost seems to be a correction or clarification to Alma’s sermon, which referred to the commandments in the garden of Eden as “temporal”: “Wherefore, he gave commandments unto men, they having first transgressed the first commandments as to things which were temporal, and becoming as Gods, knowing good from evil, placing themselves in a state to act, or being placed in a state to act according to their wills and pleasures, whether to do evil or to do good” (Alma 12:31). See Romans 7:14 again as well. |
| 36 | And it came to pass that Adam, being tempted of the devil—for, behold, the devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency; | “That Satan… is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor… Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power… …for he had drawn away many after him” (Moses 4:1,3,6). “And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth” (Revelation 12:4). “And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have read, must needs suppose that an angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen from heaven; wherefore, he became a devil, having sought that which was evil before God” (2 Nephi 2:17). | |
| 37 | And they were thrust down, and thus came the devil and his angels; | “By the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down” (Moses 4:3). “thrust down to hell” (2 Nephi 9:34,36; 28:15; Luke 10:15) “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). “Wherefore, they who are filthy are the devil and his angels…” (2 Nephi 9:16). “And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have read, must needs suppose that an angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen from heaven; wherefore, he became a devil, having sought that which was evil before God” (2 Nephi 2:17). | |
| 38 | And, behold, there is a place prepared for them from the beginning, which place is hell. | “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). “And I said unto them that it was a representation of that awful hell, which the angel said unto me was prepared for the wicked… And there is a place prepared, yea, even that awful hell of which I have spoken, and the devil is the preparator of it; wherefore the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that justice of which I have spoken” (1 Nephi 15:29,35). “…and they shall go away into everlasting fire; prepared for them; and their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever and has no end” (2 Nephi 9:16). “Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment” (2 Nephi 28:23). | |
| 39 | And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet— | “It must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter. Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other” (2 Nephi 2:15-16). “[Satan] sought also to beguile Eve, for he knew not the mind of God, wherefore he sought to destroy the world” (Moses 4:6). “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20). | |
| 40 | Wherefore, it came to pass that the devil tempted Adam, and he partook of the forbidden fruit and transgressed the commandment, wherein he became subject to the will of the devil, because he yielded unto temptation. | Moses 4:7-13 recounts these events; see also 2 Nephi 2:18-19. “For they are carnal and devilish, and the devil has power over them; yea, even that old serpent that did beguile our first parents, which was the cause of their fall; which was the cause of all mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish, knowing evil from good, subjecting themselves to the devil” (Mosiah 16:3). | |
| 41 | Wherefore, I, the Lord God, caused that he should be cast out from the Garden of Eden, from my presence, because of his transgression, wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the first death, even that same death which is the last death, which is spiritual, which shall be pronounced upon the wicked when I shall say: Depart, ye cursed. | Moses 4:23-31 recounts these events. “Yea, behold, [Christ’s] death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first death—that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual… but whosoever repenteth not is hewn down and cast into the fire; and there cometh upon them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness” (Helaman 14:16,18; see also Alma 12:16,32). “Depart from me, ye cursed” (Matthew 25:41) | |
| 42 | But, behold, I say unto you that I, the Lord God, gave unto Adam and unto his seed, that they should not die as to the temporal death, until I, the Lord God, should send forth angels to declare unto them repentance and redemption, through faith on the name of mine Only Begotten Son. | “And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me. And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth. Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore. And in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying: I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and forever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will” (Moses 5:6-9). “But behold, it was not so; but it was appointed unto men that they must die; and after death, they must come to judgment, even that same judgment of which we have spoken, which is the end. And after God had appointed that these things should come unto man, behold, then he saw that it was expedient that man should know concerning the things whereof he had appointed unto them; Therefore he sent angels to converse with them, who caused men to behold of his glory. And they began from that time forth to call on his name; therefore God conversed with men, and made known unto them the plan of redemption, which had been prepared from the foundation of the world; and this he made known unto them according to their faith and repentance and their holy works.” (Alma 12:27-30). | |
| 43 | And thus did I, the Lord God, appoint unto man the days of his probation—that by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe; | “And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men. For he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showed unto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents” (2 Nephi 2:21; see also Alma 12:24; 42:4,10,13) “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). “All those that have believed in their words, or all those that have kept the commandments of God, shall come forth in the first resurrection; therefore, they are the first resurrection. They are raised to dwell with God who has redeemed them; thus they have eternal life through Christ, who has broken the bands of death” (Mosiah 15:22-23). “He that believeth on him is not condemned…” (John 3:18). | |
| 44 | And they that believe not unto eternal damnation; for they cannot be redeemed from their spiritual fall, because they repent not; | “Whosoever dieth in his sins, as to a temporal death, shall also die a spiritual death; yea, he shall die as to things pertaining unto righteousness. Then is the time when their torments shall be as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever; and then is the time that they shall be chained down to an everlasting destruction, according to the power and captivity of Satan, he having subjected them according to his will. Then, I say unto you, they shall be as though there had been no redemption made; for they cannot be redeemed according to God’s justice” (Alma 12:16-18). “…but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18). | |
| 45 | For they love darkness rather than light, and their deeds are evil, and they receive their wages of whom they list to obey. | “Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19; see also D&C 10:21). “For every man receiveth wages of him whom he listeth to obey” (Alma 3:26-27; see also Mosiah 2:32-33,37). |
Little Children & Those Without Understanding (v. 46-50)
| Verse | Text | Cross References | Additional Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | But behold, I say unto you, that little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten; | “But little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world” (Moroni 8:12). | |
| 47 | Wherefore, they cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me; | “Wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin… repentance and baptism [are] unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin” (Moroni 8:8,10). | |
| 48 | For it is given unto them even as I will, according to mine own pleasure, that great things may be required at the hand of their fathers. | ||
| 49 | And, again, I say unto you, that whoso having knowledge, have I not commanded to repent? | “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30). | |
| 50 | And he that hath no understanding, it remaineth in me to do according as it is written. And now I declare no more unto you at this time. Amen. | The Book of Mormon teaches that the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ covers those who die without knowledge of the law and God’s will concerning them (2 Nephi 9:26; Mosiah 3:11; Moroni 8:22-23). The Lord later reveals the method by which the demands of justice are satisfied for and mercy is extended to such individuals: missionary work in the spirit world and vicarious ordinances for the dead (D&C 127, 128, 137, 138). |