Doctrine and Covenants 129

Doctrine and Covenants 129

Historical Context

The material in Doctrine and Covenants 129 is drawn from notes detailing Joseph Smith’s instructions to Parley P. Pratt and several others on February 9, 1843. Similar instructions had been given earlier to the Twelve Apostles on June 27, 1839, but Elder Pratt was not in attendance because he was confined to jail in Richmond, Missouri.1 Shortly after his escape from jail, Elder Pratt traveled with the Twelve to England and remained there for a year and half longer than the other Apostles while he served as editor of the Millennial Star. When Elder Pratt returned to Nauvoo, he met with Joseph Smith, who shared with him the teachings that became Doctrine and Covenants 129.2

To fully understand Doctrine and Covenants 129, readers must be aware of its historical context. On April 28, 1842, Joseph Smith spoke to the Nauvoo Relief Society, telling them “that the keys of the kingdom are about to be given to them, that they may be able to detect every thing false—as well as to the Elders.”3 On May 1, 1842, Joseph spoke to the general membership of the Church “on the keys of the kingdom.”4 In this discourse, Joseph explained, “The keys are certain signs and words by which false spirits and personages may be detected from true—which cannot be revealed to the Elders till the Temple is completed.”5 On May 4–5, 1842, the Prophet administered the full version of the temple endowment.6 From these two discourses given in 1842 and the timing of the first endowments, it seems clear that Joseph connected the doctrines contained in section 129 to the ordinances of the temple. The instructions recorded in this section must be included as part of the Prophet’s growing understanding of temple theology.

The discourse that informed section 129 was recorded by both Willard Richards and William Clayton. A copy of William Clayton’s record of the discourse was included in the manuscript history of the Church and was used when an excerpt from these teachings was included in the 1876 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants.7

See “Historical Introduction,” Instruction, 9 February 1843 [D&C 129], as Reported by Willard Richards.

Verse-by-Verse Commentary

D&C 129:1–3

1 There are two kinds of beings in heaven, namely: Angels, who are resurrected personages, having bodies of flesh and bones—

2 For instance, Jesus said: Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

3 Secondly: the spirits of just men made perfect, they who are not resurrected, but inherit the same glory.

Section 129 is considered one of the strangest sections in the Doctrine and Covenants. This stems in part from readers focusing on fooling evil spirits through the medium of a handshake instead of taking a deeper look at the implications of these teachings. The first three verses of section 129 directly state that angels are men and women in a different phase of their eternal existence. They may be “resurrected personages” (D&C 129:1) or “the spirits of just men made perfect” (D&C 129:3), but they are decidedly human. After encountering this doctrine, one observer noted, “I was struck by the fact that the angels of early Mormonism were visitors not only from heaven but also from beyond the grave.”8 Angels are not a separate creation from humans, they are humans. This is clearly taught in the revelations given to Joseph Smith. The archangel Michael is revealed to be Adam (D&C 27:11), the Angel Gabriel was known as Noah during his time on earth,9 and Moroni was a mortal man who returned to oversee the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.

The Hebrew and Greek words for angel in the Old and New Testaments can be simply translated as “messenger.”10 If all angels are messengers, there are several more categories of angels we can add to Joseph Smith’s assertion that angels are resurrected beings or the spirits of just people who have already passed away. Angels can also be premortal beings, those who have not yet experienced life on earth. Jesus Christ appeared to the brother of Jared as a premortal spirit, explaining, “this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh” (Ether 3:16). And for obvious reasons, the angel who appeared to Adam and Eve to explain the purpose of sacrifices was also a premortal spirit (Moses 5:6–8).

Angels can also be translated beings. Enoch and his city were translated and taken up into heaven (Joseph Smith Translation, Genesis 14:32). An early revelation given to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery revealed that the Savior promised the Apostle John that He would “make him as a flaming fire and a ministering angel” (D&C 6:6). In a similar fashion, three of the Nephite disciples became “as the angels of God” (3 Nephi 28:30) and received a promise that they would “never taste of death” (3 Nephi 28:7).

A final category of angels consists of righteous mortals. The Old Testament speaks about “two angels” who rescued Lot from the destruction of his city (Genesis 19:1). Joseph Smith’s translation clarifies that these messengers were “angels of God, which were holy men” (Joseph Smith Translation, Genesis 19:15). In a similar fashion, John addressed the book of Revelation to several figures he referred to as “the angel of the church of Ephesus” (Revelation 2:1), “the angel of the church in Smyrna” (Revelation 2:18), and so forth. Joseph Smith’s translation of each of these verses replaces angel with servant (Joseph Smith Translation, Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14), indicating that these angels were mortal servants who presided over branches of the Church.

Angels can come in the form of resurrected beings, spirits of just men and women, premortal spirits, translated beings, or righteous mortals recruited to serve as messengers of God. But a fundamental truth revealed through Joseph Smith in section 129 is that every angel is a man or woman, just in a different stage of eternal development.

D&C 129:4–9

4 When a messenger comes saying he has a message from God, offer him your hand and request him to shake hands with you.

5 If he be an angel he will do so, and you will feel his hand.

6 If he be the spirit of a just man made perfect he will come in his glory; for that is the only way he can appear—

7 Ask him to shake hands with you, but he will not move, because it is contrary to the order of heaven for a just man to deceive; but he will still deliver his message.

8 If it be the devil as an angel of light, when you ask him to shake hands he will offer you his hand, and you will not feel anything; you may therefore detect him.

9 These are three grand keys whereby you may know whether any administration is from God.

The Prophet’s teachings contained in verses 4–9 are much more than a simple way of fooling the devil. Indeed, after a quick reading of Doctrine and Covenants 129, we might be tempted to ask, “Haven’t Satan and his followers read these teachings? Do they fall for the old handshake trick every time?” However, the principles taught here are much deeper.

An earlier version of these teachings, recorded by Wilford Woodruff, suggests that Doctrine and Covenants 129 is not about handshakes but about eternal law and how it affects eternal beings, both good and evil. Elder Woodruff recorded,

There are many keys to the kingdom of God. The following one will detect Satan when he transforms himself nigh unto an angel of light. When Satan appears in the form of a personage unto man and reaches out his hand unto him and the man takes hold of his hand and feels no substance, he may know it is Satan. For an angel of God (which is an angel of light) is a Saint with his resurrected body, and when he appears unto man and offers him his hand and the man feels a substance. When he takes hold of it as he would in shaking hands with his neighbor, he may know it is an Angel of God. And should a Saint appear unto man whose body is not resurrected, he will never offer him his hand, for it would be against the law by which they are governed, and by observing this key we may detect Satan that he deceive us not.11

President Woodruff’s record states that angels who are not resurrected do not extend their hand because “it would be against the law by which they are governed.” This hints that resurrected beings, the spirits of the just, and deceiving spirits all do certain actions because they are compelled by eternal law. Even the spirits who follow Satan are subject to eternal law. Joseph Smith taught this even more directly in an article that appeared in the Times and Seasons on April 1, 1842: “It would seem also that wicked spirits have their bounds, limits, and laws by which they are governed or controlled, and know their future destiny; hence those that were in the maniac said to our Savior, ‘art thou come to torment us before the time.’”12

One of the most important principles taught in Doctrine and Covenants 129 is that the struggle between God and Satan is not a struggle between equal powers. It is not a civil war, but a rebellion. Satan is still subject to the power of God, and the victor of the conflict is known; God will win in the end. Satan and his followers will lose. Devils cannot overcome the limits God places on them. Satan and his followers do not follow the patterns set forth in section 129 because they want to, but because they are compelled to by the greater power of God.

Footnotes

• 1. Discourse, 27 June 1839, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff–B, p. 85, JSP.
• 2. Instruction, 9 February 1843 [D&C 129], as Reported by Willard Richards, p. 172, JSP.
• 3. Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book, p. 38, JSP.
• 4. Discourse, 1 May 1842, as Reported by Willard Richards, p. 94, JSP.
• 5. Discourse, 1 May 1842, as Reported by Willard Richards, p. 94, JSP.
• 6. JS History, vol. C-1, p. 1328, JSP.
• 7. Robert J. Woodford, Historical Development of the Doctrine and Covenants, 1974, 1704.
• 8. Samuel Morris Brown, In Heaven as It Is on Earth: Joseph Smith and the Early Mormon Conquest of Death, 2012, ix.
• 9. Discourse, between circa 26 June and circa 4 August 1839–A, as Reported by William Clayton, p. 11, JSP.
• 10. Lexham Bible Dictionary, “Angel.”
• 11.Discourse, 27 June 1839, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff–A, p. 19–20, JSP, spelling and punctuation modernized.
• 12. Times and Seasons, 1 April 1842, p. 745, JSP.