Doctrine and Covenants 39
Historical Context
Three days after the third conference of the Church, Joseph Smith dictated the revelation in section 39 on behalf of James Covel, a Protestant minister. We do not know for certain the identity of the person for whom this revelation was received. In the earliest version of the revelation, the recipient is identified only as “James,” and in the Book of Commandments he is listed as “James (C.).” In the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants he is named as “James Covill.” He was identified by this name in every version of the Doctrine and Covenants until the 2013 edition, in which the name was changed to “James Covel.”
James Covill was a Baptist minister who lived in Ellery, New York, a town on the far western edge of the state, more than one hundred fifty miles away from Fayette where Church headquarters were at the time. Joseph Smith’s later history describes the recipient of the revelation as someone who “had been a Baptist minister for forty years.” Covill was in his seventies when the revelation was given and might be the right age to fit Joseph’s description. It is also possible that Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon met James Covill on their way to the Ohio, though Church Historian John Whitmer wrote that the revelation was “given at Fayette,” which makes it unlikely that James Covill was the recipient of the revelation.
The most likely recipient of the revelation is James Covel, an elder in the Methodist Church from Canadice, New York. Covel lived about twenty miles away from Canandaigua, New York, where Joseph Smith and several other Church leaders preached at a meeting in Ezra Thayer’s barn in October 1830. Shortly after this meeting, Church leaders were invited to preach in Canandaigua. Ezra Thayer remembered that “they had promised that we should meet in the Methodist meetinghouse, but the trustees could not agree.” Covel was president of the regional Methodist conference and would likely have been notified of the request. In December 1830 another missionary from the Church, possibly Joseph Smith or Sidney Rigdon, preached a discourse in Canandaigua to “an assembly of three hundred people,” and it is possible that Covel attended during that time. It is possible that Covel attended that meeting and then traveled to Fayette, where this revelation was received on his behalf. In the index to Revelation Book 1, the recipient of this revelation is described as a “Methodist priest,” so it is possible that Joseph Smith’s 1838 history was mistaken about Covel’s denomination.
What is known about the recipient of this revelation is that he began the process of conversion and demonstrated faith in the calling of the Prophet Joseph Smith. In Revelation Book 1, John Whitmer recorded that James “covenanted with the Lord that he would obey any commandment that the Lord would give through his servant Joseph, and accordingly he enquired of the Lord, and he received these words as follows.”
“Historical Introduction,” Revelation, 5 January 1831 [D&C 39]
Verse-by-Verse Commentary
D&C 39:1–6
1 Hearken and listen to the voice of him who is from all eternity to all eternity, the Great I Am, even Jesus Christ—
2 The light and the life of the world; a light which shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not;
3 The same which came in the meridian of time unto mine own, and mine own received me not;
4 But to as many as received me, gave I power to become my sons; and even so will I give unto as many as will receive me, power to become my sons.
5 And verily, verily, I say unto you, he that receiveth my gospel receiveth me; and he that receiveth not my gospel receiveth not me.
6 And this is my gospel—repentance and baptism by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter, which showeth all things, and teacheth the peaceable things of the kingdom.
The Lord repeats to James Covel a theme found in many of the revelations given during the fall and winter of 1830–31. The Lord’s words are a capstone on the instructions He gave to many of the new converts, from Emma Smith to James Covel, of the promise of becoming a son or daughter of God. The sonship promised here is different than our heritage as the beloved spirit sons and daughters of Heavenly Parents. The new birth described here makes men and women the sons and daughters of Christ and the sons and daughters of Heavenly Parents through adoption into the family of Christ.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught,
Baptism and church membership standing alone do not make men sons of Christ, but through them, as he said, man have “power to become my sons” (D&C 39:4; Rev. 21:7). Those who are sons of God (meaning the Father) are persons who, first, receive the gospel, join the true Church, obtain the priesthood, marry for eternity, and walk in obedience to the whole gospel law. They are then adopted into the family of Jesus Christ, become joint-heirs with him, and consequently receive, inherit, and possess equally with him in glorious exaltation in the kingdom of his Father (D&C 76:54–60; 84:33–41; 88:107; 132:15–25; Rom. 8:14–18; Gal. 3:26–29; 4:1–7).”
D&C 39:7–14
7 And now, behold, I say unto you, my servant James, I have looked upon thy works and I know thee.
8 And verily I say unto thee, thine heart is now right before me at this time; and, behold, I have bestowed great blessings upon thy head;
9 Nevertheless, thou hast seen great sorrow, for thou hast rejected me many times because of pride and the cares of the world.
10 But, behold, the days of thy deliverance are come, if thou wilt hearken to my voice, which saith unto thee: Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on my name, and you shall receive my Spirit, and a blessing so great as you never have known.
11 And if thou do this, I have prepared thee for a greater work. Thou shalt preach the fulness of my gospel, which I have sent forth in these last days, the covenant which I have sent forth to recover my people, which are of the house of Israel.
12 And it shall come to pass that power shall rest upon thee; thou shalt have great faith, and I will be with thee and go before thy face.
13 Thou art called to labor in my vineyard, and to build up my church, and to bring forth Zion, that it may rejoice upon the hills and flourish.
14 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto thee, thou art not called to go into the eastern countries, but thou art called to go to the Ohio.
James eventually rejected the call from the Lord to teach and gather with the Saints to the Ohio. As was the case with James, no person is forced to accept callings or commandments from God; they always have the power to reject them. In response to the question, “Do we really need to obey all of God’s commandments?” Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf answered, “I think God knows something we don’t—things that are beyond our capacity to comprehend! Our Father in Heaven is an eternal being whose experience, wisdom, and intelligence are infinitely greater than ours. Not only that, but He is also eternally loving, compassionate, and focused on one blessed goal: to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life. In other words, He not only knows what is best for you; He also anxiously wants you to choose what is best for you.”
Elder Uchtdorf continued,
Part of our challenge is, I think, that we imagine that God has all of His blessings locked in a huge cloud up in heaven, refusing to give them to us unless we comply with some strict, paternalistic requirements He has set up. But the commandments aren’t like that at all. In reality, Heavenly Father is constantly raining blessings upon us. It is our fear, doubt, and sin that, like an umbrella, block these blessings from reaching us. . . . His commandments are the loving instructions and the divine help for us to close the umbrella so we can receive the shower of heavenly blessings.”
James Covel, in making the choice not to comply with the Lord’s commandments, deprived himself of the shower of blessings the Lord intended to provide for him. Rather than punishing him, the Lord instead was unable to provide the promised blessings to James because he refused to take the actions necessary to receive them. In another discourse, Elder Uchtdorf explained, “Faith is powerful, and often it does result in miracles. But no matter how much faith we have, there are two things faith cannot do. For one, it cannot violate another person’s agency . . . God will invite, persuade. God will reach out tirelessly with love and inspiration and encouragement. But God will never compel—that would undermine His great plan for our eternal growth.”
D&C 39:15–24
15 And inasmuch as my people shall assemble themselves at the Ohio, I have kept in store a blessing such as is not known among the children of men, and it shall be poured forth upon their heads. And from thence men shall go forth into all nations.
16 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that the people in Ohio call upon me in much faith, thinking I will stay my hand in judgment upon the nations, but I cannot deny my word.
17 Wherefore lay to with your might and call faithful laborers into my vineyard, that it may be pruned for the last time.
18 And inasmuch as they do repent and receive the fulness of my gospel, and become sanctified, I will stay mine hand in judgment.
19 Wherefore, go forth, crying with a loud voice, saying: The kingdom of heaven is at hand; crying: Hosanna! blessed be the name of the Most High God.
20 Go forth baptizing with water, preparing the way before my face for the time of my coming;
21 For the time is at hand; the day or the hour no man knoweth; but it surely shall come.
22 And he that receiveth these things receiveth me; and they shall be gathered unto me in time and in eternity.
23 And again, it shall come to pass that on as many as ye shall baptize with water, ye shall lay your hands, and they shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and shall be looking forth for the signs of my coming, and shall know me.
24 Behold, I come quickly. Even so. Amen.
In the last part of this revelation, the Lord reiterates the promises made to the Saints who choose to gather to the Ohio. He also emphasizes one other purpose of the gathering—to bring the people to safety before the time of His return to earth. The Savior says that those who receive the gift of the Holy Ghost will be “be looking forth for the signs of my coming, and shall know me” (D&C 39:23). Being aware of the signs of the Savior’s coming is one of the Savior’s commands to his disciples in the last days. In an 1839 discourse, Joseph Smith taught,
I will prophecy that the signs of the coming of the Son of man are already commenced, one pestilence will desolate after another. We shall soon have war and bloodshed [and] the moon will be turned to blood. I testify of these things and that the coming of the Son of man is nigh, even at your very doors. If our souls and our bodies are not looking forth for the coming of the Son of man and after we are dead if we are not looking forth we shall be among those who are calling for the rocks to fall upon us.”
At the same time, it is possible to become imbalanced in our approach toward the signs of the time. When this revelation was given, the signs of the Savior’s coming consisted essentially of Doctrine and Covenants 29, 38; Matthew 24; Mark 13; the book of Revelation; 1 Nephi 21; 3 Nephi 21–22; and Mormon 8. Further information about the signs of the Second Coming would come in Doctrine and Covenants 45, 87, 101, and 133. In an era in which we are flooded with constant information and speculation about the signs it is still good counsel to keep our search for the signs closely aligned to the words of God found in the scriptures or given to modern prophets.
Footnotes
