Vol. 9, No. 9, 1992

Articles on Mormonism

by Rick Branch

In 1833 the newly formed Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints printed its second book of Scripture. This book, known as the Book of Commandments, supposedly contained a series of revelations given to Joseph Smith from God.

This book was reprinted and expanded in 1835, combining the previous revelations with those that had been received over the prior two years. This expanded 1835 version was known as the Doctrine and Covenants.

According to E. Dennis Rowley, curator of the archives and manuscripts department at BYU's Library, "Original copies of the revelations were discarded after the first issue of the Book of Commandments was published in 1833, and the larger Doctrine and Covenants in 1835.

"Archivists do know, however, that those who copied the revelations did so with great care and accuracy" (Church News, 7 January 1989, p. 2).

It is this very subject of "accuracy" that has been questioned numerous times. One of the first to question the Doctrine and Covenants' accuracy was David Whitmer, who served as one of the original Three Witnesses to the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.

In an article published in The Saints' Herald on 5 February 1887, Whitmer stated, "In order to set some important facts clearly before your minds, concerning some changes in some of the revelations, I will give you in this article a brief outline of them, and speak in full on the subject hereafter.

"Some of the revelations as they now appear in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants have been changed and added to. Some of the changes being of the greatest importance as the meaning is entirely changed on some very important matters; as if the Lord had changed his mind a few years after he give (sic) the revelations, and after having commanded his servants (as they claim) to print them in the Book of Commandments" (p. 92).

This new book, the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, would naturally contain the identical revelations as its 1833 predecessor, the Book of Commandments, plus the numerous new revelations given between 1833 and 1835.

However, with the printing of the Doctrine and Covenants began another aspect of Mormonism's every changing history and theology.

Missing Revelations

One of the most startling aspects of this new Doctrine and Covenants is that it contains revelations which were theoretically given to Joseph Smith prior to 1833 and yet were not included in the Book of Commandments.

These sections are numbers 2, given in 1823; 13 and 17, both given in 1829; as well as 51 and 57, again both given in 1831.

If these are truly revelations from God for the benefit of the Mormon people, why were they not included in the 1833 printing of the Book of Commandments?

Also, section 47 of the Book of Commandments, at first reading, appears to be missing from the 1835 printing of the Doctrine and Covenants. However, section 47 is in the 1835 book, but well hidden.

Combining Revelations

For some reason, section 47 has been tacked-on to the end of another revelation which was originally printed in the Book of Commandments. To explain this confusing situation, some additional information will be helpful.

Generally, the section numbers for the revelations are different by one or two.

This was caused because some revelations which were originally printed as separate revelations, presumably because they were given as separate revelations, were later combined into one revelation.

For instance, three revelations in the Book of Commandments, sections 31-33 were altered, modified and combined into one revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants, section 30.

Also, Book of Commandments sections 17-21 became Doctrine and Covenants section 23. Five separate and distinct revelations in 1833 suddenly and for no apparent reason become one revelation in 1835!

This combining and modification naturally carries no notification to the readers who are unaware of such alterations.

So it is with section 42 in the Doctrine and Covenants, which was originally sections 44 and 47 in the Book of Commandments.

The first 20 verses of section 47 in the Book of Commandments were altered and hung on the end of section 42 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Thus, the Book of Commandments 47:1-20 became Doctrine and Covenants 42:78-93.

The last four verses of section 47 in the Book of Commandments were completely deleted. Again, no mention to the reader that any form of alteration had been done.

Deleting Words In The Revelations

Section 47 is by no means the worst case of deletion in the history of the LDS Church's scripture.

When section 4 of the Book of Commandments became section 5 in the Doctrine and Covenants, 186 words failed to make the transition.

In section 44 of the Book of Commandments, 138 words were not copied into section 42 of the Doctrine and Covenants.

Watchman Fellowship has done a verse by verse study of the 1833 Book of Commandments as it compares with the 1974 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. This study has found that not a single section of the Book of Commandments has been reprinted intact!

Aside from the missing revelation, the combining of revelations and the word deletions there is one other problem between these two printings of the early revelation.

Adding Words In The Revelations

The final dishonest tactic used by the LDS Church to give new meaning to the revelations, comes in the form of adding new information.

What was originally a 141 word revelation in Book of Commandments section 6, became in Doctrine and Covenants section 7, a 252 word revelation. From where did the extra 111 words arrive?

Section 19 of the Doctrine and Covenants gained an additional 64 words. The following section, number 20, received from the scribes who copied with "great care and accuracy," 388 additional words not found in Book of Commandments section 24.

In the 1833 revelation listed as Book of Commandments section 28, an infinitesimal 193 words are found. However, sometime between 1833 and 1835 this revelation grew to adulthood, at which time it possessed an astounding 649 words as it appeared as Doctrine and Covenants section 27!

As it was with the deletion of words in each of the sections of the Book of Commandments, so it is with the addition of words into the Doctrine and Covenants ¾ not a single section escaped being given additional words.

Conclusion

While Watchman Fellowship does not expect the LDS Church to be honest with the outside world, WF would expect the Mormon Church to be honest with its own people.

This, however, is not the case.

When the Mormon Church alters its own scripture, it is not directly lying to the non-LDS person.

However, when the LDS Church alters its own scripture, it is directly lying to its own faithful members. Members who have placed their eternal destiny in the truthfulness and accuracy of its leaders.

As has been amply demonstrated, that trust has been misplaced, misused and abused.