KnoWhy #805 | August 5, 2025
Why Is Doctrine and Covenants 88 Called the Olive Leaf?
Post contributed by
Scripture Central
“Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet at Kirtland, Ohio, December 27 and 28, 1832, and January 3, 1833. The Prophet designated it as the ‘“olive leaf” . . . plucked from the Tree of Paradise, the Lord’s message of peace to us.’ The revelation was given after high priests at a conference prayed ‘separately and vocally to the Lord to reveal his will unto us concerning the upbuilding of Zion.’” Doctrine and Covenants 88
The Know
Between 1831 and 1833, members of the Church were settled in two primary locations: Kirtland, Ohio, and Independence, Missouri. The Prophet Joseph led the Church from Kirtland, and local leadership in Missouri helped convey the vision for building Zion to the people there. Unfortunately, the leaders in Missouri did not always see eye-to-eye with the Prophet or the Saints in Kirtland as a whole. Many conflicts arose during these early years that required careful attention and correction from Joseph Smith.
Conflict continued into 1833, during which time Joseph had apparently received hostile letters from Sidney Gilbert and William W. Phelps, two prominent members of the Church in Independence. On January 11, 1833, Joseph responded to William W. Phelps, stating, “Our Brethren in Zion indulge in feelings towards us, which are not according to the requirements of the new covenant,” and further warned that their antagonistic spirit was “wasting the strength of Zion like a pestilence, and if it is not detected and driven from you it will ripen Zion for the threatened judgments of God.”1
Attached with this letter was an important revelation that Joseph had received between December 27–28, 1832, and January 3, 1833 (now canonized as Doctrine and Covenants 88). Joseph referred to this revelation as an “olive leaf . . . plucked from the Tree of Paradise, the Lord’s message of peace to us.”2 This revelation may have been so named because Joseph “saw its messages regarding the conduct of church members and the need for unity as a way to heal ongoing difficulties with Missouri church leaders.”3 The need for unity was definitely on Joseph’s mind the night he received this revelation. He told the elders with him, “To receive revelation and the blessings of heaven, it was necessary to have our minds on God and exercise faith and become of one heart and of one mind.”4
Indeed, the olive leaf and branch have long been recognized as symbols of peace, hope, healing, and renewal of life—fitting symbols for a revelation meant to unify the Church.5 Section 88 is one of the most beautiful and doctrinally rich revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants, covering an expansive range of topics. Among these are two mentioned by Samuel Morris Brown: “In its basic structure, the Olive Leaf contains two interrelated themes: an expansion of the Vision of February 1832 [Doctrine and Covenants 76], and the revelatory foundations for the School of the Prophets.”6
This School of the Prophets would itself be important for the growing Church.7 During the inaugural meeting of the school, those present were blessed with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. All the elders were blessed with the gift of tongues, as also were several other men and women of the Church.8 Visions of the Savior Jesus Christ and God the father also occurred in the School of the Prophets in connection with the organization of the First Presidency.9
Note that “the School of the Prophets was much more than a Protestant seminary. . . . The school began the restoration of the temple ordinances, revised ancient understandings of the structure of the universe, and directed the priesthood organization of the Church.”10 This is likewise foreshadowed in the Olive Leaf revelation, which Steven C. Harper has identified as “thoroughly a temple revelation. Beginning with the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ to the faithful, the revelation describes the purposeful creation of the earth and then tells how to obey divine law to advance by degrees of light or glory through a perfect resurrection and into the presence of God.”11
The temple themes found throughout this revelation are especially prominent in verse 119, in which the Lord commanded the Saints in Kirtland to build a temple.12 In his letter to Phelps, Joseph further explained, “The Lord commanded us in Kirtland to build an house of God. . . . Yea, the Lord helping us, we will obey, as on conditions of our obedience, he has promised us great things, yea even a visit from the heavens to honor us with his own presence.”13
Joseph’s promise was fulfilled in March 1836 during the dedication of the Kirtland Temple and in the days that followed. On April 3, 1836, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery experienced the visions described in Doctrine and Covenants 110, which included a visit from the Savior Jesus Christ. Shining brighter than the sun, the Savior declared, “I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house . . . and speak unto them with my own voice, if my people keep my commandments, and do not pollute this holy house” (110:7–8). Additional visions of the Savior were seen by many during this time.14
An additional aspect to this revelation’s designation as an olive leaf is suggested when one considers that Joseph Smith received Doctrine and Covenants 88 just two days after the Lord revealed section 87. In the earlier section, the Lord warned of a war between the northern and southern states that would “eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls.”15 Thus, the very timing for the Lord’s revelation of section 88 is significant, suggesting that temple ordinances—and covenants in particular—can be a bulwark of peace and hope against the fear, dislocation, and destruction of war and other calamities.16
The Why
Other aspects of this revelation are also worth noting for their connection to the symbolism of the olive leaf. In Doctrine and Covenants 88:43–45, the Lord describes the earth, sun, moon, stars and planets, both in their movement and their giving of light one to another. The Lord specifically mentions not only their movement but also their measurements of time in minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years. In short, the Lord is describing the movements and light of the cosmos while also referencing time itself—in a way reminiscent of a calendar.
In this context, the timing of this revelation is interesting. The dates on which section 88 was revealed have been commemorated in other Christian churches for many centuries.17 These commemorations’ themes, such as the light of Christ, seeing God, and Malachi’s prophecies (some of which were fulfilled in the Kirtland Temple), are doctrinally relevant to the Restoration and to section 88 particularly. They also form a possible bridge for doctrinal discussions, highlighting the hope and peace that we share with other Christians.18
Christians have disagreed over fundamental questions of doctrine for centuries. No topic has been more controversial than how to define the Godhead. Based on the wording of the Nicene Creed, many Christian theologians concluded that the real nature (or “substance” or “essence”) of God was unknowable. In the Olive Leaf, however, the Lord promises that “the day shall come when you shall comprehend even God, being quickened in him and by him.”19 It is not coincidental that in this same revelation, the Lord commands the Saints to build a temple (88:119). The temple is a great source of doctrinal and inner peace; it marks the path by which the Saints ultimately can comprehend God as we make and keep sacred covenants that bind us to the Savior.
This revelation also gives pointed, practical counsel for preparing to attend the temple. The Lord commanded the Saints, “Organize yourselves; . . . cease from all your light speeches, from all laughter, from all your lustful desires, from all your pride and light-mindedness, and from all your wicked doings. . . . See that ye love one another. . . . Cease to be idle . . . to find fault with one another.” The Lord further commanded the Saints to “clothe [themselves] with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:119, 121, 123–125).
The Kirtland Temple was the first temple to be built and dedicated in this dispensation. As of early 2025, two hundred and two Latter-day Saint temples are functioning in the world, with another one hundred and sixty-five under construction or announced.20 Among the gifts that members of the Church receive through temple worship are increased hope, comfort, and peace.21 President Thomas S. Monson testified, “As we attend the temple, there can come to us a dimension of spirituality and a feeling of peace which will transcend any other feeling which could come into the human heart.”22 These blessings align well with those associated with the symbol of the olive leaf and the blessings promised to the Saints in section 88.
Casey Paul Griffiths, Scripture Central Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants, 4 vols. (Scripture Central; Cedar Fort, 2024), 3:113–145.
Samuel Morris Brown, “The Olive Leaf and the Family of Heaven,” in You Shall Have My Word: Exploring the Text of the Doctrine and Covenants, ed. Scott C. Esplin, Richard O. Cowan, and Rachel Cope (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Deseret Book, 2012), 182–91.
Stephen E. Robinson and H. Dean Garrett, A Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants, 4 vols. (Deseret Book, 2000–2005), 3:94–137.
Steven C. Harper, Making Sense of the Doctrine and Covenants: A Guided Tour Through Modern Revelations (Deseret Book, 2008), 313–21.
- 1. “Letter to William W. Phelps, 11 January 1833,” p. 18–19, The Joseph Smith Papers; spelling and punctuation modernized throughout. Joseph’s warning was not hyperbole. Just six months later, a mob of angry residents of Jackson County, Missouri, destroyed the Church’s printing press and tarred and feathered Bishop Edward Partridge. In November of that same year, the Saints in Jackson County were driven out of their homes by mobs and forced to leave the county. For more on the expulsion of the Saints from Jackson County, Missouri, see Grant Underwood, “Expulsion from Zion,” in Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer, ed. Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Kent P. Jackson (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Deseret Book, 2010), 127–50.
- 2. “Letter to William W. Phelps, 11 January 1833,” p. 18, The Joseph Smith Papers.
- 3. “Revelation, 27–28 December 1832 [D&C 88:1–126],” historical introduction, The Joseph Smith Papers.
- 4. “Minutes, 27–28 December 1832,” p. 3, The Joseph Smith Papers.
- 5. The olive branch, for instance, appears to symbolize a similar message of peace and hope in Genesis 8:11. This verse records that after about a year spent living on the ark, Noah sent out a dove three times in order to know if the water had receded. If the dove returned to the ark, Noah’s family would know that much of the land was still covered with water. After being released the second time, the dove returned to the ark with an olive leaf in its beak, bringing great hope to Noah and his family that the land would soon be dry again.
- 6. Samuel Morris Brown, “The Olive Leaf and the Family of Heaven,” in You Shall Have My Word: Exploring the Text of the Doctrine and Covenants, ed. Scott C. Esplin, Richard O. Cowan, and Rachel Cope (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Deseret Book, 2012), 182.
- 7. Another aspect of the School of the Prophets beyond those discussed here was “instruction in all things that are expedient” for its members. Doctrine and Covenants 88:127. This education would include “history, current events, reading and writing, mathematics, language study, and doctrinal teaching.” See Church History Topics, “School of the Prophets,” churchofjesuschrist.org.
- 8. "Minutes, 22–23 January 1833,” p. 6, The Joseph Smith Papers.
- 9. For a discussion on this glorious manifestation, see Scripture Central, “How Did Saints in Kirtland Testify of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection? (Doctrine and Covenants 76:22–23),” KnoWhy 787 (April 8, 2025); Alexander L. Baugh, “Joseph Smith’s Multiple Visions of the Father and the Son,” in Joseph Smith as a Visionary: Heavenly Manifestations in the Latter Days (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Deseret Book, 2024), 114–15; Karl Ricks Anderson, The Savior in Kirtland: Personal Accounts of Divine Manifestations (Deseret Book, 2012), 177–83; Karl Ricks Anderson, Joseph Smith’s Kirtland: Eyewitness Accounts (Deseret Book, 1989), 109–10; M. Russell Ballard, “Marvelous Are the Revelations of the Lord,” April 1998 general conference.
- 10. Brown, “Olive Leaf and the Family of Heaven 183.
- 11. Steven C. Harper, Making Sense of the Doctrine and Covenants: A Guided Tour Through Modern Revelations (Deseret Book, 2008), 314.
- 12. Church History Topics, “School of the Prophets,” churchofjesuschrist.org.
- 13. “Letter to William W. Phelps, 11 January 1833,” p. 19, The Joseph Smith Papers.
- 14. See Scripture Central, “How Did Saints in Kirtland Testify of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection?”; Scripture Central, “Why Is the ‘Pentecostal’ Season in Kirtland Believable? (Doctrine and Covenants 110:1),” KnoWhy 619 (October 8, 2021); Steven C. Harper, “‘A Pentecost and Endowment Indeed’: Six Eyewitness Accounts of the Kirtland Temple Experience,” in Opening the Heavens: Accounts of Divine Manifestations, 1820–1844, 2nd ed., ed. John W. Welch (Brigham Young University Press; Deseret Book, 2017), 351–93.
- 15. Doctrine and Covenants 87:1. In this way, too, the prophesied war between the states forms an unfortunate analogy for the troubles and contention between some of the brethren in Zion (Missouri) and Joseph Smith and other brethren in Kirtland, Ohio.
- 16. The significance of this timing has been discussed in Casey Paul Griffiths, Scripture Central Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants, 4 vols. (Scripture Central; Cedar Fort, 2024), 3:113; Stephen E. Robinson and H. Dean Garrett, A Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants, 4 vols. (Deseret Book, 2000–2005), 3:94–5; “Revelation, 27–28 December 1832 [D&C 88:1–126],” historical introduction, The Joseph Smith Papers. See Doctrine and Covenants 88:89–91.
- 17. Christian churches have kept sacred calendars going back to the early centuries of Christianity. Among these are the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Armenian, Coptic, Lutheran, Anglican/Episcopal, and Presbyterian Churches. Depending on the particular church, these calendars commemorate the death or martyrdom of early Christians; the birth and lives of other saints and notable Christians over the centuries; events described and persons mentioned in the New Testament; and Old Testament prophets.
- 18. For instance, on December 27, the Eastern Orthodox Church commemorates Saint Stephen the First Martyr, who saw Jesus Christ standing on the right hand of God (Acts 7:54–60), while the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. John the Apostle on December 27. Until circa 1960, John’s feast could be celebrated anytime between December 27 and January 3—the precise date range during which section 88 was revealed). January 3 commemorates the Eastern Orthodox feast of Malachi, the prophet who wrote of the Savior’s sudden coming to his temple and of the future coming of Elijah (Malachi 3:1; 4:5–6). The fulfillment of these prophecies is seen in Doctrine and Covenants 110:2–8. For more on these liturgical feast days and calendars, see Paul F. Bradshaw and Maxwell E. Johnson, The Origins of Feasts, Fasts, and Seasons in Early Christianity (Liturgical Press, 2011), 171–95; Britannica, “The Major Church Calendars,” last updated January 21, 2025. Regarding the feast of St. John, see the following entries in Herbermann et al., eds., The Catholic Encyclopedia [. . .], 15 vols. (Encyclopedia Press, 1913): Fernand Cabrol, “Octave,” 11:204, especially the section titled “II. Celebration of Octaves in Ancient and Modern Times”; and Leopold Fonck, “John the Evangelist, Saint,” 8:493, especially the section titled “IV. Feasts of St. John.”
- 19. Doctrine and Covenants 88:49. Interestingly, this fact is reflected even in how the Lord addressed Joseph, others, and the Church from 1829 to 1831. Drawing on language found in the Gospel of John, He spoke as a “light which shineth in the darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not.” See Doctrine and Covenants 34:2; see also 6:21; 10:58: 11:1; 39:2; and 45:7. This manner of speaking ended with section 88, in which the commandment to build a temple was given in verse 119. In verse 49, the Lord promised that the faithful would one day comprehend even God.
- 20. For a list of all of the temples both operating and announced, see “Temple List,” Temples, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- 21. General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2024), section 27.2.
- 22. Thomas S. Monson, “Blessings of the Temple,” April 2015 general conference. This message was reiterated by President Henry B. Eyring, who when the Teton Dam in Idaho collapsed in 1974, was able to receive peace from the knowledge that his family had been sealed together for eternity. Henry B. Eyring, “All Will Be Well Because of Temple Covenants,” April 2024 general conference.