In Their Own Words

Few topics amongst the Restoration Movement have garnered as much controversy as the Statement of Principles/Guide and Standard. During the early months of 2017, as the Restoration Scriptures project was seeking to restore the Scriptures to a more pure and authentic version, a proposal was made for the removal of Section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants ( originally known as the "Church Articles and Covenants"). The looming absence of Section 20 brought up many questions: 

•What would replace it?

•Who would write it?

•Would the people sustain it and agree to live by it as their "Church Articles and Covenants"?

•What did the Lord want and expect?

The result was an assignment to replace it that was originally given to one but eventually taken on by the movement as a whole, bringing confusion, misunderstandings, and conflict. 

This compilation of publicly-available records showcases this period of time with its many differing opinions about how these questions should be -and ultimately were - answered. While a document was eventually voted upon and placed in the RE Scriptures, the ongoing discussion shows that many still find the errand lacking completion. The question of how to move forward remains a troubling one.