Doctrine & Covenants 75 — Section Overview Summary
Timeframe & Setting
Date: January 25, 1832
Location: Amherst, Ohio
Context: This revelation was given during a Church conference in Amherst, Ohio, where Joseph Smith was formally sustained and ordained as President of the High Priesthood. Several elders were in attendance and sought further direction regarding their missionary duties.
Key Circumstances
Recent revelations (D&C 71–74) had emphasized preaching, spiritual stewardship, and translation work.
With the Church expanding and opposition subsiding somewhat, the need arose for renewed missionary efforts.
Concerns were also raised about the temporal welfare of the missionaries’ families, prompting the Lord to clarify the Church’s duty in such matters.
Purpose of the Revelation
To reassign missionaries, including those previously called or recently forgiven (e.g., William E. McLellin).
To provide divine instruction on how to carry out missionary labor with diligence, using the Spirit as a guide.
To establish a pattern for missionary companionships and traveling “two by two.”
To clarify the duty of the Church to support the families of those called to serve.
Significance
Reveals that missionary work must be both spiritually focused and administratively supported by the Church body.
Demonstrates that the Lord corrects, commands, forgives, and recommissions, providing a model for divine mentorship.
Affirms that those who labor faithfully and those who support them are both promised blessings—honor, glory, and eternal life (v. 5; v. 28).
Introduces language and imagery tied to judgment, accountability, and covenantal labor—elders will “sit in judgment” of those who reject the gospel, yet they must also act with joy and gladness (vv. 20–21).
Ties the temporal to the eternal: “the idler shall not have place in the church” (v. 29), reiterating the sanctity of work and stewardship within the Lord’s kingdom.
Doctrine and Covenants 75:1–5 — Crowned with Sheaves and Eternal Life
Verses 1-5
1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I who speak even by the voice of my Spirit, even Alpha and Omega, your Lord and your God—
2 Hearken, O ye who have given your names to go forth to proclaim my gospel, and to prune my vineyard.
3 Behold, I say unto you that it is my will that you should go forth and not tarry, neither be idle but labor with your might—
4 Lifting up your voices as with the sound of a trump, proclaiming the truth according to the revelations and commandments which I have given you.
5 And thus, if ye are faithful ye shall be laden with many sheaves, and crowned with honor, and glory, and immortality, and eternal life.
Summary:
These verses emphasize the divine commission given to those called to preach the gospel. The Lord, identifying Himself as “Alpha and Omega,” reaffirms that missionary work is both urgent and sacred. Faithful laborers are promised abundant blessings—including the symbolic reward of being "laden with many sheaves" and crowned with eternal life.
Language & Cultural Insights:
“Alpha and Omega”: A title referring to Christ's eternal nature—the beginning and the end (Revelation 1:8). This framing establishes divine authority and eternal consequence.
“Prune my vineyard”: Alludes to Isaiah 5 and Jacob 5 (Zenos’s allegory, PaRDeS model), where the Lord of the vineyard calls laborers to gather and nourish His people.
“Lift up your voices as with the sound of a trump”: Echoes Isaiah 58:1, where the trumpet voice represents bold prophetic speech. Compare also 1 Corinthians 14:8.
“Laden with many sheaves”:
Hebrew: אֲלֻמָּה (ʾalummah) — a bound bundle of harvested grain (Genesis 37:7).
In Jewish agricultural festivals, particularly the Feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:10–14), the first sheaf (omer) was waved before the Lord to dedicate the coming harvest.
This sheaf typifies Christ as the Firstfruits (Bikurim) (1 Corinthians 15:20–23), and those who gather in His name participate in His harvest.
Latter-day Saints interpret sheaves as symbolic of souls brought unto Christ—see Alma 26:5–6: “Behold, the field was ripe, and blessed are ye, for ye did thrust in the sickle… and behold the number of your sheaves!”
The imagery also parallels Palm Sunday, where branches were waved in anticipation of Christ's triumph (John 12:13), echoing the waving of firstfruits sheaves.
“Crowned with honor… and eternal life”:
Compare D&C 138:51: “They were crowned with glory, and honor, and immortality, and eternal life.”
This phrase completes the harvest motif: those who faithfully labor in the Lord’s vineyard are not only gatherers—they themselves become recipients of divine abundance.
Reflection Questions:
What does it mean for you to be “laden with sheaves”? Who are the individuals you are helping to gather?
In what ways can you “lift up your voice” like a trumpet in your family, ward, or community?
How does this imagery deepen your appreciation for the temple, the feasts of the Lord, or missionary work?
References:
Genesis 37:7 — Joseph’s dream of sheaves
Leviticus 23:10–14 — Feast of Firstfruits
1 Corinthians 15:20–23 — Christ as Firstfruits
Alma 26:5–6 — Sheaves as converts
John 12:13 — Palm branches and triumph
D&C 75:5 — Laden with sheaves and crowned with life
Doctrine and Covenants 75:6–12 — The Lord Chastens, Forgives, and Sends Forth
Doctrine and Covenants 75:13–22 — Missionary Commission and Accountability
Doctrine and Covenants 75:23–36 — Support for the Families of Missionaries