LDS Doctrine and Covenants Critique
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The Doctrine and Covenants
Section 1
Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, on
November 1, 1831, during a special conference of elders of the Church,
held at Hiram, Ohio. Many revelations had been received from the Lord
prior to this time, and the compilation of these for publication in
book form was one of the principal subjects passed upon at the
conference. This section constitutes the Lord’s preface to the
doctrines, covenants, and commandments given in this dispensation.
1–7, The voice of warning is to all people; 8–16, Apostasy and
wickedness precede the Second Coming; 17–23, Joseph Smith is called to
restore to earth the Lord’s truths and powers; 24–33, The Book of
Mormon is brought forth and the true Church is established; 34–36,
Peace will be taken from the earth; 37–39, Search these commandments.
1 Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the voice of him who dwells
on high, and whose eyes are upon all men; yea, verily I say: Hearken ye
people from afar; and ye that are upon the islands of the sea, listen
together.
Note: Believers will abide in Jesus Christ.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in
him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
2 For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none
to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that
shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated.
Note: Believers will escape the wrath of God.
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. Romans 5:9
3 And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow; for their
iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts
shall be revealed.
Note: The Holy Bible was plagiarized.
For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that
will not be known. Therefore, whatever you have spoken in the dark will
be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner
rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. Luke 12:2-3
4 And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days.
Note: True disciples preach Jesus Christ.
“Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also
your rulers. But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all
His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,
so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and
that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom
heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which
God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world
began. Acts 3:17-21
5 And they shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them.
Note: True disciples will suffer for Jesus Christ.
So, they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they
were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. Acts 5:41
6 Behold, this is mine authority, and the authority of my servants, and
my preface unto the book of my commandments, which I have given them to
publish unto you, O inhabitants of the earth.
Note: True disciples will love one another.
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12
7 Wherefore, fear and tremble, O ye people, for what I the Lord have decreed in them shall be fulfilled.
Note: True believers will not fear but love Jesus Christ.
Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. Ephesians 6:24
8 And verily I say unto you, that they who go forth, bearing these
tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, to them is power given to
seal both on earth and in heaven, the unbelieving and rebellious;
Note: True believers will preach Jesus Christ.
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know
God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to
save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after
wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block
and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews
and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of G 1 Corinthians
1:21-24
9 Yea, verily, to seal them up unto the day when the wrath of God shall be poured out upon the wicked without measure—
Note: True believers will preach Jesus Christ.
But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey
God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you
murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to
be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of
sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy
Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” Acts 5:29-32
10 Unto the day when the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man
according to his work, and measure to every man according to the
measure which he has measured to his fellow man.
Note: The Holy Bible was plagiarized.
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work.” Revelation 22:12
11 Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that
all that will hear may hear: 12 Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which
is to come, for the Lord is nigh; 13 And the anger of the Lord is
kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the
inhabitants of the earth.
Note: True believers will preach Jesus Christ.
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8
14 And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that
they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his
servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles,
shall be cut off from among the people;
Note: Writings of the prophets and apostles were the foundation of the Christian church.
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow
citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having
been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ
Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being
fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also
are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:19-22
Note: The roof is going on the true church.
15 For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant;
Note: The New Covenant is the shed blood of Jesus Christ for your sins.
Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Matthew 26:27-28
16 They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man
walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image
is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an
idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the
great, which shall fall.
Note: The righteousness of God is obtained through faith in Jesus Christ.
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being
witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God,
through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there
is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood,
through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His
forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously
committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that
He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:21-26
17 Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon
the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith,
Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments;
Note: Jesus Christ warned about false prophets.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but
inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.
Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so,
every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A
good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into
the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.” Matthew
7:15-20
18 And also gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim
these things unto the world; and all this that it might be fulfilled,
which was written by the prophets—
Note: The prophets wrote about Jesus Christ not Joseph Smith.
Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who
accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you
would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his
writings, how will you believe My words?” John 5:45-47
19 The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the
mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man,
neither trust in the arm of flesh—
Note: Worldly wisdom is shamed by the message of Jesus Christ.
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the
flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen
the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has
chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which
are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are
despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to
nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His
presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom
from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as
it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” 1
Corinthians 1:26-31
20 But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the
Savior of the world; 21 That faith also might increase in the earth; 22
That mine everlasting covenant might be established; 23 That the
fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple
unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers.
Note: The Christian Gospel is Jesus Christ.
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to
you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you
are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless
you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I
also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third
day according to the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
24 Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me,
and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of
their language, that they might come to understanding.
Note: Believers will understand that eternal life is in Jesus Christ.
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an
understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who
is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal
life. 1 John 5:20
25 And inasmuch as they erred it might be made known;
Note: Peter discovered that works salvation is an error.
But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of
the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live
in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel
Gentiles to live as Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of
the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the
law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ
Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the
works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be
justified. Galatians 2:14-16
26 And inasmuch as they sought wisdom they might be instructed;
Note: Wisdom of God is access to God by faith in Jesus Christ.
To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was
given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches
of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery,
which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created
all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold
wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities
and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose
which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have
boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. Ephesians
3:8-12
27 And inasmuch as they sinned they might be chastened, that they might repent;
Note: Turning to God and away from sin is repentance.
“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision
but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and
throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they
should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.” Acts
26:19-20
28 And inasmuch as they were humble they might be made strong, and
blessed from on high, and receive knowledge from time to time.
Note: Believers will grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ not the wicked Joseph Smith.
You, therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest
you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the
error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever.
Amen. 2 Peter 3:17-18
29 And after having received the record of the Nephites, yea, even my
servant Joseph Smith, Jun., might have power to translate through the
mercy of God, by the power of God, the Book of Mormon.
Note: Archeology, science, and DNA does not support the Book of Mormon.
Critics argue that the Book of Mormon faces major problems involving
historical authenticity, anachronisms, linguistic issues, and its 19th
century origins, noting conflicts with archaeological and scientific
evidence as well as similarities to contemporary sources. Google AI
30 And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have
power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out
of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon
the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased,
speaking unto the church collectively and not individually—
Note: There is no foundation except for Jesus Christ.
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s
building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a
wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on
it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other
foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus
Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:9-11
31 For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of
allowance; 32 Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments
of the Lord shall be forgiven; 33 And he that repents not, from him
shall be taken even the light which he has received; for my Spirit
shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts.
Note: The light of God and forgiveness of sins comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
“And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to
me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you
persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ So, I
said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are
persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to
you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the
things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to
you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the
Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn
them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that
they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who
are sanctified by faith in Me.’” Acts 26:14-18
34 And again, verily I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth: I the
Lord am willing to make these things known unto all flesh;
Note: Jesus Christ made Himself known to believers 2,000 years ago.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have
known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”
John 14:6-7
35 For I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall know
that the day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand,
when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have
power over his own dominion.
Note: Armageddon did not occur in the 19th century. (false prophecy)
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the
dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail,
nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So, the great
dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan,
who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels
were cast out with him. Revelation 12:7-9
36 And also the Lord shall have power over his saints, and shall reign
in their midst, and shall come down in judgment upon Idumea, or the
world.
Note: Edom is not the world.
Edom and Idumea are two related but distinct terms; they relate to a
historically-contiguous population but to two separate, though
adjacent, territories which the Edomites/Idumeans occupied in different
periods of their history. The Edomites first established a kingdom
("Edom") in the southern area of modern-day Jordan and later migrated
into the southern parts of the Kingdom of Judah ("Idumea", modern-day
Mount Hebron) when Judah was first weakened and then destroyed by the
Babylonians in the 6th century BC.
Note: Jesus Christ did not return in the 19th century.
Who is this who comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, this
One who is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His
strength?— “I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” Why is Your
apparel red, and Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? “I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, and trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, and I have stained all My robes. Isaiah 63:1-3
37 Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the
prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.
Note: Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law and will fulfill all legitimate prophesies.
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17
38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself;
and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass
away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the
voice of my servants, it is the same.
Note: The Holy Bible was plagiarized.
“For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot
or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is
fulfilled.” Matthew 5:18
39 For behold, and lo, the Lord is God, and the Spirit beareth record,
and the record is true, and the truth abideth forever and ever. Amen.
Note: The Holy Spirit and believers will testify of Jesus Christ not Joseph Smith.
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of
Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from
the beginning.” John 15:26-27