Doctrine and Covenants 90
Historical Context
Doctrine and Covenants 90 represents another significant step toward organizing the presiding quorums of the Church, in this case the First Presidency. To understand this revelation, it is helpful to review the unfolding of leadership offices in the Church prior to this time. Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received the authority necessary to lead the Church through the ministering of angelic beings. “Under the direction of the Father and the Son, heavenly messengers came to instruct Joseph and re-establish the Church of Jesus Christ. The resurrected John the Baptist restored the authority to baptize by immersion for the remission of sins. Three of the original twelve Apostles—Peter, James, and John—restored the apostleship and keys of priesthood authority.” From the time these heavenly messengers appeared to Joseph and Oliver, the necessary keys and powers to teach the gospel and perform the saving ordinances of the Church were in place, regardless of how the Church was organized administratively.
When the Church was organized on April 6, 1830, the revelation known as the “Articles and Covenants” affirmed that Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were called of God and had been ordained Apostles. Joseph was designated as the first elder of the Church, and Oliver the second (D&C 20:2–3). These callings provided a temporary structure for them to minister through their authority and call additional leaders to assist in the work. On January 25, 1832, Joseph Smith was ordained as “President of the High Priesthood,” following instructions given in November 1831 that “one be appointed” to that office (D&C 107:65). Several weeks later, on March 8, 1832, Joseph Smith called and ordained Sidney Rigdon and Jesse Gause to assist him as “counselors of the ministry of the presidency of the high Priesthood.” A few days later, on March 15, 1832, Joseph received another revelation in which God gave greater authority to the counselors in the presidency. The revelation also declared that Joseph Smith was “given the keys of the kingdom, which belong always unto the Presidency of the High Priesthood” (D&C 81:2).
In the months that followed, Jesse Gause became estranged from the Church and was excommunicated on December 3, 1832. A month later, on January 5, 1833, Frederick G. Williams was called to replace Gause as a counselor and scribe. Doctrine and Covenants 90 elevated the role of the counselors, making them equal with Joseph Smith in “holding the keys of this last kingdom” (D&C 90:3). Shortly after this revelation was given, official Church correspondence began referring to Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams as the “Presidents of the High Priesthood.” By 1835, the three presidents were being referred to as the “first presidency” of the Church.
In a later history Joseph Smith wrote:
Elder Rigdon expressed a desire that himself and Bro. F[rederick] G. Williams should be ordained to the office, to which they had been called, viz. that of Presidents of the high priesthood, and to be equal in holding the keys of the kingdom with Bro. Joseph Smith, Jun. according to the revelation given on the 8th of March. 1833. Accordingly I laid my hands on Brothers Sidney and Frederick, and ordained them to take part with me in holding the keys, of this last kingdom, and to assist in the presidency of the high priesthood, as my counselors; after which, I exhorted the brethren to faithfulness, and diligence in keeping the commandments of God, and gave much instruction for the benefit of the saints, with a promise, that the pure in heart should see a heavenly vision; and, after remaining a short time in secret prayer, the promise was verified; for many present had the eyes of their understanding opened by the Spirit of God so as to behold many things.
See “Historical Introduction,” Revelation, 8 March 1833 [D&C 90].
Verse-by-Verse Commentary
D&C 90:1–5
1 Thus saith the Lord, verily, verily I say unto you my son, thy sins are forgiven thee, according to thy petition, for thy prayers and the prayers of thy brethren have come up into my ears.
2 Therefore, thou art blessed from henceforth that bear the keys of the kingdom given unto you; which kingdom is coming forth for the last time.
3 Verily I say unto you, the keys of this kingdom shall never be taken from you, while thou art in the world, neither in the world to come;
4 Nevertheless, through you shall the oracles be given to another, yea, even unto the church.
5 And all they who receive the oracles of God, let them beware how they hold them lest they are accounted as a light thing, and are brought under condemnation thereby, and stumble and fall when the storms descend, and the winds blow, and the brains descend, and beat upon their house.
It is common in revelations for the Lord to recognize the human nature of His servants by forgiving them of their sins (D&C 90:1). The Lord also asserted Joseph Smith’s leadership in these verses by affirming that the “keys of this kingdom shall never taken from you” (D&C 90:3). These words offer an interesting comparison to earlier declarations of the Lord. In an 1830 revelation the Lord said of Joseph Smith, “I have given him the keys of the mysteries, and the revelations which are sealed, until I shall appoint unto them another in his stead” (D&C 28:7). In a revelation given a few months after the 1830 revelation, Joseph was told he held “the keys of the mystery of those things which have been sealed”—but only “if he abide in me, and if not, another will I plant in his stead” (D&C 35:18). In a February 1831 revelation Joseph was appointed to receive commandments and revelations for the Church, but with the same condition as the previous revelation: “if he abide in me” (D&C 43:3). Finally, in a revelation given in September 1831, Joseph was told he held the “keys of the mysteries of the kingdom . . . inasmuch as he obeyeth mine ordinances” (D&C 65:5).
In contrast to these earlier revelations, the Lord sets no conditions on Joseph in verses 1–5, indicating His increased trust in Joseph Smith fulfilling the role of prophet, seer, and revelator. Later the Lord gave Joseph an even greater assurance of trust when He declared, “Verily I seal upon you your exaltation, and prepare a throne for you in the kingdom of my Father, with Abraham your father” (D&C 132:49). By comparing the verses in these revelations, it appears that even Joseph Smith went through a period of probation and testing as he grew into his prophetic calling. However, as indicated in section 90, he still holds the keys of this dispensation and acts as the presiding figure over all the prophets and apostles, and other servants called in the last days.
D&C 90:6–7
6 And again, verily I say unto thy brethren, Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams, their sins are forgiven them also, and they are accounted as equal with thee in holding the keys of this last kingdom;
7 As also through your administration the keys of the school of the prophets, which I have commanded to be organized;
When Joseph ordained Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams, he gave them the keys necessary to operate the Church. The counselors in the First Presidency are “accounted as equal” and can act in the place of the President of the Church if necessary. President Gordon B. Hinckley served as a counselor in three First Presidencies under Spencer W. Kimball, Ezra Taft Benson, and Howard W. Hunter. Near the end of their lives, it became increasingly difficult for Presidents Kimball, Benson, and Hunter to fulfill their duties because of health challenges. In these instances, President Hinckley assumed a greater role in the First Presidency to compensate.
When President Benson was in his ninety-fifth year and dealing with serious health issues, President Hinckley gave this assurance, “When the President is ill or not able to function fully in all of the duties of his office, his two Counselors together comprise a Quorum of the First Presidency. They carry on with the day-to-day work of the Presidency.” As long as the President of the Church is alive, the counselors in the First Presidency continue to lead the Church. But the promises made in verses 1–3 to Joseph Smith are different than the promises made to Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams in verse 6. Joseph was told that he would hold the keys of the kingdom in this world and the next. No such promise was given to his counselors.
In 1835 Joseph Smith taught, “Where I am not, there is no First Presidency.” The counselors in the First Presidency are released upon the death of the President, and the leadership of the Church falls on the shoulders of the next highest quorum in the Church, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
D&C 90:8–11
8 That thereby they may be perfected in their ministry for the salvation of Zion, and of the nations of Israel, and of the Gentiles, as many as will believe;
9 That through your administration they may receive the word, and through their administration the word may go forth unto the ends of the earth, unto the Gentiles first, and then, behold, and lo, they shall turn unto the Jews.
10 And then cometh the day when the arm of the Lord shall be revealed in power in convincing the nations, the heathen nations, the house of Joseph, of the gospel of their salvation.
11 For it shall come to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language, through those who are ordained unto this power, by the administration of the Comforter, shed forth upon them for the revelation of Jesus Christ.
These verses also affirm that the gospel of Jesus Christ transcends national and cultural boundaries, creating a new nation and a new culture. Nephi saw in a vision “that the Church of the Lamb, who were the Saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth” (1 Nephi 14:12). John the Revelator saw in a vision that those redeemed by God came from “every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” and that these people became “kings and priests” unto God (Revelation 5:9–10). This does not downplay the importance and beauty of local customs and cultures. In section 90 the Lord declares “that every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language, through those who are ordained unto this power” (D&C 90:11). While honoring the best in their local cultures, Latter-day Saints can also see themselves as part of a growing global family.
D&C 90:12–18
12 And now, verily I say unto you, I give unto you a commandment that you continue in the ministry and presidency.
13 And when you have finished the translation of the prophets, you shall from thenceforth preside over the affairs of the church and the school;
14 And from time to time, as shall be manifested by the Comforter, receive revelations to unfold the mysteries of the kingdom;
15 And set in order the churches, and study and learn, and become acquainted with all good books, and with languages, tongues, and people.
16 And this shall be your business and mission in all your lives, to preside in council, and set in order all the affairs of this church and kingdom.
17 Be not ashamed, neither confounded; but be admonished in all your high-mindedness and pride, for it bringeth a snare upon your souls.
18 Set in order your houses; keep slothfulness and uncleanness far from you.
The revelation shifts to provide counsel to Joseph Smith in his numerous prophetic duties. God counsels Joseph to complete his “translation of the prophets,” which is most likely a reference to the books found at the end of the Old Testament. The day after receiving this revelation Joseph inquired of the Lord about the Apocrypha, which was found directly after the twelve minor prophets found in his Bible. Verse 13 indicates that Joseph was drawing to the end of his most intensive period of biblical study, though he continued to work on his Bible translation sporadically throughout the rest of his lifetime.
The Lord also counseled him to continue to study and learn and “become acquainted with all good books, and with languages, tongues, and people” (D&C 90:15). Joseph had an inquisitive mind and remained an enthusiastic student throughout the rest of his life. One scholar notes that “beginning in the mid-1830s and for the remainder of his life, [Joseph] studied Egyptian, Hebrew, Greek, and German” and that “while his skill with these languages was sometimes rudimentary, his exposure to each of them acted as steppingstones to additional scripture and distinct teachings about the nature of God, humanity, and the plan of salvation.” In a meeting of the Council of Fifty near the end of his life, Joseph counseled, “Every man ought to study geography, governments and languages, so that he may be able to go forth to any nation and before any multitude with eloquence.”
D&C 90:19–37
19 Now, verily I say unto you, let there be a place provided, as soon as it is possible, for the family of thy counselor and scribe, even Frederick G. Williams.
20 And let mine aged servant, Joseph Smith, Sen., continue with his family upon the place where he now lives; and let it not be sold until the mouth of the Lord shall name.
21 And let my counselor, even Sidney Rigdon, remain where he now resides until the mouth of the Lord shall name.
22 And let the bishop search diligently to obtain an agent, and let him be a man who has got riches in store—a man of God, and of strong faith—
23 That thereby he may be enabled to discharge every debt; that the storehouse of the Lord may not be brought into disrepute before the eyes of the people.
24 Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and call things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another.
25 Let your families be small, especially mine aged servant Joseph Smith’s, Sen., as pertaining to those who do not belong to your families;
26 That those things that are provided for you, to bring to pass my work, be not taken from you and given to those that are not worthy—
27 And thereby you be hindered in accomplishing those things which I have commanded you.
28 And again, verily I say unto you, it is my will that my handmaid Vienna Jaques should receive money to bear her expenses, and go up unto the land of Zion;
29 And the residue of the money may be consecrated unto me, and she be rewarded in mine own due time.
30 Verily I say unto you, that it is meet in mine eyes that she should go up unto the land of Zion, and receive an inheritance from the hand of the bishop;
31 That she may settle down in peace inasmuch as she is faithful, and not be idle in her days from thenceforth.
32 And behold, verily I say unto you, that ye shall write this commandment, and say unto your brethren in Zion, in love greeting, that I have called you also to preside over Zion in mine own due time.
33 Therefore, let them cease wearying me concerning this matter.
34 Behold, I say unto you that your brethren in Zion begin to repent, and the angels rejoice over them.
35 Nevertheless, I am not well pleased with many things; and I am not well pleased with my servant William E. McLellin, neither with my servant Sidney Gilbert; and the bishop also, and others have many things to repent of.
36 But verily I say unto you, that I, the Lord, will contend with Zion, and plead with her strong ones, and chasten her until she overcomes and is clean before me.
37 For she shall not be removed out of her place. I, the Lord, have spoken it. Amen.
In the final part of the revelation the Lord addresses the individual needs of several Church members, including the Presidency of the high Priesthood. A large part of this revelation provides direction and counsel to Vienna Jaques, a new convert who had traveled from Boston, Massachusetts, to Kirtland to meet with the Prophet. Vienna Jaques is one of the great heroic women of the early Restoration. Vienna was directed to consecrate her funds to the Church and to travel to Missouri to assist in building the city of Zion. Vienna traveled to Missouri that summer, arriving in Zion in July 1833. However, shortly after her arrival, she lost most of her property when the Saints were driven from Jackson County by mob persecution. When Zion’s Camp, a relief mission from Kirtland, arrived to assist the Saints, Vienna helped care for members of the camp who were stricken with cholera. Heber C. Kimball, a member of Zion’s Camp, later wrote in his journal, “I received great kindness . . . from Sister Vienna Jaques, who administered to my wants and also to my brethren.”
Joseph Smith also expressed his gratitude for Vienna’s sacrifice, writing a letter to her in September 1833 to thank her for her generosity. The letter is the earliest known communication Joseph Smith wrote to a woman other than his wife Emma Smith. In the letter Joseph described the following: “I have often felt a whispering since I received your letter like this: ‘Joseph, thou art indebted to thy God for the offering of thy Sister Viana [Vienna Jaques], which proved a Savior of life as pertaining to thy pecuniary concern.’” He continued, “Therefore she should not be forgotten of thee, for the Lord hath done this, and thou shouldst remember her in all thy prayers and also by letter, for she oftentimes calleth on the Lord saying, ‘O Lord, inspire thy Servant Joseph to communicate by letter some word to thine unworthy handmaid; canst thou not speak peaceably unto thine handmaid?’”
Vienna eventually relocated to Nauvoo with her husband Daniel Shearer, a widower she married after meeting in Missouri. While she was living in Nauvoo, Vienna served as one of the witnesses for what is likely the first baptism in this dispensation for a deceased person. The ordinance took place in the Mississippi River. Later, after her marriage ended, she drove her own wagon across the plains at the age of sixty, arriving in the Salt Lake Valley in October 1847. She remained true and faithful to the gospel to the end of her life at ninety-six years of age. One tribute written to her at the time of her death reads, “She was true to her covenants and esteemed the restoration of the Gospel as a priceless treasure.”
Footnotes
