Editing Doctrine and Covenants (section)

==History==
{{Doctrine and Covenants}}The Doctrine and Covenants was first published in 1835 as a later version of the [[Book of Commandments]], which had been partially printed in 1833. This earlier book contained 65 early [[Revelation (Latter Day Saints)|revelations]] to church leaders, notably [[Joseph Smith]] and [[Oliver Cowdery]]. Before many copies of the book could be printed, the printing press and most of the printed copies were destroyed by a mob in [[Missouri]].
[[File:Book of Commandments.jpg|thumb|125px|{{center|Title page of the 1903 reprint of the Book of Commandments.}}]]
On September 24, 1834, a committee was appointed by the general assembly of the church to organize a new volume containing the most significant revelations. This committee of Presiding [[Elder (Mormonism)|Elder]]s, consisting of Smith, Cowdery, [[Sidney Rigdon]], and [[Frederick G. Williams]], began to review and revise numerous revelations for inclusion in the new work. The committee eventually organized the book into two parts: a "Doctrine" part and a "Covenants" part.

The "Doctrine" part of the book consisted of a theological course now called the "[[Lectures on Faith]]". The lectures were a series of doctrinal courses used in the [[School of the Prophets]] which had recently been completed in [[Kirtland, Ohio]]. According to the committee, these lectures were included in the compilation "in consequence of their embracing the important doctrine of salvation."<ref name = 1835preface>''See'' 1835 D&C, Preface.</ref>
The "Covenants" part of the book, labeled "Covenants and Commandments of the Lord, to his servants of the church of the Latter Day Saints", contained a total of 103 revelations. These 103 revelations were said to "contain 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."<ref name = 1835preface/> Each of the 103 revelations was assigned a "section number"; however, section 66 was mistakenly used twice. Thus, the sections of the original work were numbered only to 102.

On February 17, 1835, after the committee had selected the book's contents, the committee wrote that the resulting work represents "our belief, and when we say this, humbly trust, the faith and principles of this society as a body."<ref name = 1835preface/>

The book was first introduced to the church body in a [[General Conference (LDS Church)|general conference]] on August 17, 1835. Smith and Williams, two of the Presiding Elders on the committee, were absent, but Cowdery and Rigdon were present. The church membership at the time had not yet seen the Doctrine and Covenants manuscript as it had been compiled and revised solely by the committee; however, various church members who were familiar with the work "bore record" of the book's truth. At the end of the conference, the church "by a unanimous vote" agreed to accept the compilation as "the doctrine and covenants of their faith" and to make arrangements for its printing.<ref>Joseph Smith, [[B. H. Roberts]] (ed.) (1902). ''[[History of the Church (Joseph Smith)|History of the Church]]'' '''2''':243–46.</ref>

In 1835, the book was printed and published under the title ''Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints: Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God''.

A copy of the Doctrine and Covenants from NASA photographer M. Edward Thomas traveled to the moon and back in 1972 with astronaut [[John Young (astronaut)|John Young]] aboard [[Apollo 16]].<ref>Stephenson, Kathy. [https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2019/10/02/book-mormon-that-traveled/ "Book of Mormon that traveled to the moon makes a Utah landing"], ''[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]'', 2 October 2019. Retrieved on 26 March 2020.</ref>