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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential Volume for Understanding Mormonism, December 5, 2005
Since 1833 when Joseph Smith, Jr., Mormon prophet and leader, published the "Book of Commandments," this volume as been an essential part of the Latter Day Saint (Mormon) corpus of "scripture." A couple of years later, the name was changed to "Doctrine and Covenants." Back in the 1920s, the "Doctrine" part (Lectures on Faith) was removed, but is still available as a distinct publication. Additionally, since the LDS view scripture as open to addition through living prophets, the modern D&C (as the Doctrine and Covenants is popularly called among the LDS) has additional pronouncements by modern LDS leaders.
The LDS are criticized sometimes fairly and sometimes not for sanitizing their history and documents to comply with the times. The D&C, however, has largely remained free from that sort of editing. As both a document that is historical for most people and canonical for the LDS, it is extremely important for anyone who wishes to converse intelligently with the LDS about religion.
Most of the "Sections" (like chapters in the Bible) are purportedly the words of God to Joseph Smith, Jr. (although some of the very late sections or additions came through his survivors). In them, one sees the development of the young church in its formative, difficult years. Much of the material is rather dry and documents the movements of individuals and groups of people. The principal value of this "dry" material is historical. It also demonstrates a vigorous organization making its place, prinicipally in 19th century America and Great Britain. Section 10 (from the year 1828) has an interesting explanation regarding the famous stolen/lost 116 pages of the Book of Mormon manuscript. Section 20 (1830) documents the official organization of "the Church of Christ" (the original name of the LDS church), and contains the closest thing (prior to the LDS 13 "Articles of Faith") that the early Mormon Church had to a creed in verses 16-36 and also contains a version of their communion meal ("sacrament") prayers.
Highlights: "Eternal" and "endless" punishment may not talk about time, rather the nature of the punishment as God's since those things are his name. (19:6-12) The church works with a component of "common consent" (28:12-13) and is seen today in the LDS "sustaining" activity. Joseph Smith, says God, is not indispensible. (35:18) Not all men are under sin; there are "holy men that ye know not of." (49:8) In some places, "Jew" means "Lamanite," commonly believed at the time to be American Indian (reflecting the LDS belief that the characters in the Book of Mormon were ethnic and religious Hebrews). (57:4) Tithing spares one from the consuming fire at Jesus' coming (64:23-24) There's a revelation with an interpretation of some of the elements of the Book of Revelation. (77) The "New Jerusalem" will be in Missouri. (84:2-5) Then there's a famous revelation that was later seen as predicting the Civil War by the LDS. Critics point to problems with that interpretation. (87) God reveals the "Word of Wisdom," the famous and distinctive LDS dietary code which is a way of life with blessings both spiritual and temporal. (89)
Many of the Sections detail the various endeavors of the church to expand and grow. Some of the passages seem a little self-serving, such as the verses (124:56-60) in which God, through Joseph Smith, instructs the LDS to build the "Nauvoo House" in which Joseph and his posterity will live "from generation to generation." The LDS practice of Plural Marriage (God-sanctioned polygyny) is justified in Section 132 (1844, even though the LDS church admits that the secret practice predates that by at least a decade), and Smith's murder (seen by LDS as martyrdom) in Section 135. (Plural Marriage is rescinded through a later Manifesto which is also a part of the D&C.)
This collection of literature of faith is interesting for another reason: I have a copy of "Doctrine and Covenants" that was published by the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ, etc. (now "Community of Christ") which diverges from the LDS version and contains, in addition to the revelations of Joseph Smith, Jr., the subsequent revelations to his son, Joseph Smith III, and his successors. It's all a fascinating history of the American religious landscape.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
An Interesting Book, March 21, 2004
While the Book of Mormon is a mytho(-historical?) epic, the D&C is more theological in nature. Joseph Smith must be acknowledged, no matter your personal view of him, as a highly imaginative, creative (though unsystematic) thinker. If he hadn't been murdered/martyred and made it to Utah with the other Saints the D&C would have continued to evolve and perhaps would have become more systematic. Like the Book of Mormon, the D&C have been edited to some extent, primarily correcting grammatical and punctuation errors, but also some editing that has altered the meaning/interpretation of some verses. Do an online search for the Book of Commandments to see an original version of what became the D&C. The Book of Abraham is based on an ancient Egyptian papyrus that Smith purchased and is similar to some of the Old Testament pseudepigrapha but with Mormon mythological elements. The Book of Moses is an extract from Smith's "inspired translation" of Genesis. Like the Bible, the Quran, and the Book of Mormon, the D&C contains a number of contradictions and errors, but is none-the-less vital to understanding Mormon theology.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The source of most Latter-day Saint doctrines, August 13, 2005
The Doctrine and Covenants are, mainly, a collection of canonised revelations received by the Prophet Joseph Smith from 1823 to 1843, with some exceptions (e.g. section 135 was composed by John Taylor). This is where the real "meat of Mormonism" lies, with God the Father and Jesus Christ being presented as anthropormorphic, the Church's Priesthood and their duties being established, accounts of the various visions of the Prophet, such as the Angel Moroni in 1823 informing him of the coming of Elijah (section 2).
Anyone with even the remotest interest in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints MUST read this volume of scripture to understand Latter-day Saint doctrines, beliefs, and practices.
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