Sacred Texts: Mormons

Doctrine and Convenants: 63. Revelation through Joseph Sm...

Summary only - full text stays on its own separately-gated source. Read the full text at the source »

This is Section 63 of the *Doctrine and Covenants*, a canonized scripture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, presented as a direct revelation from God to Joseph Smith in August 1831. The text belongs to the genre of prophetic revelation and follows the tradition of Old Testament divine-command literature, with God speaking in the first person to address a gathered community of early Mormon Saints. The central concerns are threefold: a warning against seeking miraculous signs as a basis for faith (arguing instead that signs follow genuine belief), a moral condemnation of adultery and lust, and practical instructions for the Saints to gather to "the land of Zion" (Missouri) through peaceful land purchase rather than violence. The revelation also addresses eschatological expectations — imminent wars, a coming day of judgment, resurrection, and the Second Coming of Christ — framing these as near-term realities that should motivate righteous conduct and financial sacrifice for the Zion project. Distinctively, the text names specific individuals (Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Newel K. Whitney, Titus Billings, Oliver Cowdery) with particular ecclesiastical assignments, giving it an operational, institutional character alongside its theological content. Sidney Rigdon is notably rebuked by name for pride and for producing unacceptable written work, illustrating the revelation's function as a tool of internal church governance.

Doctrine and Convenants: 63. Revelation through Joseph Sm...

Related pages View as graph →