Doctrine and Covenants Commentary - Section 99

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to John Murdock, August 1832, at Hiram, Ohio. Although editions of the Doctrine and Covenants beginning with 1876 have listed this revelation as Kirtland, August 1833, earlier editions and other historical records certify to the proper information.
    1—8, John Murdock is called to proclaim the gospel, and those who receive him receive the Lord and shall obtain mercy.
D&C 99:1 BEHOLD, thus saith the Lord unto my servant John Murdock—thou art acalled to go into the eastern countries from house to house, from village to village, and from city to city, to proclaim mine everlasting gospel unto the inhabitants thereof, in the midst of bpersecution and wickednessa.
D&C 99:2 And who areceiveth you receiveth me; and you shall have power to declare my word in the bdemonstration of my Holy Spirit.
D&C 99:3 And who receiveth you aas a little child, receiveth my bkingdom; and blessed are they, for they shall obtain cmercy.

Wheat and Tares 
The sorting out of the wheat and the tares is just such as was given to John Murdock to perform in his calling by the Lord to the judgement of those who did pursecute the Church of God in their wickedness. The wheat was to be harvested and the tares were to be left to the judgement of God, which is that everlasting burning of God's wrath against them. 		 1a in the midst of persecution and wickedness This was no ordinary mission call to preach the gospel to the people. It was a selective mission of one being sent to the known pursecuters of the church to be a witness against them in the name of the Lord. The specific eastern countries were those who had expelled the saints with their pursecution and lawlessness of mob actions against the Church of God. This was a mission of judgement against those who did reject the word of God to the extent that they had ran the saints out of their homes in the east by their unlawful pursecutions of them.
D&C 99:4 And whoso rejecteth you shall be arejected of my Father and his house; and you shall cleanse your bfeet in the secret places by the way for a testimony against thema.
D&C 99:5 And behold, and lo, I acome quickly to bjudgment, to convince all of their ungodly deeds which they have committed against me, as it is written of me in the volume of the book.

 4a and you shall cleanse your feet in the secret places by the way for a testimony against them Here further insight is given concerning the practice of 'shaking the dust of your feet off against a people' who reject the gospel as practiced in parallel in the days of the Savior. It is a testimony against such people unto the judgements of God. Missionaries today are not to practice this 'cursing' by the priesthood power. And it is interesting to note that it was not to be done in public in view of the people against whom it was performed. But it was to be done in secret before the Lord and not before men. It was a quiet testimony of judgement against a wicked people who did openly reject unto pursecution the ordained servants of God.
D&C 99:6 And now, verily I say unto you, that it is not expedient that you should go until your children are aprovided for, and sent up kindly unto the bishop of Zion.
D&C 99:7 And after a few years, if thou desirest of me, thou mayest go up also unto the goodly land, to possess thine ainheritance;
D&C 99:8 Otherwise thou shalt continue proclaiming my gospel auntil thou be taken. Amen.