The Voice of the Lord: Exploring the Doctrine and Covenants

by Alexander L. Baugh (Editor)

The essays in this volume explore the historical context and doctrinal teachings from a selection of canonized revelations and official declarations. Contributors explore the testimony of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon; the revelations given to Emma Smith, Hiram Page, and Thomas B. Marsh; the law of common consent; sacramental covenants; establishing Zion; the degrees of glory; the priesthood power of women; the visitation of Elijah in the Kirtland Temple; the sacred location of Adam-ondi-Ahman; baptism for the dead; Satan’s reality; the beginnings of plural marriage; the doctrine of redemption of the dead; and the Manifesto that led to the end of plural marriage.

392 pages, Hardcover

Published September 23, 2024

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some interesting insights about a variety of topics from the Doctrine and Covenants. Here are some of my favorites:

"Receiving 'the voice of the Lord' is an important theme in the Doctrine and Covenants (p. ix)."

"'Did you handle the plates with your hands?... 'I did so!'... 'Then they were a material substance?'... 'Yes, as material as anything can be.' (p. 7)"

"The Eight Witnesses certify... (1) Joseph Smith showed them the plates... (2) the plates had the appearance of gold and were an 'ancient work' of 'curious workmanship,' and (3) they saw the engravings, handled the leaves, and lifted the plates (p. 9)."

"Several Smith family members acknowledged that Joseph had the plates in his possession, although they were always covered, and the family was never permitted to see them (p. 9)."

"In the last anxious hours before the Prophet Joseph Smith left for Carthage in June 1844, his wife Emma asked for a blessing... Joseph instructed her to write out 'the desires of her heart,' and he would confirm the blessing by his signature upon his return (p. 17)."

"The Lord tells Emma in the revelation precisely what he expects of her as a Latter-day Saint and in return promises her aid in fulfilling those expectations (p. 19)."

"The revelation called for Emma to do more than support and assist Joseph... It took two years for Emma to complete the hymn selection, and another three passed before the hymns were printed in a single volume (p. 21)."

"The organization of the Relief Society in 1842 provided Emma Smith with the public setting most conducive to the fulfillment of her assignment ['to expound scriptures, and to exhort the church']... She took her calling to exhort the sisters seriously and immediately set about following Joseph's counsel by instructing them to purify their own lives and help in creating a virtuous community (p. 23)."

"Another persistent theme in Emma's exhortations to the Relief Society was her appeal for unity (p. 25)."

"Emma made several... requests of the Lord in that 1844 blessing. She expressed a craving for wisdom that she would not do or say anything she would regret; she desired the Spirit of God and a fruitful mind that she would be able 'to comprehend the designs of God, when revealed through his servants without doubting' (p. 27)."

"Although common consent is familiar to Church members, it is anything but common (p. 31)."

"The Restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints included the authoritative reinstitution of the ordinance of the sacrament (p. 41)."

"The Lord Jesus Christ would return to the earth and partake of the sacramental wine (p. 43)."

"The sacrament is a ritual for remembering the genesis of our deliverance--the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ (p. 44)."

"As we partake of the sacrament, we put on a helmet of salvation by covenanting to remember Christ... The sacrament helps us with this protection, as our thoughts are turned to his Atonement and Resurrection (p. 51)."

"It is not enough to have only clean hands, for our hearts must also be pure--a condition made possible--a condition made possible... only by accepting and applying the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ (p. 53)."

"'Brother Joseph Smith, Jr. was appointed by the voice of the Conference to receive and write Revelation & Commandments for this Church' (p. 67)."

"Hiram Page accepted the Lord's revelation and the Prophet's counsel and responded obediently to the call to move first to Kirtland and then to Missouri (p. 69)."

"What follows is a chapter in the early history of the Quroum of the Twelve Apostles that transpired before Joseph Smith, in 1841, formally invited them to take their place next to the First Presidency in governing the whole Church. Before that, especially in Kirtland, the Twelve had neither prominence nor precedence... though revelation and inspired counsel from the beginning made clear that this was their potential (p. 73)."

"When the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was organized in February 1835, Thomas B. Marsh became president because he was the eldest of those selected, though thereafter, seniority would be determined by date of ordination, not age (p. 74)."

"The Quorum of the Twelve was uniquely charged to carry the gospel to all the world (p. 75)."

"The Apostles at first struggled to understand their proper role and to develop effective ways of working together as a quorum and in harmony with other leaders (p. 75)."

"Marsh's disillusionment and decision to leave the Church was the result of many factors--pride, misunderstanding, hurt feelings, suspicion, and... stubbornness and a loss of the Spirit (p. 88)."

"The rewards for service are many and are often individualized. No doubt each of the Apostles received assurances and blessings fitted to his needs (p. 89)."

"Under Brigham Young, the 'new' Quorum of the Twelve proved competent and fiercely loyal to Joseph and his principles and rendered extraordinary service at great sacrifice (p. 90)."

"Idleness... was to be avoided at all costs (p. 106)."

"God's will took priority (p. 108)."

"The Law was clearly one of the most important documents in the early years of Latter-day Saint history (p. 119)."

"'The law of sacrifice and the law of consecration were not done away with and are still in effect' (Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 129)."

"Consecration is more than the act of giving. It is the sanctification that comes of giving willingly, for the right reasons, which is described as 'every man seeking the interest of his neighbor, and doing all things with an eye single to the glory of God' (p. 131)."

"The law of consecration... can be envisioned as a three-legged stool, where the legs are agency, stewardship, and accountability (p. 132)."

"An owner is accountable to no one... 'Thou shalt remember that Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth' (p. 135)."

"The Lord has given the open invitation to do much good of our own free will (p. 141)."

"'The building up of Zion is a cause that has interested the people of God in every age' (Joseph Smith, p. 145)."

"'Zion is both a place and a people' (D. Todd Christofferson, p. 150)."

"The sale of the farm highlights what may be the crowning principle in establishing Zion. 'If our hearts are set too much upon the things of this world, they may need to be wrenched, or broken, or undergo a mighty change' (Neal A. Maxwell, p. 156)."

"'Zion is Zion because of the character, attributes, and faithfulness of her citizens' (D. Todd Christofferson, p. 157)."

"The first priesthood organizational structure that existed on this earth was patriarchal and was handed down from father to son... Moses taught this order of priesthood to his people and 'sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God; but they hardened their hearts and could not enter his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory. Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also' (p. 186)."

"During Christ's mortal ministry, the organizational structure of his Church changed dramatically... Christ's Church was organized following a more hierarchical or administrative structure with Twelve Apostles, Seventy, and so forth rather than the patriarchal or family structure used with Adam and Eve... The priesthood keys received by Peter, James, and John... did not allow for the administration of the patriarchal, or highest level of the Melchizedek Priesthood (p. 187)."

"The building of the temple in Nauvoo began line upon line (p. 189)."

"It seems that both the Lord and Joseph Smith were anxious to bestow the ordinances and authority of the patriarchal, or familial, order (p. 191)."

"This patriarchal priesthood is what Joseph was preparing the women and men to receive as they participated in ordinances in the Nauvoo Temple (p. 193)."

"Elijah did return, as prophesied. On Easter Sunday, April 3, 1836, in the newly dedicated Kirtland Temple, he appeared--with other heavenly messengers--to Joseph Smith Jr. and Oliver Cowdery in order to restore essential priesthood 'keys of this dispensation' (p. 209)."

"Latter-day Saint doctrine regarding the mission of Elijah is unique (p. 210)."

"Elijah was 'sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come' (p. 218)."

"Malachi stated that there was something connected to Elijah's return that would 'turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers' (p. 219)."

"Elijah's return was a mission of eternal significance (p. 220)."

"Much of what Joseph Smith taught and understood came developmentally, 'line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little' (p. 228)."

"The creation of the stake at Adam-ondi-Ahman marked the third stake organized in the Church (p. 241)."

"In spite of Joseph's well-documented presence in Nauvoo... enemies of the Church were linking the attack on Boggs to Joseph Smith and urging public officials to arrest him (p. 254)."

"Every precaution was taken to ensure that someone visiting Joseph did not accidentally betray his whereabouts to authorities from Illinois or Missouri (p. 258)."

"Joseph's ability to soothe others during this difficult period belies the stress he himself was feeling and the almost desperate measure he considered taking to avoid capture (p. 260)."

"Section 129 of the Doctrine and Covenants provides 'three grand keys' by which the Saints may know whether any angelic ministration is from God or from the devil (p. 271)."

"This was certainly not the Prophet's only encounter with the adversary... His encounters with the adversary were not isolated to the strange encounter in the Sacred Grove (p. 272)."

"'I have come to the conclusion that if our eyes were open to see the spirit world around us... we would not be so unguarded and careless, and so indifferent whether we had the spirit and power of God with us or not' (George Q. Cannon, p. 281)."

"Righteous spirits also have a material nature that is capable of touch, interaction, ordination, and so forth. Nothing is immaterial (p. 283)."

"One of the purposes for which the endowed Latter-day Saints are given these 'keys' is to enable them to have the power to discern the spirits (p. 287)."

"Joseph Smith taught that God commanded polygamy to be practiced by the Latter-day Saints (p. 297)."

"At his death on June 27, 1844, over a hundred men and women had been married in plural matrimonies (p. 298)."

"Joseph Smith taught the value of tribulations: 'Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is night at hand' (D&C 58:3-4, p. 300)."

"Throughout religious history, God's followers have, at times, received special commandments. For example, Adam was given the law of animal sacrifice, and the Israelites were given the law of Moses. Plural marriage from the 1840s to 1890 may have been such a commandment. Customized mandates like these bring specific blessings to those who obey, but only at the time when they are commanded (p. 300)."

"After a brief experiment with plural marriage in Kirtland, Joseph abandoned the practice until the Saints had settled in Nauvoo (p. 303)."

"It was only after crossing the Mississippi River during their arduous, thousand-mile trek to the Great Basin that these polygamous Saints felt free to begin speaking openly about their relationships (p. 304)."

"Those who practiced polygamy during the early decades after it was authorized reported varying experiences (p. 304)."

"In September of [1890], Wilford Woodruff, who held the sealing keys needed to authorize all valid eternal marriages, declared that the commandments to practice plural marriage had been revoked and was no longer binding upon the Latter-day Saints (p. 305)."

"There is no ordinance or covenant or ceremony of plural marriage (p. 306)."

"While the vision affirms the great love of God, the timing of the vision's canonization also clarifies and reiterates God's great love for his children, especially his love for his valiant and obedient children who, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shoulder the responsibility of performing ordinances for the dead (p. 310)."

"Joseph F. Smith never described his vision in general conference... It appears that President Smith had every intention of sharing his vision at a future time when he was more capable of standing before a congregation... On October 31, 1918, the dictated manuscript was presented to the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, and the Church Patriarch in a council meeting... He asked his son Joseph Fielding Smith to read the revelation to the gathering... President Smith's physical condition worsened, and on November 19, 1918, he died of pleuropneumonia (p. 311)."

"Considering the prominence of the vision during the last weeks of Joseph F. Smith's life and at his funeral, one has to wonder how it drifted into obscurity over the next twenty-seven years (p. 313)."

"During Heber J. Grant's administration, other pressing issues such as Prohibition, the Great Depression, and World War II dominated the teachings of the General Authorities... It was not until April 1945 that Bishop Joseph L. Wirthlin, a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, was the first to mention in general conference President Joseph F. Smith's vision of the redemption of the dead (p. 314)."

"It would be another nineteen years before President Smith's vision of the redemption of the dead would again be mentioned during general conference... In 1964 [by] Elder Marion G. Romney... in 1966 [by] Elder Spencer W. Kimball... In October 1975, just six months before the vision's canonization, Elder Boyd K. Packer... quoted directly from the vision (p. 315)."

"Joseph Fielding McConkie believes that his father, Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve, was instrumental in introducing the subject of the vision's canonization to the First Presidency (p. 316)."

"As the vision became scripture, most Saints little understood that it would promote temple and genealogy work as never before (p. 318)."

"In issuing this declaration, Woodruff and the leadership acknowledged a major change in practice in the Church (p. 330)."

"In a very real sense, events in 1889 marked the beginning of the end for Mormon political domination of the Utah political scene (p. 344)."

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

BYU published a few books late last year in connection with the Doctrine and Covenants. Among these is The Voice of the Lord: Exploring the Doctrine and Covenants, edited by Alexander L. Baugh. The book is a collection of essays previously published by BYU in a variety of forums (Sydney Sperry symposium publications, Religious Educator issues, BYU RSC books, etc.) with the goal of serving as “an additional resource for individuals to enrich and enhance their own personal study and their appreciation for the teachings, doctrines, and principles in Doctrine and Covenants” (p. ix).


I mentioned with Joseph Smith as a Visionary that the book had a bit of an identity crisis, torn between devotional reading with an academic touch and academic reading for the sake of scholarship. The Voice of the Lord is more cohesive in intent, and given the goal outlined above, it leans much more heavily into devotional reading with an academic touch. That’s not what I prefer, particularly when there was an underlying narrative of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were always right and anyone who disagreed with them was unrighteous. (For example, the chapter on section 25 suggests the backwards narrative of Emma’s rejection of plural marriage was the result of pride, while a chapter on Thomas Marsh uncritically repeats Brigham Young’s narrative that Marsh aged faster than he did because of apostatizing from the Church.) Thus, it was not my favorite book that I’ve read in recent times.

That being said, there were several chapters that I very much appreciated and respected. For example, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel had a good introduction to the poetic version of section 76. Steven C. Harper had a thought-provoking discussion interpreting what the Law of Consecration is, focused on making it relevant to Latter-day Saints today. Andrew H. Hedges discussed the context of the epistles from Joseph Smith made while in hiding. Grant Underwood offered an analysis of section 42’s textual history. Mary Jane Woodger offered an insightful analysis of section 138’s path to canonization. These were the chapters that I most enjoyed and am most likely to reference in future writing.

I also enjoy efforts to grapple with scriptural text in an effort to make it more applicable and meaningful to Latter-day Saints today. I already mentioned Steven Harper’s chapter, but another one that stood out in that regard is the one by Brian C. Hales and Laura Harris Hales about section 132. The chapter focuses on differentiating between eternal marriage and plural marriage in ways that make sense within the text of the revelation. It’s something that’s been on my mind, and it felt pretty well done, other than a somewhat deceptive comment that “section 132 does not command the practice of plural marriage, and no presiding Church leader from Joseph Smith to the present has proclaimed through any revelation or official declaration that all exalted beings will be required to practice polygamy” (p. 303). While the words are technically true, it obscures the extent to which the idea was commanded was preached in the 19th century. I say this not to undermine the majority of the essay (which, as I’ve said I appreciated), but to note the point on which it fell short, in my view.

Ultimately, I feel like The Voice of the Lord: Exploring the Doctrine and Covenants, edited by Alexander L. Baugh is a fine resource for Latter-day Saints who want to explore scholarship about the Doctrine and Covenants in a faith-promoting way. There are chapters in it that also make it relevant to an academic audience. So, while it wasn’t my favorite, I do think it is worth reading.

[Melynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the different essays written. Some more than others.