Book of Commandments - Content of The Book of Commandments

Content of The Book of Commandments

Many of the revelations in the Book of Commandents were also printed in the official church newspaper Evening and Morning Star, with relatively superficial and typographical edits.

A much more ambitious revision was made in 1835, when all the revelations contained in the Book of Commandments were edited for inclusion in a larger text of Mormon scriptures called the Doctrine and Covenants (commonly abbreviated D&C). In addition to many superficial changes, this latter work contains significant redactions, deletions, and additions of new material to the older revelations, and the nature of these changes has been controversial, in part because these changes are not widely known by Mormon adherents, and in part because the changes have been used by secular Mormon scholars to support a hypothesis that Mormon theology developed gradually, and underwent theological reversals and significant changes. Apologetic scholars tend to minimize the significance of these changes, or to read the two editions of scripture in a way that makes them roughly consistent.

For example, mention of biblical apostles Peter, James, and John imparting Joseph Smith Jr. with the Priesthood is in section 27 of D&C, but is omitted from the equivalent chapter in the Book of Commandments.

Secular Mormon scholars argue that these changes reflect the changing doctrines of Joseph Smith, but Mormon apologetic scholars are more likely to hold that the changes are elaborations or clarifications of previously revealed doctrine. For example, a scripture often cited by Mormon critics says,

"...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." — Book of Commandments, 4:2

This passage refers to Joseph Smith in third person. However, the re-numbered Doctrine and Covenants reads:

"...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." — Doctrine and Covenants, 5:4

Secular Mormon scholars generally assert that Smith originally claimed only to be charged with translating the Book of Mormon. According to this view, he had to revise the passage to bring it into accord with his subsequent translation of the Bible and claim to be sole prophet in the Church. An apologist would reply that this misunderstanding of the original text is precisely why it had to be clarified.