D&C changes: D&C 3 - The lost 116 pages
Were I a false prophet, I would be reluctant to publish revelations where God chastised me. Anyway, here are changes relevant to D&C 3 ( = Book of Commandments 2, 1835 Doctrine and Covenants 30) (italic: removed from BoC; bold: added to D&C) - BoC (4): ...but remember God is merciful: Therefore, repent of that which thou hast done, and he will only cause thee to be afflicted for a season, and thou art still chosen, and wilt again be called to the work; and except thou do this, thou shalt be delivered up and become as other men, and have no more gift. - D&C (10-11): But remember God is merciful; therefore, repent of that which thou hast done which is contrary to the commandment which I gave you, and thou art still chosen, and art again called to the work; Except thou do this, thou shalt be delivered up and become as other men, and have no more gift. Comment: A simple updating to place the chastisement in the past tense and a more specific allusion to the sin committed. - BoC (6): Nevertheless, my work shall go forth and accomplish my purposes, for as the knowledge of a Savior has come into the world, even so shall the knowledge of my people, the Nephites, and the Jacobites, and the Josephites, and the Zoramites, come to the knowledge of the Lamanites, and the Lemuelites, and the Ishmaelites, which dwindled in unbelief because of the iniquity of their fathers, who have been suffered to destroy their brethren, because of their iniquities, and their abominations: - D&C (16-18): Nevertheless, my work shall go forth, for inasmuch as the knowledge of a Savior has come unto the world, through the testimony of the Jews, even so shall the knowledge of a Savior come unto my people - And to the Nephites, and the Jacobites, and the Josephites, and the Zoramites, through the testimony of their fathers - And this testimony shall come to the knowledge of the Lamanites, and the Lemuelites, and the Ishmaelites, who dwindled in unbelief because of the iniquity of their fathers, whom the Lord has suffered to destroy their brethren, the Nephites, because of their iniquities, and their abominations: Comment: Some minor stylistic changes plus some clarifications (e.g. their brethren, "the Nephites"; the knowledge of the Savior "through the testimony of the Jews"). The BoC text seems to make more sense on one point, viz., "the knowledge of my people the Nephites....[shall] come to the knowledge of the Lamanites", an allusion to the Nephite record (the BoM) coming to the modern-day Lamanites. The D&C text has the Lord saying that a knowledge of "a Savior" shall come to my people, and to the Nephites etc., and then to the Lamanites. I'm not sure who the initial "my people" are . I want it to mean the Nephites (in line with BoC), but the text states "and to the Nephites". Perhaps the modern LDS are in mind. Doctrinal commentaries seem to believe that these verses suggest that the BoM will be shared with not only modern Lamanites, but also latter-day Nephites (i.e. they weren't all destroyed). This series should not be taken as evidence that there have been many changes in the D&C. There haven't. And if Christian anti-Mormons want to play text criticism, well, the smell of hypocrisy is overwhelming... |
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Please add a hyperlink to explain what the BoC is
Posted by Anonymous
BoC = Book of Commandments, the original collection of Joseph Smith's revelations published in 1833. See:
http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/basic/doctrines/scripture/dc/commandments_eom.htm
Posted by Ronan
Have you seen Robert Woodford's two volume dissertation on the D&C? It gives some historical background and textual criticism of every single section. You can download a 70 Mb scan of it (and barrels of other good stuff) from http://wwwlib.umi.com/dissertations
Posted by Ben S.
Thanks Ben. I do have a copy of Woodford's diss, but I am trying to avoid using it too much, as I don't want my understanding of D&C changes to be coloured by anything. It's a personal quest, not anything more...!
Posted by Ronan