Development of the Doctrine And Covenants
Joseph Smith's Revelations
- Printed and canonized* (scriptures, principally in the Doctrine and Covenants)
- Printed and noncanonized (principally in the History of the Church)
- Nonprinted (some have been recently been printed in scholarly publications) and noncanonized (Church Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah, and L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Provo, Utah)
*Canon. A word of Greek origin, originally meaning "a rod for testing straightness," now used to denote the authoritative collection of the sacred books used by the true believers in Christ. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the canonical books are called standard works (Bible Dictionary 630).
Manuscript of Doctrine and Covenants |
John Whitmer's History |
W. W. Phelps's Missionary Journal
Church Conferences November 1–11, 1831
- Joseph asked to "correct those errors or mistakes [caused by careless copying] which he may discover by the Holy spirit while reviewing the revelations and commandments."
- Church leaders agreed to print the revelations under the title Book of Commandments for the Government of the Church of Christ in an edition of ten thousand copies.
- Oliver Cowdery appointed to deliver the corrected manuscripts to Missouri for printing.
- Joseph receives "The Preface," an introduction given by the Lord that authorized publication and commanded the Saints to "search these commandments."
- Revelation of section 70 appointing "stewards over the revelations and commandments" (later known as the Literary Firm).
The Evening and the Morning Star
Many of the important early revelations were published in the Church's first newspaper, The Evening and the Morning Star.
- The Publication of The Evening and the Morning Star (the Church's first newspaper) began in June 1832 in Independence, Missouri.
- After fourteen numbers (issues) of the newspaper had been published, a mob in Jackson County destroyed the printing press on July 20, 1833.
- Five months later Oliver Cowdery resumed publication of the newspaper in Kirtland, Ohio, under the new title, Evening and Morning Star, and published ten more numbers (issues).
| Doctrine and Covenants Section 76 was published and entitled simply, "A Vision." |  |
Articles and Covenants
Doctrine and Covenants Section 20 was the first revelation published.
It was known as the "Articles and Covenants of the Church."
The Evening and the Morning Star
Hymns were also published in the Church's newspaper.
1833
The Book of Commandments
~Independence, Missouri~
- 65 sections
- Never completed because of the destruction of the press
- Never republished by the Church
- Twenty copies known to have survived
- An individual copy is valued at $500,000 (2002)
Adapted from Maureen Ursenbach Beecher, "Discover Your Heritage: ‘They Will Kill Us!'" New Era, Sept. 1974, 36–37. |
In July 1833, people in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, were angry with the Mormons and wanted them to leave. A mob broke into William W. Phelps's print shop and threw his printing press and printed pages out the window. The pages contained revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith that were to be bound into a book called the Book of Commandments. Two girls, Mary Elizabeth Rollins and her sister Caroline, were hiding nearby and decided to save as many pages as possible. They ran out, filled their arms with papers, and hid in a cornfield. The mob tried to find the girls but failed. The pages the girls saved and others were later used to make up copies of the Book of Commandments. Today the contents of this book are part of the Doctrine and Covenants. |
1833 Book of Commandments
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Sections/Titles
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Facts about the Revelations
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1835
Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints
~Kirtland, Ohio~
- 102 sections
- Generally considered as the first standard edition in English
- Officially accepted by the Church as scripture
1835 Doctrine and Covenants
Doctrine and Covenants
- Unlike the earlier book, which contained only revelations or commandments, the Doctrine and Covenants was basically two books in one.
- Doctrine: The first part contained seven lectures (later known as the Lectures on Faith), which were "On the Doctrine of the Church of the Latter Day Saints."
- Covenants: The second part was entitled, "Covenants and Commandments of the Lord, to His Servants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints."
Broadside of the First Lecture of the Lectures on Faith
This is the first of seven Lectures on Faith. The type used to print this broadside is the same type that was used to print the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants. |
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1835 Doctrine and Covenants
1844
The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
- 111 Sections
- Published in Nauvoo after the martyrdom
- Official full title first used
1844 Doctrine and Covenants
1876
The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
~Salt Lake City, Utah~
- Article on marriage deleted
- Section 132 and others added, totaling 136 sections
- First time divided into verses as they exist today
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1876 Doctrine and Covenants
Manuscript of John Taylor's 1882 Revelation
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This revelation along with a second revelation recorded the following year were first published in several foreign-language editions of the Doctrine and Covenants. |
1888 Swedish Doctrine and Covenants with John Taylor's Revelation
Several foreign-language editions of the Doctrine and Covenants included two of President John Taylor's revelations. These revelations were never officially canonized or published in an English-language edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. |
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1890 Manifesto Pamphlet
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On September 24, 1890, President Wilford Woodruff showed fellow Church leaders a document regarding the ending of plural marriage. The document was approved and prepared for publication, and the Manifesto was released to the nation's newspapers the following day. Eventually, this notice was published in the 1908 Doctrine and Covenants.
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1908
The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Addition of the "Official Declaration"
- Also had footnotes that were added in the 1879 edition
1921
The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Lectures on Faith deleted
- Double-column pages, index, present chapter headings, and revised footnote references added
First Presidency Letter (June 8, 1978)
As a result of a revelation received in the Salt Lake Temple, Spencer W. Kimball and his counselors in the First Presidency issued a letter informing the Church and the world of a momentous change in Church policy. The letter was included in the 1981 Doctrine and Covenants. |
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1981
The Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Joseph Smith—Vision of the Celestial Kingdom became section 137 (Received January 21, 1836, at Kirtland, Ohio)
- Joseph F. Smith—Vision of the Redemption of the Dead became section 138 (Received October 3, 1918, at Salt Lake City, Utah)
- Official Declaration 2, extending the priesthood to all worthy males was added (Issued June 8, 1978, at Salt Lake City, Utah)
- Summaries added to the beginning of each chapter
1981 Doctrine and Covenants
2000
New maps and photographs (available as an insert for older editions)
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