Doctrine and Covenants 21: Metanarrative of the Restoration

Title

Doctrine and Covenants 21: Metanarrative of the Restoration

Publication Type

Journal Article

Year of Publication

2023

Authors

Journal

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Pagination

77–105

Volume

57

Terms of use

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Bibliographic Citation

Abstract

Joseph Smith dictated Doctrine and Covenants 21 at the inaugural meeting of the Church of Jesus Christ on April 6, 1830. The present study examines the literary craftsmanship of the revelation to plumb the depths of its role in the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The analysis explores the meaning of patterns of usage in the text from the most specific (diction, syntax, figures of speech) to the most general (tone, rhetoric, and structural logic). The hypothesis of this study is that Doctrine and Covenants 21 provides a metanarrative of the Restoration — that is, a set of governing principles and guidelines for keeping the official record of the gospel’s final dispensation.

Restoration
Recordkeeping
Smith, Joseph, Jr.

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