Excerpt: D&C Annotated by Drew Briney

Drew Briney's newest D&C Annotated, encompassing Section 42, will soon be released.

By Drew Briney

Before it was changed, D&C 78 recorded God establishing “an everlasting” literary firm for publishing and updating his commandments and instructions (see D&C 70:2-4). Joseph Smith said  that this work was of the “greatest importance” (see HC 1:365-66). 

Updates were regular and ongoing while Joseph was alive and were funded by preorders and monthly subscriptions. Now, updates are essentially non-existent. We have over sixty revelations that were never published — despite their significance.

Moreover, we have mind-blowing resources to help us feast at the feet of the prophets who explained and expounded upon those revelations. However, many saints struggle with technology so they have limited access to these resources and nearly all of the remaining saints (especially, our youth) lack strong research skills, which limits their access to trustworthy and impactful resources. 

D&C Annotated with Commentary is my humble attempt to address that challenge by creating a Doctrine and Covenants with original text, modern verses, and commentary from brethren who were familiar with the revelation when it was given and who heard the prophet who received it explaining it to them. This volume represents only a small portion of that project. It also highlights how many treasure troves of material are available for our enjoyment if we only know where to find them.

The following sections are a few gems highlighting the importance of the Doctrine and Covenants and uncanonized, prophetic revelation.

Importance of the D&C

TPJS, 368

Joseph Smith

"I never told you I was perfect; but there is no error in the revelations which I have taught."

JD 11:311

Heber C. Kimball

"The revelations which Joseph Smith has given to this people were given to him by Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world; and this people cannot be blessed if they lightly esteem any of them, but they will lose the Spirit, and sorrow and vexation will come into their families."

JD 24:146

George Q. Cannon

"If there could be a man or a community found who lived in strict obedience to all the laws taught in this book [Doctrine and Covenants], you would find almost a perfect people; y[ou] would find a people in the condition of the people of Enoch — that is, they would be approximating to that perfection which he and his city obtained, and which caused them to be translated."

JD 19:259

Joseph F. Smith

"These are the words of God unto us, words that were not spoken in some remote period of the world, and handed down to us by the traditions of our fathers, but they are the words of the Almighty spoken directly to our brethren chosen by God to be his mouthpiece and revelators to the people of this time. They are, therefore, words of truth, and of eternal life, words upon which we may rely with the utmost confidence, without doubt or misgiving, or fear of yielding to the caprice of vain philosophy, for they are not the words of man, but of God."

JD 2:314

Brigham Young

"I do not even believe that there is a single revelation, among the many God has given to the Church, that is perfect in its fulness. The revelations of God contain correct doctrine and principle, so far as they go; but it is impossible for the poor, weak, low, groveling, sinful inhabitants of the earth to receive a revelation from the Almighty in all its perfections. He has to speak to us in a manner to meet the extent of our capacities, as we have to do with these benighted Lamanites...

If an angel should come into this congregation, or visit any individual … they have to descend to our capacities in order to communicate with us. I make these remarks to show you that the kingdom of heaven is not yet complete upon the earth. Why? Because the people are not prepared to receive it in its completeness, for they are not complete or perfect themselves.

The laws that the Lord has given are not fully perfect, because the people could not receive them in their perfect fulness; but they can receive a little here and a little there, a little today and a little tomorrow … we must improve upon every little as it is revealed."

Council of Fifty Minutes, 171 (4/8/1844)

"[Brigham Young] supposed there has not yet been a perfect revelation given, because we cannot understand it, yet we receive a little here and a little there. He should not be stumbled if the prophet should translate the Bible forty thousand times over and yet it should be different in some places every time, because when God [speaks], he always speaks according to the capacity of the people."

The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn

Brigham Young (7/13/1862)

"If the Book of Mormon were now to be rewritten, in many instances, it would materially differ from the present translation."

JD 6:75

Orson Hyde

"There is a Spirit that is ever ready, and points out, under varied and conflicting circumstances, the very course which the servants of God should pursue. The Bible is not a sufficient guide; it is only the history of the people who lived 1,800 years ago. The history of our Church in this day, presents the scenes and transactions of this people — the revelations and words of God to them; but if an individual living an hundred, or eighteen hundred, years hence, under different circumstances, were to adopt the history of this people for his guide in all things, he would not find it sufficient to answer the circumstances surrounding him."

Canonization

While D&C 68:4 notes that whatever is spoken “by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture” and the will, mind, word, and “voice of the Lord and the power of God unto salvation,” D&C 28:13 outlines a church vote prior to canonization. Does that mean uncanonized revelations or scriptural rewrites like the poetic version of D&C 76 are untrustworthy and should be considered with caution? or how should we reconcile these two scriptures?

George Q. Cannon directly addressed this in 1891: 

Juvenile Instructor 26:13-14 (1/1/1891)

"It seems nonsensical that the Prophet of God should submit to such a test as this and not deem the revelations he received authentic until they had the approval of the different quorums of the Church. They were authentic and divinely inspired, whether any man or body of men received them or not. Their reception or non-reception of them would not affect in the least their divine authenticity. But it would be for the people to accept them after God revealed them. In this way they have been submitted to the Church, to see whether the members would accept them as binding upon them or not. Joseph himself had too high a sense of his prophetic office and the authority he had received from the Lord to ever submit the revelations which he received to any individual or to any body, however numerous, to have them pronounce their validity."

To learn more about Briney's annotated volumes for the D&C, you can message him at drewbriney@gmail.com, or look up D&C Annotated with Commentary and Drew Briney on Amazon.

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