Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Doctrine and Covenants (1835) is the second of three works (along with Book of Mormon and Pearl of Great Price) by Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of revelations given to Smith during the 1830s. The content of these revelations ranges from the organization and impetus of the church to specific commandments, such as the proper role and titles of individuals in the LDS church (who are commonly called Mormons), to various theological doctrines.

The book is best known for its explication of rather controversial aspects of the Mormon faith, among them certain theological assertions, including the corporeality of God, the progression of humans toward their own divinity, and the ongoing nature of revelation. The work also covers highly controversial practices, such as the baptism of the dead by proxy and plural marriage, or polygamy. These practices and beliefs set the LDS church apart from the greater Protestant majority in nineteenth-century America and beyond and were the motivating factor behind much of the persecution against Mormons into the twentieth century.