Note: I updated this post at the end of section 1. B.
The 2025 Come Follow Me lessons covered D&C 132 recently. This has long been a controversial section, in large part because it was never published, or even made public, during Joseph Smith's lifetime. It also contradicted the statement on marriage that was included in the Doctrine and Covenants as section 101.
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/doctrine-and-covenants-1835/259
The historical evidence surrounding D&C 132 is ambiguous
enough to support a range of interpretations, which is why, 180 years after the Nauvoo period, people still disagree about whether Joseph Smith produced the
revelation. As usual, all sides claim the evidence supports their respective
interpretations.
Plenty has been written about D&C 132, but two elements
of the text that shed some light on the topic deserve more attention.
1. Joseph's ability to recite from memory.
2. The influence of Jonathan Edwards.
1. Joseph's memory.
The historical record includes the journal of William
Clayton, which includes this entry for 12 July 1843:
This A. M. I wrote a Revelation
consisting of 10 pages on the order of the priesthood, showing the designs in
Moses, Abraham, David and Solomon having many wives and concubines &c.
After it was wrote Prests. Joseph & Hyrum presented it and read it to
E[mma] who said she did not believe a word of it and appeared very rebellious.
Not available in the Church History
Catalog, but a transcript is available here: https://mormonpolygamydocuments.org/master-index/
Document JS0003.
The term “designs” does not appear in the document we have
today, but “wives and concubines” does. We can infer either that (i) “designs”
was Clayton’s own characterization of what Joseph dictated, or (ii) Joseph used
the term to introduce or explain the revelation “off the record” so to speak.
(As an aside, “design” and “designs” are common non-biblical
term that appear in the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of
Great Price. I’ve shown that it is also a common term used by Jonathan Edwards
(see below). And it also appears in one of the randomly selected Jonathan
Edwards quotations in my annotation of D&C 132. The phrase “wives and
concubines” is another non-biblical Edwardsian term.)
In 1871, Clayton wrote a letter to Madison M. Scott.
I did write the Revelation on
Celestial marriage given through the Prophet Joseph Smith on 12th of July 1843.
When the revelation was written there was no one present except the Prophet
Joseph, his brother Hyrum and myself. It was written in the small office
upstairs in the rear of the brick store which stood on the banks of the
Mississippi river. It took some three hours to write it. Joseph dictated
sentence by sentence and I wrote it as he dictated. After the whole was written
Joseph requested me to read it slowly and carefully, which I did, and he then
pronounced it correct. The same night a copy was taken by Bishop Whitney, which
copy is now here, and which I know and testify is correct.
https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets/ab830b42-45c7-4c77-b32f-b1a1d76dfdfd/0/3
This three-hour dictation session is a prime example of
Joseph’s ability to recite from memory. We infer that Clayton recorded the
revelation verbatim, and there is evidence that this is the case (see below),
but it is possible there were breaks and/or conversations during the dictation.
Clayton later attested that the Whitney copy is correct, but
he did so 38 years after he recorded Joseph’s dictation and it is implausible
that Clayton would recall whether the copy was word perfect.
Three years after he wrote to Scott, Clayton added this detail:
[Joseph] requested me to get paper and
prepare to write. Hyrum very urgently requested Joseph to write the revelation
by means of the Urim and Thummim but Joseph, in reply, said he did not need to,
for he knew the revelation perfectly from beginning to end.
https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets/d091310b-4d88-43dd-a141-bb7ec1579934/0/2
We assume that in 1843, Joseph did not have the original
Urim and Thummim that came with the plates, which means that Hyrum would have
been referring to what we now call Joseph’s “seer stone.” Clayton’s 1874
statement is cited by SITH proponents to support their theory that Joseph also
translated the Book of Mormon with a seer stone (or “peep stone” as Mormonism
Unvailed described it). We also recognize that by 1843, Joseph was teaching
about the Urim and Thummim in a more general sense (i.e., D&C 130), which
explains why, when he discussed the translation of the Book of Mormon (e.g., in
the 842 Wentworth letter), he explained he translated with the Urim and Thummim
that came with the plates.
Hyrum’s urgent request corroborates what Zenas Gurley said
about the seer stone; i.e., that Joseph used it only to “satisfy the awful
curiosity” of his audience. Joseph did not need it, but his audience did. In my
view, this explains the demonstration described by David Whitmer, as discussed
in By Means of the Urim and Thummim: Restoring Translation to the
Restoration.
The key point for present purposes is that Joseph claimed he
knew the revelation “perfectly” so he could dictate it from memory.
Some aberrations in D&C 132 support Clayton's claim that
Joseph did dictate it from memory. There are passages that have slight changes
from the King James Bible and Book of Mormon that are characteristic of memory
errors.
I've previously proposed that Joseph dictated much of the
Isaiah chapters in 2 Nephi from memory, due partly to similar recitation anomalies. See
A Man that Can Translate.
A. The first example is verse 13, which invokes a well-known
scriptural phrase: "thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or
powers" (Colossians 1:16)
But verse 13 omits "dominions" here:
13 And everything that is
in the world , whether it be ordained of men, by thrones, or
principalities, or powers , or things of name, whatsoever they may be,
that are not by me or by my word, saith the Lord, shall be thrown down
That omission does not create a doctrinal issue, but instead
it suggests a memory error. Later, the revelation picks up the missing
"dominions," albeit in a different word order, and adds
"kingdoms."
thrones, kingdoms,
principalities, and powers, dominions
(Doctrine and Covenants 132:19)
These two passages corroborate Clayton’s claim that Joseph
was reciting from memory, not from a prepared text.
B. A second example, verse 25, inverts phrases from Matthew and
3 Nephi.
25 Broad is the gate , and wide
the way that leadeth to the deaths; and many there are that go
in thereat , because they receive me not, neither do they abide in my law.
Notice the difference from Matthew and 3 Nephi.
“13 ¶ Enter ye in at the strait
gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the
way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go
in thereat: (Matthew 7:13)
The first change—the different applications of "broad
gate vs. wide gate" and "wide way vs. broad way"—does not change
the doctrinal point, because “broad” and “wide” are roughly synonymous. But the
change suggests Joseph's recollection simply switched the terms, further
corroborating Clayton’s claim.
The second change, changing the KJV "many there be
which" to the more colloquial "many there are that," shows that
Joseph's memory retained the gist of the passage correctly but substituted
plainer language.
This is similar to the way Joseph combined or blended
passages in his journal entry regarding his meeting with Robert Matthews. He
wrote:
ask and you shall
recieve knock and it shall be opened seek and you shall find and
again, if any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men
liberally and upbra[i]deth not
This part is from John: “ask, and ye shall receive” (John
16:24), which is also in D&C 4 “Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it
shall be opened unto you.” (Doctrine and Covenants 4:7) and 3 Nephi. “Therefore,
ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for he that
asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened.” (3 Nephi
27:29)
But “seek and you
shall find” is not in those passages. For that, we look at Matthew, Luke, and 3
Nephi. “Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened. For every one that
asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it
shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)
3 Nephi varies slightly. “For every one that asketh,
receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be
opened. (3 Nephi 14:8)
This type of blending is common in the latter-day
scriptures.
And, unsurprisingly, it is also common for Jonathan Edwards,
such as this example from the 1808 collection where he mixes the verses the
same way Joseph did:
“God never once failed of hearing a
sincere and believing prayer; and those promises for ever hold good, “Ask,
and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened to you: For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh,
findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
C. A third example is verses 36 and 37, which read, referring
to Abraham, “it was accounted unto him for righteousness.”
“Accounted” is a nonbiblical term that corresponds to these
passages:
31 And that was counted unto
him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.
(Psalms 106:31)
3 For what saith the scripture?
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
(Romans 4:3)
7 For behold, it is not counted
unto him for righteousness.
(Moroni 7:7)
Although “accounted” is a biblical word (OT-6, NT-6 BM-2, DC-13,
PGP-1, JE-100+), it is not used with “unto” in the Bible. The nonbiblical “accounted
unto” appears in this frequency: BM (1) DC (4) [98 and 124] JE (1) [sermon].
Jacob 4 uses it in connection with Abraham but in a different context: “even as
it was accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient.” (Jacob 4:5)
The other uses in DC and JE are unrelated to Abraham.
Substituting “accounted” for “counted” in the well-known
phrase “counted unto him for righteousness” appears to be a memory error,
possibly triggered by Joseph’s previous usage of the term in the Book of Mormon
(assuming D&C 98 and 124 were produced after D&C 132), or his
familiarity with “accounted” in other scriptural passages.
D. A fourth example is verse 30.
as touching Abraham and his seed, out
of the world they should continue; both in the world and out of the world
should they continue as innumerable as the stars ; or, if ye were
to count the sand upon the seashore ye could not number them.
The first thing to note is the in-line correction, typical
of Joseph’s dictated translations and revelations, although in this case
without the “or in other words” that we often see.
out of the world they should
continue; both in the world and out of the world should they continue
We can imagine Joseph dictating the first clause—out of the
world they should continue—and then immediately rephrasing it to add “both
in the world and…” A scribe could have interpreted that as a correction, but
Clayton instead recorded it verbatim. Whether Joseph intended it to read this
way is unknowable—we have other examples of Joseph not carefully reviewing
material, such as the “Nephi” reference in his own history. He left plenty of
“or in other words” in other passages, so he apparently felt it was useful to
show multiple nuances.
The second thing to note is the mélange of other scriptural
language about stars and sand. The well-known biblical promise to Abraham
refers to both stars and sand.
17 That in blessing I will bless
thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven,
and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the
gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
(Genesis 22:17–18)
The use of sand as a metaphor for a large number appears in several
verses in the Old and New Testaments. Three
passages point out that the sand cannot be numbered.
And thou saidst, I will surely do
thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be
numbered for multitude.
(Genesis 32:12)
10 ¶ Yet the number of the children
of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor
numbered;
(Hosea 1:10)
12 Therefore sprang there even of
one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in
multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
(Hebrews 11:12)
The term “innumerable” appears in this frequency: OT (4) NT
(3) BM (2) DC (4) PGP (1). But it is used in connection with “stars” only in
D&C 76 and 132. (As an aside, Jonathan Edwards used it in similar fashion:
“But in the superior heavens, the innumerable multitude of stars
are all fixed immovable” and “when the innumerable stars of heaven
shall come down like rain.”)
Verse 30 includes an
impossible hypothetical not found in other scriptures: "count the
sand." One cannot count sand. One could count particles of sand, such as
in Moses 7:30: And were it possible that man could number the particles of the
earth.” Thus, a more coherent statement would have been “even if ye could count
the particles of sand…”
This passage is the only place in the scriptures to use “if
ye were to.” In this context, it means “if you could,” which is a phrase used
twice in the Book of Mormon (and dozens of times by Edwards).
While it is possible that Joseph intended to include the
impossible premise of counting “sand” here, it is also possible that, reciting
from memory, he mixed metaphors and omitted words that would make more sense, which would have been the case were he reading from a document.
2. Influence of Jonathan Edwards.
One characteristic of Joseph's translations, revelations,
and personal writings is the presence of words and phrases from the King James
Version of the Bible and the writings of Jonathan Edwards. I've annotated
several chapters and sections, and every one of them (so far) demonstrates the
same pattern.
See the collection of annotations at https://www.mobom.org/jonathan-edwards.
D&C 132 does the same.
https://www.mobom.org/dc-kjv-and-je-dc-132
Here are some of the nonbiblical Edwardsian terms and
phrases in D&C 132. Many of these are exclusive to D&C 132 (i.e., found
nowhere else in restoration scripture). Obviously these terms/phrases are not
unique to Edwards, but their presence here is consistent with the pattern in
other latter-day scriptures that combine biblical terminology with nonbiblical
terminology used by Edwards.
- know and understand
- wives and concubines
- receive and obey
- the instructions
- about to give
- must obey
- no one can
- be permitted
- the conditions
- instituted
- must and shall
- obligations
- performances
- connections
- associations
- expectations
- for time
- all eternity
- that too
- efficacy
- at your hand
- except it be by
- everything that is in
- after the resurrection
- shaken and destroyed
- angels in heaven
- to all eternity
-all eternity
-full force
- exaltation and glory
- exaltation
- continuation
- buffetings of Satan
- among other things
- retained in heaven
- endowed
- exempt
The doctrinal and historical implications of the Edwardsian
language is another topic, but the presence of this terminology in D&C 132
corroborates Clayton’s claim that Joseph produced D&C 132.
List of sand verses:
17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I
will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is
upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be
blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
(Genesis 22:17–18)
And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy
seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
(Genesis 32:12)
4 And they went out, they and all their hosts with them,
much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude,
with horses and chariots very many.
(Joshua 11:4)
12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the
children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude;
and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for
multitude.
(Judges 7:12)
5 ¶ And the Philistines gathered themselves together to
fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and
people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude:
(1 Samuel 13:5)
20 ¶ Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is
by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.
(1 Kings 4:20)
27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered
fowls like as the sand of the sea:
(Psalms 78:27)
22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet
a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with
righteousness.
(Isaiah 10:22)
18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had
thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
19 Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of
thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor
destroyed from before me.
(Isaiah 48:18–19)
22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the
sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and
the Levites that minister unto me.
(Jeremiah 33:22)
10 ¶ Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as
the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered;
(Hosea 1:10)
27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number
of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
(Romans 9:27)
12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as
dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand
which is by the sea shore innumerable.
(Hebrews 11:12)
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the
four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle:
the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
(Revelation 20:8)
And I looked and beheld the land of promise; and I beheld
multitudes of people, yea, even as it were in number as many as the sand of the
sea.
(1 Nephi 12:1)
22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea,
yet a remnant of them shall return; the consumption decreed shall overflow with
righteousness.
(2 Nephi 20:22)
7 The whole face of the land had become covered with
buildings, and the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the
sea.
(Mormon 1:7)
109 But behold, and lo, we saw the glory and the inhabitants
of the telestial world, that they were as innumerable as the stars in the
firmament of heaven, or as the sand upon the seashore;
(Doctrine and Covenants 76:109)
30 Abraham received promises concerning his seed, and of the
fruit of his loins—from whose loins ye are, namely, my servant Joseph—which
were to continue so long as they were in the world; and as touching Abraham and
his seed, out of the world they should continue; both in the world and out of
the world should they continue as innumerable as the stars; or, if ye
were to count the sand upon the seashore ye could not number them.
(Doctrine and Covenants 132:30)
28 And he beheld also the inhabitants thereof, and there was
not a soul which he beheld not; and he discerned them by the Spirit of God; and
their numbers were great, even numberless as the sand upon the sea shore.
(Moses 1:28)
14 And it was in the night time when the Lord spake these
words unto me: I will multiply thee, and thy seed after thee, like unto these;
and if thou canst count the number of sands, so shall be the number of
thy seeds.
(Abraham 3:14)
But in the superior heavens, the innumerable multitude
of stars are all fixed immovable, and shine with a vastly superior
brightness, and without waxing or waning, or eclipses, representing the
durableness and brightness of the glory of the highest heavens as a kingdom
that cannot be moved
What a storm of fire and brimstone will this be, when
the innumerable stars of heaven shall come down like rain, and
in which, instead of drops, there shall be those huge globes of fire
