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''The Doctrine and Covenants'' (sometimes referred to as the '''''D&C''''') is a part of the Open Scriptural Canon of Mormonism . The book exists in numerous forms published by different Latter Day Saint denominations. Generally, modern versions of the book primarily include Revelation s concerning church governance. HISTORY The ''Doctrine and Covenants'' was first published in 1835 as a later version of the '' Book Of Commandments '', which had been partially printed in 1833 . This earlier book contained 65 early Revelations by church leaders including Joseph Smith, Jr. and Oliver Cowdery . Before many copies of the book could be printed, however, the printing press and most of the printed copies were destroyed by a mob in Missouri . On September 24 , 1834 a committee was appointed by the general assembly of the church to organize a new volume containing the most significant Latter Day Saint Revelation s. This committee of Presiding Elder s, consisting of Joseph Smith, Jr. , Oliver Cowdery , Sidney Rigdon , and Frederick G. Williams , began to review and revise numerous revelations for inclusion in the new work. The committee eventually organized the book into two parts: a "Doctrine" part followed by a "Covenants" part. The "Doctrine" part of the book consisted of a theological course now called the '' Lectures On Faith ''. The Lectures were a series of doctrinal courses used in the School Of The Prophets which had recently been completed in Kirtland, Ohio . According to the committee, these Lectures were included in the compilation "in consequence of their embracing the important doctrine of salvation." (''See'' 1835 D&C, Preface.) The "Covenants" part of the book, labeled "Covenants and Commandments of the Lord, to his servants of the church of the Latter Day Saints", contained a total of 103 revelations on church governance. These 103 revelations were said to "contain items or principles for the regulation of the church, as taken from the revelations which have been given since its organization, as well as from former ones." (''See'' ''id.'') Each of the 103 revelations was assigned a "section number"; however, section 66 was used twice. Thus, the original work was numbered only to 102. On February 17 , 1835 , after the committee had selected the book's contents, the committee wrote that the resulting work represents "our belief, and when we say this, humbly trust, the faith and principles of this society as a body. (''See'' 1835 D&C, Preface.) The book was first introduced to the church body in a general conference on read section 101, which contained a denouncement of Polygamy , and Oliver Cowdery read section 102, which was an article on national governments and laws. At the end of the conference, the church voted to accept the compilation as "the doctrine and covenents of their faith, by a unanimous vote" (History of the Church 2: 243-6), and to make arrangements for its printing. Later in 1835 , the book was printed and published under the title ''Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints: Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God''. Challenged At the time of the publication of the book, several Church members questioned some of the wording of the revelations. Joseph Smith responded with a revelation that challenged the wisest member to try and produce a revelation comparable to the least of them. (D&C 67:6–7, LDS) William E. McLellin , who was thought to be the smartest member at the time, was selected, but was unable to produce such a revelation. (''History of the Church'', 1:226) THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS EDITIONS In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), ''The Doctrine and Covenants'' stands alongside the Bible , the Book Of Mormon , and ''The Pearl Of Great Price '' as holy scripture. Together they are referred to as the " Standard Works ." Sections added to LDS edition The 138 Sections in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' ''Doctrine and Covenants'' break down as follows:
The 1844 edition added eight sections not included in the 1835 edition. In the current edition, these are numbered Sections 103, 105, 112, 119, 124, 127, 128, and 135. In 1876, a new edition renumbered most of the sections in a roughly chronological order instead of the earlier topical order, and included twenty-six revelations not included in previous editions, now numbered as Sections 2, 13, 77, 85, 87, 108-11, 113-18, 120-23, 125, 126, 129-32, and 136. This was the first edition in which the text was divided into verses. During the 1880s five foreign editions contained two revelations to John Taylor (in 1882 & 1883) which "set in order" the priesthood, gave more clarificatation about the roles of priesthood offices - especially the Seventy and required Priesthood leaders to live Plural Marriage in order to qualify to hold their Church positions. Probably due to the LDS Church's change in attitude to this doctrine in 1890, these sections were not included in future English editions. In 1930 a small volume edited by James E. Talmage titled "Latter-day Revelations" was published, which contained a highly edited selective version of the Doctrine and Covenants. Some believe it was intended to replace the Doctrine and Covenants, but that due to the controversy that arose this plan was dropped. Interestingly it did not contain the section on plural marriage (D&C 132) at all. Sections 137 and 138 were added in the 1981 edition. These were accounts of two visions, one from Joseph Smith and the other from his nephew, Joseph F. Smith in 1918. No new revelatory sections have been added in the 20th or 21st centuries. The LDS Church's edition also now contains two "Official Declarations" at the book's conclusion, the first renouncing Polygamy in 1890 , and the second renouncing racial discrimination in ordaining members to the Priesthood in 1978 . An "Official Declaration" is not a revelation, but an announcement ''that'' a revelation was received. In neither case is the entire revelation included in the Doctrine and Covenants, and these two revelations were possibly not of the nature of a writable piece of text. Portions removed from the LDS edition In 1876, the original Section 101 was removed. Written and adopted in Joseph Smith's absence, it had included the text: :"Inasmuch as this Church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe that one man should have one wife; and one woman but one husband, except in the case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again." Replacing this section is the current Section 132, which discusses the now-discontinued doctrine of Plural Marriage . In 1921 , the LDS Church removed the '' Lectures On Faith '' portion of the book, apparently without a vote by the church body, with an explanation that the Lectures "were never presented to nor accepted by the Church as being otherwise than theological lectures or lessons". (''See'' Introduction , 1921 edition.) The Lectures contained theology concerning the Godhead —such as that the Godhead consists of two "personages" (5:2a), and that the Father is a "personage of spirit, glory, and power" (5.2:c)—that were apparently inconsistent with Joseph Smith's later teachings that the Godhead consists of three personages, and that the Father has a physical body. COMMUNITY OF CHRIST EDITIONS Officials of Community Of Christ (formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) first published an edition of ''The Doctrine and Covenants'' in 1864, based on the previous 1844 edition. A General Conference of the church in 1878 approved a resolution that declared that the revelations of the Prophet-President Joseph Smith III had equal standing to those previously included in the work. Since that time, the church has continually added sections to its edition of ''The Doctrine and Covenants'', containing the revelations of succeeding Prophet-Presidents. (The numbers of the sections and versification differ from the edition published by The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints and both modern editions differ from the original 1835 edition numeration). Sections added to Community of Christ edition The 163 Sections of the Community of Christ's ''Doctrine and Covenants'' break down as follows:
Portions removed from the Community of Christ edition A General Conference of the church removed the "Doctrine" portion of the work in 1897. The 1970 World Conference (as General Conferences are now known) concluded that several sections that had been added between the 1835 and 1844 editions had been published without proper approval of a church conference. The World Conference removed Sections 107, 109, 110, 113 and 123 to a historical appendix. The World Conference of 1990 subsequently removed the appendix from the ''Doctrine and Covenants''. EDITIONS USED BY OTHER DENOMINATIONS The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) uses the 1846 Nauvoo, Illinois edition which is virtually identical to the 1844 edition. Most recently a facsimile reprint was produced for the church at Voree, Wisconsin by Richard Drew in 1993. The Church Of Christ (Temple Lot) contends that the thousands of changes made to the original revelations as published in ''The Book Of Commandments '', published in the 1835 and later editions of the ''Doctrine and Covenants'' (including the change of the church's name) are undoctrinal and result from Joseph Smith's fall from his original calling. As a result, the Church of Christ prefers to use reprints of ''The Book of Commandments'' text. The Restoration Branches generally use the older RLDS Doctrine and Covenants . EXTERNAL LINKS
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