How Has Canonizing/De-Canonizing Happened in the Doctrine & Covenants?

Because of our location in time and good record keeping, we are privileged to have an up close and personal view of the production of modern scriptural canon, and as we get into it, it’s a bit of a rollercoaster. From its first publication in 1835 to its current version today, the Doctrine and Covenants has undergone major additions, deletions, rearrangements, and textual changes. In today’s episode of Church History Matters, we’ll take a ride through the history of this iterative production of the Doctrine and Covenants, from its earliest 1833 version, known as the Book of Commandments, to its 1835 version, which added new revelations and seven major theological lectures known as the Lectures on Faith, to the 1844 version, which added a few crucial revelations and was the last version most of the branches of the Restoration agreed upon after Joseph’s death, to the 1876 version, which contained massive additions and rearranging, to the 1921 version, which decanonized the Lectures on Faith, and finally to the version we use today, which underwent revisions as recently as 2013.
This is the sixth episode of our 10-part podcast series on Joseph Smith's Revelations and Translations. For a full transcript of this episode, as well as show notes and additional resources, visit our website at doctrineandcov...
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Originally published September 26, 2023
DISCLAIMER: While we try very hard to be historically and doctrinally accurate in what we say on this podcast, please remember that all views expressed in this and every episode are our views alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Scripture Central or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

[@Glen.Danielsen]

Brothers of singular particulars, significant sayings, absolutely fascinating telling! This series is mana to me. I like how your episodes feature intermittent music moments; hearers thus get pauses to consider what they’re hearing. Brilliant.
I’m glad you don’t get into CFM phlegm, RUclips blights of insights, white board weirdness with convolutions of notions. I think Saints are laden with curriculum committee handholding, CFM rubrics, scripture strictures, and writ wringing. Casey, the worst thing we can do is to make the reading of the scriptures needlessly complex. I plead just let the Saints read - one chapter a day, in a quiet place, linger, meditate with it, let it drip over their heart like molasses. Ponder, the Holy Ghost, spiritual experience, spiritual learning, letting the text whisper of itself.

[@RyanMercer]

☺

[@markinmo]

You specify the process for canonization, but what is the procedure for de-cannonization?

[@ashlyncrane8992]

God loves you