D&C 39: The Call of James Covill and the Courage to Start Again
I had a piece of walnut in the shop last month that I had been saving for something good. The board was straight and wide, with tight grain running the whole length. I had marked it for a tabletop and set it aside while I finished other projects. By the time I pulled it out again, the ends had checked. Two hairline cracks right where the joinery needed to be clean.
I tried to work around them. I filled one with dust and glue and sanded it flat. It looked fine for about an hour. Then the crack opened again in the afternoon heat.
The board had to be cut back to fresh wood. I lost six inches off each end. That hurt. But the alternative was a table that would fail under weight.
Doctrine and Covenants 39 is about a man who had spent forty years building something and had to face the same kind of decision. Cut back or keep going with a crack running through the middle.
Who Was James Covill in the Doctrine and Covenants
James Covill was a Baptist minister who had been preaching for forty years. That span of service meant he knew the scriptures deeply, had pastoral experience, and led a congregation that respected him. By every external measure, he was a successful minister who had given his life to God.
Then the restored gospel arrived in his part of the country. Missionaries came with a message he had not heard before. The Book of Mormon. New revelation through a young prophet. The idea that the gospel had been restored after centuries of apostasy.
James Covill had rejected that message before. The Lord tells him directly in this revelation that his heart is right but that he has rejected the Lord many times because of pride and the cares of the world.
Behold, verily I say unto you, I have come unto my people in the voice of my Spirit and I have not hid my commandments from them. But he that receiveth not my gospel receiveth not me. (D&C 39:3, 5)
The revelation is blunt. This is a direct call to someone who has already heard but has not acted. James Covill is being asked to lay down forty years of identity and start over.
There is a parallel here to D&C 38: Gather, Prepare, and Be One. That chapter also calls people to leave behind what they know and gather in a new place. Both chapters require the same kind of courage.
Doctrine and Covenants 39 Meaning and the Definition of the Gospel
Verse 6 contains one of the clearest summaries of the gospel in all of scripture. Jesus defines His gospel as three things in sequence: repentance, baptism by water, and the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost.
That third element is the one that deserves attention. The baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost is the cleansing that happens after the water dries. This is the internal change that makes the external ordinance real. This verse calls the Holy Ghost the one who shows all things and teaches the peaceable things of the kingdom. The word that stays with me is peaceable. He does not teach frantic things or anxious things. He teaches peaceable things. That fits with what I have experienced. The moments when I am most sure about a decision are usually the quietest ones.
And this is my gospel—repentance and baptism by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter, which showeth all things, and teacheth the peaceable things of the kingdom. (D&C 39:6)
The Call to Arise and Be Baptized
The Lord tells James Covill that he has a right heart but has rejected Him because of pride and the cares of the world.
That line is worth sitting with. Pride and the cares of the world. James Covill had been a minister for forty years. He was not a sinner in the obvious sense. But the Lord identifies two things holding him back. One is internal and the other is external. Pride is the internal one.
James Covill had built a life and an identity around his ministry. To accept the restored gospel meant admitting that what he had been doing for forty years was incomplete. That is a hard thing to ask of anyone.
The cares of the world are the external one. He had responsibilities that included a family, a congregation, and a reputation. Accepting a new gospel meant risking all of that.
The command the Lord gives him is simple. Arise and be baptized. Wash away your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on my name, and you shall receive my Spirit and a blessing such as is not known among the children of men. (D&C 39:10)
There is no intermediate step offered, no gradual transition plan. Just arise and be baptized. The same command that works for the person hearing the gospel for the first time works for the minister of forty years.
What Is the Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost
For James Covill, the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost was not a new concept. He had preached about the Holy Spirit for four decades. What was new was the promise that this gift could be received through proper priesthood authority.
The baptism of fire is the refining that the Holy Ghost does after water baptism. Fire burns away what does not belong. The Spirit changes a person from the inside out, not just washing the outside clean.
I think about this in terms of the walnut board I had to cut back. The cracked ends had to go before the table could be sound. That was the water baptism part. But the table itself still needed to be assembled, finished, and cared for. That ongoing work is the baptism of fire. It is the slow internal change that makes the piece something you can trust.
The Lord tells James he will receive a blessing such as is not known among the children of men. That promise is about the presence of the Holy Ghost as a constant companion, not relief from hardship.
How to Transition From Another Faith to the LDS Church
James Covill was not alone in this position. Many early members of the Church came from other faith traditions. They brought their scriptures, their hymns, their discipline, and their love for God. What they did not have was the restored priesthood and the covenants that come with it.
The transition asked them to accept something more, not to reject everything they had learned. The Lord tells James that his heart is right. That distinction matters because sincerity is real but sincerity alone does not open the heavens. The ordinances do that.
If you come from another faith and you are reading this, I think there is something here for you. The Lord does not dismiss what you have done. He validates the heart that brought you this far. Then He asks you to keep going.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was James Covill in the Doctrine and Covenants?
James Covill was a Baptist minister who had preached for forty years. He was given a revelation in D&C 39 because, although his heart was right, he had rejected the restored gospel multiple times due to pride and worldly concerns. The Lord called him to be baptized and to preach the gospel in Ohio.
What does D&C 39 say about the baptism of fire?
Verse 6 defines the gospel as repentance, baptism by water, and then the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost. This refers to the purifying power of the Holy Ghost that follows the outward ordinance of water baptism. It is the internal change that makes the external ordinance complete.
Why was James Covill called to Ohio specifically?
The revelation states that James was called to the Ohio, not to the eastern countries. The Lord had a specific gathering underway there, and Covill's experience and skills were needed in that place. It illustrates that God gives specific callings based on where His people are gathering.
What does it mean that James Covill had a right heart but rejected the Lord?
This is one of the most honest verses in the Doctrine and Covenants. It means a person can be sincere and devoted while still resisting the next step God requires of them. Having a right heart is necessary, but it must be paired with the willingness to act. The Lord honors sincerity, but He also asks for obedience.
I cut those ends off the walnut board and joined the remaining pieces into a narrower table. The table is smaller than I planned, and I had to redesign the legs. But the joints are sound. The cracks are gone.
James Covill was asked to do the same thing. Cut off the part that was holding him back, even if it meant losing something he had spent forty years building. I do not know if he did it. The record is silent on whether he followed through. But the call is still there for anyone ready to hear it.
— D.