Without Disclosing My True Identity
(^48) DHC, 2:243.
(^49) D&C, 26:2.
(^50) BOM, 3 Nephi 19:8.
(^51) JSH 1:19;
“The Book of Mormon is full concerning all spiritual matters pertaining to the Church of
Christ. ...It is all set forth therein in plainness, and we have no need of the Doctrine and Covenants or
any other creed. I consider the Book of Doctrine and Covenants a creed of religious faith. You can
see from the first edition (Kirtland, 1835) that men, on the authority of other men, and no authority
from God, ‘arranged the items of the doctrine of Jesus Christ’ in that book, and in August, 1835,
adopted it as the doctrine and covenants of their faith by a unanimous vote of the high council, thus
making it a law to the church for the first time.
“I will also show you by a revelation in the Book of Commandments—afterwards changed
in the Doctrine and Covenants—that we had no high priests, etc. in the beginning; as if God had
organized his church at first with ‘elders, priests and teachers,’ and after we had preached almost two
years, and had baptized and confirmed about 2000 souls into the Church of Christ, then God concluded
he had not organized it right, and decided to put in high priests and other offices above the office of an
elder. No brethren—God does not change and work in any such manner. This is man’s work. I will
prove beyond a doubt that every spiritual office added to the church which is not according to the
teachings of Christ to the ‘twelve’ on this land, is the work of man, and not the work of God.
“I see that some of you claim that the same power which gave these revelations, had
authority to change them, and refer to Jer. xxxvi:32. By reading this passage you will see that the
words which were added were ‘like words;’ words which conveyed the same meaning—were added
to that book by Jeremiah when he was writing it over again, because it had been burned in the fire by
the king. But the words added to the two former revelations are not ‘like words,’ as they change and
reverse the original meaning: as if God had commanded Joseph to pretend to no other gift but to
translate the Book of Mormon, that he would ‘grant him no other gift,’ and then afterwards God had
changed his mind and concluded to grant him another gift. God does not change and work in this
manner. The way this revelation has been changed, twenty-two words being added to it, it would
appear that God had broken His word after giving His word in plainness; commanding Brother
Joseph to pretend to no other gift but to translate the Book of Mormon, and then the Lord had
changed and concluded to grant Joseph the gift of a Seer to the Church.
“This part of this revelation in the Book of Commandments reads thus: ‘And he (Joseph) has
a gift to translate the Book, and I have commanded him that he shall pretend to no other gift, for I
will grant him no other gift.’ But in the Doctrine and Covenants it has been changed and reads thus:
‘And you have a gift to translate the plates, and this is the first gift that I bestowed upon you, and I have
commanded you that you should pretend to no other gift, until my purpose is filled in this; for I will
grant unto you no other gift until it is finished.’ May God have mercy on the heads of the church for
their transgression is my prayer.” (Whitmer, 50–51, 57–8.)
(^52) These can be found in their entirety at “Doctrine and Covenants and Lectures on Faith,”
CenterPlace.org, Restoration Internet Committee, 26 Jun. 2011
http://www.centerplace.org/hs/dc/lectures.htm.
(^53) See D&C, Intro, “Testimony of the Twelve Apostles to the Truth of the Book of Doctrine
and Covenants.” See also Richard S. Van Wagoner, Steven C. Walker, and Allen D. Roberts, “The
‘Lectures on Faith’: A Case Study in Decanonization,” Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 20.3 (Fall
1987): 71–7.
(^54) D&C, section 110.
(^55) D&C, 109:36. See also Acts 2:1.
(^56) Compare D&C, 95:8.
(^57) “Alas, [Warren Parrish] arose, once a friend, (not now) in the blackness of his face &
corruption of his heart stretched out his puny arm and proclaimed against Joseph. Joseph acted