From Joseph Smith to Revelation: D&C 127-131

When we flip through D&C 127-131, we find that, unlike earlier sections that contain revelations, we're reading about epistles or items of instruction given by Joseph Smith to others in the church. These don't contain those key words that we find in other sections of the D&C, such as "thus saith the Lord." The real question we have to ask ourselves when we read these is this: "why are these included in the Doctrine and Covenants? How did they become canonized, or made into Latter-Day Saint scripture? What is their purpose?"

Joseph Smith wrote a number of letters and revelations in the course of his life, and it's true that only a handful of them have been canonized. Mostly, this is because a good chunk of the letters Joseph wrote are a lot like our own letters. They're contemporary documents meant for a specific audience in a specific time and place. There's no point in canonizing one of Joseph's random letters to Emma or to one of his friends, now is there?

This being said, Latter-Day Saints do believe that their prophets, Joseph Smith being one of them, do receive the word of God. In our D&C, we read that "where by my voice or the voice of my servants, it is the same." Now, before the Winter of 1838-39, Joseph Smith really only spoke as the Lord's metaphorical mouthpiece by using the phrase "thus saith the Lord." These are those revelation chapters we find in the D&C. However, spending the Winter of 38-39 in Liberty Jail on trumped-up charges, Joseph Smith had a real change. Coming out of Liberty and arriving in the newly established city of Nauvoo, Joseph was able step into a new role as a speaker and a teacher in the Lord's kingdom. No longer was he afraid to speak as a prophet. Joseph began speaking more frequently in meetings, and he also spoke with other members of the church more frequently. This is where these revelations -- 127-131 -- all come from. 127 and 128 are epistles, or letters from Joseph Smith to members of the church in sermon form. In 129-131 we have instructions from Joseph Smith to members of the branch at Ramus.

Now, the question remains, "why are these letters scripture?" Well, knowing what we know now, the answer is simple. Like the Pauline epistles of the Bible, so too did Joseph's words have value for members of the church. Future LDS prophets saw Joseph Smiths' letters and sermons and recognized that they contained information that was valuable for church members. These letters contain doctrines on eternal marriage and temples. As the Lord's mouthpiece, Joseph Smith had the capacity to speak the word of the Lord for the benefit of others.