D&C 41

Section Overview

What happens in D&C 41

Received on February 4, 1831, in Kirtland, Ohio. This revelation was given shortly after the Prophet Joseph Smith arrived in Ohio with the gathering Saints. It called Edward Partridge to serve as the first bishop of the Church, a new office with significant temporal and spiritual responsibilities.

Scripture

Obedience and Church Order

Study note

The Lord instructs the Saints to receive His law and establish proper church governance in their new gathering place.

1 Hearken and hear, O ye my people, saith the Lord and your God, ye whom I delight to bless with the greatest of all blessings, ye that hear me; and ye that hear me not will I curse, that have professed my name, with the heaviest of all cursings.

2 Hearken, O ye elders of my church whom I have called, behold I give unto you a commandment, that ye shall assemble yourselves together to agree upon my word;

3 And by the prayer of your faith ye shall receive my law, that ye may know how to govern my church and have all things right before me.

4 And I will be your ruler when I come; and behold, I come quickly, and ye shall see that my law is kept.

5 He that receiveth my law and doeth it, the same is my disciple; and he that saith he receiveth it and doeth it not, the same is not my disciple, and shall be cast out from among you;

6 For it is not meet that the things which belong to the children of the kingdom should be given to them that are not worthy, or to dogs, or the pearls to be cast before swine.

Edward Partridge Called as First Bishop

Study note

Edward Partridge is called to the office of bishop, described as one whose heart is pure, like Nathanael of old.

7 And again, it is meet that my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., should have a house built, in which to live and translate.

8 And again, it is meet that my servant Sidney Rigdon should live as seemeth him good, inasmuch as he keepeth my commandments.

9 And again, I have called my servant Edward Partridge; and I give a commandment, that he should be appointed by the voice of the church, and ordained a bishop unto the church, to leave his merchandise and to spend all his time in the labors of the church;

10 To see to all things as it shall be appointed unto him in my laws in the day that I shall give them.

11 And this because his heart is pure before me, for he is like unto Nathanael of old, in whom there is no guile.

12 These words are given unto you, and they are pure before me; wherefore, beware how you hold them, for they are to be answered upon your souls in the day of judgment. Even so. Amen.

Key Themes

Themes in D&C 41

Establishment of the office of bishop in the ChurchPurity of heart as qualification for Church leadershipChurch governance and the law of GodObedience to divine commandments in communityTemporal stewardship and spiritual responsibility

Scripture Connections

How this section connects to Christ

D&C 41 9-11 John 1:47

Edward Partridge is compared to Nathanael, whom Jesus declared to be without guile—a man of sincerity and honest heart.

D&C 41 9-10 1 Timothy 3:1-7

Paul's qualifications for a bishop—blameless, temperate, of good behavior—are reflected in the Lord's description of Partridge's character.

D&C 41 1-5 Hebrews 13:17

The call to receive the law and submit to church order echoes the New Testament counsel to respect those who watch over souls.

Apply This Today

Living D&C 41

The calling of Edward Partridge as the first bishop demonstrates that God values the quality of a person's heart above all external qualifications. Partridge was not a theologian or a wealthy man—he was simply honest and pure in heart. In our communities and congregations, the same principle applies: true leadership is rooted in integrity and compassion, not credentials. We can also learn that new seasons of gathering require new structures of care and organization. God provides leaders to meet the practical and spiritual needs of His people.

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