Choose a chapter by opening the left sidebar.

As the result of careful consideration and much patient labor, we are pleased to be able to offer to the church a new Compendium, differing from earlier publication in many important respects. Nothing comparable with it has previously been available. It has been prepared under the direction of the First Presidency, and has been completely reorganized. Greater convenience and more logical arrangements are thus afforded to the student. Many new references have been added.

This book was originally offered to the church as a result of the work of two distinguished members of the Reorganization, Henry A. Stebbins and Marietta Walker. It has been revised and enlarged a number of times, with notable contributions by S. A. Burgess and A. B. Phillips. The arrangement of this edition is largely the work of Leonard J. Lea, with valuable suggestions by Maurice L. Draper.

Biblical quotations used refer to the Inspired Version of the Holy Scriptures, but when the verse number of the King James text is different, it is added in parentheses at the end of the quotation. When the Inspired rendering differs from that of King James, the quotation is preceded by an asterisk (*), even if the difference is slight. But when the Inspired Version text quoted is new matter, no comparable text being found in the King James Version, the quotation is preceded by a dagger (†).

Book of Mormon quotations are to the Authorized Edition. For convenience, the four Books of Nephi are numbered in sequence, 3 Nephi being that on page 600, and 4 Nephi being that on page 681. The abbreviation D. and C. is for the Doctrine and Covenants.

THE FIRST PRESIDENCY