Doctrine and Covenants

Doctrine and Covenants Bibliography

This is a list of source material I use and/or recommend for studying the Book of Mormon.

Not every reference I’ve cited in lesson footnotes is listed here; only major or important works are represented.

Works that are available online are linked for your reference. (If a link is broken or dead, please let me know.)

Alexander, Thomas G. Mormonism in Transition: A History of the Latter-day Saints, 1890–1930. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1996.

Anderson, Devery S. and Gary James Bergera, eds. Joseph Smith’s Quorum of the Anointed, 1842–1845: A Documentary History. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2005.

Anderson, Richard Lloyd. Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1981.

Arrington, Leonard J. Great Basin Kingdom: An Economic History of Latter-Day Saints 1830–1900. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1958.

⸻. Brigham Young: American Moses. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1986.

and Davis Bitton. The Mormon Experience: A History of the Latter-day Saints. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1979.

and Davis Bitton. Saints Without Halos: The Human Side of Mormon History. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1981.

Ash, Michael R. Of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting the Prophet Joseph Smith. Springville, UT: CFI, 2008.

Bates, Irene M. and E. Gary Smith. Lost Legacy: The Mormon Office of Presiding Patriarch. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1996.

Bringhurst, Newell G. and Craig L. Foster, eds. The Persistence of Polygamy, Volume 1: Joseph Smith and the Origins of Mormon Polygamy. Independence, MO: John Whitmer Books, 2010.

. The Persistence of Polygamy, Volume 2:  From Joseph Smith's Martyrdom to the First Manifesto, 1844–1890. Independence, MO: John Whitmer Books, 2013.

. The Persistence of Polygamy, Volume 3: Fundamentalist Mormon Polygamy from 1890 to the Present. Independence, MO: John Whitmer Books, 2015.

Bringhurst, Newell G. and John C. Hamer. Scattering of the Saints: Schism within Mormonism. Independence, MO: John Whitmer Books, 2007.

Brown, S. Kent, Donald Q. Cannon and Richard H. Jackson, eds. Historical Atlas of Mormonism. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994.

Bushman, Richard Lyman. Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism. Urbana, IL: University of Illinoise Press, 1985.

. Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005.

A Chronology of the Life of Joseph Smith.BYU Studies 46, no. 4 (2007).

Collier, Fred C., comp. Unpublished Revelations of the Prophets and Presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Volume 1. Salt Lake City: Collier’s Publishing Co., 1979.

Colvin, Don F. Nauvoo Temple: A Story of Faith. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University, 2002.

Cook, Lyndon W. The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants. Provo, UT: Seventy’s Mission Bookstore, 1981; reprinted by Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985.

Dahl, Larry E. and Charles D. Tate Jr., eds. The Lectures on Faith in Historical Perspective. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University, 1990.

Ehat, Andrew F. and Lyndon W. Cook, comps. The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University, 1980.

BYU Studies. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University, 1959–.

Ensign. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1971–2020.

Gardner, Brant A. The Gift and Power: Translating the Book of Mormon. Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2011.

Garr, Arnold K., Donald Q. Cannon and Richard O. Cowan, eds. Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2000.

Grow, Matthew J. and Eric Smith. The Council of Fifty: What the Records Reveal about Mormon History. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University, 2017.

Hales, Brian C. Joseph Smith’s Polygamy, Vol. 1: History. Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2013.

. Joseph Smith’s Polygamy, Vol. 2: History. Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2013.

. Joseph Smith’s Polygamy, Vol. 3: Theology. Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2013.

and Laura H. Hales. Joseph Smith’s Polygamy, Toward a Better Understanding. Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2015.

Hardy, B. Carmon. Solemn Covenant: The Mormon Polygamous Passage. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1992.

Harper, Steven C. Making Sense of the Doctrine and Covenants: A Guided Tour through Modern Revelations. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2008.

. First Vision: Memory and Mormon Origins. London: Oxford University Press, 2019.

Improvement Era. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1897–1970.

Ludlow, Daniel H., ed. Encyclopedia of Mormonism. 4 vols. New York: Macmillan, 1992. (Also available as scanned originals.)

Madsen, Truman G. Joseph Smith the Prophet. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1989.

Matthews, Robert J. “A Plainer Translation”: Joseph Smith’s Translation of the Bible, a History and Commentary. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 1975.

Mauss, Armand L. All Abrahamʼs Children: Changing Mormon Conceptions of Race and Lineage. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2003.

Newell, Linda King and Valeen Tippetts Avery. Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith, Prophetʼs Wife, “Elect Lady,” Polygamyʼs Foe. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1994.

Nibley, Hugh. Approaching Zion (The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol. 9). Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies / Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1989.

. Brother Brigham Challenges the Saints (The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol. 15). Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies / Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1994.

Oaks, Dallin H. and Marvin S. Hill. Carthage Conspiracy: The Trial of the Accused Assassins of Joseph Smith. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1979.

Petersen, Melvin J. “A Study of the Nature of and the Significance of the Changes In the Revelations As Found In a Comparison of the Book of Commandments and Subsequent Editions of the Doctrine and Covenants.” Master’s thesis, Brigham Young University, July 1955.

Plewe, Brandon S., ed., Mapping Mormonism: An Atlas of Latter-day Saint History. 2nd ed. Provo, UT: BYU Press, 2012.

Robinson, Stephen E. and H. Dean Garrett. A Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants. 4 vols. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2000–2005.

Smith, Joseph Jr. The Holy Scriptures, Translated and Corrected by the Spirit of Revelation. By Joseph Smith, Jr., the Seer. Illinois: The [Reorganized] Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1867.

Smith, Lucy Mack. History. Handwritten manuscript, 1844–45.

Smoot, Stephen O. and Brian C. Passantino, eds. Joseph Smith's Uncanonized Revelations. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University / Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2024.

Walden, Barbara, Lachlan Mackay, Val Brinkerhoff and John Hamer. House of the Lord: The Story of Kirtland Temple. Independence, MO: John Whitmer Books, 2008.

Watt, George D., et al, eds. Journal of Discourses. 26 vols. London: Latter-Day Saints’ Book Depot, 1854–86. (Also available as scanned originals.)

Webster, Noah. An American Dictionary of the English Language. Volume 1: A–I and Volume 2: J–Z. New York: S. Converse, 1828.

Welch, John W. and Erick B. Carlson, eds. Opening the Heavens: Accounts of Divine Manifestations, 1820–1844. 2nd ed. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press and Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2017.

Woodford, Robert J. “The Historical Development of the Doctrine and Covenants.” 3 vols. Ph.D. dissertation, Brigham Young University, April 1974.

The Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (major editions, 1833–2013):

The Joseph Smith Papers. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church Historian's Press, 2008–2023: