D&C 28:1-16
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Summary[edit]
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Historical setting[edit]
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- Received:
For a brief overview of D&C 28 in historical relation to the rest of the Doctrine & Covenants, see Historical Overview of the Restoration Scriptures. For lengthier discussions of the historical setting, see Historical Context of the Doctrine & Covenants, chapters 5-6 or Church History in the Fulness of Times, chapters 6-7.
Discussion[edit]
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- D&C 28:1-7: The Order of Revelation. These verses lay out the doctrine of who may announce official church doctrine. This doctrine was known in the early days of the Church as as "the Order of Revelation." This doctrine states that the president of the Church is the only person who can announce official Church doctrine. Apostles and local leaders may "speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost" to a group under their stewardship by way of commandment, and that instruction "shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation" to the people in that group. (D&C 68:2-4; also see D&C 1:38)). But the binding effect of this instruction will be limited in scope to a particular time, place, group, and circumstance. Only the president of the Church may "write by way of commandment" instructions and doctrines that are to be recorded as officially binding upon the entire Church. (D&C 28:2, 7).
- The most comprehensive discussion of the Order of Revelation in recent times by a general authority may be Elder Todd Christofferson's talk The Doctrine of Christ in the April 2012 General Conference, including his discussion of the classic 1954 statement by President J. Reuben Clark, Jr.. Elder Christofferson's talk provides a framework for understanding why we do not need to feel threatened or defensive when acknowledging, as in President Dieter Uchtdorf's talk Come, Join with Us in the October 2013 General Conference, that Church leaders are human and have sometimes made mistakes.
Complete outline and page map[edit]
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Unanswered questions[edit]
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Prompts for life application[edit]
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Prompts for further study[edit]
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Resources[edit]
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Previous editions.
- The oldest surviving copy of D&C 28 is __.
- D&C 28 was first published in __.
- D&C 28 was first included in the Doctrine & Covenants in the 18__ edition.
- The text of D&C 28 in significant editions of the Doctrine & Covenants can be found at:
Related passages that interpret or shed light on D&C 28.
Doctrinal references cited on this page.
- Christofferson, D. Todd. "The Doctrine of Christ." April 2012 General Conference.
- Clark, J. Reuben Jr., "When Are Church Leaders’ Words Entitled to Claim of Scripture?" Church News, July 31, 1954, 9–10. Reprinted in Dialogue, Vol.12, No.2 (Summer 1979), p.68.
- Elieson, Kurt. "Helping our Children Develop Testimonies that Will Withstand Opposition." (April 2015). This talk explains how understanding the Order of Revelation can ease concerns about some statements made by church leaders in the past.
- Uchtdorf, Dieter F. "Come, Join with Us." October 2013 General Conference..
Historical references cited on this page.
Other resources.
Notes[edit]
Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.
