What is the Doctrine and Covenants?

Question

Dear Gramps,

In your response to Amber’s question “Will mortal children be born in the Millennium” you quoted from “Doctrine and Covenants 101:30-31”  What is this source? By the way, I thought your answer was right on. We have been studying the book of Revelation at Church.

Dennis

Answer

Dear Dennis,

The Doctrine and Covenants is a book of revelations given by the Lord to the Prophet, Joseph Smith, covering the period from September, 1823 to July, 1843, in addition to five other subsequent entries. The Doctrine and Covenants is one of four “Standard Works” or scriptures that are accepted as doctrine by the Mormon Church. The other three scriptures are the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price.

The Book of Mormon is a translation by the Prophet Joseph Smith of ancient records that were placed in his hands by an angel of God, that reveal the history of a branch of the House of Israel that were led by the Lord from Jerusalem to the New World in 600 B.C. The record recounts their history and the writings of their prophets for a period of 1000 years. The writings of their prophets are rich in doctrinal issues of the gospel of Jesus Christ that expand on the doctrines in the Bible and confirm the authenticity of the Bible. Joseph Smith said of the Book of Mormon—

“I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book” (Book of Mormon introduction)

The Pearl of Great Price is a small volume of 61 pages that contains the Book of Moses and the Book of Abraham, both translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith, as well as a brief account of the early history of Joseph Smith, and the thirteen Articles of Faith of the Mormon Church.

Since you and your congregation are studying the Book of Revelation, let me draw your attention to a rather curious entry in Revelation, Chapter 21. John speaks of being carried away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and being shown the New Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God. The rest of the chapter describes the New Jerusalem. The measurements of the city are given in verse 16—

And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. (Revelation 21:16)

Now I assume that you believe, as I do, that the Holy Bible is the word of God. So I believe verse 16 is a true scripture. But here’s the problem. A furlong, or Greek Stadium, was equal to about 607 English feet. 12,000 furlongs times 607 feet divided by 5280 feet per mile would be 1379.5 miles! This city, the New Jerusalem, is a cube–1400 miles on a side! Such a city would extend from San Francisco to St. Louis! And be 1400 miles high! That city would be about two thirds the diameter of the moon!

Can you imagine how impossible it would be to move upward in that city for 1400 miles?? Can you imagine what such a structure would do to the rotation of the earth on its axis? And that would be just the beginning of trouble. At first glance that scripture appears to be an impossible statement. However, verse 10 says that John saw the New Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God. It does not say that the city was placed on the earth, rather that it descended out of heaven.

Now here’s a scenario that could make the whole thing feasible and maintain the integrity of the scriptures. What if the New Jerusalem were placed near the earth, but not on the earth? It could be a near-earth orbiting satellite! Were that the case, as with all orbiting satellites, there would be no gravity, and the occupants could navigate from one part to the other with ease. I’m comfortable with that concept.

Gramps