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The last two sections of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants were not revelations, but rather were statements of policy and belief. One has been disavowed as a non-scriptural usurpation that was surreptitiously added to the scriptural canon, whereas the other is exalted to the status of revelation and eternal doctrine. We also cover a vision Oliver recorded about the future mission of Joseph.
Great episode! Both these sections are packed with things that the current church doesn’t address.
The now-removed Section 101 leads to the million-dollar question: was Joseph a polygamist? In the past, you’ve presented scriptural evidence that God withheld revelation from Joseph as the saints failed to live god’s laws. So Joseph was left to make plenty of human errors, but was polygamy one of them?
As was made clear in this episode, Joseph allowed Section 101 to remain during his lifetime. The LDS church has fought to prove Joseph introduced and lived plural marriage, implying he was living polygamy with an elite few while leaving the anti-polygamy 101 as part of the cannon. Considering that obvious inconsistency, the rewrite of church history following his death, the lack of first-hand statements supporting polygamy from Joseph or Emma, and the lack of children outside of his marriage to Emma, there are reasons to question yet another of the church’s narratives.
Also, section 134 relates to what is happening today, yet the LDS church remains silent. There’s no mention of these principles as they relate to our day: the evils of socialism, or infringement on freedoms, including our first amendment right to speech and assembly. While some churches in my home state of California fought to stay open and worship, our churches remained closed. And, of course, that’s no comparison to what Christians suffer in China where we’re working towards having a temple. (https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/eng/article/new-temples-april-2020-general-conference)
Thank you for scriptural insights that help make these sections relevant in our day.