Editing Doctrine and Covenants (section)

==LDS Church editions==
In  the LDS Church, '''The Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints''' stands alongside the [[Bible]], the [[Book of Mormon]], and the [[Pearl of Great Price (Mormonism)|Pearl of Great Price]] as scripture. Together the LDS Church's scriptures are referred to as the "[[standard works]]". The LDS Church's version of the Doctrine and Covenants is described by the church as "containing revelations given to Joseph Smith, the Prophet, with some additions by his successors in the Presidency of the Church."<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/title-page?lang=eng| title = LDS 1981 D&C Title Page}}</ref>

===Sections Included in LDS edition===
The 138 sections and two official declarations in LDS Church's Doctrine and Covenants break down as follows:
*Sections 1–134, 137: From the presidency of [[Joseph Smith]] (1828–44)
*Sections 135–136: During the administration of the [[Quorum of the Twelve]] (1844–47)
*[[Official Declaration 1]]: From the presidency of [[Wilford Woodruff]] (1889–98)
*Section 138: From the presidency of [[Joseph F. Smith]] (1901–18)
*[[Official Declaration 2]]: From the presidency of [[Spencer W. Kimball]] (1973–85)

The following sections consist of letters, reports, statements, and other similar documents: 102, 123, 127–131, 134, 135, and Official Declarations 1 and 2.

===1844 Edition===

In 1844, the church added eight sections not included in the 1835 edition. In the current edition, these added sections are numbered 103, 105, 112, 119, 124, 127, 128, and 135.

===1876 Edition===

In 1876, a new LDS Church edition renumbered most of the sections in a roughly chronological order instead of the earlier topical order, and included 26 sections not included in previous editions, now numbered as sections 2, 13, 77, 85, 87, 108–111, 113–118, 120–123, 125, 126, 129–132, and 136. Previous editions had been divided into verses with the early versifications generally following the paragraph structure of the original text. It was with the 1876 edition that the currently used versification was first employed.

In 1876, section 101 from the 1835 edition (and subsequent printings) was removed. Section 101 was a "Statement on Marriage" as adopted by an 1835 conference of the church,<ref>''[[History of the Church (Joseph Smith)|History of the Church]]'' '''2''':247.</ref><ref>''[[Messenger and Advocate]]'', August 1835, p. 163</ref> and contained the following text: 
{{Blockquote|Inasmuch as this Church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication and polygamy, we declare that we believe that one man should have one wife, and one woman but one husband, except in the case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again.<ref>[http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/doctrine-and-covenants-1835#259 Doctrine and Covenants (1835 edition) 101:4].</ref> }} 
This section was removed because it had been superseded by section 132 of the modern LDS edition, recorded in 1843, which contains a revelation received by Joseph Smith on [[eternal marriage]] and [[plural marriage]], the origin of the principles of which the LDS Church traces to as early as 1831.

During the 1880s, five foreign editions contained two revelations to [[John Taylor (Mormon)|John Taylor]] that were received in 1882 and 1883; these revelations "set in order" the priesthood, gave more clarification about the roles of priesthood offices—especially the [[Seventy (LDS Church)|seventy]]—and required "men who ... preside over my [[Priesthood (Latter Day Saints)|priesthood]]" to live [[plural marriage]] in order to qualify to hold their church positions.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Holzapfel|first1=Richard|last2=Jones|first2=Christopher|title="John the Revelator": The Written Revelations of John Taylor|url=http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/champion-liberty-john-taylor/john-revelator-written-revelations-john-taylor#_ednref99|website=BYU Religious Studies Center|access-date=2014-12-16}}</ref> Due to the LDS Church's change in attitude to polygamy in 1890, these sections were not included in future English editions of the Doctrine and Covenants.<ref>{{cite web|date=|author=Mary Jane Woodger|url=https://rsc.byu.edu/champion-liberty-john-taylor/john-revelator-written-revelations-john-taylor#_edn1|title="John the Revelator": The Written Revelations of John Taylor|publisher=[[Religious Studies Center]]|accessdate=May 25, 2021|archivedate=April 26, 2020|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426184831/https://rsc.byu.edu/champion-liberty-john-taylor/john-revelator-written-revelations-john-taylor|url-status=live}}</ref>

===1921 Edition===

In 1921, the LDS Church removed the "[[Lectures on Faith]]" portion of the book, with an explanation that the lectures "were never presented to nor accepted by the Church as being otherwise than theological lectures or lessons".<ref>''See'' Introduction, 1921 edition.</ref> The lectures contain theology concerning the [[Godhead (Mormonism)|Godhead]] and emphasize the importance of faith and works.

===Latter-day Revelation===

In 1930, a small volume edited by [[Apostle (Latter Day Saints)|apostle]] [[James E. Talmage]] titled ''Latter-day Revelation: Selections from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants'' was published, which was a highly edited selective version of the Doctrine and Covenants printed in paragraph format rather than verses. Talmage wrote that the book's purpose was "to make the strictly doctrinal parts of the Doctrine and Covenants of easy access and reduce its bulk" by including only "the sections comprising scriptures of general and enduring value".<ref name = bringhurst>Newell G. Bringhurst, "Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants: Its Complex and Controversial Legacy" in Newell G. Bringhurst and Craig L. Foster (eds.), ''The Persistence of Polygamy: Joseph Smith and the Origins of Mormon Polygamy'' (Independence, Missouri: John Whitmer Books, 2010 {{ISBN|9781934901137}}) pp. 83-84.</ref> Ninety-five of the sections of the Doctrine and Covenants were completely omitted—most notably section 132 on [[plural marriage|plural]] and [[celestial marriage]]—along with parts of 21 others.<ref name = bringhurst/> Twenty complete sections were retained along with parts of 21 others.<ref name = harris/>  [[Mormon fundamentalism|Fundamentalist Mormons]] were offended, particularly at the exclusion of section 132, and accused the church of "changing the scriptures."<ref name = harris>James P. Harris, "Foreword" in [[James E. Talmage]], ''[[Articles of Faith (Talmage)|Articles of Faith]]'' (1st ed. photo reproduction, Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books, 2010 {{ISBN|9781560851677}}).</ref> As a result, [[President of the Church (LDS Church)|church president]] [[Heber J. Grant]] ordered the withdrawal of the book from sale with the remaining copies shredded in order to "avoid further conflict with the fundamentalists".<ref name = harris/>

{| class=wikitable
|+ Sections included in Latter-day Revelation
! Section
! Complete or Omissions?
! Description
|-
| Section 1
| Complete
| The Voice of the Lord to all People
|-
| Section 2
| Complete
| Predicted Advent of Elijah the Prophet
|-
| Section 4
| Complete
| Qualifications for the Ministry
|-
| [[Account of John|Section 7]]
| Complete
| Desire of John the Apostle Granted
|-
| Section 13
| Complete
| Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood
|-
| Section 18
| Omissions
| Calling of the Twelve Directed
|-
| Section 19
| Omissions
| Christ Victorious and Omnipotent
|-
| Section 20
| Omissions
| Fundamental Principles and Ordinances
|-
| Section 22
| Complete
| A New and Everlasting Covenant
|-
| Section 27
| Complete
| Sacramental Emblems and the Future Communion
|-
| Section 29
| Complete
| Tribulation and Judgment
|-
| Section 38
| Complete
| Diligence Enjoined
|-
| Section 42
| Omissions
| Law and Order in the Church
|-
| Section 43
| Omissions
| In Preparation for the Lord's Coming
|-
| Section 45
| Omissions
| As the Lord Spake So He Speaks
|-
| Section 46
| Complete
| Gifts of the Spirit
|-
| Section 50
| Omissions
| Discernment of Spirits
|-
| Section 56
| Omissions
| Woes and Blessings
|-
| Section 58
| Omissions
| Commandment and Obedience
|-
| Section 59
| Complete
| Commendation and Further Promise
|-
| Section 63
| Omissions
| Calamities to Befall the Wicked
|-
| Section 64
| Omissions
| Forgiveness and Sacrifice Required
|-
| Section 65
| Complete
| Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven
|-
| Section 68
| Omissions
| To Elders and Parents Especially
|-
| Section 76
| Complete
| Perdition and Graded Kingdoms of Glory
|-
| Section 84
| Omissions
| On Priesthood
|-
| Section 87
| Complete
| Prophecy on War
|-
| Section 88
| Omissions
| The Olive Leaf
|-
| Section 89
| Complete
| The Word of Wisdom
|-
| Section 98
| Omissions
| Divine and Secular Law
|-
| Section 101
| Omissions
| Encouragement and Assurance
|-
| Section 107
| Complete
| Orders and Offices of the Priesthood
|-
| Section 110
| Complete
| A Glorious Theophany Followed By Visitations of Ancient Prophets
|-
| Section 119
| Complete
| The Law of the Tithe
|-
| Section 121
| Omissions
| Many Called but Few Chosen
|-
| Section 124
| Omissions
| Commandment to Build a House of the Lord
|-
| Section 130
| Omissions
| An Irrevocable Law. The Holy Trinity
|-
| Section 131
| Omissions
| Matter and Spirit
|-
| Section 133
| Complete
| Imminence of the Lord's Coming
|-
| Section 134
| Complete
| Church and State
|}

===1981 Edition===

Sections 137 and 138 were added to the LDS Church's 1981 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, which is the edition currently in use by the church. These were accounts of two visions, one from Joseph Smith in 1837 and the other from his nephew, [[Joseph F. Smith]], in 1918. The revelations were earlier accepted as scripture when added to the Pearl of Great Price in April 1976.<ref>{{cite journal
 | title =Scriptural Text for Visions Added to Pearl of Great Price
 | journal =[[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]]
 | page =127
 | date=May 1976
 | url =https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1976/05/scriptural-text-for-visions-added-to-pearl-of-great-price
 }}</ref> No new revelatory sections have been added since 1981.

The LDS Church's 1981 edition contains two "Official Declarations" at the book's conclusion. The 1890 [[1890 Manifesto|Official Declaration 1]] ended the church-authorized practice of plural marriage, and the 1978 [[Official Declaration 2]] announces the opening of [[Priesthood (Mormonism)|priesthood]] ordination to all worthy male members without regard to race or color. The two Official Declarations are not revelations, but they serve as the formal announcements that a revelation was received. In neither case is the revelation included in the Doctrine and Covenants. The text of Official Declaration 1 has been included in every LDS Church printing of the Doctrine and Covenants since 1908.

Until 1981, editions of the book used [[List of code names in the Doctrine and Covenants|code names for certain people and places]] in those sections that dealt with the [[United Order]]. The 1981 LDS edition replaced these with the real names, relegating the code names to footnotes. The Community of Christ edition still uses the code names.

===2013 Edition===
A new edition was released in 2013. Changes included adjustments and corrections to the book's introduction and section introductions. The changes reflect the modern scholarship that came from ''[[The Joseph Smith Papers]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/scriptures/approved-adjustments_eng.pdf |title=Summary of Approved Adjustments for the 2013 Edition of the Scriptures |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2013 |publisher=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |access-date=28 September 2023 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130319102929/http://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/scriptures/approved-adjustments_eng.pdf |archive-date=19 March 2013}}</ref>