Articles and Covenants

Section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants is very important in the development of the church. Up until this point, the revelations received by Joseph Smith discuss the marvelous work and wonder- the translation of the Book of Mormon. Sections 19 and 20 reveal other doctrines that are important to the gospel and the growing church. In Section 19, Jesus recounts his suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and asks us to use that sacrifice by having faith, repenting, being baptized and following the guidance of the Holy Ghost. In Section 20, the Lord recalls the brief history of the restored church, and explains the basic principles of operation in the church. In the latter part of the section, He outlines the duties of various offices of the church, and how certain priesthood ordinances should be performed. How should a person be baptized? How does a priest properly administer the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper? These are questions that religionists had wrestled with for years. But now that there was a prophet of God on the earth, the Lord could reveal his divine direction. Section 20 is the earliest version of the handbook of instructions for the church. Before any revelations were published, elders who were serving as missionaries would take hand-written copies of Section 20 with them on their missions. They needed these directions as they taught the gospel and established the church in other cities, states, and countries.