History of the Doctrine and Covenants exhibit

We are pleased to announce a new exhibit in Perry Special Collections that takes the viewer through the history of the Doctrine and Covenants, from handwritten manuscripts to broadsides, to being published in book form in 1835. The highlight of the exhibit is BYU’s only copy of the Book of Commandments, predecessor to the Doctrine and Covenants and probably the rarest of all LDS printed items!

Later editions of the Doctrine and Covenants with significant additions or deletions are also displayed, including the 1844 Nauvoo edition (added the section on the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith), the 1876 edition (added 26 additional revelations, including Joseph Smith’s revelation on plural marriage), and the 1921 edition (removed the Lectures on Faith, which had been there since 1835). Also shown is an 1835 letter from Oliver Cowdery to Newel K. Whitney regarding original copies of a revelation, and James E. Talmage’s journal where he documents revisions he was asked to make in 1921 as part of the Doctrine and Covenants Committee.

This exhibit will be on display in the Reading Room in Special Collections from March 29 – April 21. Come see this new exhibit and learn more about the history of this significant book of modern day scripture!