This CD-ROM contains The
26 Volume Set of The Journal of Discourses,
totaling approx 10,000 pages.
The Journal of Discourses
(often abbreviated J.D.) is a 26-volume collection of public
sermons by early leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The first editions of the
Journal were published in England by George D. Watt, the
stenographer of Brigham Young. Publication began in 1854, with
the approval and endorsement of the church's First Presidency,
and ended in 1886. The Journal is one of the richest sources of
early Mormon theology and thinking. It includes 1,438 sermons
given by 55 church leaders, including most numerously Brigham
Young, John Taylor, Orson Pratt, Heber C. Kimball, and George Q.
Cannon.
While it was never adopted as
Mormon canon, The Journal of Discourses was held in high regard
in its day. It was quoted like scripture and the writers
would have preferred this to become the standard of the church.
The modern Mormon church has
distanced itself from this document and many of its teachings.
Many of the ideas such as blood atonement, the Adam-God theory,
plural marriage, and the exclusionary Negro doctrine, have been
disavowed by the modern day church.
The official position from the LDS
church can be found on their website:
The Journal of Discourses is not an
official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. It is a compilation of sermons and other materials from
the early years of the Church, which were transcribed and then
published. It included some doctrinal instruction but also
practical teaching, some of which is speculative in nature and
some of which is only of historical interest.
Questions have been raised about the
accuracy of some transcriptions. Modern technology and processes
were not available for verifying the accuracy of transcriptions,
and some significant mistakes have been documented. The Journal
of Discourses includes interesting and insightful teachings by
early Church leaders; however, by itself it is not an
authoritative source of Church doctrine.
The writers of the day had the following to say about The
Journal of Discourses:
We take great pleasure in presenting to the Saints and the world
... the Journal of Discourses, which they will find contains
rich treasures of information concerning the glorious principles
of Eternal Life, as revealed through God's anointed servants in
these last days. All who read the discourses contained in this
Volume are earnestly recommended to adapt them to their lives by
practice, and we can confidently assure them that, in doing so,
they are laying up a store of knowledge that will save and exalt
them in the Celestial kingdom.
-Apostle Albert
Carrington, Journal of Discourses, Preface, Volume 15.
The Journal of Discourses
deservedly ranks as one of the standard works of the Church, and
every rightminded Saint will certainly welcome with joy every
number (issue) as it comes forth.
-President George Q.
Cannon, Journal of Discourses, Preface, Volume 8.
Each successive Volume of these Discourses is a rich mine of
wealth, containing gems of great value, and the diligent seeker
will find ample reward for his labor. After the fathers and
mothers of this generation have made them the study of their
lives their children's children will find that they are still
unexhausted, and rejoice that this Record has been handed down
from their fathers to also aid them in following the way of
life.
-Apostle Orson Pratt,
Preface. Volume 3.
It is impossible to give monetary value to the past volumes of
this publication, ... Those who read the utterances of the
servants of God, contained in this book, under the same
influence by which the speakers were inspired, cannot fail to
receive profit from the perusal.
-President Joseph F.
Smith, Preface, Volume 18.
We take great pleasure in presenting to the Saints and the world
... the Journal of Discourses, which they will find contains
rich treasures of information concerning the glorious principles
of Eternal Life, as revealed through God's anointed servants in
these last days. All who read the discourses contained in this
Volume are earnestly recommended to adapt them to their lives by
practice, and we can confidently assure them that, in doing so,
they are laying up a store of knowledge that will save and exalt
them in the Celestial kingdom.
-Apostle Albert
Carrington, Journal of Discourses, Preface, Volume 15.
This CD-ROM contains all of this
set in PDF format, for viewing only in your computer.
This CD cannot be played on the DVD player hooked up to your TV
or stereo.
Hard cover versions of these works
have sold for hundreds of dollars. With
our CD, you can read, study, and print out the pages as many
times as you want.
