Doctrine and Covenants and Church History

Doctrine and Covenants Times at a Glance, Chart 2:

Sections 65–137

Left: Illustrated by Robert T. Barrett; top (from left): Photograph of Book of Commandments by Eldon K. Linschoten; Joseph Smith in Newel K. Whitney Store, by Paul Mann, may not be copied; The Prophet Joseph Attacked by a Mob, by Sam Lawlor, may not be copied; detail from Building the Kirtland Temple, by Walter Rane; Saints Driven from Jackson County, Missouri, and Zion’s Camp, by C. C. A. Christensen, courtesy of Brigham Young University Museum of Art, may not be copied; bottom: engravings of Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde by Frederick Hawkins Piercy

Top (from left): The Lord Appears in the Kirtland Temple, by Del Parson; The Firstfruits of the Gospel in England, by Robert T. Barrett; Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail, © Greg K. Olsen, from the Visions of Faith Collection by Mill Pond Press, Inc., Venice, Florida, may not be copied; Healing at Nauvoo, by Gary E. Smith, may not be copied; painting by Ken Baxter; Orson Hyde Dedicates the Holy Land for the Return of the Jews, by Clark Kelley Price, may not be copied; painting of first Relief Society by Paul Mann; bottom (from left): engraving of Willard Richards by Frederick Hawkins Piercy; Zina Diantha Huntington Young, by John Willard Clawson, courtesy of Museum of Church History and Art

Top (from left): Council Meeting in Nauvoo Temple, by Dale Kilbourn; Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum, by Gary E. Smith; The Saints Crossing the Mississippi, by Grant Romney Clawson; Nauvoo Temple, by James Porter; bottom: detail from Joseph Smith in Newel K. Whitney Store, by Paul Mann, may not be copied

Nov. 1831	Preparations were made to publish the revelations received by the Prophet and title them the Book of Commandments.
Dec. 1831	Newel K. Whitney was called as bishop in Ohio (see D&C 72).
Jan. 1832	Joseph Smith was ordained President of the High Priesthood (see D&C 75).
Mar. 1832	A mob tarred and feathered the Prophet Joseph and Sidney Rigdon. The Prophet’s family returned to Kirtland for a short time and then went back to Hiram.
Apr. 1832	The Prophet Joseph made a short visit to Missouri.
June 1832	The Prophet arrived back in Ohio and continued his work of translating the Bible.
Sept. 1832	The Prophet Joseph moved his family from Hiram back to Kirtland.
Oct.–Nov. 1832	The Prophet Joseph and Bishop Newel K. Whitney traveled to some eastern cities to take care of Church business (see D&C 84:114–15).
Nov. 1832	Recent converts Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball arrived in Kirtland, Ohio, to meet the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Jan. 1833	The School of the Prophets began meeting in Kirtland (see D&C 88).
Summer 1833	A school for the elders was organized in Missouri.
June 5, 1833	Construction began on the Kirtland Temple.
July 2, 1833	The Prophet Joseph and Sidney Rigdon finished the main translation of the Bible.
July 1833	A mob destroyed the Church printing office in Missouri. Church leaders were forced to sign an agreement to leave Jackson County.
Oct.–Dec. 1833	In Missouri armed conflict broke out, and the Saints were driven from Jackson County (see D&C 100:13, 15; D&C 101).
Nov. 1833– June 1836	The Missouri Saints lived relatively peaceably in Clay County, Missouri.
Dec. 18, 1833	The Prophet Joseph ordained his father, Joseph Smith Sr., as the first Patriarch to the Church.
Feb. 17, 1834	The first high council of the Church was organized in Kirtland.
Feb. 22, 1834	Parley P. Pratt and Lyman Wight arrived in Kirtland to report on the situation in Missouri and ask for help.
Feb.–May 1834	The Prophet and others asked for volunteers to join them in redeeming Zion (see D&C 103).
May 1834	A group called Zion’s Camp began a journey westward to Missouri. By the time they reached Missouri, they numbered more than 200.
June 1834	In response to the Lord’s command and to avoid bloodshed, Zion’s Camp disbanded (see D&C 105).
Feb. 1835	The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the Quorum of the Seventy were organized (see D&C 107).
July 1835	The Church purchased some Egyptian mummies and scrolls (see Abr. 1–5).
Aug. 17, 1835	In a solemn assembly the Saints accepted revelations to be published as the Doctrine and Covenants.
Late 1835– Early 1836	The first Church hymnal was published.
Mar. 27, 1836	The Kirtland Temple was dedicated amid great spiritual manifestations (see D&C 109).
Apr. 3, 1836	Jesus Christ appeared in the Kirtland Temple to accept it, and then Moses, Elias, and Elijah appeared to restore priesthood keys (see D&C 110).
Summer 1836	Saints began to settle in Far West, Missouri.
July 1837– Apr. 1838	The first missionaries in Great Britain baptized about 1,500 converts.
Jan. 1838	The Prophet Joseph and some Church leaders were forced to flee Kirtland.
Mar. 1838	The Prophet Joseph and his family settled in Far West, Missouri.
Apr. 1838	Several prominent leaders of the Church who had apostatized were excommunicated, and some became enemies of the Prophet.
July 8, 1838	The Lord directed that the Twelve Apostles preach the gospel overseas (see D&C 118).
Aug.–Oct. 1838	Armed hostilities broke out between Church members and residents in Missouri. Many Church members gathered to Far West for protection.
Oct. 1838	The governor of Missouri ordered military action against the Saints. The militia laid siege to Far West. The Prophet and other Church leaders were betrayed into the hands of government officials.
Nov. 1838– Feb. 1839	Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball led thousands of Saints to refuge in Illinois.
Apr. 1839	After months of imprisonment in Liberty Jail, the Prophet arrived in Illinois and began negotiating land purchases for the Saints.
July 1839	Many members fell ill with malaria. By the power of the priesthood, the Prophet Joseph Smith healed many.
Aug.–Sept. 1839	The Apostles departed to preach the gospel in Great Britain.
Nov. 1839	The Prophet met with the president of the United States, who refused the request for redress of the Saints’ grievances in Missouri.
June 1840	British Saints began immigrating to Nauvoo.
Aug. 1840	The Prophet began teaching the doctrine of baptism for the dead.
Jan. 1841	The First Presidency issued a proclamation urging all Saints to gather to Nauvoo.
Apr. 6, 1841	Having been commanded of the Lord to build a temple (see D&C 124), the Saints laid the cornerstones for the Nauvoo Temple.
Apr.–July 1841	Most of the Apostles returned to Nauvoo, having baptized several thousand people in Great Britain.
Oct. 24, 1841	Orson Hyde dedicated the Holy Land for the return of the Jews.
Mar. 17, 1842	The Female Relief Society of Nauvoo was organized, with Emma Smith as president.
Mar.–May 1842	The Wentworth Letter (including the Articles of Faith) and the book of Abraham were published.
May 4, 1842	The Prophet began to administer the temple endowment to a few of the Saints.
1843–44	Missionary work began in the islands of the Pacific.
June 27, 1844	A mob killed the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum in Carthage, Illinois.
Aug. 8, 1844	Church members sustained the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as the governing body of the Church, with Brigham Young as President of the Quorum of the Twelve.
Sept. 1845	Antagonism against the Saints was renewed in Illinois.
Dec. 10, 1845	Temple endowments began in the dedicated parts of the Nauvoo Temple.
Winter 1845–46	In fulfillment of the Prophet Joseph’s prophecy, the Saints made plans for a move to the Rocky Mountains.
Feb. 1846	The first groups of Saints left Nauvoo for the West.
May 1846	The Nauvoo Temple was publicly dedicated.
June 1846	The first pioneer company arrived at the Missouri River.

See Doctrine and Covenants section headings for historical background and History of the Church references.

Section number (see also circled numbers above), date the section was given, and situation that brought forth the revelation:

65. Oct. 1831 This section—designated by Joseph Smith as a prayer—was given during the period the Prophet was preparing to recommence translation of the Bible.

66. Oct. 25, 1831 William E. McLellin, a recent convert, asked the Lord to reveal His will for him.

67. Nov. 1831 At the conferences regarding the publication of the revelations that had been given through the Prophet Joseph Smith, some of the brethren felt that the language in the revelations was inferior. The Lord’s response was given through the Prophet.

68. Nov. 1831 Orson Hyde, Luke S. Johnson, Lyman E. Johnson, and William E. McLellin desired to know the mind of the Lord concerning them.

69. Nov. 1831 Oliver Cowdery had been appointed to carry the manuscripts for the Book of Commandments and some Church funds to Independence, Missouri. Because the wilderness was often hazardous, John Whitmer was called as a traveling companion.

70. Nov. 12, 1831 At the conclusion of the conferences, the Lord gave stewardship of all official Church literature and its publication to the Prophet Joseph, Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, William W. Phelps, John Whitmer, and Martin Harris.

71. Dec. 1, 1831 Ezra Booth had apostatized and wrote nine slanderous letters printed in the Ohio Star. The Prophet Joseph and Sidney Rigdon were commanded to go forth and preach to allay resulting unfriendly feelings against the Church.

72. Dec. 4, 1831 Several elders and members assembled to learn their duty and be taught.

73. Jan. 10, 1832 The elders of the Church desired to know what they should do while waiting for the next conference, to be held in Amherst, Ohio, on January 25, 1832.

74. Jan. 1832 This revelation was received during the translation of the Bible as an explanation of 1 Corinthians 7:14.

75. Jan. 25, 1832 At the conference in Amherst, the elders were eager to know how they were to bring people to a knowledge of their condition. Several missionaries were called to serve, mostly in the eastern United States.

76. Feb. 16, 1832 The Prophet Joseph and Sidney Rigdon were translating the Bible. When they came to John 5:29, the heavens were opened and they received this revelation known as “the Vision.”

77. Mar. 1832 During the translation of the book of Revelation, the brethren had many questions about the writings of John.

78. Mar. 1832 The Prophet Joseph instructed priesthood leaders concerning the law of consecration and establishing a storehouse for the poor.

79, 80. Mar. 1832 Jared Carter had come to Hiram, Ohio, to inquire of the Lord’s will through the Prophet. He was called to serve a mission to the eastern countries. By contrast, Stephen Burnett and Eden Smith were called to serve a mission wherever they chose.

81. Mar. 1832 This section was given in preparation for the formal organization of the First Presidency. Originally it was addressed to Jesse Gause, who, due to apostasy, was replaced by Frederick G. Williams.

82. Apr. 26, 1832 The Prophet Joseph had been commanded in section 78 to go to Zion and teach the leaders the law of consecration. He traveled to Zion and at a meeting was sustained as President of the High Priesthood, just as he had been in Ohio.

83. Apr. 30, 1832 During the brief visit to Zion, the Prophet taught concerning widows and children under the law of consecration.

84. Sept. 22–23, 1832 Elders were returning and reporting on their missions in the eastern states (see D&C 75).

85. Nov. 27, 1832 This section is an extract from a letter the Prophet wrote to William W. Phelps, who had been appointed to assist Bishop Edward Partridge in administering the law of consecration.

86. Dec. 6, 1832 During the translating and editing of the translation of the Bible, this revelation was given to the Prophet Joseph as an explanation of the parable of the wheat and the tares.

87. Dec. 25, 1832 The Prophet Joseph received this prophecy on war at a time when troubles among the nations and within the United States itself were on the minds of the Saints.

88. Dec. 27–28, 1832 At a meeting of high priests, the Prophet Joseph gave instructions on how to receive revelation. Each of the brethren present in turn prayed to the Lord that they all might be of one heart and mind and receive His will. This revelation, known as “the Olive Leaf,” followed. Verses 127–141 were received on January 3, 1833.

89. Feb. 27, 1833 Widespread use of tobacco by the brethren attending the School of the Prophets and the filthy conditions that resulted led the Prophet to inquire of the Lord. This revelation is known as “the Word of Wisdom.”

90. Mar. 8, 1833 This revelation was given as an answer to the prayers of the Prophet and the brethren and was a continuing step in establishing the First Presidency.

91. Mar. 9, 1833 The Bible that the Prophet used for the inspired translation contained the Apocrypha—writings not included in the current King James Version of the Bible. Upon the Prophet’s inquiry the Lord revealed that it was not necessary to translate them.

92. Mar. 15, 1833 Frederick G. Williams had been called as a member of the First Presidency. The Lord directed that Brother Williams should be part of the united firm.

93. May 6, 1833 The Prophet was working on the translation of the Old Testament.

94. May 6, 1833 In a meeting a committee was appointed for raising funds to build a printing house and a place for the School of the Prophets to meet. Shortly after, this revelation was given.

95. June 1, 1833 Hyrum Smith, Jared Carter, and Reynolds Cahoon were the committee that had been appointed to gather funds for the Church’s building projects. They issued a circular encouraging the Saints to fulfill the divine command given six months before to build the house of the Lord. Section 95 was given the same day the circular was issued.

96. June 4, 1833 In a meeting of high priests, the brethren were not able to decide who should be in charge of the lands that had been acquired by the Church. They determined to ask the Lord what to do. The Lord revealed that Bishop Newel K. Whitney should divide the land among the Saints.

97. Aug. 2, 1833 This revelation was an answer to letters from Oliver Cowdery and other brethren in Zion concerning a school for the elders.

98. Aug. 6, 1833 The Saints in Missouri had been experiencing severe persecutions. This revelation was given in answer to their prayers.

99. Aug. 1832 A revelation given for John Murdock.

100. Oct. 12, 1833 While on a mission, the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon were worried about their families.

101. Dec. 16, 1833 The Prophet received news of the expulsion of the Saints from Jackson County, Missouri, and inquired of the Lord what to do.

102. Feb. 17, 1834 This section is the minutes of the organization of the first high council. The Prophet set forth the ancient pattern for Church councils that had been revealed to him in vision.

103. Feb. 24, 1834 The Saints in Missouri sent Parley P. Pratt and Lyman Wight to find out by what means the Saints’ inheritance in Zion would be restored to them. This revelation authorized the Prophet to organize Zion’s Camp.

104. Apr. 23, 1834 In order to stabilize the financial situation of the Church, the united firm was divided into individual stewardships.

105. June 22, 1834 Shortly before the arrival of Zion’s Camp in Clay County, Missouri, the governor rescinded the aid he had promised. Hence, the goal to restore the Saints to their inheritance was frustrated.

106. Nov. 25, 1834 This revelation concerning Warren A. Cowdery was given while the Prophet Joseph was preparing for a school of the elders.

107. Mar. 28, 1835 In preparation for their mission to the eastern states, the Twelve Apostles requested a written revelation from the Lord to guide their labors.

108. Dec. 26, 1835 Under the influence of the Spirit, Lyman R. Sherman, one of the seven Presidents of the Seventy, came to the Prophet to express his feelings and to receive a revelation teaching him his duty.

109. Mar. 27, 1836 This dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland Temple was given to the Prophet Joseph by revelation.

110. Apr. 3, 1836 In a meeting held one week after the Kirtland Temple was dedicated, the Prophet Joseph and Oliver Cowdery, separated from the congregation by a veil, offered silent prayer at the pulpit. When they finished, this glorious vision was given to them.

111. Aug. 6, 1836 Having heard of available monies in Salem, Massachusetts, the Prophet Joseph, Sidney Rigdon, Hyrum Smith, and Oliver Cowdery went there hoping to alleviate the heavy debt hanging over the Church.

112. July 23, 1837 This section was given through the Prophet Joseph Smith to help Thomas B. Marsh, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, guide the Quorum of the Twelve.

113. Mar. 1838 Soon after the arrival of the Prophet in Far West, Missouri, Elias Higbee and other Church members inquired about particular passages of scripture from the book of Isaiah.

114. Apr. 17, 1838 David W. Patten was counseled to prepare for his mission with other members of the Twelve.

115. Apr. 26, 1838 This revelation given at Far West made known the will of God concerning the building up of that place, the construction of a temple there, and the full name of the Church.

116. May 19, 1838 This section is an extract from the journal of the Prophet Joseph regarding his visit to Adam-ondi-Ahman.

117. July 8, 1838 William Marks and Newel K. Whitney had not left Kirtland. Oliver Granger was dispatched with this revelation to instruct them what to do.

118. July 8, 1838 This revelation was given through the Prophet Joseph at Far West, Missouri, in response to the supplication, “Show us thy will, O Lord, concerning the Twelve” (see History of the Church, 3:46).

119. July 8, 1838 The financial troubles of the Church, its leaders, and the failure of the Saints to keep the law of consecration led to this revelation and the extension of the law of tithing to all members of the Church.

120. July 8, 1838 The brethren wished to know how to dispense the properties given through tithing.

121, 122, 123. Mar. 1839 The persecutions against and the sufferings of the Saints led the Prophet Joseph Smith to plead with the Lord in their behalf while he was in Liberty Jail.

124. Jan. 19, 1841 Once the Saints were gathered to Nauvoo, the Prophet Joseph sought guidance from the Lord and received direction, among other matters, to build a temple.

125. Mar. 1841 After plans for a temple in Nauvoo were declared, the question arose whether the Saints across the Mississippi River should move to Nauvoo.

126. July 9, 1841 Brigham Young had served abroad. This revelation relieved him of future travel abroad.

127, 128. Sept. 1, 6, 1842 Performance of ordinances for the dead without any organization or record keeping led to the instructions relative to baptisms for the dead in these two letters from the Prophet.

129. Feb. 9, 1843 Satan’s continued efforts to deceive the Saints necessitated instructions on how to perceive if a being was from God or the devil.

130. Apr. 2, 1843 The Prophet Joseph corrected statements presented in a talk by Orson Hyde. Verses 18–23 are statements from a sermon by the Prophet.

131. May 16–17, 1843 The Prophet gave a variety of doctrinal statements while visiting some Saints. He proclaimed verses 1–4 while giving instruction on the priesthood.

132. July 12, 1843 This section came at the request of Hyrum Smith for a written revelation to convince Emma Smith of the truthfulness of the principles of eternal marriage.

133. Nov. 3, 1831 When the Book of Commandments was being planned, the Lord gave this revelation as an appendix to it.

134. Aug. 17, 1835 This section is a declaration on earthly laws, prepared to be included in the first publication of the Doctrine and Covenants in order that others would not misinterpret the Church’s position.

135. June 27, 1844 John Taylor wrote the circumstances surrounding the Prophet Joseph Smith’s Martyrdom.

136. Jan. 14, 1847 President Brigham Young needed to know how to organize the Saints for the trek westward. (This entry appears on chart 3.)

137. Jan. 21, 1836 At a meeting of Church leaders in the nearly completed Kirtland Temple, the initiatory ordinances of the endowment were administered. The participants received visions and revelations, including this one to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

People in Church History

Heber C. Kimball 1801–68

Orson Hyde 1805–78

William W. Phelps 1792–1872

Eliza R. Snow 1804–87

Mary Fielding Smith 1801–52

Willard Richards 1804–54

Zina D. H. Young 1821–1901

George A. Smith 1817–75

Bathsheba W. Smith 1822–1910

Frederick G. Williams 1787–1842

Reynolds Cahoon 1790–1861

Mary Ann Young 1803–82

Parley P. Pratt 1807–57

Sarah M. Granger Kimball 1818–98

Elizabeth Ann Whitney 1800–82

Newel K. Whitney 1795–1850

Brigham Young 1801–77

John Taylor 1808–87

Wilford Woodruff 1807–98

Lorenzo Snow 1814–1901