When I first started to understand the state of the Mormon church, I used D&C 124 to show that the current LDS church was woefully off track. It was clear to me that the church had been rejected and cast back into the wilderness. However, the entire D&C 124 revelation itself has several red flags to suggest that it is not what it seems.
Proclamation
D&C 124 was received on January 19th, 1841, and begins with Joseph being told to immediately make a proclamation to all the kings of the world. This proclamation was to seek the king’s favor because God was about to unveil his end time work concerning Zion. It sounded incredibly hopeful and exciting. However, Joseph would be dead 3 1/2 years later, the church forced to leave Nauvoo, and the Nauvoo temple left to be destroyed. The revelation stated:
You are now called immediately to make a solemn proclamation of my gospel … This proclamation shall be made to all the kings of the world. Let it be written … by the power of the Holy Ghost, which shall be in you … I am about to call upon them to give heed to the light and glory of Zion, for the set time has come to favor her. … I will visit and soften their hearts, many of them for your good … For the day of my visitation cometh speedily … Let my servant Robert B. Thompson help you to write this proclamation
Revelation, January 19, 1841, D&C 124
Joseph was told to immediately write this proclamation, to the kings of the world, because they were to favor Zion. It seemed Joseph did make an effort to dictate a very rough proclamation to Robert Thompson. However, Thomson died, in August 1841, about six months after the revelation was received and never finished the proclamation.
At this point the proclamation languished until, two years later, when Joseph assigned the responsibility to the quorum of the twelve apostles. This is in spite of the revelation stating it was Joseph’s responsibility. This work however was intermittent because of various duties the apostles had including Joseph’s presidential campaign. The 12 apostles did complete the work and published a proclamation in April 1845, about one year after Joseph’s death. Six months after the proclamation was published, no kings had favored Zion, Zion itself was languishing, and the members were forced to leave Nauvoo in order to travel west towards Utah.
God had told the members, through Joseph, that Zion was about to be greatly favored. The kings of the world would come to Zion, repent of their hard hearts, and assist with the work of God. God was going to perform a great work for his people. However, none of this happened. Did God not know that Thompson would be dead 6 months after the revelation and Joseph 3 years after it? Did God not know that Zion would still be languishing almost 200 years after the “set time” of 1841? None of the language was conditional, yet many simply state that it was and ignore the entire concept.
Millenium
The language of D&C 124 is apocalyptical in nature and strongly hints at the imminent return of Christ and his millennia reign. Joseph was to issue a proclamation to the kings of the world because Christ was to return “speedily”. The church needed a temple, because God wanted to restore what was lost in preparation for the second coming. The church was going to receive everything that was hidden from the beginning of the world, if they only held on a little longer. Joseph felt the second coming was right around the corner, much like many people today. Today, we are constantly bombarded with conflicting messages saying the end is near. Joseph’s time was no different.
We can even see this in a Relief Society meeting that Joseph spoke at just one year after D&C 124 was received. In this, April 28th, 1842, meeting, Joseph said very clearly that within 10 years the Relief Society would be greatly honored by the queens of the world. These queens would contribute to the poor and consequently would help build Zion. This could only logically happen if the entire order of society had changed, which would happen during Christ’s millennia reign. Otherwise, why would the queens honor the Relief Society? According to the meeting minutes, Joseph stated:
I now deliver it as a prophecy that before ten years shall roll round, the queens of the earth shall come and pay their respects to this Society— they shall come with their millions and shall contribute of their abundance for the relief of the poor
Joseph Smith, Relief Society meeting, April 28, 1842
The queens of the world certainly didn’t honor the Relief Society within 10 years. In fact, just over 2 years after that point, Joseph would be dead and about a year after that, Brigham Young had formally disbanded the Relief Society. On March 9th, 1845, Brigham told the women of the Relief Society to “stay home” until he wanted to “summon them to [his] aid”.
Joseph always felt that the second coming was right around the corner, which the language of D&C 124 suggests as well. However, we are now almost 200 years removed from that point, and it still hasn’t happened yet. Many people are even talking today about amazing things that are going to happen “very soon”. This seems to be a constant according to human nature. We always expect exciting things to be around the corner, even if we have looked around the corner 100 times before and seen nothing. For some reason the next time will always be different.
Vain Works
The next interesting aspect of D&C 124 is that the church was told that if they listened to their leaders and built the temple, then they wouldn’t be moved out of their place. They had previously been forced to leave Kirtland, Independence, and Far West. Therefore, a promise that Nauvoo was to be a safehold was incredibly reassuring. The revelation mentioned:
If my people will hearken unto my voice, and unto the voice of my servants whom I have appointed to lead my people, behold, verily I say unto you, they shall not be moved out of their place.
Revelation, January 19, 1841, D&C 124
The language is conditional so there is a lot of wiggle room here, however generally the church did listen and obey. The members did start to build the Nauvoo temple. However, it was an enormous undertaking. The temple itself was about 11,000 sq ft with three different levels making it more than twice the size of the Kirtland temple. The Kirtland temple took 2 1/2 years to complete so it is no wonder that after 3 years, when Joseph was killed, the Nauvoo temple was still under construction. The church did listen to their leaders, and they were still moved out of their place.
Another very interesting aspect of this revelation is that D&C 124 stated that when God commands something of his people, if there is opposition to the efforts, then God would remove the commandment his people. This was specifically to remove the commandment of the church to build a temple in Jackson County, Missouri since the church had been expelled from there for several years at that point. The revelation stated:
I say unto you, that when I give a commandment to any of the sons of men to do a work unto my name, and those sons of men go with all their might and with all they have to perform that work, and cease not their diligence, and their enemies come upon them and hinder them from performing that work, behold, it behooveth me to require that work no more at the hands of those sons of men, but to accept of their offerings.
Revelation, January 19, 1841, D&C 124
The idea that God can give commandments, and regardless of how hard we try to accomplish them, we may still fail seems to be in opposition to all of scripture. If God can’t help his people to obey the commandments that he gives them, then what can he honestly do? This is also, in direct opposition to the very famous statement from Nephi in 1 Nephi 3:7. Nephi mentioned that God gave no commandment unless there was a way to accomplish it. This would of course be in spite of whether there was opposition or not.
If, however, D&C 124 was valid, and God can remove commandments of us if there is sufficient opposition to them, then Nephi could have simply tried really hard to obtain the brass plates and then returned to Lehi empty handed. God would have then removed the commandment, from Nephi, to obtain the plates. This sounds very strange to me, however according to D&C 124 it would be possible. In this case though, it really would seem like God would be rather weak. If God is not capable of overcoming enemies to his work, then what is he capable of doing?
Nauvoo House
The next interesting note about D&C 124, is that the church was told to build a boarding house for Joseph, and his posterity, that would serve as his residence and a hotel for travelers. This boarding house was linked to the idea, earlier in the revelation, of the kings and queens of the world coming to Nauvoo and paying homage to the church. They would need a comfortable place to stay, while in Nauvoo, which would be the Nauvoo house. The revelation stated:
I say unto you, as pertaining to my boarding house which I have commanded you to build for the boarding of strangers, … let my servant Joseph and his house have place therein, from generation to generation. … as I said unto Abraham concerning the kindreds of the earth, even so I say unto my servant Joseph: In thee and in thy seed shall the kindred of the earth be blessed.
Revelation, January 19, 1841, D&C 124
In the revelation, Joseph and his entire posterity would be given a permanent dwelling place in Nauvoo. This would be funded by several people mentioned in the revelation that were instructed to invest a minimum of about $2000 today, up to a maximum of about $500,000. These individuals themselves didn’t always have this money to invest, however they were commanded to do so to help get the building project started.
According to the revelation, each investor into Joseph’s private residence and hotel would be given stock according to their investment. This stock would then offer generational wealth to the investor and their descendants. This was because presumably numerous people were going to be visiting Nauvoo and staying in the Nauvoo house which would generate a source of continuous income. This was also because according to Joseph, Nauvoo was going to be the greatest city in the world. On July 19th, 1840, just 6 months before D&C 124 was received, Joseph remarked:
I prophecy in the name of the Lord that the state of Illinois shall become a great and mighty mountain, as a city set upon a hill that cannot be hid, and a great candle that giveth light to the world. And the city of Nauvoo also shall become the greatest city in the whole world.
Joseph Smith, July 19, 1840
As we know, the members had to leave Nauvoo in 1845, and it has continued to remain a small city ever since. According to the 2020 census, there were about 1000 people living in Nauvoo, which number has been fairly consistent for many years. Historically we know that the Nauvoo house was never finished and was never a place for Joseph and his posterity “from generation to generation”. Nauvoo also, is not even close to the greatest city in the world, in any way imaginable.
Proxy Work
The last interesting aspect of D&C 124 is the very heavy focus on baptisms for the dead. The members were told that they needed to build the temple so that their proxy baptisms would be acceptable to God. Without this then they would be rejected along with their dead. Baptism for the dead, according to the church, was God’s way of offering salvation to the many people who had died without the gospel. In this way, baptism was required for the dead to accept the gospel and consequently return back to God. The revelation stated:
I command you, all ye my saints, to build a house unto me; … during this time your baptisms shall be acceptable unto me. But behold, at the end of this appointment your baptisms for your dead shall not be acceptable unto me; and if you do not these things at the end of the appointment ye shall be rejected as a church, with your dead, saith the Lord your God.
Revelation, January 19, 1841, D&C 124
There is not a single indication from the scriptures, that baptism is required for dead people. We do have 1 Corinthians 15:29, which is incredibly confusing, and interpreted many different ways. However, we also have Moroni 8, where Moroni strongly denounces the concept that children should be baptized along with those that don’t have the law. Moroni mentioned:
For behold that all little children are alive in Christ. And also all they that are without the law. For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing. But it is mockery before God, denying the mercies of Christ, and the power of his Holy Spirit, and putting trust in dead works.
Moroni 8:22-24
According to Moroni, baptizing those without the law would be putting our trust in dead works. This would include living children, who don’t have the law, along with those that have died without the law. In both cases, those individuals would not have the law of the gospel and so would not be under the requirements of the law. This makes perfect sense and is incredibly merciful by God. Moroni specifically mentioned that anything else would be limiting the atoning power of God. Therefore, it is hard to imagine a scenario where baptisms for the dead would not be a dead work, according to Moroni.
Conclusion
In looking at D&C 124, there are many indications that it is not a valid revelation or at the very least was given by a god that couldn’t see the future. Joseph also didn’t seem to think it was urgent by his failure to follow the direct, and explicit, command of God to issue the proclamation to the kings of world. It is hard to imagine why Joseph wouldn’t have wanted to do this immediately, as the revelation told him to do so, since it would have directly benefitted everyone if the revelation was accurate.
D&C 124 also seems to support the personal opinions of Joseph. Namely, that Nauvoo would be the greatest city on earth and that the kings and queens of the world would pay homage to the church and consequently the leaders of the church. The members needed to build up the city of Nauvoo so that it could become great. Once it had become great, then that would be a sign that the favor of God was upon the church. This is circular logic and is exactly the same reasoning used by members today.
Many members today, feel that the prosperity of the LDS church is a sign of divine acceptance and favor. Consequently, they are told, by the leaders, that they need to continue to assist in the works and mission of the church, in order to gain continued acceptance by God. This further helps to build the church’s prosperity and therefore divine acceptance and favor in the eyes of the members. This is a self-fulfilling prophecy and is incredibly easy to get caught up in. Many members in Nauvoo, had to of seen it the exact same way.
For D&C 124, there are many fundamental questions that need to be answered in order to conclude that it is a valid revelation from God.
- Why did Joseph not issue the proclamation immediately as the revelation requested?
- Why did the revelation say God was “about to” call upon the kings of the world to favor Zion, when this never happened?
- Why did the revelation say the “set time” had come to favor Zion when the church abandoned Zion and this never happened?
- Why did the revelation say that the kings of the world would be called upon for Joseph’s good, when this never happened?
- Why did Joseph say the queens of the world would honor the Relief Society, by 1852, and this never happened?
- Why did the revelation say the church wouldn’t be moved out of their place, if they followed Joseph, and this never happened? The church was clearly moved out of their place.
- Why did the revelation say that God can give commandments, that can’t be accomplished? This contradicts many scriptures.
- Why did the revelation command, many people, to invest into the personal residence of Joseph?
- Why did Joseph say Nauvoo would be the greatest city in the world, and this never happened?
- Why did the revelation speak of baptisms for the dead, which Moroni specifically condemned as a dead work?
Many people have gotten around these questions by simply stating that Joseph is going to come back and fulfill these requirements at a future time. I honestly felt like this at one point. However, I think this is just refusing to admit the obvious. Of course, God could have a future work for Joseph. I don’t doubt that at all. However, there is also no reason to conclude that D&C 124 is a valid revelation, to be fulfilled at a future time, simply because we don’t want to admit that it is invalid.
Kings were never called upon. Zion was never favored. The church was moved out of its place. Lastly, if God can give commandments, that can’t be fulfilled, then why obey him at all? We must critically look at the revelations before we accept them as the binding word of God upon us. Curiously, the Come Follow Me lesson, which covers this section, addresses none of these questions but simply glosses over almost the entire section. Instead, it focuses on the need to obey the prophet and temple work with a conclusion that we need to do more temple work in order to be accepted by God.
