This page contains resources to help you plan lessons, contribute more in class, or just plain get more out of the scriptures.

Resources for Doctrine & Covenants and Church History 

Engaging Gospel Doctrine

The following key books will be tremendously valuable as you study the D&C and Church History.

On the Doctrine & Covenants

Steven Harper, Making Sense of the Doctrine & Covenants: A Guided Tour through Modern Revelations. Available at Deseret Book or on Kindle.

Lyndon Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants. Available for $8.39 on Kindle.

Making Precious Things Plain, a series of resources for students and teachers of Gospel Doctrine

Recurring Donation:

$5   $10   $25   $50

One Time Donation:

$10   $25   $50   $100

On Church History

Richard Bushman, Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction.

Matthew Bowman, The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith

Leonard Arrington, The Mormon Experience: A HISTORY OF THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS

In addition, the following site and article provide a great starting point:

The sections of the D&C sorted by chronology and location on lds.org

An Ensign article on the history of the D&C by Robert J. Woodford, the editor of the Joseph Smith papers.

Overview of Church History at pbs.org 

Text and Context (Excavating Scripture) 

These are reference and more detailed works.

Doctrine & Covenants 

Best, Karl F. “Changes in the Revelations, 1833 to 1835,” Dialogue Vol. 25, Issue 1.

Black, Susan Easton. Who’s Who in the Doctrine & Covenants. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft 1997.

Howard, Richard P. Restoration Scriptures: A Study of Their Textual Development. Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Dept. of Religious Education: Herald Publishing House 1969.

Marquardt, H. Michael. The Joseph Smith Revelations: Text and Commentary. Salt Lake City:  Signature Books 1999.

Van Wagoner, Richard S. et al. “The ‘Lectures on Faith’: A Case Study in Decanonization,” Dialogue Vol. 20, Issue 3.

Church History 

Flanders, Robert B. Nauvoo: Kingdom on the Mississippi. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press 1965.

Leonard, Glen M. Nauvoo: A Place of Peace, A People of Promise. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book 2002.

Staker, Mark Lyman. Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith’s Ohio Revelations. Draper, Utah: Greg Kofford Books 2010.

WOMAN’S EXPONENT

DESERET NEWS [weekly edition, 1850-1898)

General Resources for Scripture Study

Websites

TIMES AND SEASONS

JOURNAL OF MORMON HISTORY

BYU STUDIES

DIALOGUE

Feast Upon the Word 

Feast Upon the World Wiki

Rational Faiths 

Book of Mormon Online

BYU General Conference Search

Searches General Conference talks back to Brigham Young, can also get statistics about word usuage

BYU Scripture Search 

Enter a scripture reference to pull up talks and teachings by Church leaders back to Joseph Smith

LDS Gospel Doctrine 

Scripture Study: Tools and Suggestions by James Faulconer

Books

• A Study Bible, either Harper Collins or Oxford (Harper Collins has more footnotes, Oxford is slightly easier to read because of font size and layout)
• Grant Hardy’s Reader’s Edition of the Book of Mormon
• Grant Hardy, Understanding the Book of Mormon
• Steven Harper’s Making Sense of the Doctrine & Covenants: A Guided Tour Through Modern Revelations
• H. Donl Peterson’s Pearl of Great Price : A History and Commentary
• Brant Gardner has an epic commentary on the Book of Mormon most easily available on Kindle.

 

Lesson Template

Here is a link to the template I use while preparing my lessons, feel free to use it as well if you find it helpful.

 

If you know of other helpful resources, please let us know!