Book of Doctrine and Covenants

Rating:
Summary: A Peculiar God & Christ
Review: I read this as an honest investigator, although with a background in meditation and comparative spiritual traditions. I feel at home with the rhetoric and framings of diverse religious traditions, as I look for the perennial philosophy behind them all. But I also note their level of approach to the Divine or transpersonal.

Despite the obvious goodness I could see in some of the present-day Church's attitudes and service to others, I was greatly troubled by the capricious, vengeful, jealous, judgmental, and quick-to-anger characteristics of the "God" and "Christ" who spoke these messages to Joseph Smith. From the first section, there speaks a Lordly Personage Who "cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance" and Whose "anger...is kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth." Thinking that such instances of fear-appeal and triumphalistic destruction must be isolated instances, I started a compilation to show the elders, but I soon noticed these were too thick and pervasive. These were not even the sentiments of an evolved human being, let alone a Divine One. And the Christ of the D&C speaks with the same voice.

The God concept here is the Old Testament patriarchal father of fundamentalist 19th-century Protestantism, stern at best and becoming a domestic tyrant if crossed. In the seven stages of conceptions of God listed in Deepak Chopra's "How To Know God" (2000), this is a combination of the first two: the God-is-as-we-are projection of humans who identify with body & environment, ego & personality, and who imagine a world of physical threats & danger and of power struggles. This results in the vision of "God the Parent-Protector" and "God the Almighty," to be 'found' through fear, loving devotion, awe, and obedience.

This book is valuable as a record of the God dynamic that informed early Mormonism. I would hope it would be somewhat of an embarrassment to the Church and members of today, when carnage is no longer seen as the best solution to conflict resolution and higher stages of conceiving Divinity are more widely known and demonstrated.

Rating:
Summary: More to Joseph Smith than the Book of Mormon!
Review: Most people have head about the Book of Mormon, but few non-Latter day Saints realize that Joseph Smith also had other scripture revealed to him, to supplement our understanding of God. This book contains revelations that Joseph Smith received between 1824 and 1844. These revelations show how Joseph Smith learned as his experience with the church grew.

This book is not a boring "how-to" manual, but is a vibrant books dealing with such questions as:

*What happens to people who die without hearing about Christ?
*When is the age of accountability of young children?
*What is the afterlife like?
*Is baptism really necessary?

I can't convince anyone of what I believe. All I can ask is to pray over this book, and be honest with the answer you get.

Here is the Testimony of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, form the introduction to the book:

TESTIMONY OF THE
TWELVE APOSTLES TO THE TRUTH OF
THE BOOK OF DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS
The Testimony of the Witnesses to the Book of the Lord's Commandments, which commandments He gave to His Church through Joseph Smith, Jun., who was appointed by the voice of the Church for this purpose:

We, therefore, feel willing to bear testimony to all the world of mankind, to every creature upon the face of the earth, that the Lord has borne record to our souls, through the Holy Ghost shed forth upon us, that these commandments were given by inspiration of God, and are profitable for all men and are verily true.

We give this testimony unto the world, the Lord being our helper; and it is through the grace of God the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, that we are permitted to have this privilege of bearing this testimony unto the world, in the which we rejoice exceedingly, praying the Lord always that the children of men may be profited thereby.

Rating:
Summary: Revelations, Visions, and Declarations
Review: The "D&C" is a compilation of revelations, descriptions of visions, and declarations published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most of its sections (chapters) were revealed between 1820 and 1844, the formative period of the church. The last several sections were appended by Joseph Smith's successors.

The book contains revelations concerning the organization and doctrine of the Church. While "ancient scripture" (Bible, Book of Mormon) teaches about salvation by stories of ancients, the D&C contains more precise theological clarifications and organizational direction. Jesus Christ is the principle author and subject.

It is the most valuable book in the world in many regards. It is proof Jesus lives.