Episode 103: D&C 8 – Section 11-14
In this one, Joe starts getting the hang of ‘revelating’, and he starts handing out revelations to everyone like candy. The only problem is, he’s giving them all the same revelation (womp, womp). Then we get another mysterious chapter that magically appeared sometime after the original Book of Commandments was published. Let’s see if we can find out how or why it’s there!
“Drink!” Count – 41
About 7 beers
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My Book of Mormon 
January 6, 2016 at 4:17 am
Still no takers for unpaid intern? Your loss.
Section 13 was not added to the D&C until the 1876 edition. The text was simply lifted from Joseph’s 1838 account of the history of the church, as you noted. So, was the visitation of John the Baptist documented any earlier than that? Well, kind of…
You may remember the bit of writing from Oliver Cowdery that was tacked on to the JS-History in the Pricey Pearl? Apparently that was the earliest written mention of this priesthood ordination, written by Oliver in 1834 for the church newspaper. However, he doesn’t identify the messenger as John the Baptist, he just says it was “an angel of God”. He also doesn’t identify the priesthood he received as the Aaronic, or somehow lesser than another priesthood to come, but calls it “the Holy Priesthood”.
Years later, David Whitmer said on the matter, “I never heard that an Angel had ordained Joseph and Oliver to the Aaronic Priesthood until the year 1834[,] [183]5. or [183]6—in Ohio.… I do not believe that John the Baptist ever ordained Joseph and Oliver as stated and believed by some.”
Not that you asked, but in case anyone was curious about all that “until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness” stuff, that’s supposed to mean that ritual animal sacrifice in the temple is coming back before the end, just like the Levitical priests used to do in Old Testament times. What a time to be alive, this last dispensation is!
January 6, 2016 at 8:11 pm
I like to add a drink for every time David says, “Mmm…K” or “All…right”. Those alone will get you through the most boring of episodes.
You’re welcome.
April 12, 2016 at 5:48 am
Hyrum Smith, who for now is to keep his trap shut (D&C 11):
April 10, 2020 at 4:54 am
April 12, 2016 at 5:55 am
John the Baptist simultaneously ordains Joseph and Oliver, as per D&C 13, “Upon you, my fellow servants”, that’s servants, plural:
Some stickler for church procedure must have thought that a 2-for-1 ordination would be contrary to the nature of priesthood ordinances, so this illustrator satisfied that uptight itch for correlated history by depicting the Baptist doing it one at a time:
April 12, 2016 at 5:56 am
An elderly David Whitmer, many years later: