Warnings and Laws

Found in the D&C

and other writings of the Prophet Joseph Smith



"Zion shall be redeemed in Mine own due time.

"...My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of My kingdom.

"...Be diligent in keeping all My commandments, lest judgments come upon you, and your faith fail you, and your enemies triumph over you."

D&C 136:18,31,42


"We will go down, for there is space there, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them."

Abraham 3:24-25



"There is not any person belonging to the church who is exempt from this council of the church [a First Presidency court].

"And inasmuch as a President of the High Priesthood [a member of the First Presidency itself] shall transgress, he shall be had in remembrance before the common council of the church [a bishop's court], who shall be assisted by twelve counselors of the High Priesthood;

"And their decision upon his head shall be an end of controversy concerning him.

"Thus none shall be exempted from the justice and the laws of God, that all things may be done in order and in solemnity before Him, according to truth and righteousness."

"...a bishop must be chosen from the High Priesthood, unless he is a literal descendant of Aaron; ...But a literal descendant of Aaron has a legal right to the presidency of this priesthood, to the keys of this ministry, to act in the office of bishop independently, without counselors, except in a case where a President of the High Priesthood, after the order of Melchizedek, is tried, to sit as a judge in Israel."

D&C 107:81-84,69,76


"Therefore, let every man stand or fall by himself, and not for another, or not trusting another; [not even the President of the church? consider:]

"...And if thine eye [The President of the Church] which seeth for thee, him that is appointed to watch over thee to show thee light, become a transgressor and offend thee, pluck him out. [By the Gospel law, as given in D&C 107:81-84.]

"It is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God, with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

"For it is better that thyself should be saved than to be cast into hell with thy brother, where their worm dieth not, and where the fire is not quenched."

JST Mark 9:44-48


The Doctrine and Covenants teaches that we are to heed what is "written" in it as a law to the church. Thus the Church is to have a government by Law and not a government by men.


"Behold, I am God; give heed unto My word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the diving asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore give heed unto My words.

D&C 6:2


"Behold, I have manifested unto you, by My Spirit in many instances, that the things which you [Oliver Cowdery] have written are true; wherefore you know that they are true. And if you know they are true, behold, I give unto you a commandment, that you rely upon the things which are written...

"And you have that which is written before you; wherefore you must perform it according to the words which are written.

D&C 18:2-3,30


"Thou shalt take the things which thou hast received, which have been given unto thee in My scriptures, for a law, to be My law to govern My church; and he that doeth according to these things shall be saved, and he that doeth them not shall be damned if he so continue."

D&C 42:59-60


"For behold, verily, verily, I say unto you that ye have received a commandment [D&C 42] for a law unto My church, through him [Joseph Smith] whom I have appointed unto you to receive commandments and revelations from My hand."

D&C 43:2


"And I now give unto you a commandment to beware concerning yourselves, to give diligent heed to the words of Eternal Life, for you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.

"...And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received-- which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written--"

D&C 84:43-44,54-57


"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 rains descend, and beat upon their house."

D&C 90:5


"And I give unto you a commandment, that ye shall forsake all evil, and cleave unto all good, that ye shall live by every word which proceedeth forth out of the mouth of God. For He will give unto the faithful line upon line, precept upon precept; and I will try you and prove you herewith."

D&C 98:11-12


"I am the Lord thy God; and I give unto you this commandment--that no man shall come unto the Father but by Me or by My word, which is My law, saith the LORD."

D&C 132:12


President Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr. expressed his conviction the scriptures were the highest and final law of the church:


"It makes no difference what is written or about what anyone has said, if what has been said is in conflict with what the LORD has revealed, we can set it aside. My words, and the teachings of any other member of the church, high or low, if they do not square with the revelations we need not accept them. Let us have this matter clear. We have accepted the four standard works as the measuring yardsticks, or balances, by which we measure every man's doctrine."

Doctrines of Salvation, Volume 3, Page 203


D&C warning that things can be taken away from the church-- this could include the crucial gift of revelation that the Prophet Joseph had. If this gift of recieving Oracles in the unchanging pattern of the prophets of Israel (like the D&C) is taken away, then the promises with the gift are also taken away.


"And now, behold, I give unto you a commandment, that when ye are assembled together ye shall instruct and edify each other, that ye may know how to act and direct my church, how to act upon the points of my law and commandments, which I have given.

And thus ye shall become instructed in the law of my church, and be sanctified by that which ye have received, and ye shall bind yourselves to act in all holiness before me-- that inasmuch as ye do this, glory shall be added to the kingdom which ye have received. Inasmuch as ye do it not, it shall be taken, even that which ye have received. Purge ye out the iniquity which is among you; sanctify yourselves before me."

D&C 43:8-11


Further warnings found in the Doctrine and Covenants.


"But there is a possibility that man may fall from grace and depart from the living God; therefore let the church take heed and pray always, lest they fall into temptation; yea, and even let those who are sanctified take heed also."

D&C 20:32-34


"Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived; and that ye may not be deceived seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given--"

D&C 46


"Behold, I, the Lord, have looked upon you, and have seen abominations in the church that profess my name. But blessed are they who are faithful and endure, whether in life or in death, for they shall inherit eternal life. But wo unto them that are deceivers and hypocrites, for, thus saith the Lord, I will bring them to judgment. Behold, verily I say unto you, there are hypocrites among you, who have deceived some, which has given the adversary power; but behold such shall be reclaimed; but the hypocrites shall be detected and shall be cut off, either in life or in death, even as I will; and wo unto them who are cut off from my church, for the same are overcome of the world. Wherefore, let every man beware lest he do that which is not in truth and righteousness before me."

D&C 50:4-9


"Hearken unto me, saith the Lord your God, and I will speak unto my servant Edward Partridge, and give unto him directions; for it must needs be that he receive directions how to organize this people. For it must needs be that they be organized according to my laws; if otherwise, they will be cut off."

D&C 51:1-2


"Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord. And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; first among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord."

D&C 112:24-26


"We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. Hence many are called, but few are chosen."

D&C 121:39-40


"Now therefore, hearken O ye people of My church; and ye elders listen together: You have received My kingdom-- be diligent in keeping all my commandments, lest judgments come upon you, and your faith fail you, and your enemies triumph over you. So no more at present."

Amen and Amen."

D&C 136:41-42


"And again, I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived"

D&C 52:14


The Prophet Joseph Smith taught as correct principles:


"President Smith rose, ... said if the people departed from the LORD, they must fall-- that they were depending on the Prophet, hence were darkened in their minds from neglect of themselves."

26 May 1842, Relief Society Minutes


"To all those who are disposed to set up stakes for the Almighty-- [he] will come short of the glory of God. To become a joint heir of the heirship of the Son, he must put away all his traditions."

27 August 1843, Joseph Smith Diary


"What constitutes the Kingdom of God? Where there is a prophet, a priest or a righteous man unto whom God gives His oracles, there is the Kingdom of God, and where the oracles of God are not, there the Kingdom of God is not... If we do not get revelations, we do not have the oracles of God, and if they have not the oracles of God they are not the people of God..."

22 January 1843 Wilford Woodruff Journal


Prophecies that the Gentiles in the latter days will receive the Gospel first, but pollute it; then the LORD will bring about the "literal gathering of Israel" and the establishment of Political Israel, or Zion, in Missouri.


"Now these words, O LORD, we have spoken before Thee, concerning the revelations and commandments which Thou hast given unto us, who are identified with the Gentiles."

D&C 109:60 (Kirtland Temple dedicational prayer)


"And the time cometh that He shall manifest Himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews [Old Testament] and also unto the Gentiles [New Testament]; and after He has manifested Himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then He shall manifest Himself unto the Gentiles [Doctrine and Covenants, etc.], and also unto the Jews [?], and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last"

1 Nephi 13:42


Behold, because of their belief in Me, saith the Father, and because of the unbelief of you, O house of Israel, in the latter day shall the truth come unto the Gentiles, that the fullness of these things shall be made known unto them. ... And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against My gospel, and shall reject the fullness of My gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fullness of My gospel, behold saith the Father, I will bring the fullness of My gospel from among them.

"And then will I remember My covenant which I have made unto My people, O house of Israel, and I will bring My gospel unto them."

3 Nephi 16:10-11


"And the Gentiles are lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and have stumbled, because of the greatness of their stumbling block, that they have built up many churches; nevertheless, they put down the power and miracles of God, and preach up unto themselves their own wisdom and their own learning, that they may get gain and grind upon the face of the poor."

2 Nephi 26:20


"And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted. O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies--because of the praise of the world?

Mormon 8:36-38


"And when the times of the Gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fullness of my gospel;

But they receive it not; for they perceive not the light, and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men. And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be men standing in that generation, that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge; for a desolating sickness shall cover the land. But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices and curse God and die."

D&C 45:28-32