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Doctrine and Covenants
in Church History

In 1880, Charles Woodward, an unremitting antagonist of the Church, offered his personal Mormon Americana library for sale. His descriptions of the items in his collection of Mormon and Utah books say much about his attitude toward the Saints. Regarding the Book of Commandments, Woodward asserted, "People who know just enough of Mormonism to call the Book of Mormon the 'Mormon Bible' … will read with distrust or indifference, if they read at all, the assertion which I unhesitatingly make, that this book, if valued by its importance, would bring a larger price than was ever paid for a single volume" (Bibliothica-scallawagiana [New York, 1880], p. 4; see also Peter Crawley, "Joseph Smith and a Book of Commandments," Princeton University Library Chronicle 42 [Autumn 1980]: 18).

The Book of Commandments is, of course, the precursor to the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants (1835). The history of this modern scripture is both colorful and profound. The argument can be made that Woodward was largely correct when he unblushingly declared the Book of Commandments to be "the whole of Mormonism" (Bibliothica-scallawagiana, p. 4). The most complete and comprehensive treatment of the development of the Doctrine and Covenants is Robert J. Woodford, "The Historical Development of the Doctrine and Covenants" (Ph.D. diss., Brigham Young University, 1974); the material in this section relies heavily on Woodford's work (see also Robert J. Woodford, "The Story of the Doctrine and Covenants," Ensign 14 [December 1984]: 32-39; Robert J. Woodford, "How the Revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants Were Received and Compiled," Ensign 15 [January 1985]: 27-33; and Melvin J. Petersen, "Preparing Early Revelations for Publication," Ensign 15 [February 1985]: 14-20).