Sample Source Report

Title:
Cowan, Richard O. "How Our Doctrine and Covenants Came to Be." The Capstone of Our Religion, ed. Robert L. Millet and Larry E. Dahl (Bookcraft, 1989): 1-16.

Summary:
In this article, Richard Cowan outlines the major editions of the Doctrine and Covenants since 1830, illustrating his argument that the development of this book illustrates how “this canon of scripture has responded to the needs of the Saints at various times.” The revelations we now know as Sections 20 and 22 were originally canonized in 1830 as the “Articles and Covenants” of the Church and were used by early missionaries in teaching the gospel. A conference in November 1831 approved publication of the Book of Commandments; however, the press in Independence, Missouri, was destroyed in1833 before it could be completed. That edition left off in the middle of Section 64; it is not known how many more revelations would have been included at that time.

In 1835, the Doctrine and Covenants was first published under its current title. “Doctrine” referred to the Lectures on Faith, which were published in the first part of the book; “Covenants” referred to the revelations that were published in the second part. This edition included 45 additional revelations and was the first to label them “sections.” A new edition published after Joseph Smith’s death in 1844 added eight more sections. A major revision of the Doctrine and Covenants appeared in 1876 under the direction of Brigham Young. Twenty-five revelations given to Joseph Smith were added, as was the revelation to the pioneers (Section 136) given through Brigham Young. A statement on marriage, written by Oliver Cowdery, was deleted, the sections were reordered chronologically, and the verse divisions were shortened.

This edition stood, with only the addition of the Manifesto in 1908, until 1921 when another significant edition was prepared. At this time, the Lectures on Faith were deleted. No new revelations were added, and some formatting changes were made, including double-column pages and new section headings. In 1930, extracts from the D&C, entitled Latter-day Revelations, were published, and this was the only version of the D&C available in some languages for years to come. Finally, in 1981, the current edition included two new numbered sections (137 and 138) and Official Declaration 2 announcing President Kimball’s revelation on priesthood. Expanded historical notes, content summaries for each section, and a new cross-referencing system helped to integrate the D&C with the other scriptures and to fulfill President Kimball’s charge to improve gospel scholarship in the church.

Insights:
Brother Cowan talks about how the development of the Doctrine and Covenants has responded to the needs of the people at the time. This seems like a good way to think about it. After the death of Joseph Smith in 1844, for example, it makes sense that the Saints would have wanted to include the tribute to him written by Elder John Taylor (now Section 135). Cowan also points out that the revelations on salvation for the dead and the priesthood (Sections 137, 138, and Offical Declaration 2) were included in 1981, at a time of unprecedented international growth of the church and accelerated temple building.

Quote:
Brother Cowan quotes Elder Packer, who said of the 1981 edition of the scriptures, “With the passing of years, these scriptures will produce successive generations of faithful Christians who know the Lord Jesus Christ and are disposed to obey his will…. They will develop a gospel scholarship beyond that which their forebears could achieve. They will have the testimony that Jesus is the Christ and be competent to proclaim Him and to defend Him.”

Response:
One thing that I found interesting was to think about the impact not only of the development of the doctrinal content of the D&C, but also the physical form and format of the text. As Elder Packer said, the modern editions of the scriptures have made it much easier to learn what is there and to put all the scriptures together in meaningful ways. I have to wonder what the digital revolution is going to mean for future editions of the scriptures!  Brother Cowan’s point that the changes in the scriptures have responded to the needs of the Saints suggests that future changes in the scriptures will surely include changes in format and accessibility, not just in content.

Sample Reflective Blog

(This post was written by a student in a previous class and I publish it here anonymously as an example to help you in writing your own. Note that this post was not written according to the more specific guidelines and questions I have since developed, so your posts may be somewhat different, especially if you do a scripture web or incorporate more outside material into your discussion. But I liked how this person explored the meaning of the revelations, referred to specific passages in the text, asked good questions, and included personal response.)

The Priesthood is defined as the power of God given to men in order to bring to pass the salvation and exaltation of man. Yet, how is this done? What does it mean that the Priesthood enables mankind to receive salvation and exaltation? And what can we do to access that power?

    These are questions that I have often thought about. The answers to which are not quickly obtainable. Yet, after spending some time reading sections 102 and 107 of the Doctrine and Covenants, I feel as though I have come closer to understanding the answers.

    These two sections go into great detail about the organization of the Priesthood and the procedure for disciplinary action in the church. While these are aspects of considerable importance, I will not go into detail concerning them. Instead, I wish to focus most of my comments on verses 18 and 19 of section 107 which states “The power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church. To have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened unto them, to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.”

    I believe that contained in these two verses are extraordinary blessings that are most important in understanding how we can receive salvation and exaltation through the Priesthood. Both men and women have an equal need and opportunity to access these blessings from the Priesthood.

    In one sense, receiving the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven can refer to knowing how to organize and operate the Church here on earth. It is certainly a mystery for most other faiths and variations of the true church of God can be seen everywhere. In fact, many people remark at the extraordinary organization of the church. This great organization did not come from one obscure boy with good organizational skills, but rather, from revelation received due to having the Melchizedek Priesthood. Which Priesthood in turn provides the authority from God in order to perform sacred ordinances necessary for our salvation. In another verse in the Doctrine and Covenants section 84:19, it talks about how the higher priesthood is the key to the knowledge of God. One major way we progress in our knowledge of God is through going to church and actively participating in is various programs and organizations, all of which we would not have if it were not for the Melchizedek Priesthood, which presides over and runs all auxiliary programs of the church. So in that sense the Melchizedek Priesthood acts as a key to opening the door for us to the knowledge of God.

     The other mentioned blessings such as enjoying the communion and presence of God and Jesus Christ, having the heavens opened to us and communing with the general assembly I do not fully comprehend at this time. But I can say that I believe a major factor in receiving these blessings resides on our living according to the “principles of righteousness” as explained in Doctrine and Covenants section 121. Earlier this year I learned that the Priesthood is something that we must receive direct revelation from God in order to properly understand. And to qualify for said revelation I believe we must follow the instructions given to us in Doctrine and Covenants 121. Namely having charity, looking to serve others, obeying the commandment, repenting of our sins, and so forth.

    In all, I realize I have a long way to go in order to receive all the blessings mentioned, yet I am grateful to have the priesthood, which truly is the key to our eternal progression. I know that we must all strive to live in accordance with the Gospel in order to receive these blessings and if we do, the Priesthood will unlock the door that leads us to these blessings of communing with Jesus Christ and the Father, obtaining a greater knowledge of deity, and one day returning to live in their presence.

Welcome to Fall Semester!

I'm looking forward to a good semester as we study the first half of the Doctrine and Covenants together. Please bookmark this page, sign up as a follower, and check in frequently to participate in the discussions.

Please note that this is the blog for Section 24 only (M-W 2:00 class). For Section 27, please go to dncbyu.blogspot.com.