Purpose
Journal of Discords is an educational and documentary project. Our purpose is to create an accurate historical record of teachings from the Journal of Discourses (1854-1886), a 26-volume collection of sermons by early leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
We present these historical teachings through documented research and original creative works (songs) that trace each claim to its primary source.
Public Domain Sources
The Journal of Discourses was published between 1854 and 1886. Under United States copyright law, works published before 1928 are in the public domain. All quotations from the Journal of Discourses are taken from public domain materials.
Our primary sources include:
- Original Journal of Discourses volumes (public domain)
- BYU Library digital archives
- Archive.org historical scans
- Wikisource transcriptions
Fair Use
Original commentary, analysis, and creative works on this site constitute fair use under 17 U.S.C. § 107. This includes:
- Commentary and criticism of historical religious teachings
- Educational analysis with full source citations
- Transformative creative works (songs) that comment on source material
Each song includes complete source documentation showing how lyrics trace to primary sources.
No Affiliation
This project is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Brigham Young University, or any related organization.
We are an independent historical documentation project.
Accuracy Commitment
We are committed to accuracy and intellectual honesty:
- Primary sources only — Every claim traces to a specific volume, page, date, and speaker
- Full context — We do not quote out of context in ways that change meaning
- Charitable reading — We acknowledge reasonable interpretations before presenting our analysis
- Complete citations — Every lyric is mapped to its source
- Corrections welcome — If we have made an error, we want to know
Content Advisory
This project documents historical teachings that include statements on race, marriage, and theology that many find deeply troubling. The material includes statements that are racist, sexist, and otherwise objectionable by modern standards.
We present these teachings for historical documentation, not endorsement.
Disclaimer
The information on this website is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, religious, or professional advice.
The views expressed in the historical quotations are those of the original speakers, not the creators of this project. Our analysis represents our interpretation of historical documents.
Contact
For corrections, questions, or concerns about this project, please open an issue on our GitHub repository.
Last updated: December 2024