Doctrine and Covenants 91

Doctrine and Covenants 91

Historical Context

In the spring of 1833, Joseph Smith continued his project of translating the Bible. A month earlier, Joseph noted in his minute book, “This day completed the translation and the reviewing of the New testament and sealed up no more to be broken till it goes to Zion.”1 It seems that after he completed his work on the New Testament, Joseph Smith returned to his translation of the Old Testament. The day before he received Doctrine and Covenants 91, Joseph Smith obtained a different revelation that outlined several responsibilities to carry out “when you have finished the translation of the prophets” (D&C 90:13). It appears that after God gave him this commandment, Joseph desired to know if the books popularly known as the Apocrypha should be translated as well.

Even while the Book of Mormon was being printed Joseph Smith and his associates had begun plans to complete a translation of the Bible. They intended to correct many of the errors that had crept into the text and put back many of the plain and precious truths that had been lost. On October 8, 1829, Oliver Cowdery purchased a large King James Bible from the Grandin Press, the printers of the Book of Mormon. This Bible, which is currently in the custody of the Community of Christ, is helpful in understanding why Joseph and his associates had questions about the Apocrypha. The Bible that Cowdery purchased is a large, pulpit-style edition containing the Old and New Testaments along with the Apocrypha. It is nine inches wide, eleven inches long, about two and a half inches thick, and it weighs just under five pounds. On the inside cover in the large handwriting of Joseph Smith is the inscription, “The Book of the Jews and the property of Joseph Smith Junior and Oliver Cowdery, bought October 3, 1829 at Egbert B. Grandin’s Book Store, Palmyra, Wayne County, New York. Price $3.75. Holiness to the Lord.”2 It is believed that this Bible served as the primary study text for Joseph Smith’s inspired translation of the Bible.

The Apocrypha consists of a collection of books that were not found in Hebrew collections of sacred writings but were included in the Greek version of the Old Testament commonly known as the Septuagint. The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians include the Apocrypha in their Old Testament and consider it to contain inspired writings of God. When Martin Luther translated the Bible in 1534, he moved the books of the Apocrypha to the end of the Old Testament, writing that they were “not held equal to the Holy Scriptures, and yet are profitable and good to read.”3 Most Protestant Christians have followed Luther’s lead and generally exclude the Apocrypha from their Old Testament.

As he began his translation of the Bible, Joseph Smith showed more willingness to accept books like the Apocrypha into the scriptural canon. The coming forth of the Book of Mormon demonstrated that scripture could be found outside of the typical Christian canon. Reflecting on his own project to translate the Bible, Joseph later wrote, “Much conjecture and conversation frequently occurred among the saints, concerning the books mentioned and referred to, in various places in the Old and New testaments, which were now nowhere to be found. The common remark was, they are ‘lost books’; but it seems the apostolic churches had some of these writings, as Jude mentions or quotes the prophecy of Enoch the seventh from Adam.”4

Given his openness to the concept of additional scripture, it was natural for Joseph Smith to inquire about the Apocrypha and if it needed to be translated. In his own history, the Prophet wrote simply, “Having come to that portion of the Ancient writings called the Apocrypha I received the following [Doctrine and Covenants 91].”5

See “Historical Introduction,” Revelation, 9 March 1833 [D&C 91].

Verse-by-Verse Commentary

D&C 91:1–3

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you concerning the Apocrypha—There are many things contained therein that are true, and it is mostly translated correctly;

2 There are many things contained therein that are not true, which are interpolations by the hands of men.

3 Verily, I say unto you, that it is not needful that the Apocrypha should be translated.

The Bible Joseph Smith used for his translation project contained a section designated as “Apocrypha” that contained 1 & 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, the Wisdom of Solomon, the Wisdom of Jesus, the Son of Sirach, Baruch, the Song of the Three Holy Children, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, The Prayer of Manasses, and 1 & 2 Maccabees.6 The name Apocrypha is derived from a Greek term which means “hidden” or “concealed.”7 The name should be distinguished from the term apocryphal, which is often used to describe other works of ancient origin like the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Nag Hammadi library, or apocryphal books of the New Testament. The revelation in section 91 only addresses the specific books found in the Greek Septuagint that are not in the Hebrew Bible, or the upper-case Apocrypha that is accepted by Catholic Christians but generally not by Protestant Christians.8

In general, the Lord speaks positively about the Apocrypha in verse 1, saying that “there are many things therein that are true, and it is mostly translated correctly.” However, it was not necessary for the Prophet to translate it (D&C 91:3). The instructions given in Doctrine and Covenants 91 should not be applied to all apocryphal works, which vary widely in their claims to authenticity and their usefulness. This revelation is useful in cautioning Latter-day Saints to not put too much stock in books outside of the scriptural canon established by the Lord’s authorized servants. These books can be useful and enlightening, but they do not carry the same weight as the canonical books. The Apocrypha’s truths must be measured against the Church’s scriptural canon before they are accepted. The word canon itself is of Greek origin and denotes “a rod for testing straightness.”9 The “standard works” are what we must use to test the truth of other writings, particularly those that claim to also be of ancient origin.

D&C 91:4–6

4 Therefore, whoso readeth it, let him understand, for the Spirit manifesteth truth;

5 And whoso is enlightened by the Spirit shall obtain benefit therefrom;

6 And whoso receiveth not by the Spirit, cannot be benefited. Therefore it is not needful that it should be translated. Amen.

The principles in these last verses not only apply to the Apocrypha but also could be applied generally to any book. We must approach any work of scripture, literature, film, or music with the enlightenment of the Spirit, seeking to obtain the benefits that we can from them. Reading, viewing, or hearing obscene and degrading works would give us little benefit. However, there are sublime works in all branches of the human effort that uplift and greatly benefit us. The Lord continually admonished the Saints to not only seek out the best books (D&C 88:118, 90:15) but also to seek after all good things.

Joseph Smith encapsulated this philosophy when he wrote, “If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things” (Articles of Faith 13). As disciples of Jesus Christ, we have an obligation to seek out the things of most benefit. Many of these come from our brothers and sisters of other faiths, cultures, and backgrounds. With the Spirit as our guide, we should embrace all things of benefit as we seek to make the world a better place.

Footnotes

• 1. Minute Book 1, p. 8, JSP.
• 2. See “Bible Used for Bible Revision,” JSP.
• 3. Bruce Metzger, Introduction to the Apocrypha, 1957, 183, quoted in Revelation, 9 March 1833 [D&C 91], fn. 4, JSP.
• 4. JS History, vol. A-1, pp. 80–81, JSP.
• 5. JS History, vol. A-1, pp. 279–280, JSP.
• 6. Bible Used for Bible Revision, Apocrypha, pp. 1–99, JSP.
• 7. “Historical Introduction,” Revelation, 9 March 1833 [D&C 91], JSP.
• 8. Stephen E. Robinson and H. Dean Garrett, A Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants, 2005, 3:167.
• 9. Bible Dictionary, “Canon.”