Doctrine and Covenants 70
Historical Context
Once the Saints decided to publish the revelations, another conference was held on November 12, 1831, at the John Johnson home to work out the details of how to proceed. The minutes of the conference show that the elders present “voted that Joseph Smith jr. be appointed to dedicate and consecrate these brethren and the sacred writings and all they have entrusted to their care, to the Lord: done accordingly.” The minutes also record that the members present declared the revelations to be “the foundation of the Church & the salvation of the world and the keys of the mysteries of the kingdom, and the riches of eternity to the church.” They also declared that the revelations were “prized by this conference to be worth to the Church the riches of the whole Earth, speaking temporally.”
While writing his own history several years later, Joseph Smith reflected on “the great benefits to the world, which result from the Book of Mormon and the Revelations, which the Lord has seen fit, in his infinite wisdom, to grant unto us for our salvation, and for the salvation of all that will believe.” Joseph also said that the revelation came “in answer to an enquiry,” though we do not know precisely the nature of that original question. To facilitate the publication of the revelations, the Lord directed the elders present to form an adaptation of the earlier principles given on the law of consecration. This small group of people sacrificed and pooled their resources to help publish the revelations. The group later became known as the Literary Firm. The Literary Firm played a key role not only in the printing of Joseph Smith’s revelations but also in the publication of Joseph Smith’s translation of the Bible, the first Church hymnal, a Church almanac, children’s literature, and various Church newspapers.
See “Historical Introduction,” Revelation, 12 November 1831 [D&C 70]
Verse-by-Verse Commentary
D&C 70:1–6
1 Behold, and hearken, O ye inhabitants of Zion, and all ye people of my church who are afar off, and hear the word of the Lord which I give unto my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and also unto my servant Martin Harris, and also unto my servant Oliver Cowdery, and also unto my servant John Whitmer, and also unto my servant Sidney Rigdon, and also unto my servant William W. Phelps, by the way of commandment unto them.
2 For I give unto them a commandment; wherefore hearken and hear, for thus saith the Lord unto them—
3 I, the Lord, have appointed them, and ordained them to be stewards over the revelations and commandments which I have given unto them, and which I shall hereafter give unto them;
4 And an account of this stewardship will I require of them in the day of judgment.
5 Wherefore, I have appointed unto them, and this is their business in the church of God, to manage them and the concerns thereof, yea, the benefits thereof.
6 Wherefore, a commandment I give unto them, that they shall not give these things unto the church, neither unto the world;
The elders mentioned in this revelation were given a sacred charge to oversee the printing of the revelations. Most of the men involved in this endeavor were with Joseph Smith from the beginning, though Sidney Rigdon and William W. Phelps were newer to the work. Joseph Smith, anxious to recognize those involved in the work, declared during the November 12 conference,
Brother Oliver has labored with me from the beginning in writing, etc., Brother Martin Harris has labored with me from the beginning, and Brothers John and Sidney also for a considerable time, and as these sacred writings are now going to the Church for their benefit, that we may have claim on the church for recompence—if this conference think these things worth prizing to be had on record to show hereafter—I feel that it will be according to the mind of the Spirit for by it these things were put into my heart which I know to be the Spirit of truth.
While Joseph Smith believed that the elders involved in the compilation and printing of the sacred writings were entitled to compensation for their time and labor, the rest of the revelation shows that their recompense would feed directly into the law of consecration to benefit the poor and the needy in the Church. Church leaders did not ask the members of the Church to enter into any kind of economic arrangement that they themselves had not entered into. Like King Benjamin, the leaders of the Church were asked to serve side by side with the members, laboring together to help the poor and bring the words of the Lord to more people (Mosiah 2:14).
D&C 70:7–13
7 Nevertheless, inasmuch as they receive more than is needful for their necessities and their wants, it shall be given into my storehouse;
8 And the benefits shall be consecrated unto the inhabitants of Zion, and unto their generations, inasmuch as they become heirs according to the laws of the kingdom.
9 Behold, this is what the Lord requires of every man in his stewardship, even as I, the Lord, have appointed or shall hereafter appoint unto any man.
10 And behold, none are exempt from this law who belong to the church of the living God;
11 Yea, neither the bishop, neither the agent who keepeth the Lord’s storehouse, neither he who is appointed in a stewardship over temporal things.
12 He who is appointed to administer spiritual things, the same is worthy of his hire, even as those who are appointed to a stewardship to administer in temporal things;
13 Yea, even more abundantly, which abundance is multiplied unto them through the manifestations of the Spirit.
The law referred to in verse 10 is the law of the Church, particularly the law of consecration, revealed earlier in Doctrine and Covenants 42:30–42. This revelation demonstrates that, although the principles of the law of consecration are eternal, the implementation of the law is adaptable given the circumstances. Joseph Smith and the elders mentioned in this revelation were organized into a smaller consecrated group and given the charge to oversee the publication of the revelations and other Church literary projects. Entering into consecration was an expectation for everyone who chose to move to Missouri, as would be emphasized in a later revelation (D&C 72:17–18).
The elders who were asked to join the Literary Firm followed an adaptation of the law of consecration. They sacrificed their time and property to ensure the printing of the revelations, and in turn, the needs of their families were met through the money raised from the sale of the revelations. Once the needs of these families were met, the surplus was returned to the Church for use in the bishop’s storehouse and to help others in the Church meet their needs. This is among the earliest examples in the history of the Church that show that the principles of consecration set forth in the scriptures can and should be adapted to meet the current conditions and needs of the Church. The task for Church leaders in any dispensation is to take those same principles and adapt them to the circumstances they live in.
D&C 70:14–18
14 Nevertheless, in your temporal things you shall be equal, and this not grudgingly, otherwise the abundance of the manifestations of the Spirit shall be withheld.
15 Now, this commandment I give unto my servants for their benefit while they remain, for a manifestation of my blessings upon their heads, and for a reward of their diligence and for their security;
16 For food and for raiment; for an inheritance; for houses and for lands, in whatsoever circumstances I, the Lord, shall place them, and whithersoever I, the Lord, shall send them.
17 For they have been faithful over many things, and have done well inasmuch as they have not sinned.
18 Behold, I, the Lord, am merciful and will bless them, and they shall enter into the joy of these things. Even so. Amen.
The Literary Firm continued to operate until 1836. Initially the conference called for printing ten thousand copies of the revelations. That number was reduced to three thousand. W. W. Phelps purchased a printing press in Cincinnati, Ohio, and he was able to begin setting up the printing operation in Independence, Missouri, by December 1831. The next year, the Literary Firm began publishing The Evening and the Morning Star, a Church newspaper. By December 1832, the first copies of the revelations, titled The Book of Commandments, went to press. On July 20, 1833, a mob destroyed the Church press in Independence. Only a few copies of the printing were saved, and fewer than five hundred copies of the Book of Commandments were ultimately salvaged.
Undeterred by persecution, the Literary Firm set up shop in Kirtland, Ohio, and began work on a new and updated version of the Book of Commandments, which was eventually titled The Doctrine and Covenants. The press in Kirtland also continued to produce The Evening and the Morning Star, along with the Latter-day Saints Messenger and Advocate, and a political paper, the Northern Times. The press in Kirtland was also responsible for the first Latter-day Saint hymnbook, published in 1835 (Collection of Sacred Hymns, 1835, JSP). These early papers are invaluable sources for the teachings of early Church leaders and for the preservation of the revelations given to Joseph Smith. Although persecutions and the high cost of printing kept the Literary Firm hovering just above insolvency, the group managed to preserve and publish some of the most important documents of this crucial formative period of the Church.
Footnotes
