The Book of Commandments: 1833 Edition

by Joseph Smith Jr.

The Book of Commandments is the earliest published volume containing the revelations of Joseph Smith Jr. and the basis of what would later become the Doctrine and Covenants. On July 20, 1833 an anti-Mormon destroyed the press being used to print The Book of Commandments. At that point, 65 revelations of the Book of Commandments, about two thirds the total, were already printed. Totaling 160 pages, most of the uncut and unbound sheets were destroyed in the ensuing fire. However, some neighbors including teenage sisters Caroline and Mary Elizabeth Rollins saved remnants of nearly 100 copies. Fewer than 30 are known to exist today, including incomplete versions. Chapter 65 was incomplete when the press was destroyed. This Reader's Edition of The Book of Commandments is based on a public domain text. Great effort has been taken to respect the integrity of the original text while increasing readability for the modern reader. To this end, small corrections to errors in spelling and punctuation have been made, but only to the extent that these changes were needed to improve readability. The formatting has also been altered to provide a cleaner, more readable experience. Introductions and footnotes not native to the text have been removed to avoid interruptions to and distractions from the text. Many people find that this allows them a greater ability to focus on the text itself. It is our hope that this Reader's Edition will provide you with the best possible reading experience of this classic text. Our mission is to breathe new life into the pages of the past by removing barriers between the reader and the text.

194 pages, Paperback

Published February 3, 2021

About the author

Joseph Smith, Jr. was the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, also known as Mormonism, and an important religious and political figure during the 1830s and 1840s. In 1827, Smith began to gather a religious following after announcing that an angel had shown him a set of golden plates describing a visit of Jesus to the indigenous peoples of the Americas. In 1830, Smith published what he said was a translation of these plates as the Book of Mormon, and the same year he organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

For most of the 1830s, Smith lived in Kirtland, Ohio, which remained the headquarters of the church until Smith began encouraging members to gather the church to a Latter Day Saint settlement in Missouri. There, tensions between Mormons and non-Mormons resulted in the expelling of the Mormons. Smith and his people then settled in Nauvoo, Illinois where they began building a new temple aided by new converts from Europe. He was assassinated by a mob of non-Mormons at the age of 38.

Smith's followers consider him a prophet and have canonized some of his revelations as sacred texts on par with the Bible. His legacy as a leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been recognized by millions of adherents.

Reviews

[Jeff Crosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was never published because of mob violence in Missouri. Loose printed pages were saved, later bound, and sold. Superseded by the Doctrine and Covenants, this original format is an informative document.