Finding Christ in the Doctrine and Covenants

As we embark on the study of the Doctrine and Covenants in the upcoming new year, we are sometimes prone to compare this text with our past scripture study experiences. Each book of scripture has its strength.

The Old Testament, for example, seems an ideal source for understanding God’s covenant with His people and His pattern for ministering to us through prophets. In the New Testament, readers traverse the dusty paths of the Holy Land, witnessing the Son of God teach, preach, heal, atone for the sins of the world and rise in resurrected glory. The Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ and the fullness of His gospel as taught among ancient inhabitants of the Americas, as well as the destructive effects of rejecting that message.

It seems natural, therefore, to anticipate what we will gain in our Churchwide scripture study in 2025. What can we anticipate learning by delving into the revelations contained in the Doctrine and Covenants? We can come to hear and know Christ better.

The Voice of the Lord Unto All

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The Doctrine and Covenants has one central message that some may not readily recognize or may assume is found elsewhere. Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926-2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught: “If asked which book of scripture provides the most frequent chance to ‘listen’ to the Lord talking, most individuals would at first think of the New Testament. The New Testament is a marvelous collection of the deeds and many of the doctrines of the Messiah. But in the Doctrine and Covenants we receive the voice as well as the word of the Lord. We can almost ‘hear’ Him talking” ("The Doctrine and Covenants: The Voice of the Lord”, “Ensign,” Dec. 1978).

The introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants highlights this strength. “The messages, warnings, and exhortations are for the benefit of all mankind and contain an invitation to all people everywhere to hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking to them for their temporal well-being and their everlasting salvation. ... In the revelations, one hears the tender but firm voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking anew in the dispensation of the fulness of times.”

Section after section, readers of the Doctrine and Covenants familiarize themselves with the voice of Jesus Christ. Its opening verses invite readers to “hearken ... [to] the voice of him who dwells on high,” declaring that “the voice of the Lord is unto all men” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:1-2). More than a dozen subsequent sections continue the exhortation to hearken or listen to His voice (see Doctrine and Covenants 33:1; 34:1; 39:1; 42:1-2; 50:1; 51:1; 57:1; 58:1; 61:1; 65:1; 67:1; 75:2; 133:1, 16).

Sometimes, the voice of the Lord in the recorded revelations is to broad groups within the Church. “Behold, and hearken, O ye elders of my church, saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, your advocate, who knoweth the weakness of man and how to succor them who are tempted,” the Lord reassuringly declared to leaders traveling through Missouri in 1831 (Doctrine and Covenants 62:1).

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Other times His counsel is to individuals. To Martin Harris, the Lord promised, “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:23).

In the depths of Liberty Jail, that same voice consoled the weary Prophet Joseph, “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:7-8).

Emphasizing whose voice is heard throughout the Doctrine and Covenants, the Savior revealed: “I, Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God, have spoken it. These words are not of men nor of man, but of me; wherefore, you shall testify they are of me and not of man” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:33-34).

Tender But Firm Voice

As noted in the introduction, the reader of the Doctrine and Covenants will find the Lord’s voice is both tender and firm. One of the clearest revelations capturing both aspects was given to Emma Smith in July 1830. Jesus Christ tenderly declared to her, “Hearken unto the voice of the Lord your God, while I speak unto you, Emma Smith, my daughter; for verily I say unto you, all those who receive my gospel are sons and daughters in my kingdom” (Doctrine and Covenants 25:1). Compassionately, the Lord continued, “Behold, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou art an elect lady, whom I have called” (verse 3).

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Later in the same section, the voice of Jesus Christ added the firm invitation: “Keep my commandments continually, and a crown of righteousness thou shalt receive. And except thou do this, where I am you cannot come” (verse 15). Additionally, as with many other revelations, he extended these truths beyond their original recipient, “And verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my voice unto all” (verse 16).

In a similar tender but firm way, He reassured a group of elders in September 1830: “Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the Great I Am, whose arm of mercy hath atoned for your sins; Who will gather his people even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, even as many as will hearken to my voice and humble themselves before me, and call upon me in mighty prayer. Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that at this time your sins are forgiven you, ... but remember to sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you” (Doctrine and Covenants 29:1-3).

His Character and His Roles

Moreover, the Lord’s voice throughout the Doctrine and Covenants frequently testifies of His character. For example, section 45 movingly begins by revealing His eternal omnipotence: “Hearken, O ye people of my church, to whom the kingdom has been given; hearken ye and give ear to him who laid the foundation of the earth, who made the heavens and all the hosts thereof, and by whom all things were made which live, and move, and have a being” (verse 1).

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Two verses later, He continues, emphasizing His merciful, compassionate nature: “Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him — Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified; Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life” (verses 3-5).

Other times in the sacred text, He declares His roles. In section 19, He proclaimed, “I am Alpha and Omega, Christ the Lord; yea, even I am he, the beginning and the end, the Redeemer of the world” (verse 1). Summarizing His mission, He continued, “I, having accomplished and finished the will of him whose I am, even the Father, concerning me — having done this that I might subdue all things unto myself — Retaining all power, even to the destroying of Satan and his works at the end of the world, and the last great day of judgment, which I shall pass upon the inhabitants thereof, judging every man according to his works and the deeds which he hath done” (verses 2-3). He later revealed, “Hearken and listen to the voice of him who is from all eternity to all eternity, the Great I Am, even Jesus Christ — The light and the life of the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 39:1-2).

These self-declared titles and roles, Alpha and Omega, Christ the Lord, the Beginning and the End, the Great I Am, the Savior of the World, the Good Shepherd, the Stone of Israel, the Son Ahman, the Mighty One of Israel, the Lord of Sabaoth, the Advocate with the Father, and the Light and Life of the World, come directly from Jesus Christ, the voice that dominates the Doctrine and Covenants (Matthew Brooks, “115 Names and Titles of Jesus Christ,” “Liahona,” Dec. 2023).

Unique, Special, Vital and Essential

President James E. Faust (1920-2007) wisely observed regarding the various texts of scripture: “Each is unique. Each is the word of God. Each is special. Each is vital for understanding the principles of the gospel. Each is essential to our salvation” (“The Doctrine and Covenants and Modern Revelation,” in “Sperry Symposium Classics,” 2004).

Its repeated declaration of truth directly given by the voice of the Lord makes the Doctrine and Covenants a unique, special, vital and essential contribution to our scriptural canon, conveying aspects of Jesus Christ that would be unknown without it. As a result, readers of the Doctrine and Covenants “can testify that you have heard my voice, and know my words” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:36). As we take seriously our study of the Doctrine and Covenants this year, we can come to better hear and know our Savior, Jesus Christ, and discover God’s direct counsel and guidance for our lives.

—Scott C. Esplin is the dean of Religious Education at Brigham Young University.