Doctrine & Covenants Commentary

Chapter 1

Prelude to the Doctrine
and Covenants

D&C 66; 67:1–9; 69; 70:1–4

Historical Setting: It is unusual to begin a study of the doctrines and the covenants that are made known in this great volume in what is approximately the middle of the book. However, a brief overview of how
and when the book came about will set the stage for our study.
Over a year and a half after the Book of Mormon was published (March 26, 1830) and the Church was organized (April 6, 1830) a special conference of the elders of the Church was held at Hiram, Ohio on
November 1, 1831. “Many revelations had been received from the Lord prior to this time, and the compilation of these for publication in book form was one of the principal subjects passed upon at the conference”

 The title selected for this first publication was the “Book of Commandments.” The revelations discussed herein, chapter
1 of this work, were given around this time period and show the Lord’s
support for the project.

Introduction
Elder Neal A. Maxwell made this observation about the Doctrine and
Covenants:
If asked which book of scripture provides the most frequent chance to “listen” to the Lord talking, most individuals would at first think of the New Testament. The New Testament is a marvelous collection of
8 More Precious Than Gold the deeds and many of the doctrines of the Messiah.
But in the Doctrine and Covenants, we receive the voice as well as the word of the Lord. We can almost hear him talking. Words like these sink deep into one’s
marrow as well as into one’s mind, for the majesty and power of the Lord are so evident. [Ensign, December 1978, 4]
As we examine these revelations about the coming forth of the Doctrine and Covenants, we will read, and hopefully hear or feel what the Lord is saying about this great book.
The Bible is the basic book of scripture to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Brigham Young, the second President and Prophet to the Church in this dispensation, stated: “We take this book, the Bible, . . . for our guide, for our rule of action; we take it as the foundation of our faith” (Discourses of Brigham Young, 125). The Apostle Paul wrote that the Saints were of “the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto
an holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:19–21).
The Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants are the scriptures that make the Church unique. The Prophet Joseph Smith
declared:
Take away the Book of Mormon and the revelations [Doctrine and Covenants], and where is our religion? We have none; for without Zion, and a place of deliverance, we must fall; . . . and if we are not sanctified
and gathered to the places God has  appointed, with all our former professions and our great love of the Bible, we must fall; we cannot stand; we cannot be saved; for God will gather out his Saints from the Gentiles, and then comes desolation and destruction, and none can escape except
Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith (1976), 71]

President Ezra Taft Benson, the thirteenth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stated:
The Doctrine and Covenants is the binding link between the Book of Mormon and the continuing work of the Restoration through the Prophet Joseph and his successors.
In the Doctrine and Covenants we learn of temple work, eternal families, the degrees of glory, Church organization, and many other great

Chapter 1

Prelude to the Doctrine and Covenants 9
truths of the Restoration (quotes D&C 1:37–38).

The Book of Mormon brings men to Christ. The Doctrine and Covenants brings men to Christ’s kingdom, even The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, ‘the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth’ (v. 30). I know that.
The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion (see Book of Mormon Introduction). The Doctrine and Covenants is the capstone, with continuing latter-day revelation. The Lord has placed His stamp
of approval on both the keystone and the capstone. [Conference Report, April 1987, 105]
With these three building blocks, the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants, the Latter-day Saints may become, in the Apostle Paul’s words, “builded together for an inhabitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22).

Of course, we would include the
Pearl of Great Price.

TEXT AND COMMENTARY
D&C 66:1–2 • The Fulness of the Gospel
1 BEHOLD, thus saith the Lord unto my servant William E. McLellin—Blessed are you, inasmuch as you have turned away from your iniquities, and have received my truths, saith the Lord your Redeemer,
the Savior of the world, even as many as believe on my name.
2 Verily I say unto you, blessed are you for receiving mine everlasting covenant, even the fullness of my gospel, sent forth unto the children of men, that they might have life and be partakers of the glories which
are to be revealed in the last days, as it was written by the prophets and apostles in days of old.
This revelation was given to William McLellin at his request (see section heading). The Lord reminded him of the blessing of receiving His everlasting covenant, which He defined as “the fulness of my gospel,” sent unto men, to obtain life and partake of the glories that will “be revealed in the last days, as it is written by the prophets and apostles in days of
old” (v. 2). The “fullness of my gospel” has been and will be referred to many times in other revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants, and will be discussed later in this work. The Lord’s reference to what was written in days of old, by prophets and apostles, supports Brigham Young’s
10 More Precious Than Gold statement above regarding the Bible being the basic book of the Church.

D&C 66:3–7 • Proclaim My Gospel
3 Verily I say unto you, my servant William, that you are clean, but
not all; repent, therefore, those things which are not pleasing in my sight,
saith the Lord, for the Lord will show them unto you.
4 And now, verily, I the Lord will show unto what I will concerning you, or what is my will concerning you.
5 Behold, verily I say unto you, that it is my will that you should proclaim my gospel from land to land, and from city to city, yea, in those regions round about where it has not been proclaimed.
6 Tarry not many days in this place; go not up unto the land of Zion
as yet; but inasmuch as you can send, send; otherwise think not of thy property.
7 Go unto the eastern lands, bear testimony in every place, unto every people and in their synagogues, reasoning with the people.

Brother McLellin was told, as promised, why he was not clean, (v. 3),
and was then given assignments and admonitions on how to be successful
in those assignments (vv. 4–9). These verses seem self-explanatory, but
a few observations are added.
• The Lord expects us to always be a missionary (v. 5).
• It should be remembered that the people were in the process
of leaving Kirtland and moving to Missouri, the land which
the Lord had designated as Zion (see D&C 57:1–3).
• Any financial help would be deeply appreciated (66:6).
• Reasoning with people “in their synagogues” (v. 7).
• Put the Lord’s stamp of approval upon proselytizing the
Jewish people at this time.

D&C 66:8–13 • Warning to William McLellin
8 Let my servant Samuel H. Smith go with you, and forsake him not, and give him thine instructions; and he that is faithful shall be made strong in every place; and I the Lord, will go with you.
9 Lay your hands upon the sick, and they shall recover till I, the Lord, shall send you. Be patient in affliction. Ask, and ye shall
receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
10 Seek not to be cumbered. Forsake all unrighteousness. Commit
not adultery—a temptation with which thou hast been troubled.
11 Keep these sayings, for they are true and faithful; and thou shalt
magnify thine office, and push many people to Zion with songs of
everlasting joy upon their heads.
12 Continue in these things even unto the end, and you shall have
a crown of eternal life at the right hand of the Father, who is full of grace
and truth.
13 Verily thus saith the Lord your God, your Redeemer, even Jesus
Christ. Amen.

The faith and love which the Lord had in and for Samuel Smith is
strongly implied here (v. 8). The injunction to lay hands on the sick was
not limited to sick members of the Church (v. 9), but was still conditional
upon their faith (see James 5:14–15). To “ask and ye shall receive” (v. 9)
was one of the things written not only by the “apostles in days of old”
(see also Matthew 7:7), but apparently also by the Old Testament prophets. Nephi, who lived in Old Testament times; implies this by warning that those who fail to understand his teachings about the tongue
of angels do so “because ye ask not, neither do ye knock” (2 Nephi 32:3–4). He may have been quoting or paraphrasing from the plates of brass.
Brother McLellin was to put his eye single to the glory of God, and not seek after the unrighteous things of the world (v. 10; see also D&C 88:67–68). As an example, the Lord showed him that one of those things
that “cumbered,” or hindered, his spiritual progress, for which he needed to repent was “adultery—a temptation with which thou hast been troubled” (v. 10). The Lord does know the “thoughts and intents “of our hearts” (D&C 6:16). Through magnifying his office, taking the responsibility of teaching the people “the word of God with all diligence” (Jacob 1:19), Brother McLellin would be able to “push many people to Zion”
(v. 11)—another prophecy of an Old Testament prophet (see Isaiah
35:10). Brother McLellin was also promised eternal life if he continued “in these things unto the end,” (v. 12), a subject that had been discussed in the conferences that were then being held. The Father and the Son
12 More Precious Than Gold
are full of grace and truth (v. 12; compare 2 Nephi 2:6; D&C 93:11),
and to be with them in eternal life, these attributes must be attained. D&C 67:1–3 • A Testimony of These Commandments

1 BEHOLD and hearken, O ye elders of my church, who have assembled yourselves together, whose prayers I have heard, and whose hearts I know, and whose desires have come up before me.
2 Behold and lo, mine eyes are upon you, and the heavens and the earth are in mine hands, and the riches of eternity are mine to give.
3 Ye endeavored to believe that ye should receive the blessing which was offered unto you; but behold, verily I say unto you there were fears in your hearts, and verily this is the reason ye did not receive.
Section 67 was given after Oliver Cowdery and John Whitmer had been chosen to take the Book of Commandments manuscript to W. W. Phelps in Independence, Missouri, for publication. Because “some negative conversation was had concerning the language used in the revelations” (see the section heading), the Lord told the assembled “elders of my church” that He had heard their prayers and knew their hearts and desires (v. 1). These elders had “endeavored to believe” the blessings of
“the riches of eternity,” which was the promise of eternal life (D&C 66:12), but the fears in their hearts was “the reason that ye did not receive” the blessings (vv. 2–3). For the new and inexperienced elders this is
understandable, but also a great lesson to all people that the Lord is willing
and capable to fulfill any promise that he makes.

D&C 67:4–9 • A Testimony and a Challenge
4 And now I, the Lord, give unto you a testimony of the truth of
these commandments which are lying before you.
5 Your eyes have been upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and his
language you have known, and his imperfections you have known; and
you have sought in your hearts knowledge that you might express beyond
his language; this you also know.
6 Now, seek ye out of the Book of Commandments, even the least
that is among them, and appoint him that is most wise among you;
7 Or if there be any among you that shall make one like unto it, then
are ye justified in saying that ye do not know that they are true;
8 But if ye cannot make one like unto it, ye are under condemnation
if ye do not bear record that they are true.
9 For ye know that there is no unrighteousness in them, and that
which is righteous cometh down from above, from the Father of lights.
The language of Joseph Smith (v. 5), and D&C 66:10–14 will be discussed in later chapters.
The words of Joseph Smith, as recorded in the History of the Church, describe the effects of this testimony and challenge given by the Lord.
After the foregoing was received, William E. McLellin, as the wisest man, in his own estimation, having more learning than sense, endeavored to write a commandment like unto one of the least of the Lord’s, but failed; it was an awful responsibility to write in the name of the Lord.
The elders and all present that witnessed this vain attempt of a man to imitate the language of Jesus Christ, renewed their faith in the fulness of the gospel, and in the truth of the commandments and revelations which the Lord had given to the Church through my instrumentality;
and the Elders signified a willingness to bear testimony of their truth to all the world. Accordingly, I received the following:
The testimony of the witnesses to the book of the Lord’s commandments, which He gave to His church through Joseph Smith, Jun., who was appointed by the voice of the Church for this purpose; we therefore
feel willing to bear testimony to all the world of mankind, to every creature upon the face of all the earth and upon the islands of the sea, that the Lord has borne record to our souls, through the Holy Ghost, shed forth upon us, that these commandments were given by inspiration
of God, and are profitable for all men, and are verily true. We give this testimony unto the world, the Lord being our helper; and it is through the grace of God, the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, that we are
permitted to have this privilege of bearing testimony unto the world, that the children of men may be profited thereby. [History of the Church, 1:226]

SECTIONS 69&70 •OUTLINE
& 69:1–4 It is not wisdom for Oliver Cowdery to go alone to carry the
commandments and money to the land of Zion. John Whitmer is to go with him.
a. John Whitmer is to continue to write and make the history of the church (v. 3).
14 More Precious Than Gold
b. He should receive counsel and assistance from Oliver
(v. 4).
& 69:5–8 Other servants who are abroad in the earth should send the
accounts of their stewardships to the land of Zion, which is
the seat to do these things.
a. John Whitmer is to travel from place to place to obtain knowledge (v. 7).
b. He should preach, expound, copy, select, and obtain all things for the good of the church and the rising generations (v. 8).
& 70:1–4 The six men named are commanded of the Lord to be stewards
over the revelations and commandments that have been and will be given.
a. An account of their stewardship will be required on the day of judgment (v. 4).
& 70:5–18 (The remainder of this revelation is discussed in chapter 21
of this work).

TEXT AND COMMENTARY
D&C 69:1–8 • Companions for Protection and Counsel
1 HEARKEN unto me, saith the Lord your God, for my servant
Oliver Cowdery’s sake. It is not wisdom in me that he should be entrusted with the commandments and the moneys which he shall carry unto the land of Zion, except one go with him who will be true and
faithful.
2 Wherefore, I, the Lord, will that my servant, John Whitmer, should go with my servant Oliver Cowdery;
3 And also that he shall continue in writing and making a history of all the important things which he shall observe and know concerning my church;
4 And also that he receive counsel and assistance from my servant Oliver Cowdery and others.
5 And also, my servants who are abroad in the earth should send forth the accounts of their stewardships to the land of Zion;
6 For the land of Zion shall be a seat and a place to receive and do
all these things.
7 Nevertheless, let my servant John Whitmer travel many times from
place to place, and from church to church, that he may the more easily
obtain knowledge—
8 Preaching and expounding, writing, copying, selecting, and obtaining all things which shall be for the good of the church, and for the rising generations that shall grow up on the land of Zion, to possess
it from generation to generation, forever and ever. Amen.

Doctrine and Covenants section 69 was given through the Prophet Joseph as further instructions to Oliver Cowdery as he took the journey to Independence, Missouri with the manuscript of the Book of Commandments (see section heading). In a footnote in the History of the Church, Elder B. H. Roberts cautioned that the wording of verse 1 should not be misunderstood to imply that Oliver Cowdery was untrustworthy, but that the territory through which they were to travel was sparsely settled and dangerous because of the gathering of lawless people and the
significant amount of money Oliver and John Whitmer had with them for the building up of the Church in Missouri (HC, 1:234). This was alluded to in the section heading.

John Whitmer was appointed to be Oliver’s companion on the Missouri journey (v. 2). The revelation is the Lord’s justification for
having companions in his work; for their protection, and for counsel and assistance to each other. It also gives further instructions to John Whitmer in his current position as Church historian (see D&C 47, and 69:3). He was to seek the help of others, and travel “that he may the more easily obtain knowledge—Preaching, and expounding, writing, copying, selecting, and obtaining all things which shall be for the good of the church, and for the rising generation” (vv. 4–8). Such guidelines are still invaluable to historians today. Again, we are reminded that Missouri, or
Zion, was designated as the seat, or the center, of church activities at this time (vv. 5–6).
The Preface to the Book of Commandments, now section 1 of the
Doctrine and Covenants, was revealed on November 1, 1831; and the Appendix, now section 133 of the Doctrine and Covenants, was revealed on November 3, 1831. These revelations will be discussed separately as
16 More Precious Than Gold they fit into the sequence of this book.
During the fourth and final conference held at this time, the importance of the Book of Commandments was considered. The  Prophet’s comments, partially quoted in the section heading of section 70, are given
in full here.
In consequence of the book of revelations, now to be printed, being the foundation of the Church in these last days, and a benefit to the world, showing that the keys of the mysteries of the kingdom of our Savior are again entrusted to man; and the riches of eternity within the compass of those who are willing to live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God—therefore the conference voted that they prize the revelations to be worth to the Church the riches of the whole earth,
speaking temporally.
The great benefits to the world which result from the Book of Mormon and the revelations which the Lord has seen fit in His infinite wisdom to grant unto us for our salvation, and for the salvation of all
that will believe, were duly appreciated; and in answer to an inquiry, I received the following (D&C 70). [HC, 1:235–36]
The above endorsement of the revelations that were about to be printed, was given by the Prophet Joseph himself. He eloquently shows that he was the instrument in the Lord’s hands to bring forth this great book of revelations. How could anyone have written this beautiful explanation
of what the Restoration included, if he had not experienced what he did in bringing it about? The Doctrine and Covenants is indeed worth “the riches of the whole earth.”

D&C 70:1–4 • Stewards of the Revelations
1 BEHOLD, and hearken, O ye inhabitants of Zion, and all ye people of my church who are afar off, and hear the word of the Lord which I give unto my servant Joseph Smith Jun., and also unto my servant Martin
Harris, and also unto my servant Oliver Cowdery, and also unto my servant John Whitmer, and also unto my servant Sidney Rigdon, and also unto my servant William W. Phelps, by way of commandment unto
them.
2 For I give unto them a commandment; wherefore hearken and hear, for thus saith the Lord unto them—
3 I the Lord, have appointed them, and ordained them to be stewards over the revelations and commandments which I have given unto them, and which I shall here after give unto them;
4 And an account of this stewardship will I require of them in the day of judgment.
The six men named in the revelation (v. 1) were all involved in the publication of the Book of Commandments in one way or another. The Lord equated the revelations that were to be printed to the law of
consecration and stewardship which He had revealed in February, 1831,
nine months previously. The implication is that other revelations would be added to this publication from time to time (v. 3), and they have been.
This revelation will be understood better after the law of consecration is studied and understood, as revealed in section 42. The remainder of section 70 will be discussed with that revelation in chapter 21 of this work.
The Prophet then dedicated Oliver and John to the Lord by the prayer of faith as they traveled to Missouri, and several other brethren who had assisted with the work were to “be remembered to the Bishop in Zion as being worthy of inheritances among the people of the Lord according
to the laws of said Church” (HC, 1:236, note 18).

EDITIONS OF THE DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS
The first collected use of the revelations received by the Prophet Joseph Smith was referred to by the Lord in a revelation in October 1830:
“And ye shall remember the church articles and covenants to keep them.”
(D&C 33:14). The “articles and covenants” consisted of our present day sections 20 and 22 of the Doctrine and Covenants. They were again referred to by the Lord in the revelation “embracing the law of the
Church” (D&C 42 section heading). The Lord instructed his priesthood holders to “observe the covenants and church articles to do them, and these shall be their teachings, as they are directed by the Spirit” (D&C 42:13). These two revelations were read in church gatherings and in
missionary work as the Lord had directed. They were later published in the first official newspaper of the Church, the Evening and Morning Star, in June of 1832.
In July 1833, about nineteen months after the conferences, as the Book of commandments was being prepared for publication, a mob More Precious Than Gold destroyed the printing press and most of the printed materials. The Saints
saved and bound what copies they could, but more were planned to be included than the sixty-five sections they had saved. There was no attempt to republish the Book of Commandments; the next publication of the revelations was entitled “the Doctrine and Covenants.” The major editions of the Doctrine and Covenants, to which more revelations were added included the following:
1. The first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants was published in Kirtland in 1835, and contained 102 revelations. Section 101 was a statement on marriage written by Oliver Cowdery. It was later replaced by the present section 132. Section 102 was another statement written by Oliver Cowdery, “Of Government and Laws in General.” This is now section 134 in our Doctrine and Covenants. These two articles were read and unanimously approved at a general assembly of the Church on August
17, 1835, which had met to approve the publication of the first edition
(see HC, 2:243–47). It also contained what became known as the Lectures on Faith. A letter to the members of the Church written by the First Presidency including Oliver Cowdery, the Assistant President, stated:
“The first part of the book will be found a series of Lectures as delivered before a Theological class in this place, and in consequence of their embracing the important doctrine of salvation, we have arranged them into the following work” (Preface in the 1835 edition, paragraph 2). The seven lectures that were included were given to the School of the Elders in the winter of 1834–35 in Kirtland, Ohio. They were written by the Prophet Joseph and others, and approved by him.

2. Another edition was published in Nauvoo, in 1844, shortly after
the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. There were 111 sections
including John Taylor’s description of the martyrdom which is now
section 135.

3. In 1876 another edition was published in Salt Lake City, Utah.
This edition included 136 sections. Section 132 of our current Doctrine
and Covenants replaced the article on marriage written by Oliver
Cowdery. In 1879 Elder Orson Pratt added footnotes to the text of the
1876 Edition.

4. In 1908 the Manifesto, the Official Declaration by President
Wilford Woodruff regarding the discontinuance of the practice of plural
Chapter 1 Prelude to the Doctrine and Covenants 19
marriage was included. The Manifesto had been approved at the October
1908 General Conference.

5. Another edition was published in 1921. This edition added some
introductory materials and deleted the Lectures on Faith. The revelations
were printed in two columns instead of the previous one column page,
and other editing was done.

6. Our current edition was published in 1981. Two sections, 137
and 138, were added as well as “Official Declaration—2”; the position
of the Church on “every worthy man in the Church may receive the
Priesthood.” Many other supplemental helps to our understanding the
revelations were added, edited, and refined.
The Doctrine and Covenants is a “selection” of revelations given to
the members of the Church for clarification of doctrine, and personal
guidance. The words of Jarom, in the Book of Mormon, appropriately
describe the selections that have been included over the years: “I shall not
write the things of my prophesying, nor of my revelations. For what could
I write more than what my fathers have written? For have they not
revealed the plan of salvation? I say unto you, Yea; and this sufficeth me”
(Jarom 1:2). Other revelations may and probably will be added periodically, but what we have is also sufficient for our day, particularly if we
will listen to and follow the teachings of our current prophets and apostles.

General Authority Quotes
—Elder Marion G. Romney • Doctrine and Covenants
The scriptures that are binding upon us are the ones the Lord has
given us in these latter days. He has never required His people of one
dispensation to rely solely upon the teachings He gave to former
dispensation. But he has revealed his law, given his commandments
anew in every dispensation. And in this dispensation the commandments that we are bound by are those in the Doctrine and Covenants.
[CR, April 1969, 108]
—Elder Boyd K. Packer • Doctrine and Covenants
True Doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will change behavior. Preoccupation with
20 More Precious Than Gold unworthy behavior can lead to unworthy behavior. That is why we stress so forcefully the study of the doctrines of the gospel. [CR,
October 1986, 20; see also April 1997, 8; and April 2004, 80]
See also the quotes of Presidents of the Church in the Introduction.