Sections 39–40

Key points from this section: James Covel’s Covenant: James Covel, a Methodist minister, covenanted to obey any command from the Lord through Joseph Smith. Command and Rejection: The Lord commanded James to be baptized and preach the gospel, but he quickly rejected this command due to fear and worldly concerns. Agency and Revelation: The sequence of events highlights the role of agency in revelation, showing that James chose to break his covenant of his own free will. God’s Foreknowledge: Joseph Smith taught that God foreknew everything but did not foreordain everything, emphasizing human agency.