The Know

Section 93 of the Doctrine and Covenants was received on May 6, 1833, by the Prophet Joseph Smith. While little is known about the circumstances under which Joseph received this unique and magnificent revelation, one curious fact that provides a clue to its timing is that section 93 mentions John nine times.1

The reference to John is not a minor aspect of this revelation, though it is not always clear which John (John the Baptist or the Apostle John) is referenced. In this regard, the Church’s Doctrine and Covenants teacher’s manual explains, “In Doctrine and Covenants 93:6–18, the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith a portion of John the Baptist’s witness of the Savior once recorded by the Apostle John.”2

The date of this revelation (May 6) coincides with the Roman Catholic feast of St. John before the Latin Gate. As the tradition claims, on this date late in the first century AD, the Apostle John was thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil by executioners, either near the place where the Latin Gate today stands, or about 2.8 km away in the Colosseum.

To everyone’s amazement, John emerged from the oil completely unharmed.3 After this, he was exiled to the Isle of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. The feast of St. John before the Latin Gate was observed by Roman Catholics on May 6 for many centuries.4 In 1960 it was dropped from the General Roman Calendar to avoid celebrating multiple feasts for the same saint.5

The very early Christian tradition of John being thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil finds support in a discourse given by Orson F. Whitney on June 21, 1884.6 In the discourse, Whitney cites the account of John’s miraculous survival:

This Apostle [John] was the only one of the original Twelve who was not put to death. An attempt was made upon his life by throwing him into a cauldron of boiling oil, but he escaped miraculously, and his enemies, not having the power to put him to death, banished him to the desert island of Patmos.7

The fact that John experienced no injury or pain while in the boiling oil invites the thought that he was translated at that time (compare 3 Nephi 28:9).

The May 6 calendar correlation can invite readers to reflect on the important missions that both John the Baptist and the Apostle John served in testifying of Christ and spreading the gospel of Jesus.8  

Two verses in section 93 contain remarkable promises. In verse 18, we read, “If you are faithful, you shall receive the fulness of the record of John.” Similarly, verse 6 states: “And John saw and bore record of the fulness of my glory, and the fulness of John’s record is hereafter to be revealed.”

What is the “fulness of the record of John” to which the Lord is referring? One possibility is seen in Doctrine and Covenants 93, verses 6 and 11, which may point toward a revelation of Christ’s glory as the Only Begotten of the Father received by John the Baptist:

And John saw and bore record of the fulness of my glory, and the fulness of John’s record is hereafter to be revealed. . . . And I, John, bear record that I beheld his glory, as the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (Doctrine and Covenants 93:6, 11)

Another revelation also offers insights as to what is meant by the phrase “fulness of the record of John.”9 Doctrine and Covenants 7 was received by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in April 1829 after they had inquired of the Lord whether John had “tarried in the flesh” (that is, had been translated) or had died.10

In section 7:3, Joseph and Oliver learned that the Lord had promised John that he would “tarry until I come in my glory, and [would] prophesy before nations, kindreds, tongues and peoples” (emphasis added). Keeping this promise in mind, the “record of John” mentioned in section 93 could refer not only to the Gospel of John but also, at least in part, to one or more accounts reporting events in the ministry of the Apostle John (as a translated being) even after the first century AD. Traditions of other Christian churches tell of precisely such events.

Consider two examples. The first is a Russian Orthodox missionary, Saint Abraham of Rostov (eleventh century). Abraham ministered in Rostov-Veliky, about 90 kilometers east of the Volga River. St. Abraham had been born a pagan, but he later converted to Christianity following a miraculous healing and eventually became a monk, missionary and, later, the Bishop of Rostov.

According to Eastern Orthodox traditions, the Apostle John appeared to St. Abraham, gave him a staff with a crucifix on top, and commanded him to teach the people in his region. Emboldened by this vision, Abraham used the staff to smash a stone idol of a Slavic deity, Veles, that stood at the edge of town. Abraham then built a monastery honoring the baptism of Christ and a church in memory of the miraculous appearance of the Apostle John. Many people in the region eventually accepted Christianity through his preaching.11

A second illustration is seen in Saint Peter of Argos (855–925 AD). Peter was a monk, religious scholar, and the Bishop of Argos, located in a southern region of Greece known as the Peloponnese. John appeared there to Peter in a dream and warned of a coming disaster that would befall the region. Historical accounts do indeed tell of repeated invasions, massacres, devastations, and famines that occurred in the Peloponnese toward the end of the tenth century. Peter’s biography is about fifteen pages long; a scholarly review published by the Cambridge University Press concludes that this document is a valuable historical source.12

In addition to the references to John in Doctrine and Covenants 93 and  7 as well as the information about John’s appearance with Peter and James when they restored the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood in May 1829, Joseph Smith also made yet another statement about John on June 3, 1831: “John the Revelator was then among the Ten Tribes of Israel who had been led away by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, to prepare them for their return from their long dispersion.”13

Joseph’s words underscore the great works that the Apostle John continues to perform in helping to gather scattered descendants of the House of Israel in these last days. As in prior centuries, John continued to help lead souls to Christ and was appointed to “prophesy before nations, kindreds, tongues and peoples” prior to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Doctrine and Covenants 7:2–3, 6).

The Why

Why does the Lord mention the importance of being faithful in order to receive the fullness of John’s record? Why does He mention the “fullness of the record of John” twice? (D&C 93:6, 11).

Elder Orson Pratt addressed both points during a discourse given in the Salt Lake Tabernacle in 1873. First, he interpreted the word faithfulness as referring to being faithful “as a people,” speaking of the Church.14 Being faithful as a Church to the revelations that have already been given is a precursor to being given more, as is taught in the Book of Mormon:

For unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have. (2 Nephi 28:30).

He that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full. And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries. (Alma 12:10–11)

This same principle is echoed in Doctrine and Covenants 93: “And no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments. He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light⁠, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:27–28).

On the second question of why the Lord mentioned the records of John twice, one possible answer is simply that the Lord wanted to emphasize this topic. In matters of great importance, the Lord has often repeated the same revelation numerous times. Peter saw a vision three times that led to the preaching of the gospel among the Gentiles. Moroni visited Joseph Smith four times in less than twenty-four hours, each time repeating the same words, coupled in each case with additional instruction and counsel (see Joseph Smith—History 1:30–50).

The discovery or inclusion in the canon of additional holy scripture has always been of great importance in the Restoration. Sections 137 and 138 were added to the Doctrine and Covenants as recently 1976. Official Declaration No. 2 was added in 1978.

In that same 1873 discourse, Elder Pratt also stated that “the records of John, him who baptized the Lamb of God, are yet to be revealed.” In referencing the record of John, Elder Pratt expresses an expectation that the “fullness of the record of John” will consist of the writings of John the Baptist (“him who baptized the Lamb of God15

Possibly, these will be found in writings of the Apostle John that are yet to be recovered or revealed. That would be consistent with the interpretation of Doctrine and Covenants 93:6–18 as quoted from the Doctrine and Covenants teacher’s manual above.

The accounts of the Apostle John’s appearances to St. Abraham of Smolensk and St. Peter of Argos can already be seen as a partial fulfillment of the Lord’s promise that John was to help lead souls to Christ and would prophesy before “nations, kindreds, tongues and peoples” (Doctrine and Covenants 7:3). If other similar accounts exist, they all may combine to constitute a separate, second source or category of records of John. If so, this all can help people see why the Lord mentioned the beloved name and testimony of John in all these times and places.

The original header image of this article can be found at the Iconography of Eastern Christian Art website.