Why No Exhortation To Read The D&C During Conference, Or In General?

[Kenngo1969]

I don't think it heresy to say that not all scripture is created equal; that is to say, some scripture is of greater value and use than other.

I have set a goal for myself to read the Old Testament from start to finish and am currently slogging through Numbers. I'm also reading the Book of Mormon again. I have to say that reading them side by side makes it very clear that much (certainly not all) of the content in the five Books of Moses seems to be of marginal relevance and value, while the Book of Mormon, even after multiple readings, still resonates with me.

I think the Book of Mormon is what the Old Testament would have been ... if Israel hadn't been so stubborn, thick-headed, and hard-hearted through so much of its history. The Book of Mormon does a lot to elucidate some of the more opaque areas of the Old Testament.

[The Nehor]

Can you find such a challenge pertaining to any of the Standard Works except the Book of Mormon?

I have a vague memory of someone encouraging members to read the Bible straight through.

As to the differences, in general:

The Old Testament is gold hiding in mounds of dross.

The New Testament is helpful anecdotes about the Savior followed by letters and ending with a really awesome and trippy vision.

The Book of Mormon teaches the gospel (both milk and meat) from a human perspective designed to be helpful specifically to us.

The Doctrine & Covenants teaches ordinances and offices and duties and comes with God as the speaker.

The Pearl of Great Price provides answers to the hardest questions of existence.

[Scott Lloyd]

I have a vague memory of someone encouraging members to read the Bible straight through.

Just as I'm not willing to concede we've never been encouraged to read the Doctrine and Covenants in its entirety, even though I can't at present provide a citation.

I rather think this thread premise is much ado about nothing.

[Kenngo1969]

Isn't it the case that God answers all prayers that honestly seek for knowledge?

Yes.

The D&C also has many scriptures about knock and it will be opened to you.

While I, too, am inspired to seek revelation by the "Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you" scriptures, be careful you don't paint yourself in a corner. By that logic, since the "Ask, Seek, and Knock" scripture also appears in the Holy Bible, some might argue that both the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants are superfluous. I'm sure you would dispute that conclusion.

The D&C expressly uses the language mystery as one of many things that will be revealed if we follow god. The BOM does not. Does this mean we can only get answers to mysteries if we read the D&C vs the BOM.

I'm not sure I follow, and I welcome clarification. Perhaps you could quote the scripture (or at least provide the reference) to which you are referring in the Doctrine and Covenants.

The idea that you can get a spiritual response to the BOM through prayer that you can not get through other scriptures runs contrary to the words of almost every prophet in every book of scripture we have. All scriptures tell us if we ask for an answer we can get it - the BOM specifically expresses this view more clearly than most.

That may be, but you didn't deal with Doctrine and Covenants 84:54-58. We're not under condemnation for having treated the Old and New Testaments, the Doctrine and Covenants, or the Pearl of Great Price lightly, as we are for having done so with the Book of Mormon. President Benson made clear that the condemnation was still in force, and subsequent prophets (especially President Hinckley) have framed the need to read the Book of Mormon in more positive terms. The excerpted First Presidency Message is worth a read in its entirety.

President Gordon B. Hinckley, "A Testimony Vibrant and True," Ensign, August 2005, accessed on-line at http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,2043-1-3156-1,00.html today.

I offer a challenge to members of the Church throughout the world and to our friends everywhere to read or reread the Book of Mormon. If you will read a bit more than one and one-half chapters a day, you will be able to finish the book before the end of this year. Very near the end of its 239 chapters, you will find a challenge issued by the prophet Moroni as he completed his record nearly 16 centuries ago. Said he:

"And I exhort you to remember these things; for the time speedily cometh that ye shall know that I lie not, for ye shall see me at the bar of God; and the Lord God will say unto you: Did I not declare my words unto you, which were written by this man, like as one crying from the dead, yea, even as one speaking out of the dust? . . .

"And God shall show unto you, that that which I have written is true" (Moroni 10:27, 29).

Without reservation I promise you that if each of you will observe this simple program, regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.

I don't think we should treat the BOM lightly - I think we should respect all scripture. Perhaps, base on the principle of modern day revelation, we should pay more attention and time to the D&C that perhaps we currently are.

Restoration revelation, as valuable as it is, still is trumped by such revelation in our day, not least of which are the May and November editions each year of the Ensign.

Again there has never been a challenge from any pulpit, Stake, ward or general conference, that has challenged the saints to read the D&C cover to cover. I would say every year I can remember this challenge has been expressed from the pulpit at least a few times.

True.

[TAO]

For me, I guess, it is because the BoM just relates to me alot better than most of the verses in D&C. That isn't to say there isn't some great verses in there, but it doesn't draw me in in the same way.

I think Nehor had a good example of the different functions of the different scriptures. The BoM is to give you a testimony, and draw you to get a witness of Christ. The D&C is Christ's commandments, and laws, and rules, and... services... for us to follow (and a few hard to answer questions too). They both have different uses. For me, the BoM has several sections where you can feel the 'personal' in it, and that makes it really strong for me.

[cinepro]

The Doctrine and Covenants is unique in that it doesn't have any sort of narrative. It doesn't tell stories, or have "characters". While there is a lot of good stuff in the introductions to the sections, I think it can be more hit-or-miss as far as daily devotional reading goes.

It's much easier to digest in a larger context of the study of Church history.

[asbestosman]

A little while ago I had a dream where I was called as a sort of home-teacher missionary to non-members (with Sethbag of all people as my companion). We were told to bring lots of copies of the various standard works and hand them out so we could try to get people to read them. I mentioned that for reading, the stories in Genesis of the Old Testament were most interesting, but that the D&C was pretty dry boring stuff. Sethbag decided to compliment the D&C as a very interesting read.

Now, maybe that's just the workings of a frenzied, sleep-filled mind. However, I do recall a conference talk last weekend where the subject of personal revelation came up and we were counseled to write down our dreams. So who knows.

[Scott Lloyd]

If there was more encouragement to study the Doctrine and Covenants, perhaps we would have fewer current and former Church members claiming they were blindsided to learn that Joseph Smith taught and practiced plural marriage.

[rodheadlee]

I have never read the Doctrine and Covenants all the way through. We try to read scripture daily and we have recently finished the BoM. We are on D&C 40 and my wife is ready to skip it and read the BoM again. I told her the good stuff is in the latter sections.

I also find it hard to read Paul's writtings in the NT. It was never that way when I was younger.

[Scott Lloyd]

A little while ago I had a dream where I was called as a sort of home-teacher missionary to non-members (with Sethbag of all people as my companion). We were told to bring lots of copies of the various standard works and hand them out so we could try to get people to read them. I mentioned that for reading, the stories in Genesis of the Old Testament were most interesting, but that the D&C was pretty dry boring stuff. Sethbag decided to compliment the D&C as a very interesting read.

Now, maybe that's just the workings of a frenzied, sleep-filled mind. However, I do recall a conference talk last weekend where the subject of personal revelation came up and we were counseled to write down our dreams. So who knows.

While I don't doubt that dreams can be a vehicle for revelation, mine are rarely anything other than a hodgepodge of senseless, non-sequitur images drawn from whatever happens to be in my consciousness at the time. It's rarer still that I remember them in detail even five minutes after I wake.

Edited April 5, 2012 by Scott Lloyd

[Bikeemikey]

The Doctrine and Covenants is unique in that it doesn't have any sort of narrative. It doesn't tell stories, or have "characters". While there is a lot of good stuff in the introductions to the sections, I think it can be more hit-or-miss as far as daily devotional reading goes.

It's much easier to digest in a larger context of the study of Church history.

The the BOM is is considered a superior scriptural text, one worthy of constant reading, at least in part because is has a story/narrative. It's accessibility as a narrative tale makes it more likely to evoke a spiritual response?

It is interesting that delineation between different sorts of scriptures. D&C as a doctrine treatise vs. the BOM as a devotional text.

I agree with the idea that the study of the D&C in-conjunction with church history makes the text more accesible. I do believe in the importance of understanding textual context, which should always be an important part of scriptural study. However, it seems to me that we use the D&C study more as a window into Church history, rather than the history of the church at the time as a framework/context for the scriptural text itself. This has been my experience with D&C study over the past 12 years.

We seem to emphasis the historical aspect of the text over the revelatory nature of the text.

Again, the fact that many members believe the BOM contains very clear doctrinal exposition on many church doctrines fail to realize we read into the BOM text revelation and exposition provided through JS and modern day revelation, specifically the D&C.

[Bikeemikey]

If there was more encouragement to study the Doctrine and Covenants, perhaps we would have fewer current and former Church members claiming they were blindsided to learn that Joseph Smith taught and practiced plural marriage.

I think that if more people were well versed in the revelations of the D&C they may understand just how "restored" the LDS church really is. We have a very unique and powerful theological world viewed that is absolutely unique compared to anything else taught in the Christian world, either then or now.

[Bernard Gui]

I just went through last year's conference talks. In April there were 79 footnotes and in October 75 footnotes referencing the D&C. About half the talks included footnotes.

Bernard

Edited April 7, 2012 by Bernard Gui

[Calm]

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=a443515e04f5e110VgnVCM100000176f620a____

Read the Book from Cover to Cover

The Doctrine and Covenants and Church History Class Member Study Guide encourages members to “read the Doctrine and Covenants from beginning to end”2 during 2009, as well as to complete each Sunday’s reading assignments, which are arranged by topic.

Studying in this manner helps us understand the context of the sections studied as well as the sections themselves. It also prepares us to participate in a rich discussion in Sunday School class—which, in turn, will provide added insight and inspiration for us to use in our personal and family lives.

In your daily scripture study, you may find it helpful to set aside one or two days each week to preview specifically what will be discussed in class and then continue your reading of the Doctrine and Covenants from beginning to end.

[Calm]

http://institute.lds.org/manuals/doctrine-and-covenants-institute-student-manual/dc-in-000-iii.asp

President Joseph Fielding Smith made this observation about how to most effectively study the Doctrine and Covenants:

“I heard a brother say he could not read the Doctrine and Covenants because it was so much like a dictionary. It is not a consecutive story—it changes the subject, and so on—well of course it does.

“Many years ago when I was a president in a quorum of seventies—and in those days we did not have any supervision so far as our study was concerned—it was decided by that quorum of seventies that they would study the Doctrine and Covenants, and I was appointed to be the class teacher. We took it up section by section. You are not going to get all there is out of it in any other way. You may take it up if you want to by topics, or doctrines, that is good; but you are not going to understand the Doctrine and Covenants, you are not going to get out of it all there is in it unless you take it up section by section; and then when you do that, you will have to study it with its setting as you get it in the history of the Church.” ( Doctrines of Salvation,3:199.)

[Calm]

D&C1:37 ^aSearch these ^bcommandments, for they are true and ^cfaithful, and the prophecies and ^dpromises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.

(referred to here: http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=150d0f9856c20110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=e36d5f74db46c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD and here: http://www.lds.org/liahona/1989/02/the-doctrine-and-covenants?lang=eng )

[Calm]

“I encourage you to go forward and live the gospel and love the gospel. Make it a part of your lives, this great and glorious thing which has come to us through the providence of the Almighty, to be a part of His great Church and kingdom, which is growing and moving over the earth. Live the gospel. Love the gospel. Read the scriptures. You will not get a testimony of the Book of Mormon unless you read the Book of Mormon. You will not get a testimony of the Doctrine and Covenants unless you read the Doctrine and Covenants. Faith comes of drinking at the fountain of eternal truth” (Salt Lake Sugar House Stake conference, 5 Jan. 1997).

http://www.lds.org/ensign/print/1998/01/excerpts-from-recent-addresses-of-president-gordon-b-hinckley?lang=eng&clang=eng