Sacred Texts: Mormons

Mormon Doctrine & Covenants 46. Revelation through Joseph Smith to the Church, Kirtland, Ohio, March 8, 1831.

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This is a Latter-day Saint scriptural text, specifically a revelation canonized in the Doctrine and Covenants (Section 46), presented as divine speech through Joseph Smith to the early Mormon church in 1831. The text addresses two practical concerns: first, meeting conduct — instructing church members not to exclude outsiders (including non-members sincerely seeking faith) from public or sacrament meetings, while allowing elders flexibility to be guided by the Holy Spirit. The bulk of the revelation catalogues spiritual gifts distributed among believers, including knowledge of Christ's divinity, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, and speaking in tongues — framing these as distinct endowments given to different individuals for the collective benefit of the church. A distinctive concern running throughout is protection against deception: gifts are granted partly so that church leaders (especially bishops) can identify false claimants and distinguish genuine spiritual manifestations from those of "evil spirits or doctrines of devils." The text positions this distribution of gifts as deliberately partial — no one person holds all gifts — creating interdependence within the community, with the exception of a designated head who may receive all gifts for the church's unified benefit.

Mormon Doctrine & Covenants 46. Revelation through Joseph Smith to the Church, Kirtland, Ohio, March 8, 1831.

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