What is the Journal of Discourses?

Answer

The Journal of Discourses (often abbreviated as J. D.) is a 26-volume record of public statements made by the early leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), also known as the Mormon Church. It contains various types of speeches, such as the prayer delivered during the laying of the cornerstone of the Salt Lake Temple, a report on a high council court decision, a funeral sermon, and a plea for the defendant along with the charge to the jury in a murder trial. The collected Journal of Discourses comprises 1,438 speeches given by fifty-five individuals, including Presidents of the Church, members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, members of the Seventy, and sixteen other speakers. Brigham Young delivered 390 speeches; John Taylor, 162; Orson Pratt, 127; Heber C. Kimball, 113; and George Q. Cannon, 111. Additionally, twenty-one individuals gave a single speech, while the rest gave anywhere from 2 to 66 speeches (https://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Journal_of_Discourses, accessed 2/23/20).

The concept for this work originated from George D. Watt, a stenographer for Brigham Young, who initially transcribed sermons for the Deseret News, the newspaper of Salt Lake City. As some LDS members did not have access to the local newspaper, Watt created the Journal of Discourses as a semi-monthly periodical, which was sent by mail to subscribers regardless of their location. Over time, the individual editions were compiled into the 26-volume collection covering the years 1854—1886.

As the statements of early leaders have faced scrutiny, LDS leaders appear to be attempting to distance themselves from the publication, while still making it available. The official LDS website clarifies that the Journal of Discourses is not an official church publication: “The Journal of Discourses contains interesting and insightful teachings from early Church leaders; however, it is not considered an authoritative source of Church doctrine by itself.” (www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/m)

annual/gospel-topics/journal-of-discourses?lang=eng, accessed 2/23/21).

Similarly, contemporary LDS statements indicate that some of the content in the Journal of Discourses might have been inaccurately transcribed: “Questions have been raised about the precision of certain transcriptions. The absence of modern technology and processes hindered the verification of transcriptions, leading to some notable errors” (ibid.).

Nevertheless, during their recording, declarations of LDS leaders were viewed as authoritative. Brigham Young, referring to his own declarations, stated, “I affirm that when they are transcribed and endorsed by me, they hold the same weight as Scripture found in the Bible, and if you seek revelation, consider the teachings of the one who comprehends the intentions of God” (Journal of Discourses, Volume 13, p. 264, https://jod.mrm.org/13/261, accessed 2/23/21).

While present-day LDS leaders may attempt to distance themselves from past leaders’ declarations, they encounter a dilemma as the early leaders frequently asserted to be speaking with divine authority. If their declarations are unreliable, LDS teachings derived from them would also be questionable.

It is universally acknowledged that the Journal of Discourses serves as a crucial historical resource for the initial years of the LDS organization. It is accessible in full-text online.