Joseph Smith — "I have a right to reveal all things, and to teach all things."
I have a right to reveal all things, and to teach all things.
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More from Joseph Smith
"Come on! ye prosecutors! ye false swearers! All hell, boil over! Ye burning mountains, roll down your lava! for I will come out on the top at last."
"I am a rough stone. The sound of the hammer and chisel is continually upon me. I desire the voice of the Lord to ring in my ears, and I am willing to bear the consequence."
"I am tired of the traditions of men, and the doctrines of devils."
"I am going to bring in the Millennium."
"If I am to be damned for going to hell with my friends, I will go to hell with my friends."
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Understanding this quote
What it means
The quote asserts an absolute, divinely-granted authority to receive and communicate truth without restriction. Smith claims the right—presumably from God—to disclose any spiritual knowledge and instruct others on any doctrine. It is a declaration of unlimited prophetic mandate: no subject is sealed off from revelation, no teaching falls outside his commission. The statement positions him not merely as a minister but as a uniquely empowered conduit between the divine and humanity.
Relevance to Joseph Smith
Smith founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830, claiming divine visions beginning in 1820. He produced the Book of Mormon as revealed scripture, received ongoing revelations compiled in the Doctrine and Covenants, and introduced doctrines including celestial marriage and a distinct theology of God. This quote captures his core self-understanding: he was not interpreting existing scripture but actively receiving new divine dispensations with no doctrinal ceiling on what he could reveal.
The era
The early 19th century in America—the era of the Second Great Awakening—was marked by intense religious ferment, competing denominations, and mass revival meetings. Upstate New York, where Smith grew up, was called the burned-over district for its repeated revivals. Questions of which church held divine authority were urgently debated. Claims of direct revelation were credible to many seekers, making Smith's sweeping assertion of prophetic authority both powerfully resonant and fiercely controversial.
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