Summary:
Daybell and Vallow allegedly claimed to be specially called by God to gather 144 thousand people, but this is impossible under Church scripture and teaching. There is no settled doctrine on the 144 thousand, but sources suggest it’s regular church members performing unexceptional acts of service.
Twisting Scripture
Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow allegedly claimed to have been specially called by God to gather the 144 thousand servants described in Revelation 7 and 14. The identity and mission of the 144 thousand is not a central doctrine of the Church and is only rarely referred to in Church teachings. This is yet another example of Daybell’s extremism and twisting scripture in ways that the vast majority of Church members would not even recognize, let alone agree with.
Their illegitimate claim was probably designed to give them special spiritual status among their followers, and to allow them to flatter their followers for being elite enough to join the 144 thousand group. But a special call from God like they claimed is in violation of Latter-day Saint scripture and doctrine.
Authority to Receive Revelation for the Church
In the Doctrine and Covenants (scripture revealed to the earliest church prophets, mainly Joseph Smith), the Lord taught:
- Only the prophet may receive revelation for the entire church (D&C 28:2-5).
- Any legitimate call to high office in the Church will come from the prophet and be done openly through regular church channels. ““It shall not be given to any one to go forth to preach my gospel, or to build up my church, except he be ordained by someone who has authority, and it is known to the church that he has authority and has been regularly ordained by the heads of the church.” (D&C 42:11).
- Anyone authorized to receive revelation or exercise authority will “come in at the gate,” meaning be called by another church authority. People do not receive authority by courting popularity, building a following, or in another way. (D&C 43:7).
It is therefore impossible for such a mission to have been given to Daybell or Vallow outside of regular Church priesthood channels, and it was improper for them to have made the claim. The doctrine of the Church does not support the claims and role that Daybell and Vallow allegedly invented for themselves.
an hundred and forty and four thousand
In Revelation 7:3–8, the Apostle John describes “servants of God” who have a seal in their foreheads, and “there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”
In Revelation 14:1, it is made clear that the seal in their foreheads relates to the Israelite high priestly clothing, as they are described as having the “Father’s name written in their foreheads.” This is reminiscent of the High Priest’s clothing worn in the Israelite temple, who wore a gold plate on his forehead with the name of the Lord engraved thereon (see Exodus 28:36–38).
The most detailed revelation that has been given regarding the 144,000 appears in Doctrine and Covenants 77:11. “We are to understand that those who are sealed are high priests, ordained unto the holy order of God, to administer the everlasting gospel; for they are they who are ordained out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, to bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn.”
Beyond that revelation, little else has been said by leaders of the Church. Joseph Smith referred to this verse only a handful of times in his public sermons, and the relevant scripture verses have not been cited in General Conference for over a hundred years.
Joseph Smith may have connected the ministry of the 144,000 with temple work and may have referred to them in a sermon relating to the Seventy (a priesthood office and quorum whose members assist the Apostles in administering the Church). In 1844, Joseph also said “the selection of [the 144,000] had already commenced.”
In his Doctrinal Commentary on the New Testament, volume 3 p. 492, Bruce R. McConkie wrote that the 144,000 are kings and priests “converted, baptized, endowed, married for eternity, and finally sealed up unto eternal life.” This description agrees with Joseph’s statements tying the 144,000 to the temple, as they seek to help others be endowed with the same power they have received.
Symbolic Rather than Literal
Due to the lack of authoritative explanation, understanding the symbolic nature of the book of Revelation is helpful. Throughout Revelation, John uses numbers in highly symbolic ways. It is likely that the 144,000 are likewise best understood as a symbolic, and not necessarily a literal, number.
Richard D. Draper and Michael D. Rhodes have offered some of the most thorough commentary on these verses from a Latter-day Saint perspective, concluding that the revelatory clarification received in D&C 77 shows that this “number actually represents all of the latter-day ministers who have the special calling to administer the gospel and lead people into the Church of the Firstborn.”
This number, after all, was accompanied by “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues… clothed with white robes” (Revelation 7:9). (See Richard D. Draper and Michael D. Rhodes, New Testament Commentary: The Revelation of John the Apostle. Provo, UT: BYU Studies, 2016, 291.)
A More Likely Interpretation
Draper and Rhodes further argue: “Twelve represents the priesthood. Some near eastern societies squared a number to amplify its symbolic meaning. Thus, 144 suggests a fullness of priesthood authority.” To this, the superlative quality is added by multiplying these numbers by 1,000. So John may simply be describing a perfect and complete fullness of the power of Christ and the priesthood authority of His servants.
It is therefore likely the 144,000 are ordinary members of the Church who serve as High Priests and in the temple. There is nothing ordinary about the privilege of doing Christ’s work and fulfilling John’s prophecy, but it doesn’t involve an esoteric, mystical element as Vallow and Daybell allegedly claimed.
Moreover, any claim by Daybell or Vallow that God told them more about the 144,000 than is taught in the scriptures is false, because that would require additional revelation they were not qualified to receive. Only the prophet can receive revelation or authoritative interpretation of scripture.
