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Doctrine and Covenants, 1844
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2 Verily I say unto you, my servant Wil liam, that you are clean, but not all; repent therefore of those things which are not pleas ing in my sight, saith the Lord, for the Lord will show them unto you. And now verily I the Lord will show unto you what I will con cerning you, or
what is my will concerning you, behold, verily I say unto you, that it is my will that you should proclaim my gospel from land to land, and from city to city; yea, in those regions round about where it has not been pro claimed.
18 Jan. 1806–14 Mar. 1883. Schoolteacher, physician, publisher. Born at Smith Co., Tennessee. Son of Charles McLellin and Sarah (a Cherokee Indian). Married first Cynthia Ann, 30 July 1829. Wife died, by summer 1831. Baptized into LDS church by Hyrum Smith...
View Full Bio3 Tarry not many days in this place: go not up unto the land of Zion, as yet; but in asmuch as you can send, send; otherwise think not of thy property. Go unto the east ern lands; bear testimony in every place, unto every people, and in their synagogues; reason ing with the
people.
5 Let my servant, Samuel H. Smith go with you, and forsake him not, and give him thine instructions: and he that is faithful shall be made strong in every place, and I the Lord will go with you.
13 Mar. 1808–30 July 1844. Farmer, logger, scribe, builder, tavern operator. Born at Tunbridge, Orange Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Moved to Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont, by Mar. 1810; to Lebanon, Grafton Co., New Hampshire, 1811...
View Full Bio5 Lay your hands upon the sick and they shall recover. Return not till I the Lord shall send you. Be patient in affliction. Ask and ye shall receive. Knock and it shall be open ed unto you. Seek not to be cumbered.—
Forsake all unrighteousness. Commit not adultery, a temptation with which thou hast been troubled. Keep these sayings for they are true and faithful, and thou shalt magnify thine office, and push many people to Zion, with songs of everlasting joy upon their heads. [p. 311]
The late 1830s and early 1840s were a period of rapid growth for the young church. As
converts continued to join in large numbers, the need for a new edition of the Doctrine and
Covenants became increasingly evident. In 1839, apostle Parley P. Pratt, who had stopped
in New York on his way to serve a mission in England, wrote to JS describing the growth of
the church and missionary work in the eastern United States. In his letter he stated that
there was “a great call for our Books” and proposed plans to begin printing the Book of
Mormon and other church publications.1
Requests for church publications continued to come from other branches of the church during the early 1840s.2
Church leaders in Nauvoo,
Illinois, expressed a concern about scriptures being published in the United States without
the “immediate inspection” of the First Presidency of the church.3
Though careful about
the authority under which scripture such as the Doctrine and Covenants would be published,
the leadership in Nauvoo made it clear that the publication of scripture was a top
priority. Published minutes of a conference held in October 1840 indicated that another
edition of the Book of Mormon was nearly completed and that arrangements had been
made for printing the Doctrine and Covenants and the church hymnal.4
12 Apr. 1807–13 May 1857. Farmer, editor, publisher, teacher, school administrator, legislator, explorer, author. Born at Burlington, Otsego Co., New York. Son of Jared Pratt and Charity Dickinson. Traveled west with brother to acquire land, 1823. Affiliated...
View Full BioDutch founded New Netherland colony, 1625. Incorporated under British control and renamed New York, 1664. Harbor contributed to economic and population growth of city; became largest city in American colonies. British troops defeated Continental Army under...
More InfoNorth American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...
More InfoParley P. Pratt, New York City, NY, to JS, [Nauvoo, IL], 22 Nov. 1839, in JS Letterbook 2, p. 77.
Pratt did not specifically propose to publish the revelations.
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JS Letterbook 2 / Smith, Joseph. “Copies of Letters, &c. &c.,” 1839–1843. Joseph Smith Collection. CHL.
See, for example, Charles Thompson, Batavia, NY, 2 Feb. 1841, Letter to the editor, Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1841, 2:349: “I would say further, there is a great call for Books of Mormon here: had I one
hundred I could dispose of them all in a short time, and also the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and
Hymn Books.”
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Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, LDS church purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas. Served as church headquarters, 1839...
More InfoHyrum Smith, Nauvoo, IL, to Parley P. Pratt, New York City, NY, 22 Dec. 1839, in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 80–81; Hyrum Smith, Nauvoo, IL, to Lucian Foster, Jan. 1840, in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 83–84; Hyrum Smith, Nauvoo, IL, to JS and Elias Higbee, Washington DC, 2 Jan. 1840, in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 92–93.
This restriction did not apply in the mission in England, perhaps because of the cost of shipping books
overseas from the United States. JS told the Quorum of the Twelve that he had no objection to the
Doctrine and Covenants being published in England and that “if there is a great demand for them,” he
“would rather encourage it.” (JS, Nauvoo, IL, to “Beloved Brethren,” [England], 15 Dec. 1840, JS Collection, CHL; see also H. Smith to P. Pratt, 22 Dec. 1839, in JS Letterbook 2, p. 81.)
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JS Letterbook 2 / Smith, Joseph. “Copies of Letters, &c. &c.,” 1839–1843. Joseph Smith Collection. CHL.
Smith, Joseph. Collection, 1827–1846. CHL.
“Minutes of the General Conference,” Times and Seasons, Oct. 1840, 1:186. The original minutes
from which the published version came did not mention the Doctrine and Covenants. A First Presidency
report published in the same issue of Times and Seasons stated that arrangements were being made for
printing the Doctrine and Covenants. (General Church Minutes, 3 Oct. 1840; “Report from the Presidency,” Times and Seasons, Oct. 1840, 1:187–188.)
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Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
General Church Minutes, 1839–1877. CHL.
In the spring of 1841, Ebenezer Robinson turned his attention to stereotyping what
would become the second edition of the Doctrine and Covenants,5
using the first edition of
the volume as the primary source text. Robinson, an experienced editor and printer, had
recently assisted with printing the third edition of the Book of Mormon (1840).6
At the
time Robinson began stereotyping the Doctrine and Covenants, the Nauvoo printing
establishment was housed in a frame building at the corner of Water and Bain streets, near the river. Before the end of 1841, it moved into a larger building, located across the street
from the earlier building at the same intersection.7
25 May 1816–11 Mar. 1891. Printer, editor, publisher. Born at Floyd (near Rome), Oneida Co., New York. Son of Nathan Robinson and Mary Brown. Moved to Utica, Oneida Co., ca. 1831, and learned printing trade at Utica Observer. Moved to Ravenna, Portage Co....
View Full BioEbenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” The Return, July 1890, 302. Robinson
acquired stereotyping equipment at least by early January 1841. Stereotyping, a common nineteenth-century
printing practice, was intended to speed up the process of mass printing. After setting type for a
page, the printer created a mold of the type, into which he poured hot lead, thereby creating a plate from
which to print each page. This allowed the individual pieces of type to be reused to set additional pages.
The plates could be reused for later printings. (Advertisement, Times and Seasons, 1 Jan. 1841, 2:272;
Gaskell, New Introduction to Bibliography, 201–204.)
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The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
Gaskell, Philip. A New Introduction to Bibliography. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 2009.
Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” The Return, May 1890, 259; see also
“Minutes of the General Conference,” Times and Seasons, Oct. 1840, 1:186. Robinson was also coeditor and
copublisher of the Nauvoo newspaper Times and Seasons through December 1840. Robinson and Don
Carlos Smith began publishing that newspaper in 1839 as partners, but their partnership dissolved in
“mutual consent” in mid-December 1840, with Smith taking charge of the newspaper and Robinson of
the “Books, or Book & fancy printing.” Robinson began editing and publishing the newspaper again in
August 1841, following the death of Don Carlos Smith. (“Dissolution,” Times and Seasons, 15 Dec. 1840, 2:256; “To the Patrons of the Times and Seasons,” Times and Seasons, 16 Aug. 1841, 2:511.)
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The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, LDS church purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas. Served as church headquarters, 1839...
More InfoPrincipal U.S. river running southward from Itasca Lake, Minnesota, to Gulf of Mexico. Covered 3,160-mile course, 1839 (now about 2,350 miles). Drains about 1,100,000 square miles. Steamboat travel on Mississippi very important in 1830s and 1840s for shipping...
More InfoBray, “Times and Seasons: An Archaeological Perspective,” 67–73; Notice, Times and Seasons, 1 Dec. 1841, 3:615. Besides the two structures mentioned, Bray identifies two additional buildings in
Nauvoo that housed the printing establishment for a time, but those other buildings were not being used
for printing at the time the 1844 Doctrine and Covenants was printed.
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Bray, Robert T. “Times and Seasons: An Archaeological Perspective on Early Latter Day Saints Printing.” Historical Archaeology 13 (1979): 53–119.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
In early 1842, while the stereotyping work was still ongoing, control of the printing
establishment was transferred from Robinson to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. A
January 1842 revelation dictated by JS commanded the Twelve to “take in hand the
Editorial department of the Times and Seasons,” ratifying a decision that had already been
discussed in earlier meetings of the Quorum of the Twelve.8
According to Wilford
Woodruff, a member of that quorum, the Twelve were to “govern the printing of the Times
& Seasons & all the church publications as they are directed by my Holy Spirit in the
midst of their councils.”9
Ebenezer Robinson recalled telling JS and the other leaders “that
they could have the Times and Seasons, but they must [also] take the whole establishment,
including the stereotype foundery, book-bindery, and the whole book concern.”10
This
request was accepted, and Robinson sold the entire business to JS for the sum of $6,600 on
4 February 1842.11
Wilford Woodruff and fellow apostle John Taylor were placed in charge
of the printing office.12
25 May 1816–11 Mar. 1891. Printer, editor, publisher. Born at Floyd (near Rome), Oneida Co., New York. Son of Nathan Robinson and Mary Brown. Moved to Utica, Oneida Co., ca. 1831, and learned printing trade at Utica Observer. Moved to Ravenna, Portage Co....
View Full BioJS, Journal, 28 Jan. 1842, p. 67, JS Collection, CHL; Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 31 Nov. 1841 and 17 Jan. 1842.
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Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Minutes, 1840–1844. CHL.
1 Mar. 1807–2 Sept. 1898. Farmer, miller. Born at Farmington, Hartford Co., Connecticut. Son of Aphek Woodruff and Beulah Thompson. Moved to Richland, Oswego Co., New York, 1832. Baptized into LDS church by Zera Pulsipher, 31 Dec. 1833, near Richland. Ordained...
View Full BioWoodruff, Journal, 3 Feb. 1842. The Twelve had already enjoyed success with printing a number of
publications in England, such as the 1840 hymnal, printed in Manchester; the Latter-day Saints’ Millennial
Star, begun in May 1840; and the 1841 edition of the Book of Mormon, printed in Liverpool.
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Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. Also available as Wilford Woodruff’s Journals, 1833–1898, edited by Scott G. Kenney, 9 vols. (Midvale, UT: Signature Books, 1983–1985).
Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” The Return, Sept. 1890, 325; emphasis
in original.
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The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.
Contract, Ebenezer Robinson to Willard Richards, Nauvoo, IL, 4 Feb. 1844, Newel K. Whitney, Papers, BYU; Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” The Return, Oct. 1890, 346;
Woodruff, Journal, 4 Feb. 1842.
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Whitney, Newel K. Papers, 1825–1906. BYU.
The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. Also available as Wilford Woodruff’s Journals, 1833–1898, edited by Scott G. Kenney, 9 vols. (Midvale, UT: Signature Books, 1983–1985).
1 Nov. 1808–25 July 1887. Preacher, editor, publisher, politician. Born at Milnthorpe, Westmoreland Co., England. Son of James Taylor and Agnes Taylor, members of Church of England. Around age sixteen, joined Methodists and was local preacher. Migrated from...
View Full BioSee Ebenezer Robinson, “Valedictory,” Times and Seasons, 15 Feb. 1842, 3:695–696; and Woodruff ,
Journal, 3 and 19 Feb. 1842.
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Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. Also available as Wilford Woodruff’s Journals, 1833–1898, edited by Scott G. Kenney, 9 vols. (Midvale, UT: Signature Books, 1983–1985).
The Doctrine and Covenants had likely been stereotyped through page 109 when
Robinson left.13
It is unknown who else assisted in the initial stereotyping, but Robinson’s
departure delayed the project’s completion. Robinson recalled working with JS, comparing
the 1830 and 1837 editions of the Book of Mormon in preparation for the publication of the
1840 edition.14
If similar preliminary work was done before the stereotyping of the Doctrine
and Covenants commenced, JS likely would have had some input in the format of the
newer edition.15
Whatever the preparatory process, the 1844 Doctrine and Covenants is—in content, arrangement, basic format, and section and verse numbering—largely a reprint of the 1835 edition. The 1844 edition matches the 1835 edition almost word for word and
character for character, except for minor corrections and stylistic changes and a few substantive
changes.16
25 May 1816–11 Mar. 1891. Printer, editor, publisher. Born at Floyd (near Rome), Oneida Co., New York. Son of Nathan Robinson and Mary Brown. Moved to Utica, Oneida Co., ca. 1831, and learned printing trade at Utica Observer. Moved to Ravenna, Portage Co....
View Full Bio“No 4 Joseph Smith a/c Dr as pr Printing Office Books,” ca. Jan. 1846, Newel K. Whitney, Papers, BYU.
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Whitney, Newel K. Papers, 1825–1906. BYU.
Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” The Return, May 1890, 259.
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The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.
JS’s involvement is hinted at in a notice printed in two issues of Times and Seasons in early 1842.
After announcing that the office of the recorder (Willard Richards) would be open to receive tithing
donations only on Saturdays, the notice explained: “This regulation is necessary, to give the Trustee [JS]
and Recorder time to arrange the Book of Mormon, New Translation of the Bible, Hymn Book, and Doctrine and Covenants for the press; all of which the brethren are anxious to see, in their most perfect
form.” (“Tithings and Consecrations,” Times and Seasons, 15 Jan. 1842, 3:667; 1 Feb. 1842, 3:677.)
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Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
The 1844 edition made light changes in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and versification. These changes included employing British spelling for some words, such as “Savior” (Saviour).
Aside from adding eight new sections (as discussed later in this introduction), the 1844 edition made only
a small number of substantive changes. For example, the phrase “and we beheld and lo, he is fallen! is
fallen! even a son of the morning,” which appears in verse 3 of section 91 of the 1835 edition, was deleted in
verse 3 of section 92 in the 1844 edition (Vision, 16 Feb. 1832 [D&C 76:27]). The deletion could have been
accidental, since there is another phrase ending “son of the morning” earlier in the same sentence. A comprehensive
study of the variants between the two editions is beyond the scope of this volume.
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The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God. Compiled by Joseph Smith. 2nd ed. Nauvoo, IL: John Taylor, 1844. Selections also available in Robin Scott Jensen, Richard E. Turley Jr., Riley M. Lorimer, eds., Revelations and Translations, Volume 2: Published Revelations. Vol. 2 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2011).
Work on printing the Doctrine and Covenants did not resume until a year after the
printing establishment had changed hands. According to Woodruff, stereotyping recommenced
on 30 January 1843.17
JS and William W. Phelps read proofs of this work a few
weeks later.18 By the end of 1843, the printers had stereotyped to page 409 (partway into the
twelfth gathering), leaving a modest amount of stereotyping to be completed the following
year.19
It appears that the printing may have been delayed for want of paper and other materials.
On 7 November 1843, the Quorum of the Twelve appointed Woodruff, Brigham
Young, Parley P. Pratt, Willard Richards, and John Taylor, all members of that quorum, as
a committee to raise five hundred dollars “to get paper &c to print the Doctrine and covenants.”20
A month later, on 5 December, JS advised the Twelve “to raise money to send
Elder [Orson] Hyde east to get paper to print Doctrine & Covenants— get new type &
metal for stereotyping.”21
1 Mar. 1807–2 Sept. 1898. Farmer, miller. Born at Farmington, Hartford Co., Connecticut. Son of Aphek Woodruff and Beulah Thompson. Moved to Richland, Oswego Co., New York, 1832. Baptized into LDS church by Zera Pulsipher, 31 Dec. 1833, near Richland. Ordained...
View Full BioWoodruff, Journal, 1–4 Feb. 1843.
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Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. Also available as Wilford Woodruff’s Journals, 1833–1898, edited by Scott G. Kenney, 9 vols. (Midvale, UT: Signature Books, 1983–1985).
17 Feb. 1792–7 Mar. 1872. Writer, teacher, printer, newspaper editor, publisher, postmaster, lawyer. Born at Hanover, Morris Co., New Jersey. Son of Enon Phelps and Mehitabel Goldsmith. Moved to Homer, Cortland Co., New York, 1800. Married Sally Waterman,...
View Full BioJS, Journal, 3 and 14 Feb. 1843, JS Collection, CHL.
In what appears to be an end-of-year account, the work of stereotyping to page 409 was recorded on
30 December 1843. (“No 4 Joseph Smith a/c Dr as pr Printing Office Books,” ca. Jan. 1846, Newel K. Whitney, Papers, BYU.)
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Whitney, Newel K. Papers, 1825–1906. BYU.
1 June 1801–29 Aug. 1877. Carpenter, painter, glazier, colonizer. Born at Whitingham, Windham Co., Vermont. Son of John Young and Abigail (Nabby) Howe. Brought up in Methodist household; later joined Methodist church. Moved to Sherburne, Chenango Co., New...
View Full Bio12 Apr. 1807–13 May 1857. Farmer, editor, publisher, teacher, school administrator, legislator, explorer, author. Born at Burlington, Otsego Co., New York. Son of Jared Pratt and Charity Dickinson. Traveled west with brother to acquire land, 1823. Affiliated...
View Full Bio24 June 1804–11 Mar. 1854. Teacher, lecturer, doctor, clerk, printer, editor, postmaster. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joseph Richards and Rhoda Howe. Moved to Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, 1813. Moved to Chatham, Columbia...
View Full Bio1 Nov. 1808–25 July 1887. Preacher, editor, publisher, politician. Born at Milnthorpe, Westmoreland Co., England. Son of James Taylor and Agnes Taylor, members of Church of England. Around age sixteen, joined Methodists and was local preacher. Migrated from...
View Full BioQuorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 7 Nov. 1843; see also Woodruff, Journal, 7 Nov. 1843. A
few weeks earlier, a newspaper notice called for donations to support the church’s printing establishment.
(“End of the Third Volume,” Times and Seasons, 15 Oct. 1842, 3:958.)
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Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Minutes, 1840–1844. CHL.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. Also available as Wilford Woodruff’s Journals, 1833–1898, edited by Scott G. Kenney, 9 vols. (Midvale, UT: Signature Books, 1983–1985).
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
8 Jan. 1805–28 Nov. 1878. Laborer, clerk, storekeeper, teacher, editor, businessman, lawyer, judge. Born at Oxford, New Haven Co., Connecticut. Son of Nathan Hyde and Sally Thorpe. Moved to Derby, New Haven Co., 1812. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, ...
View Full BioJS, Journal, 5 Dec. 1843, JS Collection, CHL.
By the following summer, the work was nearly complete. A notice dated 11 June 1844
and published the next day in the Nauvoo Neighbor announced optimistically: “The Book
of Doctrine and Covenants will be published in about one month from this time. Those
wishing for an early supply had better make immediate application.”22
A little over two
weeks later, however, JS and Hyrum Smith were killed by a mob at Carthage, Illinois, and
printer John Taylor was seriously wounded, delaying the printing of the volume yet again.23
The above-mentioned notice continued to run in the Nauvoo Neighbor from 26 June through 30 October 1844, though copies of the volume were available well before the
30 October issue.
“Notice,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 12 June 1844, [3].
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Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.
9 Feb. 1800–27 June 1844. Farmer, cooper. Born at Tunbridge, Orange Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Moved to Randolph, Orange Co., 1802; to Tunbridge, before May 1803; to Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont, 1804; to Sharon, Windsor Co., by...
View Full BioLocated eighteen miles southeast of Nauvoo. Settled 1831. Designated Hancock Co. seat, Mar. 1833. Incorporated as town, 27 Feb. 1837. Population in 1839 about 300. Population in 1844 about 400. Site of anti-Mormon meetings and resolutions, early 1840s. Site...
More Info1 Nov. 1808–25 July 1887. Preacher, editor, publisher, politician. Born at Milnthorpe, Westmoreland Co., England. Son of James Taylor and Agnes Taylor, members of Church of England. Around age sixteen, joined Methodists and was local preacher. Migrated from...
View Full BioTaylor later recalled that before going to Carthage with JS and Hyrum Smith, he removed the
“Type, Stereotype plates and most of the valuable things . . . from the printing office” for fear the office
would be burned by enemies. (John Taylor, Statement, 23 Aug. 1856, p. 26, Historian’s Office, JS History
Draft Notes, [ca. 1840–1880], CHL.)
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Historian’s Office. Joseph Smith History Draft Notes, ca. 1840–1880. CHL.
In a letter to his wife written from Carthage two days before the killings, John Taylor
stated that “1000 copies of the Book of Doctrine & Covenants” should be printed “as quick
as possible.”24
At a 28 July 1844 church meeting, William W. Phelps announced that names
would be taken of those desiring to purchase the volume at one dollar and twenty-five
cents. Two weeks later, Phelps stated in another meeting that the “1000 copies [of the
Doctrine and Covenants] are not all yet taken up,” suggesting that the books were sold
by subscription.25
The date on which the new edition was first available to the public is
unknown, but the volume was in use soon after its release: it was cited in the 2 September
1844 issue of Times and Seasons, and Parley P. Pratt quoted from it at a meeting on
8 September 1844.26
Because the book had been stereotyped, keeping it in print was practical.
A second printing of the book was authorized the following year and a third in 1846,
presumably indicating a short supply of the books and a growing demand.27
Located eighteen miles southeast of Nauvoo. Settled 1831. Designated Hancock Co. seat, Mar. 1833. Incorporated as town, 27 Feb. 1837. Population in 1839 about 300. Population in 1844 about 400. Site of anti-Mormon meetings and resolutions, early 1840s. Site...
More Info1 Nov. 1808–25 July 1887. Preacher, editor, publisher, politician. Born at Milnthorpe, Westmoreland Co., England. Son of James Taylor and Agnes Taylor, members of Church of England. Around age sixteen, joined Methodists and was local preacher. Migrated from...
View Full BioJohn Taylor, Carthage, IL, to Leonora Taylor, Nauvoo, IL, 25 June 1844, John Taylor, Collection, CHL.
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Taylor, John. Collection, 1829–1894. CHL.
17 Feb. 1792–7 Mar. 1872. Writer, teacher, printer, newspaper editor, publisher, postmaster, lawyer. Born at Hanover, Morris Co., New Jersey. Son of Enon Phelps and Mehitabel Goldsmith. Moved to Homer, Cortland Co., New York, 1800. Married Sally Waterman,...
View Full BioGeneral Church Minutes, 28 July and 8 Aug. 1844.
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General Church Minutes, 1839–1877. CHL.
12 Apr. 1807–13 May 1857. Farmer, editor, publisher, teacher, school administrator, legislator, explorer, author. Born at Burlington, Otsego Co., New York. Son of Jared Pratt and Charity Dickinson. Traveled west with brother to acquire land, 1823. Affiliated...
View Full Bio“Ten Virgins,” Times and Seasons, 2 Sept. 1844, 5:636; “Trial of Elder Rigdon,” Times and Seasons, 15 Sept. 1844, 5:647–655.
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Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God, comp. Joseph Smith, 3rd ed. (Nauvoo, IL: John Taylor, 1845); The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Carefully Selected from the Reve[l]ations of God, comp. Joseph Smith, 4th ed. (Nauvoo, IL: John Taylor, 1846).
Besides the individuals identified above as having assisted with or overseen work on the
publication, others may have contributed as compilers, editors, typesetters, or printers. A
number of people worked in the Nauvoo printing office at the time the volume was being
produced, but records do not identify which of them had a hand in this project.
Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, LDS church purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas. Served as church headquarters, 1839...
More InfoLocated at four different sites from 1839–1846: cellar of warehouse on bank of Mississippi River, June–Aug. 1839; frame building on northeast corner of Water and Bain streets, Nov. 1839–Nov. 1841; newly built printing establishment on northwest corner of ...
More InfoThe 1844 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants is essentially a reprint of the 1835 edition,
with the addition of eight new items. The second edition reprinted the seven “Lectures
on Faith” and all 103 numbered sections included in the “Covenants and Commandments”
part of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants. The 1835 edition included two sections numbered
66 (here referred to as 66a and 66b). This mistake was corrected in the 1844 edition. As a
result, sections 1 through 66a of the 1835 edition correspond with sections 1 through 66 of
the 1844 edition, and sections 66b through 99 in the 1835 edition correspond with sections
67 through 100 in the 1844 edition. The final three sections of the 1835 edition, sections 100
through 102, were numbered as sections 108 through 110 in the 1844 edition.
The eight new items added to the 1844 edition became sections 101 through 107 and
section 111. Sections 101 and 102—both revelations regarding the redemption of Zion—were available for use in the 1835 publication but were not printed therein. Sections 103
(which was printed without a section number), 104, and 107 are JS revelations dictated after
1835. Sections 105 and 106 are JS letters written in the 1840s. Section 111, a tribute to the
slain JS and Hyrum Smith, is believed to have been written by John Taylor, the publisher of the 1844 Doctrine and Covenants and an eyewitness to the murders. It was composed
after most of the work on the volume had been completed. Only by using a smaller typeface
than what appears in the rest of the volume were the printers able to fit this last section
into the available space following section 110 and preceding a brief three-page “index.” The
editors of the 1844 edition used a variety of sources to set type for these eight items.28
The
sources used by the editors contained other revelations and letters that would have been
candidates for publication in the Doctrine and Covenants, and the reasons for selecting the
particular revelations and letters that were included are unknown.
9 Feb. 1800–27 June 1844. Farmer, cooper. Born at Tunbridge, Orange Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Moved to Randolph, Orange Co., 1802; to Tunbridge, before May 1803; to Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont, 1804; to Sharon, Windsor Co., by...
View Full Bio1 Nov. 1808–25 July 1887. Preacher, editor, publisher, politician. Born at Milnthorpe, Westmoreland Co., England. Son of James Taylor and Agnes Taylor, members of Church of England. Around age sixteen, joined Methodists and was local preacher. Migrated from...
View Full BioSources used by editors of the 1844 Doctrine and Covenants for the newly added items include
Revelation Book 2, Times and Seasons, JS’s journal, and various loose manuscripts.
Comprehensive Works Cited
Hide Works Cited
Revelation Book 2 / “Book of Revelations,” 1832–1834. Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
JSP, J1 / Jessee, Dean C., Mark Ashurst-McGee, and Richard L. Jensen, eds. Journals, Volume 1: 1832–1839. Vol. 1 of the Journals series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2008.
The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Carefully
Selected from the Revelations of God. By Joseph Smith, President of Said Church. 2nd ed. Nauvoo, IL:
John Taylor, 1844; 3–448; includes typeset signature marks and copyright notice. The copy presented herein
is held at CHL; includes marginalia and archival markings.
All but the final gathering of this book was printed in octodecimo format on thirteen sheets that
were cut and folded into thirteen gatherings of eighteen leaves (thirty-six pages) each. The final gathering
comprises eight leaves (sixteen pages). The text block measures 5⅞ × 3⅝ inches (15 × 9 cm).
The copy of the book presented herein is in a presentation binding of red sheepskin with gilt
edges. The volume measures 6 × 3⅞ × 1 inches (15 × 10 × 3 cm). The spine is stamped with gilt ornamental
panels and “Doctrine | and | Covenants” and “J. Glenn.” in gilt. The front and back pastedowns, the
front flyleaf, and the back flyleaf are single-sided marbled leaves featuring a shell pattern with brown
body and veins of red and white. In this copy, the first leaf of the first gathering, which is blank in
other extant copies, is missing. The verso of the front flyleaf has two inscriptions, the first in graphite
and the second in ink: “RN 69025 | Vault | Book Area | M223.1 | D632 | 1844” and “Jane Glenn | from
her friend | Leonora Taylor | Nauvoo Oct 27th | 1844”. The handwriting of the first inscription is
unknown; Leonora Taylor inscribed the second.
As the aforementioned ink inscription indicates, Leonora Taylor, wife of early church leader and
printer John Taylor, presented this book to Jane Glenn. The book came into the possession of the
Historical Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints circa 1983.
1 Nov. 1808–25 July 1887. Preacher, editor, publisher, politician. Born at Milnthorpe, Westmoreland Co., England. Son of James Taylor and Agnes Taylor, members of Church of England. Around age sixteen, joined Methodists and was local preacher. Migrated from...
View Full Bio