Doctrine and Covenants
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Modifications: Relationship to the Book of Mormon: Other: |
Doctrine and Covenants
Textual changes
- Textual changes—Joseph Smith and others made revisions, additions, and deletions to his early revelations when preparing them for publication. Critics claim that revelations from God are inerrant and should never be changed, and this proves that Joseph Smith did not receive revelation. (Link)
- Oliver Cowdery and the "rod of nature"—Critics claim that a revelation received by Joseph praised Oliver Cowdery's gift of using divining talents. It is claimed that the revelation was published in the Book of Commandments in its original form, then subsequently modified in the Doctrine and Covenants in order to hide the reference to the "rod of nature." Therefore, Joseph attempted to "cover up" Oliver Cowdery's work with a divining rod by changing a revelation. (Link)
- Direct quotation from God?—Is the wording of the D&C revelations a direct word-for-word quotation from God? Critics note that if the Doctrine and Covenants contained quotations from God, why would Joseph Smith later edit God's words? (Link)
Criticism of the Doctrine and Covenants
- Contradiction between Section 132 and Jacob 2—Critics note that D&C 132 speaks favorably about some Old Testament practitioners of plural marriage, while Jacob 2 is negative. Critics claim that this discrepancy is a contradiction, suggesting that Joseph Smith's ideas about plural marriage changed, and the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants are not inspired. (Link)
- D&C 84 states that God cannot be seen without priesthood—How could Joseph Smith has seen God the Father and Jesus Christ during the First Vision if he had not yet received the priesthood? (Link)
Doctrine and Covenants and Book of Mormon geography
- References to Lamanites in the D&C—Since in the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord refers to American Indians in North America as "Lamanites" (e.g., DC 28:8-9,14, DC 30:6, DC 32:2, DC 54:8), does this cause problems for the Limited Geography Theory (LGT) or issues of Amerindian genetic data? (Link)
Polygamy
- 1835 Doctrine and Covenants denies polygamy—The 1835 edition of the D&C contained a statement of marriage which denied the practice of polygamy. Since this was published during Joseph Smith's lifetime, why might the prophet have allowed it to be published if he was actually practicing polygamy at that time? (Link)
Lectures on Faith
Teachings contained within
- Is the Father embodied or a spirit?—When the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants was published in 1835 it portrayed God the Father as a personage of spirit whereas Jesus Christ was portrayed as a personage of tabernacle, or one having a physical body. Yet the official LDS First Vision story portrays the Father as a physical Being. Critics claim that this is evidence of an evolution of story; and that the evolution of this story is evidence of fraud. (Link)
- God a personage of spirit?—Lectures on Faith, which used to be part of the Doctrine and Covenants, teach that God is a spirit. Joseph Smith's later teachings contradict this. More generally, critics argue that Joseph Smith taught an essentially "trinitarian" view of the Godhead until the mid 1830s, thus proving the Joseph was "making it up" as he went along. (Link)
As part of the Doctrine and Covenants
- Lectures on Faith removed from Doctrine and Covenants—Critics argue that the Lectures on Faith were "quietly" removed from the Doctrine and Covenants without general church membership consent, that the Lectures on Faith are not available to the general Church membership through Church sources, and that they can only be obtained through non-LDS sources (despite their availability at Deseret Book). (Link)
