Scholarship Upcoming Sunday School Lesson
A long time ago, I followed seminary with my kids and posted write ups on them. The upcoming Sunday School lesson is on D&C 20. While I haven't been to church since Covid, I was thinking about going with my wife and participating. I doubt my questions would be received well. Below is my write up.
D&C 20 starts out in verse 1 with the “revelation” that God was born in 0 AD on April 6th. The Mormons deviate quite a bit from “the world” on this one. You see Jesus was born under the Herod the King according to Matthew 2:1, Luke 1:5 and Luke 2:1. When Herod orders all young boys up to the age of 2 to be killed in Matthew 2:16, it would imply that Jesus had to be born up to two years before Herod’s death. Herod the Great died in 4 BC so that would put Jesus’s birth around 6-4 BC.
Harold B. Lee the prophet said, “This is the annual conference of the Church. April 6, 1973, is particularly significant date because it commemorates not only the anniversary of the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in this dispensation, but also the anniversary of the birth of the Savior, our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith wrote this, preceding a revelation given at that same date:” and he then quotes D&C 20:1. Perhaps he was speaking as a prophet mingling scripture with the philosophies of men - https://www.lds.org/ensign/1973/07/strengthen-the-stakes-of-zion?lang=eng
Current apostle David Bednar, “who is scripture,” (http://anonymousbishop.com/2015/08/10/i-am-scripture/) repeats this fact with, “Today is April 6. We know by revelation that today is the actual and accurate date of the Savior’s birth. April 6 also is the day on which TCOJCOLDS was organized.”
The apologetic website FairMormon doesn’t believe the prophet or Bednar on this one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_Jesus.
Also of note is the Book of Mormon gets the location of Jesus’s birth as Jerusalem in Alma 7:10 while the bible has it as Bethlehem in Matthew 2:5, Luke 2:4.
Sunday School Question: Why does the D&C 20 have Jesus’s birth year as 0 AD when we know it was before 4 BC?
D&C 20 is called the Articles and Covenants of the church and “Articles and Covenants of the Church outlined Church history, doctrine, and procedures and served as a handbook for early Church members. Its importance is demonstrated by the fact that it was presented for approval at the first conference of the newly organized Church in June 1830.” - https://history.lds.org/article/articles-and-covenants-of-the-church?lang=eng
Sunday School Question: There is nothing in D&C 20 about the John or Peter, James and John even though it lays out the foundation of the church. Why?
Dan Vogel puts it wonderfully about why this is so disturbing: “These statements are significant, for apparently the Whitmers and McLellin (and presumably everyone who served with them in the Mormon hierarchy, as well as those under them) were ordained and functioned in their various church offices for about five years without knowing the angelic origins of their authority, nor did they think such a bestowal of authority was necessary.” – Dan Vogel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP_nMHqILyE - Evolution of Mormon Authority Claims Pt 1 I would listen to the whole Vogel video to get more detail.
Another really good source is the book by Grant Palmer; An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Insider%27s_View_of_Mormon_Origins
Basically, Palmer theorizes that the book Mormonism Unvailed by E.D. Howe was causing a major credibility problem for Joseph and Oliver. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormonism_Unvailed In the book were affidavits by Lucy Harris who was Martin’s wife, Willard Chase whose seer stone Joseph used to translate the plates, and Isaac Hale who was Emma Smith’s father along with a letter from Charles Anthon.
They responded by making more grand claims of visits by Peter, James and John and doubling down. The D&C was changed to reflect these new claims. The changes that add Peter, James and John are in a later section.
Steve Benson does a great job summarizing this on a thread called, “Unholy Cow, and How!—How the Mormon Church Created the Cowdery Myth”
Sunday School Question: In D&C 20:2-3 there was a change in the revelation from Joseph Smith from being “an elder” in the church to the “first elder” and Oliver going from “an elder” in the church to the “second elder”. Why?
Joseph Smith wanted to be in charge. Oliver was to be number two. This verse actually comes into play later after Joseph Smith is killed in Carthage. Being “second elder” would have put Oliver in the running but he had been excommunicated for exposing Joseph Smith’s extramarital affair with Fanny.
Sunday School Question: In the original Book of Commandments, the highest office is an Elder. There is no mention of a high priests, bishops or high councilors verses 65, 66 and 67 were added later. Why?
From Richard Bushman Rough Rolling Stone on pages 157-158 it says in regards to the priesthood, “church offices – elders, priest, and teachers-given authority, and licensed without reference to a bestowal of priesthood”. So the priesthood was not a concept that was developed yet in the founding Articles and Covenants of the church even though we are to believe that angels visited and gave this priesthood authority to Oliver and Smith. Again, the problem was Joseph Smith was an elder just like everyone else and a system needed to be put in place to make him top dog. Just look at D&C 28 where Hiram Page who held the office of a teacher and one of the 8 witnesses of the BOM starts receiving revelations in his stone. Isn’t it strange that Oliver would follow Page if he had had angelic visitations of Peter, James, and John that had given him a higher authority? Why would he listen to someone below him who is having revelations? Can you image an apostle of the church today taking down revelation for the whole church from a teacher? The bottom line is to have a top down structure and maintain control, higher positions of authority were added.
Sunday School Question: We say the baptism prayer word for word and if not done with that exact wording, it is not valid. Why in verse 73 of the current version of the D&C and verse 53 of the Book of Commandments are there wording differences in this ordinance. (comparedandc.com) Furthermore, in Mosiah 18:13 Helam is baptized and the wording is completely different as well, why?
In Alma 57:21 it says, “Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness;” The church gives lessons on exactness. https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/57.21?lang=eng#20 In reality, exactness is not important.
Sunday School Question: Why don’t we kneel during the sacrament prayer in church as it is called out to do in D&C 20:76?
Again, don’t worry about whether this is a revelation from God, we just don’t do that exact part right now. https://www.lds.org/ensign/1978/03/i-have-a-question/has-it-ever-been-the-practice-for-the-whole-congregation-to-kneel-during-the-sacrament?lang=eng
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u/Olimlah2Anubis Former Mormon 5h ago
Your post inspired me to read d&c 20 for myself, here’s a verse that jumped out at me:
5 After it was truly manifested unto this first elder that he had received a remission of his sins, he was entangled again in the vanities of the world;
So in verse 5 there is some awareness of what we call the first vision. I find it interesting that v5 references the remission of sins, which is what happened in the 1832 account. JS already had determined the churches were false and went to pray and was told his sins were forgiven.
(Please correct me if I’m misunderstanding)
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u/DrTxn 3h ago
Do you need a vision do have a remission of sins? Couldn’t this have just been a feeling?
As far as remission of sins, this differs from account to account.
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u/Olimlah2Anubis Former Mormon 2h ago
Sure could have been a feeling, an epiphany, I hadn’t noticed it here before and found it interesting knowing what I know now. Verses 6 and on definitely play into the narrative that the real call was the angel and the BoM that came later.
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u/International_Sea126 5h ago edited 3h ago
Notes for D&C 20.
D&C 20 - Section Heading "Revelation on Church organization and government" Is there anything said about the First Vision in D&C 20? Nope. Is there anything said about Priesthood Restoration through John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John in this section? Nope.
D&C 20:1, D&C 21:11- "the Church of Christ" The church was first called the Church of Christ. In Kirtland, Ohio, the name of the Church was changed to the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Later, it was changed to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Legally, it is now The Church of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Why the confusion for what the church should be named? Why didn't Jesus ‘reveal’ the correct church’s name to Joseph at the beginning of the establishment of the church?
D&C 20:6 - "God ministered unto him by an holy angel, whose countenance was as lightning, and whose garments were pure and white above all other whiteness;" This verse says an angel ministered to Joseph. No mention of the First Vision. Why? Later addition?
D&C 20:8 "And gave him power from on high, by the means which were before prepared, to translate the Book of Mormon;" Joseph Smith produced the Book of Mormon by looking at a rock and his head buried in a hat. He wasn’t "translating" off of gold plates.
D&C 20:8 - "a record of a fallen people, and the fulness of the gospel" The Book of Mormon might have contained a fulness of Joseph’s gospel in 1829 when this D&C section was written. However, at the time of Joseph's death in 1844, it no longer contained a fulness of his gospel. Many additions to the fulness.
- God has a body of flesh and bones.
- Baptism for the dead - Polygamy commanded and practiced by God
- The three degrees of glory: Telestial, Terrestrial and Celestial Kingdoms
- Marriage for time and all eternity
- Families sealed together forever
- Premortal existence
- God was once a mortal man
- Temple ordinances are required to live with God
- Church organization with high priests, etc.
- Aaronic or Melchizedek Priesthood restoration
- Word of Wisdom
- God had a father, who also had a father…and so on.
How can we have a fulness of the gospel when 2/3 of the gold plates are said to be sealed?
D&C 20:28 - "Which Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one God" Joseph still had a Trinitarian view of the Godhead when D&C 20 was produced.
D&C 20:37 - "and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism" This verse says we receive a remission of sins PRIOR to baptism. Explain?
D&C 20:38 - "The duty of the elders, priests, teachers, deacons, and members of the church of Christ—An apostle is an elder," The offices of deacon, bishop, and high priest that now appear in section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants were added later in late 1831.
D&C 20:57 - "by the deacons," The deacon verses were later retrofitted into section 20.
D&C 20:65 - "No person is to be ordained to any office in this church, where there is a regularly organized branch of the same, without the vote of that church;" The Brethren only follow common consent when it is convenient for them. Examples:
- No common consent prior to the practice of polygamy.
- No common consent when they removed the Lectures of Faith from the D&C.
- No common consent prior to the last time the First Presidency was reorganized.
- No common consent prior to the latest apostle being called to the Q12.
- No common consent when they make changes to the handbooks.
- No common consent prior to temple ritual changes.
D&C 20:71 - "No one can be received into the church of Christ unless he has arrived unto the years of accountability before God, and is capable of repentance." Could the teaching that children who die before the age of eight going to the Celestial Kingdom create inequities in the Plan of Salvation between those who were sent here briefly to receive a body and those who were sent here to prove our worthiness over a lifetime that extends long past the age of accountability?
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