Doctrine and Covenants, Connected: Every Revelation With Conference Talks, the Joseph Smith Papers and the Story Behind It

Doctrine and Covenants, Connected is a free reader that puts every revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants side by side with the general conference talks that taught from it, the original manuscripts in the Joseph Smith Papers, and the people, places and questions behind each section. It covers all 138 sections and both Official Declarations, and it is open now at weakthings.com/pages/doctrine-and-covenants-connected.

There is a lot in it. More, honestly, than any single page can show at once. This guide walks through everything the reader holds, one layer at a time, using Section 76, “the Vision,” as the example. Then it looks at what all of this can mean for your own study, and for your testimony.

The reader at a glance

• 140 sections and declarations: Sections 1–138 plus Official Declarations 1 and 2.
• 3,674 verses and paragraphs, each with the full text.
• 2,089 of them are cited by at least one general conference talk.
• 5,162 links between sections and conference talks, from April 2000 through October 2026.
• Every verse is tied to the Joseph Smith Papers: the earliest surviving manuscript page, and the same verse in every Joseph Smith–era copy and printing.
• The setting of every revelation: the question that was asked, the answer in one line, when and where it came, who was there, and a map.

Some sections stand out right away. Section 88 (“the light of truth”) is linked to 262 conference talks, Section 84 to 251, Section 121 (“O God, where art thou?”) to 234 and Section 20 to 226. You can see at a glance where prophets and apostles keep returning, and where quiet verses are waiting for someone to notice them.

Two ways to browse: by date or by section

The Doctrine and Covenants isn’t printed in the exact order the revelations were received, so the hub gives you two views. In order of dates groups the revelations by where and when they came: New York and Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, the trek west and a worldwide Church. Reading this way, you watch the Restoration unfold, revelation by revelation. In order of sections lists Sections 1 to 138 and the two Official Declarations as they’re printed, which is handy when you’re following Come, Follow Me or a class assignment. Each card shows the section’s theme, date, place, the kind of revelation and how many of its verses conference has taught from.

Every section opens with its story

Each section page begins with a short, plain-language account of how the revelation came. For Section 76 it reads: on February 16, 1832, in the upstairs room of John and Elsa Johnson’s home in Hiram, Ohio, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon were revising the Gospel of John. John 5:29 made them wonder what “resurrection of the just and of the unjust” meant for heaven, and while they pondered, they saw the Vision together.

Below the story are the numbers for that section (119 verses, 99 cited in conference, 134 distinct talks, 446 verse-to-talk links), a bar chart showing which verses conference returns to most, and links to the previous and next sections.

Tap any verse to open its panel

This is the heart of the reader. Tap a verse and a panel opens with up to eight tabs: Talks, Joseph Smith Papers, Setting, Scholarship, Words, Text, Connections and More. Each tab shows a count, so you know before you tap what’s waiting.

Talks: every conference talk that uses the verse

For Doctrine and Covenants 76:22 (“That he lives!”), the panel shows 21 distinct talks. Seven cite this exact verse and 14 cite a passage that includes it. A small timeline shows when it was cited across 26 years of conferences. Then come the speakers who return to it most (Elder D. Todd Christofferson four times, President Thomas S. Monson three) and the verses most often cited alongside it, like Mosiah 18:9 and Helaman 5:12.

Every talk card gives the title, speaker and conference, whether the verse is in a footnote or the talk text, and a one-sentence summary. There’s a link to read the full talk, a link to its Weak Things sketch note, and a star to save it. You can filter to the exact verse or cited passages, and sort newest or oldest first. There are also links to copy a link to the verse, open its verse data page or read it in context in Gospel Library.

Joseph Smith Papers: the original documents behind every verse

This tab may be the most remarkable part of the reader. It links each verse to the exact page in the Joseph Smith Papers where you can see the original image and transcription. For 76:22 that means the earliest surviving copy (“Vision, 16 February 1832,” in the handwriting of Frederick G. Williams), Revelation Books 1 and 2, the copy in Sidney Gilbert’s notebook, the revelation as printed in The Evening and the Morning Star, the 1835 and 1844 Doctrine and Covenants, and Joseph Smith’s own history. Nine documents for one verse.

The tab also lists what the section was numbered in earlier editions (Section 76 was Section 91 in 1835 and 92 in 1844), the people, places and glossary terms the Papers connect to it, and related documents like “The Answer,” the 1843 poetic version of the Vision.

Setting and Text: the question, the people and the earliest wording

The Setting tab answers questions most of us never think to ask. Who asked? What did they ask? What was the Lord’s answer, in one line? When and where did it come, what kind of revelation was it, and who was there? For Section 76 you learn that it was a shared vision, seen by Joseph and Sidney together with about twelve men in the room. Philo Dibble later recalled that they took turns saying “What do I see?” and “I see the same.”

The Text tab shows who is speaking in the verse (the Lord, or Joseph and Sidney bearing record), any Joseph Smith Translation connection and how the wording has changed since the earliest copy. In 76:16, for example, the 1832 manuscript reads “of the dead who should hear,” and today’s text reads “of the dead, concerning those who shall hear.” Each comparison links to the manuscript page so you can see it for yourself.

Connections and Words: how the revelations talk to each other

The Connections tab is a hand-checked list of links to the Bible and Book of Mormon, each opening in the matching Connected reader. It also has doctrine trails: short paths through the revelations on one idea. From 76:17 you can follow “Kingdoms of glory” from Section 76 to 88, 131, 137 and 138, or “Witnesses of the living Christ” from the First Vision to 76:22–24 and the Kirtland Temple in Section 110.

The Words tab marks the first time a Restoration term appears in the Doctrine and Covenants, like “Church of the Firstborn” in 76:54, and where it’s developed later. It also has Webster’s 1828 definitions for words as Joseph Smith’s generation used them.

Scholarship and More: faithful scholars and Church manuals

The Scholarship tab points to Latter-day Saint scholars and teachers who explain the verse, with the verses each one covers and a one-line summary. For Section 76 that includes Steven C. Harper in BYU Studies, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel on the poetic version, and Casey Paul Griffiths at Doctrine and Covenants Central. The More tab links to Come, Follow Me, the Church History Department’s Doctrine and Covenants Historical Resources, the institute manual, BYU Studies and commentary pages. Every source is labeled, and every summary is in Weak Things’ own words.

Reading tools: who is speaking, 1828 words and text notes

Three switches above the text change how it looks. Who is speaking colors the margin of each verse by speaker, so in Section 76 you can see exactly where the Lord speaks and where Joseph and Sidney bear record. 1828 words underlines words with an 1828 definition. Text notes marks verses whose wording changed from the earliest copy. Small markers after each verse show the number of talks (◆), Bible and Book of Mormon links (●) and text notes (✎). Headings divide each section into its natural parts, like “Lucifer and the sons of perdition.”

You can see the speaker colors in the Joseph Smith Papers screenshot above: “The Lord” in red over verse 23, and Joseph and Sidney in blue.

Where and when: a map for every section

Each section has a map of the places it mentions or where it was received, grouped by era. For Section 76 the Ohio map marks the Johnson home in Hiram (verses 11, 15 and 19) and Kirtland (verse 1). Dates come from the Joseph Smith Papers’ chronology of the Doctrine and Covenants.

Explore the data

Switch to Explore the data and the section becomes a study in how the Church has taught it. You’ll see who returns to the section most (for Section 76: Elder Christofferson with 9 talks, then Presidents Oaks, Nelson, Packer and Elder Cook with 8 each), what the talks are about (Jesus Christ, the plan of salvation, family, discipleship, the Atonement), how often it was cited by decade, which verse ranges are quoted as one passage (76:22–24 in 13 talks), which other scriptures it travels with (Moses 1:39 in 23 talks), and a list of quiet verses: verses no conference talk from 2000 to 2026 has linked to, which the reader suggests as good places for fresh personal study.

Sketch notes for the section

The data view ends with a gallery of Weak Things sketch notes for the talks that connect to the most verses in the section: one-page visual summaries of each talk. Open one to see the whole sketch note with its key quotes, scriptures and topics.

Teach and sketch

The Teach & sketch view turns each section into a ready lesson. A study trail walks you through five steps from the text into conference and back. For Section 76, step two is: tap verse 22, open the Joseph Smith Papers tab and find the scribe who wrote the 1832 page. Discussion questions work for families, classes and personal study, like “Verses 22–24 are a testimony of the living Christ. What would you add if you wrote your own testimony of him?” Sketch the connection gives a simple drawing prompt.

People and your study workspace

Every person named in a section has a portrait card with a short biography and a link to their Joseph Smith Papers biography. Section 76 has cards for Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, John and Elsa Johnson, Philo Dibble and Frederick G. Williams. Your study workspace collects the verses and talks you star, plus your own notes, and prints them as a study sheet with room to sketch. It’s saved in your browser only, with no account needed.

What this means for your own study

The revelations become answers again. Nearly every section of the Doctrine and Covenants began with someone asking the Lord a question. When you see the question first (who asked, and what was going on in their life), the revelation stops being a list of verses and becomes a conversation. That’s the same pattern the Lord invites you into: “Ask, and ye shall receive.”

You hear prophets and apostles teach the same verse across decades. Tap a verse and you’ll find President Monson, President Nelson and President Oaks returning to it in different years, for different needs. It’s one of the clearest ways to see continuing revelation at work: the same truth, applied again and again by living prophets.

The record is open. The Joseph Smith Papers let anyone see the earliest manuscripts, the handwriting of the scribes and how the wording was refined for publication. Seeing the care that went into recording and preserving these revelations can build real confidence. Nothing is hidden behind the text you read on Sunday.

The people become real. Emma Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris and many others weren’t just names in footnotes. They were people with questions, doubts and courage, much like us. The Lord spoke to them by name, and their portraits and stories help you hear what He said to them as something He might say to you.

Quiet verses get a turn. The data view lists verses conference has cited rarely or never. Some of the most personal answers you find may be in a verse no talk has ever quoted.

How it can help a testimony grow

A testimony grows by small, repeated experiences with the word of God. Doctrine and Covenants, Connected is built to make those experiences easier to have.

• Testimony of Jesus Christ. The Doctrine and Covenants is, more than anything, the voice of the Lord. Turn on “Who is speaking” and you’ll see how much of it is the Savior speaking in the first person. Follow the doctrine trail “Witnesses of the living Christ” from the First Vision to 76:22–24 and Section 110.
• Testimony of the Restoration. Seeing when and where each revelation came, in order, makes the Restoration feel like what it was: a real sequence of events in real places, guided step by step.
• Testimony of living prophets. Seeing a verse taught across 26 years of conferences shows the Lord’s servants drawing on the same revealed truths.
• Honest study. The reader puts the Church’s own sources, faithful scholarship and the original documents side by side, each clearly labeled. You can study hard questions in the open and with faith.

Ways to start this week

1. Ten minutes: open Section 76, tap verse 22, and read one talk that cites it.
2. For Come, Follow Me: switch the hub to “In order of sections,” open this week’s section and use the study trail with your family.
3. For seminary or Sunday School: project the Explore the data view and ask the class why they think conference returns to certain verses.
4. For a personal question: read the Setting tab for a section, write your own question at the top of your notes and look for the Lord’s answer in the verses.
5. For history lovers: pick a verse, open the Joseph Smith Papers tab and compare the earliest copy with today’s text.

Frequently asked questions

Is Doctrine and Covenants, Connected free?

Yes. Reading, saving verses and talks, notes and printing study sheets are all free, and you don’t need an account.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. On a phone the verse panel slides up from the bottom of the screen, and everything else works the same.

Where does the information come from?

Scripture text is public domain. Conference connections come from the scripture references in general conference talks from April 2000 through October 2026. Manuscript links go to the Joseph Smith Papers, and history comes from Church sources and labeled Latter-day Saint scholarship. Official Declaration 2 is shown as a summary in Weak Things’ own words, with a link to the official text.

Is this an official Church site?

No. Weak Things is an independent study tool and does not speak for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Summaries are Weak Things’ own words. Talks are linked, not reproduced, and Joseph Smith Papers images and transcriptions are linked to their source.

The Connected family

Doctrine and Covenants, Connected works the same way as the other readers:

• Old Testament, Connected: 929 chapters plus Moses and Abraham, with Hebrew word studies.
• New Testament, Connected: 260 chapters with Greek word studies, for Come, Follow Me 2027.
• Book of Mormon, Connected: all 239 chapters, with textual history and who’s who.
• Scriptures, Connected: the hub for all four.

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