Study Insights
Doctrine and Covenants Section 1: The Voice of Warning to All People (Received November 1, 1831)
Doctrine and Covenants Section 1 stands as the preface to one of the most profound revelations of the Restoration—a divine foreword given by Jesus Christ Himself to introduce the entire Doctrine and Covenants. Received on November 1, 1831, in Hiram, Ohio, this powerful revelation wasn’t written by men to begin a compilation of sacred texts. It was dictated by the voice of the Lord, a preamble written by divine command that lays the foundation for everything that follows. Often referred to as “the Lord’s own preface,” Section 1 is unique among scriptural introductions in that it claims direct authorship from God rather than prophets or apostles. It is bold, urgent, and filled with prophetic vision—an unmistakable trumpet blast to the world.
The Lord’s Preface: A Declaration to All Nations
In contrast to typical prefaces that introduce a book’s purpose or summarize its contents, Doctrine and Covenants Section 1 is a declaration. It begins with thunderous clarity: “Hearken, O ye people of my church… and give ear to him who laid the foundation of the earth.” This is not merely a message for a select group of believers—it is a global call to attention, extending to the “ends of the earth.” The Lord speaks to all nations and all people, regardless of time or place, proclaiming that His voice is not limited to ancient prophets or bygone ages. The restoration of the gospel through Joseph Smith is not a quaint religious revival—it is the heralding of God’s final work before the Second Coming of His Son.
The language of Section 1 is commanding and sweeping, rich in prophecy and urgency. It is a warning that the Lord’s anger is kindled against the disobedient and that His judgments shall soon be poured out upon the rebellious. Yet, this warning is not born of cruelty or wrath, but of divine mercy and justice. The Lord seeks to give every soul a chance to repent and return to Him before the last days unfold in their fullness.
Apostasy and the Restoration: A Global Need for Divine Truth
Section 1 emphasizes that the world was steeped in darkness and in need of divine guidance. The Lord declares that “every man walketh in his own way,” and that the “power of Satan” had taken root across the earth. This diagnosis of spiritual chaos sets the stage for the need of a restoration—a reestablishment of the Lord’s truth, priesthood, and order. Far from being a restoration for a niche audience in early 19th-century America, this was a movement to bring light back to all of humanity.
This section gives context to why the gospel was restored through Joseph Smith. It is not a moment of spiritual novelty—it is the long-foretold renewal of covenants, authority, and revelation lost through centuries of apostasy. The Lord clearly declares that He has called upon His servant Joseph Smith and others, “that faith also might increase in the earth.” These modern-day revelations are not inventions of man; they are the voice of God in our day.
The Call to Repentance: A Loving Warning from a Just God
At the heart of Section 1 is an impassioned call to repentance. The Lord’s tone is urgent and solemn, yet underpinned by hope. He pleads with the people to turn from pride, iniquity, and rebellion, not to condemn them but to save them. His justice demands consequences, but His mercy offers a path of redemption. The time to prepare is now. The voice of warning is not to strike fear but to stir action, to awaken souls to the reality of their divine origin and potential.
This warning is lovingly wrapped in a divine invitation. The Lord does not merely command obedience; He offers assurance: “He that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven.” He acknowledges that the path of discipleship may be filled with trials, but those trials are refining, not punishing. Through repentance and righteousness, the faithful can rise in strength and be part of His everlasting kingdom.
The Power and Purpose of Modern Revelation
Doctrine and Covenants Section 1 also affirms the role of revelation in the latter days. It declares that the commandments and revelations given through Joseph Smith “were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding.” This powerful statement clarifies that revelation is adapted to human understanding. God speaks in ways we can comprehend—not to diminish His divinity, but to elevate our ability to receive His truth.
These revelations are not static instructions for a single generation. They are living words—spiritual blueprints designed to prepare the world for Christ’s Second Coming. The Lord testifies that what is written in this book, though received through mortal instruments, comes from Him. He proclaims, “Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.” With that single phrase, the Lord places His authority squarely behind the Doctrine and Covenants and the prophets He calls in this final dispensation.
A Vision of Hope: Gathering, Preparation, and Glory
While Section 1 speaks boldly of impending judgments and the perils of sin, it ends on a note of divine hope. The Lord promises that righteousness will prevail. “The fulness of my gospel,” He says, “will be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world.” This is not a gospel for the elite or scholarly; it is a gospel for the humble, the faithful, and the willing. His servants, though weak by worldly standards, are empowered by His Spirit to do His work.
The final verses of the section lay out a powerful prophecy: the day will come when every person shall hear the gospel message, when every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ. This is not the end—it is the beginning of a glorious culmination of God’s work on Earth.
The Trumpet Call of the Restoration
Doctrine and Covenants Section 1 is far more than a preface—it is a spiritual summons, a trumpet call to the modern world. It sets the tone for a book unlike any other, a book of direct divine instruction tailored for our times. In its words, we hear the love of a Father, the justice of a Judge, the mercy of a Redeemer, and the call of a Prophet. It invites all to awaken, repent, and prepare, not in fear but in faith. In a time when voices clamor for attention and truth seems elusive, Section 1 pierces the noise with eternal clarity. It reminds us that God is not silent. He speaks now, and He speaks to us. And through this sacred preface, He invites the world to listen.
Verses in D&C 1
Doctrine and Covenants 1
Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Hiram, Ohio, November 1, 1831.
Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the voice of him who dwells on high, and whose eyes are upon all men; yea, verily I say: Hearken ye people from afar; and ye that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together.
For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated.
And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow; for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed.
And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days.
And they shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them.
Behold, this is mine authority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the book of my commandments, which I have given them to publish unto you, O inhabitants of the earth.
Wherefore, fear and tremble, O ye people, for what I the Lord have decreed in them shall be fulfilled.
And verily I say unto you, that they who go forth, bearing these tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, to them is power given to seal both on earth and in heaven, the unbelieving and rebellious;
Yea, verily, to seal them up unto the day when the wrath of God shall be poured out upon the wicked without measure—
Unto the day when the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man.
Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear:
Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh;
And the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth.
And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people;
For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant;
They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall.
Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments;
And also gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world; and all this that it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets—
The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh—
But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world;
That faith also might increase in the earth;
That mine everlasting covenant might be established;
That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers.
Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding.
And inasmuch as they erred it might be made known;
And inasmuch as they sought wisdom they might be instructed;
And inasmuch as they sinned they might be chastened, that they might repent;
And inasmuch as they were humble they might be made strong, and blessed from on high, and receive knowledge from time to time.
And after having received the record of the Nephites, yea, even my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., might have power to translate through the mercy of God, by the power of God, the Book of Mormon.
And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually—
For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;
Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven;
And he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received; for my Spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts.
And again, verily I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth: I the Lord am willing to make these things known unto all flesh;
For I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall know that the day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand.
And inasmuch as they repent and receive the gospel, and do the works of the Lord, they shall be saved;
And inasmuch as they receive it not, they shall be damned.
Behold, this is mine authority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the book of my commandments. Wherefore, fear and tremble, O ye people.
For what I the Lord have decreed in them shall be fulfilled.
And verily I say unto you, that they who go forth, bearing these tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, to them is power given to seal both on earth and in heaven, the unbelieving and rebellious;
Yea, verily, to seal them up unto the day when the wrath of God shall be poured out upon the wicked without measure—
Unto the day when the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man.
Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear:
Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh;
And the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth.
And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord… shall be cut off.