Photo: Library of Congress: Smith, Joseph, Jr. Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the
Latter-Day Saints. Kirtland, Ohio: Printed by F.G. Williams & Co. for the Proprietors, 1835.
Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
THE DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS:
Including an Analysis of the Utah Lighthouse Ministry Document
“Changing the Revelations”
INTRODUCTION
The Doctrine and Covenants holds a unique and pivotal position within the scriptural canon of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Unlike the Bible, which believers hold to be an ancient compilation of inspired writings, or the Book of Mormon, which Joseph Smith claimed to have translated from ancient gold plates, the Doctrine and Covenants represents a distinctly modern collection of revelations. These were received primarily by Joseph Smith during the formative years of the LDS Church, spanning from 1823 to 1844, with additional contributions from subsequent church leaders.
This document occupies what the church describes as “the constitutional foundation” of the Latter-day Saint movement. President Gordon B. Hinckley characterized it as “the constitution of the Church,” explaining that while it includes writings of various origins, it is “primarily a book of revelation given through the Prophet of this dispensation.”
However, the history of this scripture has not been without controversy. Critics, including former church members and researchers from organizations such as the Utah Lighthouse Ministry (UTLM), have documented extensive changes made to the revelations between their original publication in the 1833 Book of Commandments and subsequent editions of the Doctrine and Covenants. These alterations raise significant questions about the nature of prophetic revelation, the authority of Joseph Smith, and the integrity of the LDS scriptural tradition.
This analysis will examine the Doctrine and Covenants from multiple perspectives: first, exploring the official LDS position regarding this scripture and its significance within the faith; second, providing a detailed summary of the changes documented by the Utah Lighthouse Ministry in their publication “Changing the Revelations”; and finally, reflecting on the implications of these findings for evaluating claims of divine revelation.
PART ONE: THE DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS — AN OVERVIEW
Historical Development and Structure
The Doctrine and Covenants, as we know it today, evolved through several distinct phases of compilation and revision. Understanding this developmental history is essential for evaluating both the official LDS claims about the text and the criticisms leveled against it.
The Book of Commandments (1833): The earliest printed collection of Joseph Smith’s revelations appeared in 1833 under the title A Book of Commandments, for the Government of the Church of Christ. According to LDS historian William E. Berrett, church leaders decided in late 1831 to compile these revelations, voting to print 10,000 copies. Joseph Smith received what is now Section 1 of the Doctrine and Covenants as a preface to this collection, declaring: “Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful.”
However, the printing was interrupted when a mob attacked the church’s printing press in Independence, Missouri, in July 1833. The press was destroyed before the full print run could be completed. According to RLDS Church historian Richard P. Howard, church members managed to salvage “several hundred at least” copies of the unfinished work. The Book of Commandments contained 65 chapters, representing early revelations given primarily between 1828 and 1831.
The Doctrine and Covenants (1835): Two years after the mob attack, church leaders published an expanded version of the revelations under a new title: Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints. This edition represented a significant reorganization and expansion of the earlier work.
The 1835 edition was divided into two distinct sections. The “Doctrine” portion consisted of a theological course known as the Lectures on Faith — a series of doctrinal presentations used in the School of the Prophets in Kirtland, Ohio. These lectures occupied approximately seventy pages and were included because, according to the compiling committee, they embraced “the important doctrine of salvation.”
The “Covenants” portion contained 103 revelations, described as containing “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.” Significantly, many of these revelations had been revised from their original form in the Book of Commandments — a point that would later become highly controversial.
Subsequent Editions and Modifications
The Doctrine and Covenants continued to evolve through subsequent editions, with various sections added, removed, or modified:
1844 Edition: Published shortly after Joseph Smith’s martyrdom, this edition added eight new sections, including revelations and Section 135, John Taylor’s eulogy of Joseph Smith.
1876 Edition: Prepared by Elder Orson Pratt under President Brigham Young’s direction, this edition reorganized the sections in roughly chronological order and added 26 new sections. It also introduced the versification system still used today. Notably, Section 101 from the 1835 edition — a “Statement on Marriage” declaring that “one man should have one wife, and one woman but one husband” — was removed and replaced with Section 132 on plural marriage.
1921 Edition: The Lectures on Faith were removed from this edition, with the explanation that they “were never presented to nor accepted by the Church as being otherwise than theological lectures or lessons.” This decision came under Heber J. Grant, the first LDS president born after Joseph Smith’s death. Many scholars believe the removal was motivated by doctrinal inconsistencies between the Lectures and later LDS teachings about the nature of God.
1981 Edition: This edition added Sections 137 and 138 (visions of Joseph Smith and Joseph F. Smith concerning salvation for the dead), along with Official Declaration 2 regarding the 1978 priesthood revelation. Code names used for people and places in sections dealing with the United Order were replaced with actual names.
2013 and 2025 Editions: These editions incorporated adjustments to section headings based on scholarship from The Joseph Smith Papers project, providing more accurate historical context.
Content and Organization
The current LDS edition contains 138 sections and two Official Declarations. The content breaks down chronologically as follows:
• Sections 1-134, 137: From Joseph Smith’s presidency (1828-1844)
• Sections 135-136: During Quorum of Twelve administration (1844-1847)
• Official Declaration 1: From Wilford Woodruff’s presidency (1890)
• Section 138: From Joseph F. Smith’s presidency (1918)
• Official Declaration 2: From Spencer W. Kimball’s presidency (1978)
The longest section is Section 124 with 145 verses, while Sections 13, 116, and 120 contain only one verse each. The main voice speaking throughout is presented as Jesus Christ himself, distinguishing the Doctrine and Covenants from other LDS scriptures in its directness of divine communication.
PART TWO: THE OFFICIAL LDS POSITION
Doctrinal Significance and Authority
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds the Doctrine and Covenants in the highest regard, considering it one of its four “standard works” alongside the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Pearl of Great Price. Church literature consistently emphasizes the unique value of this scripture for modern believers.
President Joseph Fielding Smith expressed the church’s official perspective:
“This Doctrine and Covenants contains the word of God to those who dwell here now. It is our book. It belongs to the Latter-day Saints. More precious than gold, the Prophet [Joseph Smith] says we should treasure it more than the riches of the whole earth.”
The church’s seminary manual describes the text as “modern revelation” and emphasizes its contemporary relevance:
“The Doctrine and Covenants is scripture and consists of a collection of divine revelations and inspired declarations that give instruction to Church leaders, Church members, and the inhabitants of the world in our day.”
The Nature of Continuing Revelation
Central to LDS theology is the concept of continuing revelation — the belief that God continues to speak to humanity through living prophets. The Doctrine and Covenants serves as the primary documentary evidence for this claim. President Gordon B. Hinckley articulated this perspective:
“The Doctrine and Covenants is unique among our books of scripture. It is the constitution of the Church. While the Doctrine and Covenants includes writings and statements of various origins, it is primarily a book of revelation given through the Prophet of this dispensation. These revelations open with a thundering declaration of the encompassing purposes of God in the restoration of His great latter-day work.”
The church emphasizes that Section 1, which serves as the preface to the entire collection, establishes the divine authority and universality of the revelations:
“Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the voice of him who dwells on high, and whose eyes are upon all men; yea, verily I say: Hearken ye people from afar; and ye that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together. For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape.”
Key Doctrinal Contributions
According to official LDS teaching, the Doctrine and Covenants provides unique revelations on numerous topics not found elsewhere in scripture. President Hinckley enumerated several of these contributions:
• Church Governance: Principles and procedures for the administration of the church
• Health Laws: The Word of Wisdom (Section 89), promising physical and spiritual blessings
• Priesthood Doctrine: The covenant of eternal priesthood is described uniquely
• Degrees of Glory: Section 76’s vision of celestial, terrestrial, and telestial kingdoms
• The Godhead: The nature of God is described in “language understandable to all.”
• Tithing: The Lord’s law of finance
• Work for the Dead: Vicarious ordinances to bless all generations
Official Acknowledgment of Textual Changes
While the LDS Church has historically been reluctant to publicly discuss changes made to the revelations, some acknowledgment has appeared in official and semi-official sources. The introductory material in current editions notes that earlier versions were published in Zion, Missouri (1833) and Kirtland, Ohio (1835), implicitly acknowledging that the text has a developmental history.
Mormon historian B.H. Roberts, in his Comprehensive History of the Church, acknowledged that changes were made:
“Some of the early revelations first published in the ‘Book of Commandments,’ in 1833, were revised by the Prophet himself in the way of correcting errors made by the scribes and publishers; and some additional clauses were inserted…and paragraphs added, to make the principles or instructions apply to officers not in the Church at the time some of the earlier revelations were given.”
More recent scholarship from the Joseph Smith Papers project has led to updated section headings that provide clearer historical context, representing a more transparent approach to the documentary history of the revelations.
PART THREE: “CHANGING THE REVELATIONS” — A SUMMARY OF THE UTAH LIGHTHOUSE MINISTRY DOCUMENT
The Utah Lighthouse Ministry (UTLM), founded by Jerald and Sandra Tanner, has produced extensive documentation examining changes made to Joseph Smith’s revelations. Their study “Changing the Revelations,” originally published in 1967 as part of The Case Against Mormonism, provides a detailed comparison between the 1833 Book of Commandments and subsequent editions of the Doctrine and Covenants. The following summary presents their major findings and arguments.
The Central Charge: Altered Revelations
The Tanners begin by directly challenging claims made by LDS leaders that the revelations remain unchanged. They quote Mormon Apostle John A. Widtsoe:
“The Doctrine and Covenants is a compilation of the revelations received by Joseph Smith… The book itself is a witness for the truth of the Prophet’s claims. The explanations of old doctrines and presentation of new ones are convincing evidences of their divine origin. Enemies of the Church have rather carefully avoided the discussion of this book. They have been afraid of it.”
The Tanners argue this claim is demonstrably false, noting that critics have extensively examined the Doctrine and Covenants and found “thousands of words added, deleted or changed.”
Mormon Scholars Who Acknowledge Changes
The UTLM document cites several LDS scholars who have acknowledged the changes, demonstrating that this is not merely an anti-Mormon fabrication.
B.H. Roberts admitted that “paragraphs were added” and “additional clauses were inserted.”
John William Fitzgerald (BYU Master’s thesis, 1940) acknowledged:
“Differences in wording and differences in wording that change the meaning have occurred in certain sections that appeared first in A Book of Commandments published in 1833 and that appeared later in The Doctrine and Covenants published in 1835.”
Melvin J. Petersen (BYU Master’s thesis, 1955) provided statistical analysis:
“Many words were added to the revelations in order to more clearly state what Joseph Smith intended to write… Many times phrases were added to increase the ability of the reader to get the meaning of the verse… Joseph Smith’s language, as found in the revelations credited to him, needed correcting. There were many grammatical errors in the revelations he first published.”
Petersen calculated that since the revelations were first printed in the Book of Commandments, 703 words have been changed, 1,656 words added, and 453 words deleted.
Conflicting Official Statements
The UTLM document highlights contradictory statements from LDS leaders regarding whether changes were made:
Apostle Parley P. Pratt claimed that revelations “did not undergo revisions, interlinings or corrections.”
Apostle John A. Widtsoe stated: “There has been no tampering with God’s word… the whole body of Church laws forms a harmonious unit, which does not anywhere contradict itself nor has it been found necessary to alter any part of it.”
Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: “There was no need for eliminating, changing, or adjusting any part to make it fit; but each new revelation on doctrine and priesthood fitted in its place perfectly to complete the whole structure.”
Hugh B. Brown (First Presidency) wrote in a letter that “none of the revelations have been changed.”
The Tanners argue these denials are directly contradicted by documentary evidence showing extensive alterations.
The Book of Commandments: Suppressed Evidence
The UTLM document asserts that the LDS Church attempted to suppress access to the original Book of Commandments. The Tanners recount their own experience:
“The Mormon Church has suppressed the truth concerning the Book of Commandments and the changes in the revelations. The Brigham Young University allowed us to make photocopies of the first 41 pages of Wilford Woodruff’s copy of the Book of Commandments… When the Church Historian’s Office found that we had obtained these photocopies, they immediately sent word to the Brigham Young University Library to keep us from obtaining any more photocopies.”
They received a letter from BYU stating:
“We are unable to send you a photocopy of the Book of Commandments… you will need to secure the permission of the Church Historian’s library to have it reproduced, as they own the manuscript copy.”
The Tanners eventually obtained microfilm from Yale University and published a photo-offset reprint in 1961. They note that Salt Lake City newspapers would not allow them to advertise this book.
Specific Changes Documented
The UTLM document provides detailed photographic comparisons showing specific alterations. The following are among the most significant changes identified:
Change A: Joseph Smith’s Gift to Translate
Original (Book of Commandments 4:2): “…and he has a gift to translate the book, and I have commanded him that he shall pretend to no other gift, for I will grant him no other gift.”
Changed (D&C 5:4): “And you have a gift to translate the plates; and this is the first gift that I bestowed upon you; and I have commanded that you should pretend to no other gift, until my purpose is fulfilled in this; for I will grant unto you no other gift until it is finished.”
Significance: The Tanners argue this change was necessitated by Joseph Smith’s subsequent claims to additional gifts beyond translating the Book of Mormon, including his work on the “Inspired Version” of the Bible and the Book of Abraham. The original revelation commanded him to “pretend to no other gift,” which would have contradicted his later prophetic activities. Twenty-two words were added to make it appear the Lord would grant additional gifts.
David Whitmer commented:
“The way the revelation has been changed, twenty-two words being added to it, it would appear that God had broken His word after giving His word in plainness; commanding Brother Joseph to pretend to no other gift but to translate the Book of Mormon, and then the Lord had changed and concluded to grant Joseph the gift of a Seer to the Church.”
Change B: “Not Yet Ordained” Addition
The words “you must wait yet a little while, for ye are not yet ordained” were added to a revelation supposedly given in March 1829. The UTLM asks: Why would the Lord wait more than five years to provide this information? They argue that for a warning to have value, it must be given at the appropriate time, describing such changes as “equivalent to locking the barn door after the horse has gotten out.”
Change C: 154 Words Deleted
An entire section consisting of 154 words was removed from Book of Commandments Chapter 4, verses 5-6. Mormon apologist Melvin Petersen acknowledged that Joseph Smith “was dissatisfied with the wording of verses five and six in portraying the concept he had received, and therefore he omitted verses five and six.”
David Whitmer claimed the deletion removed this significant statement:
“And thus, if the people of this generation harden not their hearts, I will work a reformation among them, and I will put down all lying, etc… and I will establish my church, LIKE UNTO THE CHURCH WHICH WAS TAUGHT BY MY DISCIPLES IN THE DAYS OF OLD.”
Whitmer argued this deletion was made because the evolved church structure no longer matched the simple organization described in the original revelation.
Change D: John’s Parchment — 109 Words Added
Book of Commandments Chapter 6 contains what Mormons claim is Joseph Smith’s translation of a parchment written by the Apostle John, translated using the Urim and Thummim. Originally 143 words, when reprinted in the Doctrine and Covenants, it contained 252 words — an addition of 109 words.
The UTLM argues this presents a serious problem: If Joseph Smith translated incorrectly the first time, his abilities as a translator are questionable. If he translated correctly but added words later, he falsely attributed them to the Apostle John. Mormon apologist Petersen admitted: “Joseph Smith left nothing in his writings to indicate why he added to this translated version… and so any plausible answers will be merely conjecture.”
Change H: Foundation of the Church
Original (Book of Commandments 15): “…rely upon the things which are written; for in them are all things written, concerning my church, my gospel, and my rock.”
Changed (D&C 18): “…rely upon the things which are written; for in them are all things written, concerning the foundation of my church, my gospel, and my rock.”
Significance: David Whitmer testified that he was present when this revelation was given through the seer stone. He argued the change was made to accommodate the church’s evolved doctrine:
“The change in this revelation is of great importance; the word ‘them’ refers to the plates—the Book of Mormon: We were commanded to rely upon it in building up the church; that is, in establishing the doctrine, the order of offices, etc… But this revelation has been changed by man to mean as follows: That therein is not all things written concerning the church, but only all things concerning ‘the foundation of’ the church.”
Change I: High Priests Added
Ninety-seven words concerning high priests and other offices were inserted into a revelation originally given in June 1830, before such offices existed in the church. David Whitmer objected:
“Two paragraphs have been added to it, having been thrust into the middle of it… which part speaks of high priests and other high offices that the church never knew of until almost two years after its beginning: As if God had made a mistake in the first organization of the church, and left out these high important offices.”
Change J: Emma Smith’s Support
Original: Emma Smith would be supported “from” the church.
Changed: Joseph Smith would support her “in” the church.
Significance: The UTLM argues this change was made to obscure the fact that Joseph Smith received financial support from the church, given that Mormon leaders have criticized other churches for having a paid ministry.
Change K: Over 400 Words Added Concerning Peter, James, and John
More than 400 words were added to Book of Commandments Chapter 28 (now D&C 27), including references to the visitation of Peter, James, and John who allegedly restored the Melchizedek priesthood. The UTLM argues this addition was necessary to support later priesthood claims that were not part of the original church organization.
Change L: Consecration — “All” to “Of”
Original: Mormons were told to “consecrate all” their properties to the church.
Changed: Mormons were told to “consecrate of” their properties.
Significance: The UTLM suggests this change was made after the communitarian United Order system failed and accusations of “communism” were leveled against the church.
Additional Major Alterations
Beyond the changes to revelations originally published in the Book of Commandments, the UTLM documents additional alterations:
The Evening and Morning Star Changes: Revelations published in this church periodical were also changed when reprinted in the Doctrine and Covenants. The UTLM notes that Section 68, not printed in the Book of Commandments but appearing in the Star, had “323 words added and 21 left out” when republished.
Falsified Reprint: The Evening and Morning Star was reprinted in Kirtland in 1835, but the revelations were changed to match the altered versions in the Doctrine and Covenants—effectively creating a falsified historical record.
Liberty Jail Letters: Sections 121, 122, and 123 were extracted from letters Joseph Smith wrote while in Liberty Jail. Over 3,700 words were deleted when these letters were adapted for the Doctrine and Covenants.
Removed Sections: The UTLM notes that an entire section on marriage (affirming monogamy) was removed, as were the Lectures on Faith, which comprised seventy pages of the original 1835 edition.
Witness Testimonies Against the Changes
The UTLM document presents testimonies from early church leaders who objected to the changes:
David Whitmer (one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon):
“You have changed the revelations from the way they were first given and as they are to-day in the Book of Commandments, to support the error of Brother Joseph in taking upon himself the office of Seer to the church. You have changed the revelations to support the error of high priests. You have changed the revelations to support the error of a President of the high priesthood, high counselors, etc.”
William E. McLellin (one of the original Twelve Apostles):
“His faith was first shaken by the changes made in the revelations. He had been careful to keep copies of the originals, presented proof that all the early revelations were changed three times, and considerably amended before they appeared in their present form.”
McLellin further testified:
“In 1835 in Kirtland another committee was appointed to fix up the revelations for print again. I was teaching their high school in the lower room, the printing office being overhead. And I was often in Joseph’s office, and know positively that some of the revelations were so altered, mutilated and changed that a good scholar would scarcely know them. In one revelation I counted 20 alterations!”
The “Testimony of the Twelve Apostles” Controversy
The UTLM document highlights a controversy concerning the “Testimony of the Twelve Apostles” that appears in the Doctrine and Covenants’ introductory pages. William E. McLellin, whose name appears on this document, later claimed it was a “base forgery,” noting that the Twelve were in the eastern states at the time the document supposedly was signed in Kirtland, Ohio.
Post-Joseph Smith Changes
The UTLM documents a significant change made after Joseph Smith’s death. A vision Joseph reportedly received in 1836 was canonized in 1976, but researcher Michael Marquardt discovered that the original diary entry had been altered. Joseph’s diary stated:
“I saw father Adam, and Abraham and Michael and my father and mother, my brother Alvin.”
The published version deleted “and Michael.” This is significant because in Mormon theology, Adam is Michael, making the original statement contradictory. The UTLM concludes that Mormon leaders “canonized a falsified revelation.”
UTLM’s Conclusion: A Double Standard
The UTLM document concludes by noting what they characterize as a double standard. They quote LDS Apostle Mark E. Petersen criticizing the Bible:
“It seems unthinkable to the honest and devout mind that any man or set of men would deliberately change the text of the Word of God to further their own peculiar purposes.”
The Tanners argue that this same criticism applies to the changes documented in the Doctrine and Covenants, quoting Bruce R. McConkie’s description of the text: “Most of these sections came to Joseph Smith by direct revelation, the recorded words being those of the Lord Jesus Christ himself.” If these are indeed the direct words of Christ, the UTLM argues, then altering them constitutes the same offense Mormons level against other religions.
PART FOUR: ANALYSIS AND IMPLICATIONS
The Pattern of Changes: What the Evidence Shows
The documentary evidence presented by the Utah Lighthouse Ministry and acknowledged by LDS scholars reveals a consistent pattern of textual modification. These changes fall into several categories:
Additions to support evolved doctrine: References to priesthood offices, the visit of Peter, James, and John, and other elements were inserted into revelations given before these concepts existed in the church.
Deletions to remove contradictions: Statements limiting Joseph Smith’s gifts, references to the simple church organization, and other problematic passages were removed.
Modifications to obscure historical facts: Changes to consecration language, support from the church, and other sensitive matters were altered.
Retrospective insertions: Instructions about ordination timing, warnings, and other elements were added years after the original revelation dates, making them historically meaningless.
The LDS Response: Justification and Deflection
Mormon apologists have offered several responses to these documented changes:
Prophetic prerogative: Some argue that as a prophet, Joseph Smith had the authority to revise revelations. BYU scholar Melvin Petersen wrote that a prophet “cannot be justly criticized when he rewrites the commandments he received from God.”
Scribal error correction: B.H. Roberts attributed some changes to “correcting errors made by the scribes and publishers.”
Clarification: Some argue changes were made to clarify meaning, not alter it.
Open-ended revelation: Hugh Nibley suggested that “the nice thing about revelation—it is strictly open-ended.”
However, these responses face significant challenges. The preface to the Book of Commandments (now D&C Section 1) declared: “Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful… my word shall not pass away.” If the revelations were truly God’s unchanging word, subsequent alterations—especially substantive ones affecting meaning—create a theological contradiction.
The Critical Response: Fundamental Questions
Critics argue the documented changes raise fundamental questions about LDS claims:
If God is unchanging, why did His revelations need to change? The Bible teaches that God does not change (Malachi 3:6). If the original revelations were from God, what necessitated their alteration?
Why were warnings given years after they could have been useful? Inserting cautions about ordination timing five years after the fact suggests the changes served to retroactively justify later developments rather than provide genuine prophetic guidance.
Why the pattern of secrecy? The UTLM documents efforts to restrict access to the original Book of Commandments. If the changes were legitimate prophetic clarifications, why would they need to be hidden?
Why the inconsistent official positions? Some leaders denied that any changes were made, while documentary evidence proves otherwise. This pattern of denial raises questions about institutional transparency.
Implications for the Doctrine and Covenants’ Authority
The documented changes to Joseph Smith’s revelations have significant implications for how the Doctrine and Covenants should be evaluated:
As historical documents: The current text of the Doctrine and Covenants does not accurately represent what Joseph Smith originally dictated. Researchers must consult the Book of Commandments and other early sources to understand the original content.
As prophetic revelation: The pattern of changes suggests that the text evolved to accommodate institutional developments rather than recording immutable divine communications. Elements central to current LDS practice (such as certain priesthood offices) were inserted into revelations given before those practices existed.
As authoritative scripture: If the words of the Doctrine and Covenants are “those of the Lord Jesus Christ himself,” as LDS leaders claim, then altering them undermines the foundation of that authority. If they can be changed, on what basis are they considered binding?
PART FIVE: THEOLOGICAL AND BIBLICAL CONSIDERATIONS
The Biblical Standard for Prophetic Revelation
The changes documented in Joseph Smith’s revelations raise fundamental questions when measured against the biblical standard for prophetic communication. Scripture provides clear guidance on how divine revelation should be treated and what characteristics genuine prophecy should exhibit.
In Deuteronomy 4:2, Moses commanded: “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.” This prohibition against adding to or subtracting from God’s word establishes a principle of textual integrity that the documented changes to the Doctrine and Covenants appear to violate.
Proverbs 30:5-6 reinforces this standard: “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” If the original revelations in the Book of Commandments were indeed the words of God, adding to them would place the editor in the category of those whom this proverb warns against.
The Book of Revelation provides perhaps the most explicit warning: “If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life” (Revelation 22:18-19). While this passage specifically addresses the Book of Revelation, it expresses a principle about the inviolability of prophetic text that carries weight throughout Scripture.
Contrasting Examples: Jeremiah and Joseph Smith
A revealing contrast emerges when comparing how Joseph Smith handled the loss of revelation text with how the biblical prophet Jeremiah responded to a similar situation. When Jeremiah’s scroll containing his prophecies was burned by King Jehoiakim, Jeremiah did not produce a different version or claim inability to reproduce the original. Instead, as recorded in Jeremiah 36:32: “Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe… who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words.”
Jeremiah confidently reproduced the lost content and added more revelation from God. This demonstrates genuine prophetic confidence in divine communication. By contrast, when the 116 manuscript pages of the Book of Mormon were lost, Joseph Smith claimed he could not reproduce the content because wicked men might have altered it to prove him a false prophet. He was instead directed to translate different plates that conveniently contained a parallel account. This contrast raises important questions about the nature of his prophetic claims.
The Nature of God and Unchanging Revelation
Scripture consistently affirms that God does not change. Malachi 3:6 declares: “For I am the Lord, I change not.” James 1:17 describes God as one “with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” If God’s nature is unchanging, it follows that His revealed word should possess similar stability.
The pattern of changes in the Doctrine and Covenants presents a picture of revelation that adapts to changing circumstances rather than declaring timeless truth. When the church needed to justify new priesthood offices, revelations were altered to include them. When original statements became inconvenient, they were removed. This pattern suggests human editorial activity rather than divine communication.
The Priesthood Question
Several of the most significant changes to the Doctrine and Covenants relate to priesthood claims. The insertion of over 400 words into what is now D&C 27, including references to Peter, James, and John restoring the Melchizedek priesthood, represents one of the most substantial alterations.
From a biblical perspective, the New Testament book of Hebrews presents Christ alone as holding the Melchizedek priesthood in perpetuity. Hebrews 7:24 states that Jesus “because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.” The Greek word translated “unchangeable” (aparabatos) means “non-transferable”—indicating that this priesthood cannot be passed to others. The fact that references to Melchizedek priesthood restoration were inserted into revelations after the original dictation suggests this doctrine was a later development rather than part of the original founding vision.
Doctrinal Evolution vs. Continuing Revelation
The LDS Church emphasizes “continuing revelation” as a distinctive doctrine. However, the pattern documented in the Doctrine and Covenants suggests something different: doctrinal evolution accomplished through textual revision rather than new revelation. Genuine continuing revelation would involve new communications from God addressing new situations while leaving previous revelations intact. The pattern observed involves retroactively changing old revelations to appear as if they always supported current positions.
The Institute for Religious Research provides a helpful perspective on this issue. They note that despite the LDS emphasis on continuing revelation, the vast majority of the Doctrine and Covenants comes from Joseph Smith’s lifetime, with only a handful of additions in the nearly two centuries since his death. From 1849 to the present, only three new revelatory sections have been added, along with two Official Declarations. This pattern suggests that the concept of continuing revelation functions differently in practice than in theory.
Moreover, the changes to Joseph Smith’s original revelations represent something distinct from continuing revelation. They are not new revelations addressing new circumstances but alterations to existing texts to support positions that developed after the original revelations were given. This distinction is crucial for understanding what actually happened to the Doctrine and Covenants.
The Removal of the Lectures on Faith
One of the most significant alterations to the Doctrine and Covenants involves not the changing of text but the complete removal of an entire section. The Lectures on Faith occupied approximately seventy pages of the 1835 edition and constituted the “Doctrine” portion of the “Doctrine and Covenants.” These seven lectures, with accompanying catechism-style questions and answers, were used in the School of the Prophets and were included because they embraced “the important doctrine of salvation.”
The Lectures remained part of LDS scripture through six church presidencies, from Joseph Smith through Lorenzo Snow. In 1921, under Heber J. Grant—the first president born after Joseph Smith’s death—they were removed with the explanation that they “were never presented to nor accepted by the Church as being otherwise than theological lectures or lessons.”
However, the historical record contradicts this explanation. The Lectures were formally accepted by the church at the August 1835 conference that approved the Doctrine and Covenants. The claim that they were never accepted as scripture appears to be revisionist history designed to justify their removal.
The likely reason for removal involves doctrinal content. The Lectures teach that the Father is “a personage of spirit” while the Son is “a personage of tabernacle.” This understanding of God differs significantly from the view that developed later in Joseph Smith’s career and is held by the modern LDS Church—namely, that both the Father and the Son have physical bodies. The Lectures’ theology was incompatible with later developments, making their removal doctrinally necessary but historically problematic.
The Marriage Statement Removal
Another significant removal involved Section 101 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants, a “Statement on Marriage” adopted by an 1835 church conference. This section declared:
“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.”
This statement remained in the Doctrine and Covenants until the 1876 edition, when it was removed and replaced with Section 132—a revelation on plural marriage that Joseph Smith reportedly received in 1843. The timing is significant: Section 132 was added after plural marriage had become public knowledge and after the church had moved to Utah, where the practice was openly promoted.
The removal of the monogamy statement and its replacement with a revelation endorsing polygamy represents perhaps the most dramatic example of the Doctrine and Covenants adapting to accommodate evolving church practice. Critics argue this demonstrates that the text was edited to serve institutional needs rather than preserved as divine revelation.
The Transparency Question
Beyond the theological implications, the documented changes raise significant questions about institutional transparency. The UTLM documents multiple instances where LDS leaders denied that changes had been made when documentary evidence proved otherwise. If the changes were merely beneficial clarifications by a legitimate prophet, why would they require hiding? More recent church scholarship through the Joseph Smith Papers project has moved toward greater transparency, but the decades of official denials have created a credibility gap.
Comparing Textual Transmission Standards
LDS apologists frequently criticize the Bible’s textual transmission, arguing that errors crept in over millennia of copying. The documented changes to the Doctrine and Covenants invite comparison. The Bible has been transmitted across thousands of years through multiple languages and cultures, yet textual critics find remarkable consistency in the manuscript tradition. The Doctrine and Covenants underwent significant alterations within just a few years, in a single language, under the direct supervision of its original author. If the Bible’s textual transmission is problematic despite its careful preservation, what does this imply about texts that demonstrably changed within their author’s lifetime?
PART SIX: CONTEMPORARY SIGNIFICANCE
For Current and Prospective LDS Members
The documented changes to the Doctrine and Covenants carry practical implications for those who follow or are considering the LDS faith. The church asks members to accept these revelations as scripture—the direct words of Jesus Christ. The evidence that these words were substantially altered after their initial dictation deserves serious consideration.
Members are encouraged by church leaders to gain personal testimony of the truthfulness of church teachings. However, testimony based on incomplete information may not serve believers well. Understanding the full documentary history of the Doctrine and Covenants allows for more informed evaluation of its claims.
The church’s more recent efforts toward transparency through the Joseph Smith Papers project represent a positive development. However, this scholarship has largely confirmed the textual changes that critics documented decades earlier, raising questions about why official acknowledgment took so long. Members wrestling with these issues should be encouraged to engage with the primary sources themselves rather than relying solely on summarized accounts from either apologetic or critical sources.
The experience of discovering that beloved scriptures have been significantly altered can be disorienting for faithful members. Some respond by doubling down on faith commitments; others find their confidence in church claims significantly shaken. Both responses are understandable. What matters most is that individuals have access to accurate information on which to base their conclusions.
For Christian Researchers and Apologists
The documented history of the Doctrine and Covenants provides valuable material for those engaged in Christian apologetics toward Mormonism. However, this material should be used with care and accuracy, avoiding misrepresentation or overstatement. The documented facts speak clearly enough without embellishment. The most effective approach involves directing Latter-day Saints to LDS sources that acknowledge the changes, as insider testimony often carries more weight than external criticism.
When engaging with Latter-day Saints on these issues, it is important to approach conversations with respect and genuine concern rather than triumphalism. Many LDS members have never encountered this information and may respond with disbelief or defensiveness. Patience and compassion serve better than harsh criticism. The goal should be helping sincere truth-seekers evaluate evidence, not winning arguments.
The BYUs theses by Fitzgerald and Petersen, B.H. Roberts’ historical writings, and the Joseph Smith Papers project all provide insider acknowledgment of textual alterations. These sources carry particular weight because they come from faithful LDS scholars working within church institutions. Citing these sources allows the evidence to speak from within the tradition rather than appearing as an external attack.
Some Latter-day Saints have examined this evidence and concluded that prophetic revision is a legitimate exercise of divine authority. Others have concluded the changes fatally undermine the church’s credibility. The evidence supports informed evaluation but does not dictate conclusions when there is clear disagreement on interpretation. Presenting the facts accurately and allowing individuals to draw their own conclusions respects human dignity and intellectual freedom.
The Broader Context of Religious Textual Development
The history of the Doctrine and Covenants fits within a broader pattern of religious textual development. Many religious traditions have grappled with questions of textual authority, preservation, and adaptation. The study of how scriptures develop, how communities canonize and interpret texts, and how institutional needs shape textual traditions is a rich field of scholarly inquiry.
What makes the Doctrine and Covenants case particularly interesting is the compressed timeframe. Biblical textual criticism deals with manuscripts separated by centuries; scholars must reconstruct compositional history through careful analysis of variant readings. With the Doctrine and Covenants, we have the original publication, the revised publication, and contemporary testimony from witnesses who observed both. The documentary evidence is unusually complete.
This accessibility makes the Doctrine and Covenants an excellent case study for understanding how religious texts function within believing communities. The tensions between textual authority and institutional adaptation, between claims of divine origin and evidence of human editing, illuminate dynamics that operate in many religious contexts. Scholars of religion, religious studies students, and thoughtful believers of any tradition can learn from careful examination of this documentary record.
Evaluating the Validity of Revelatory Claims
The documented changes to the Doctrine and Covenants provide objective criteria for evaluating LDS revelatory claims. A consistency test asks whether revelations remain stable over time or change to accommodate evolving doctrine. A prophetic test examines whether warnings and instructions arrive when useful or are inserted retroactively. A transparency test asks whether changes are acknowledged openly or concealed. An internal consistency test examines whether claims about the text match its actual history. These objective criteria allow both believers and skeptics to evaluate claims on common factual ground.
When applying these tests to the Doctrine and Covenants, the results are noteworthy. The consistency test reveals substantial changes over time. The prophetic test shows warnings inserted years after they could have been useful. The transparency test reveals decades of official denials contradicted by documentary evidence. The internal consistency test shows claims of unchanging revelation contradicted by thousands of documented alterations.
These criteria do not predetermine conclusions—individuals must decide what weight to give various factors. But they provide a framework for evaluation that transcends emotional appeals and focuses on verifiable facts. Whether one ultimately concludes for or against LDS claims, such an evaluation should be grounded in an accurate understanding of the historical record.
The Question of Prophetic Authority
At the heart of the Doctrine and Covenants controversy lies a fundamental question: What is the nature of prophetic authority, and how should prophetic texts be treated? The LDS position presents Joseph Smith as a prophet who received direct communication from God—communication so precise that the recorded words are “those of the Lord Jesus Christ himself.” If this claim is accurate, altering those words would seem to constitute a serious violation of divine trust.
Some LDS apologists argue that prophetic authority includes the right to revise previous revelations. This position allows for the documented changes but raises its own questions. If a prophet can freely revise his revelations, how can believers have confidence in current teachings? What prevents future prophets from revising today’s revelations? The argument preserves prophetic authority at the cost of scriptural reliability.
The alternative position—that the changes indicate human rather than divine origin—challenges LDS claims more directly but aligns better with traditional understandings of scriptural authority. If the Bible’s authors were not free to revise their divinely inspired texts, why should Joseph Smith be granted a latitude denied to biblical prophets?
These questions have no easy answers, and thoughtful people have reached different conclusions. What the documented history provides is factual grounding for the discussion. Whatever conclusions individuals reach about prophetic authority, those conclusions should be informed by an accurate understanding of what actually happened to the texts in question.
CONCLUSION
The Doctrine and Covenants occupies a unique position in LDS theology. Unlike the Bible, which Mormons claim has been subject to copying errors and translation difficulties over millennia, the Doctrine and Covenants purports to be direct, modern revelation—words spoken by Jesus Christ himself through his prophet Joseph Smith. The church has presented it as evidence that God continues to communicate with humanity through living prophets.
Yet the documentary record reveals a more complex picture. The Utah Lighthouse Ministry’s research, corroborated by LDS scholars’ own theses, demonstrates that these revelations underwent substantial modification between their original dictation and current publication. These were not merely grammatical corrections or scribal error repairs. They included:
• Over 1,600 words added to the original revelations
• More than 450 words deleted
• Over 700 words changed
• Entire sections removed (statement on marriage, Lectures on Faith)
• Retrospective insertions of doctrines and offices that did not exist when the original revelations were given
The significance of these findings cannot be overstated. David Whitmer, one of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon and a firsthand observer of many original revelations, provided this assessment:
“Is it possible that the minds of men can be so blinded as to believe that God would give these revelations—command them to print them in His Book of Commandments—and then afterwards command them to change and add to them some words which change the meaning entirely? As if God had changed his mind entirely after giving his word? Is it possible that a man who pretends to any spirituality would believe that God would work in any such manner?”
Whitmer’s testimony carries particular weight because he was not an outside critic but an insider witness. He was present when Joseph Smith received these revelations through the seer stone. He knew what the original texts said. And he objected strenuously when those texts were altered. His assessment deserves serious consideration from anyone evaluating LDS prophetic claims.
William E. McLellin, one of the original Twelve Apostles, provided corroborating testimony. He had personally kept copies of the original revelations and counted over twenty alterations in a single revelation. His faith was shaken not by external criticism but by what he personally witnessed regarding the handling of prophetic texts. The testimony of founding members who knew the original revelations provides powerful evidence that the changes documented by the Utah Lighthouse Ministry represent genuine historical facts rather than anti-Mormon fabrication.
The LDS Church faces a dilemma. If the original revelations were from God, changing them undermines their divine authority. If Joseph Smith could legitimately revise them, it suggests they were not the immutable words of Christ but rather human documents subject to editorial development. Either position challenges the church’s foundational claims about continuing revelation and prophetic authority.
For those investigating LDS truth claims, the history of the Doctrine and Covenants provides a valuable case study. The same church that criticizes the Bible for alleged textual corruption has demonstrably altered its own modern scriptures within a span of less than 150 years. The pattern of changes—additions to support evolved doctrine, deletions to remove contradictions, and official denials that any changes occurred—raises legitimate questions about institutional transparency and the reliability of prophetic claims.
As with any religious text, readers of the Doctrine and Covenants should approach it with informed discernment, understanding both its official claims and its documented history. The evidence presented in this analysis invites serious reflection on what constitutes genuine divine revelation and how such revelation should be preserved and transmitted.
SOURCES AND REFERENCES
Primary Sources:
• Tanner, Jerald and Sandra. “Changing the Revelations.” Utah Lighthouse Ministry, 1967.
• Tanner, Jerald and Sandra. “The Changing World of Mormonism: Chapter 3.” Utah Lighthouse Ministry, 1981.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “Welcome to the Doctrine and Covenants and Church History.” Seminary Study Guide, 2014.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “The Doctrine and Covenants: An Overview.” For the Strength of Youth, January 2021.
• Institute for Religious Research. “Doctrine & Covenants: An Introduction.”
Academic and Historical Sources:
• Fitzgerald, John William. “A Study of the Doctrine and Covenants.” Master’s thesis, Brigham Young University, 1940.
• Petersen, Melvin J. “A Study of the Nature of and Significance of the Changes in the Revelations.” Master’s thesis, Brigham Young University, 1955.
• Roberts, B.H. Comprehensive History of the Church. Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1930.
• Whitmer, David. An Address to All Believers in Christ. Richmond, Missouri, 1887.
• Wikipedia. “Doctrine and Covenants.”
LDS Church Publications:
• Hinckley, Gordon B. “The Order and Will of God.” Ensign, January 1989.
• McConkie, Bruce R. Mormon Doctrine. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966.
• Petersen, Mark E. As Translated Correctly. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1966.
• Smith, Joseph Fielding. Doctrines of Salvation. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954-1956.
• Widtsoe, John A. Joseph Smith—Seeker After Truth. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1951.