SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made minor adjustments to the introductory material for two of its canonized scriptures, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Book of Mormon, based on recent historical research.
The majority of the changes were made to the Doctrine and Covenants, where 25 section introductions were updated to include clarifications or corrections to dates, locations, and minor factual errors. These revisions were informed by the ongoing work of the Joseph Smith Papers Project.
Elder Kyle S. McKay, a General Authority Seventy and Church Historian, said the adjustments bring the introductions in line with what has been learned from two decades of studying Joseph Smith’s documents. “We hope the contextual additions help readers better understand why and how the Lord communicated with the Church through His Prophet,” he said.
Additionally, two chapter summaries in the Book of Mormon were adjusted to clarify Jesus Christ’s ministry to the people of Nephi. The updated digital versions are available now on ChurchofJesusChrist.org and the Gospel Library app, though members are not expected to obtain new printed copies.