Guiding Documents

There have been many organized bodies throughout the history of the world. Each may have been created for a different purpose, such as governing a people, preaching their religion, or just to create a brotherhood of like-minded individuals. The most durable and influential of these organizations always has a guiding document, some sort of “constitution” or “law book.” From Hammurabi’s Code of Laws to the Magna Carta to the United States Consitution, all of these documents served to preserve a way of governing.
These examples illustrate the importance of the Articles and Covenants of the Church of Christ, also known as Section 20 in the current Doctrine and Covenants, a book of revelations published by the LDS Church. This section contains a summary of the restoration of the Church to the earth and basic beliefs of the Church and its members. More importantly, it explains the duties and responsibilities of each office in the church as well as the general organization of these offices into groups called quorums.
This section is more commonly known as the “Constitution” of the LDS Church since it serves the same purpose for the Church as the Constitution serves for the United States of America. The Constitution thoroughly explains the powers and rights of each branch of government, details about voting procedure and term limits, and the rights of the citizens. It is not the government itself, but it is a framework that the current Representatives and Senators can use as a guide to build on.
In the same way, the Articles and Covenants of the Church of Christ provides a framework of the offices of the Priesthood. It is not the church itself, but presents the Lord’s guide for us on how to build and organize His Church. It presents a divine framework to build on, so that His work can go forward on the earth.