This website is designed to assist teachers and students of the gospel. The format is set up to provide more information on the most important topics in any given chapter of scripture. Specific quotes from the General Authorities are given to confirm the validity of the doctrine being taught and to provide good quotes for use in classes and talks. It is recommended that the reader read the commentary for the entire chapter, especially if looking for commentary on a phrase or verse that was not specifically referenced. If the same topic was dealt with elsewhere in the chapter, it may be discussed at length in another section.
It is the experience of the author/editor of this website that too many Sunday School classes and gospel discussions focus on the same superficial concepts, year after year. In the scriptures, there are a lot of profound truths which can help us understand God and how He would like us to live. Unfortunately, these are rarely brought into the discussion. Sometimes teachers are faced with teaching a myriad of different possible topics and make the mistake of trying to cover all of them or else they cover the less important subjects. It is hoped that this website will help improve gospel lessons, improve personal scripture study, and improve access to the doctrines of the Church.
One might argue that this website offers nothing new, that doctrinal commentary books have already been written and by more credible authors. This statement is true. There has been a great body of literature written to help us understand the scriptures. What makes this work unique is its availability on the internet; it is free, and it provides a collection of quotes from many different sources to paint a crystal clear picture of what the prophets are teaching. Decide for yourself whether it has any value. If you have any comments or criticisms (particularly if you're sure that false doctrine is being taught on this website), please let me know via the contact form.
Lastly, I need to explain the big picture for this website. Commentary for the Pearl of Great Price will be completed in early 2013. After that, the Old Testament will be updated. However, since it has taken 12 years to produce commentary on the other standard works, the Old Testament will likely take quite some time to complete.
Thanks for your interest in gospeldoctrine.com.
Bryan Richards
Webmaster: gospeldoctrine.com
Site Update
On January 1, 2013, Gospeldoctrine.com got a facelift with new features such as an internal search engine, easier print and e-mail options, and many other needed features. We thank Ryan Constantine for his hours and hours of work in making this upgrade possible. He has done a great job with only the blessings of heaven for remuneration.
DISCLAIMER
The following information is provided as a service to students of the gospel of Jesus Christ as believed by the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The information contained herein is meant to be doctrinally correct, but this website is not an official site of the church and none of the material contained herein is meant to represent the official stand of the church on any gospel topic. Where possible, sources are listed to aid the reader to discern the validity of any given statement. The creator/editor of this website takes full responsibility for the material contained herein.
