Section 27 | ScriptureCentral

Title

Section 27 Book Title

Doctrine and Covenants Contexts

Publication Type

Book Chapter

Chapter

27 Year of Publication

2021

Authors

Harper, Steven C. (Primary)

Pagination

56-57

Publisher

Book of Mormon Central

City

Springville, UT

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Section 27 is one of the revelations Joseph did not know he needed. He set out to get wine so he and Emma could have the sacrament with Sally and Newell Knight, who were visiting so Sally and Emma could be confirmed. An angel appeared to Joseph and clued him in.[1] Joseph received the first four and a half verses and parts of verses 14 and 18. Both Joseph and Newel Knight said the rest of verses 5–18 were revealed a few weeks later.[2]

It is easy to assume that this revelation is about the Word of Wisdom, but it is not. It’s about the sacrament. Speaking for the Savior, the angel informed Joseph that it does not matter what the Saints eat or drink for the sacrament. What matters is that they partake with an eye single to the Lord’s glory, signifying to God that they remember the Savior’s body sacrificed and blood shed for the remission of their sins.

Section 27 penetrates to the heart of the sacrament. If one’s eye is not single to God’s glory in that ordinance, tradition can transcend substance. The angel commanded Joseph not to purchase wine or distilled drinks from people they could not trust. Rather, they should make their own sacramental wine. As a result of section 27, according to Brigham Young, “We use water as though it were wine; for we are commanded to drink not of wine for this sacred purpose unless it be made by our own hands.”[3]

The later text of Section 27 adds considerable detail to the earlier prophecy that Christ would partake of sacramental wine with Joseph and others. It emphasizes priesthood keys—rights associated with priesthood—and the transmission of those keys to Joseph by biblical prophets. It is the earliest document we have confirming that Peter, James, and John ordained Joseph an apostle.

Section 27 also applies to Latter-day Saints the counsel Paul gave the Ephesian Saints to arm themselves spiritually.[4] The revelation identifies the archangel Michael as Adam, and Adam as the “Ancient of days” referred to in the Book of Daniel.[5]

Newel Knight remembered how he and Sally, Emma, and Joseph obeyed this revelation. They

prepared some wine at our own make, and held our meeting. . . . We partook of the sacrament, after which we confirmed the two sisters into the church, and spent the evening in a glorious manner. The Spirit of the Lord was poured out upon us. We praised the God of Israel, and rejoiced exceedingly.[6]

[1] “History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834],” p. 51, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed July 24, 2020.

[2] Newel Knight, Autobiography and Journal, 1846, Church History Library, Salt Lake City.

[3] Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 19: 92 (1877), also see 10:245, and 19:92. John Henry Smith, Diary (July 1906), Manuscripts Division, J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah, Salt Lake City.

[4] Compare Ephesians 6:11–18.

[5] This teaching is distinctive to Joseph Smith. He equated the archangel Michael with the Bible's Adam, an idea apparently first documented in Oliver Cowdery’s January 1, 1834, letter to John Whitmer (Oliver Cowdery Letterbook, Huntington Library, San Marino, California, 15). Similarly, Joseph interpreted references to the “Ancient of days” in the Book of Daniel (7:9, 13, 22) as references to Adam. When Daniel “Speaks of the Ancient of days,” Joseph taught in 1839, “he means the oldest man, our Father Adam, Michael” (Willard Richards Pocket Companion, 63, Church History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah).

[6] Newel Knight, Autobiography and Journal, 1846, Church History Library, Salt Lake City.

Table of Contents

Book

Doctrine and Covenants Contexts

Harper, Steven C.

136 Chapters

Section 1

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 1-2

Section 2

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 3-4

Section 3

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 5-7

Section 4

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 8-9

Section 5

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 10-11

Section 6

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 12-13

Section 7

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 14-15

Section 8

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 16-17

Section 9

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 18-19

Section 10

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 20-22

Section 11

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 23-24

Section 12

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 23-24

Section 13

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 25-27

Section 14-16

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 28-29

Section 17

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 31-33

Section 18

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 34-35

Section 19

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 36-38

Section 20

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 39-41

Section 21

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 42-43

Section 22

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 44-45

Section 23

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 46-47

Section 24

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 48-49

Section 25

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 50-53

Section 26

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 54-55

Section 27

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 56-57

Section 28

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 58-59

Section 29

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 60-62

Section 30

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 63-64

Section 31

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 65-66

Section 32

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 67-68

Section 33

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 69-71

Section 34

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 72-73

Section 35

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 74-75

Section 36

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 76-77

Section 37

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 78-79

Section 38

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 80-82

Section 39-40

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 83-85

Section 41

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 86-88

Section 42

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 89-93

Section 43

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 94-96

Section 44

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 97-98

Section 45

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 99-101

Section 46

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 102-103

Section 47

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 104-105

Section 48

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 106-107

Section 49

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 108-112

Section 50

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 113-115

Section 51

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 116-119

Section 52

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 120-121

Section 53

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 122

Section 54

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 123-124

Section 55

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 125-126

Section 56

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 127-128

Section 57

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 129-130

Section 58

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 131-134

Section 59

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 135-137

Section 60

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 138-139

Section 61

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 140-142

Section 62

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 143-144

Section 63

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 145-146

Section 64

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 147-148

Section 65

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 149-151

Section 66

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 152-154

Section 67

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 155-158

Section 68

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 159-160

Section 69

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 161-163

Section 70

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 164-167

Section 71, 73

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 168-171

Section 72

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 173-174

Section 74

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 175-176

Section 75

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 177-179

Section 76

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 180-184

Section 77

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 185-186

Section 78

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 187-188

Section 79

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 189-190

Section 80

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 191-194

Section 81

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 195-196

Section 82

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 197-199

Section 83

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 200-201

Section 84

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 202-204

Section 85

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 205-206

Section 86

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 207-208

Section 87

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 209-212

Section 88

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 213-217

Section 89

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 218-222

Section 90

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 223-225

Section 91

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 226-227

Section 92

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 228-229

Section 93

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 230-233

Section 94

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 234-235

Section 95

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 236-238

Section 96

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 239-240

Section 97

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 241-243

Section 98

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 244-247

Section 99

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 248-249

Section 100

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 250-252

Section 101

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 253-255

Section 102

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 256-258

Section 103

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 259-261

Section 104

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 262-265

Section 105

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 266-269

Section 106

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 270-271

Section 107

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 272-275

Section 108

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 276-277

Section 109

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 278-281

Section 110

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 282-285

Section 111

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 286-288

Section 112

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 289-291

Section 113

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 292-294

Section 114

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 295-296

Section 115

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 297-299

Section 116

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 300-301

Section 117

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 302-306

Section 118

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 307-310

Section 119

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 310-312

Section 120

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 313-314

Section 121

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 315-318

Section 122

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 319-322

Section 123

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 323-324

Section 124

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 325-328

Section 125

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 329-330

Section 126

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 331-332

Section 127

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 333-335

Section 128

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 336-340

Section 129

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 341-344

Section 130

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 345-347

Section 131

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 348-351

Section 132

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 352-356

Section 133

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 357-359

Section 134

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 360-361

Section 135

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 362-364

Section 136

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 365-368

Section 137

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 369-372

Section 138

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 373-376

Official Declaration 1

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 371-381

Official Declaration 2

Harper, Steven C. | pp. 382-387

Bibliographic Citation

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