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

Copyright (Original Content)

All original music, arrangements, recordings, lyrics-as-arranged, commentary, analysis, essays, site design, and source code on this site are © 2026 Journal of Discords. All rights reserved.

The public-domain status of the Journal of Discourses applies only to the historical sermons themselves. It does not extend to the original creative and analytical work that surrounds, arranges, and comments on those sources. Reuse of original material requires permission.

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:

  1. Primary sources only — Every claim traces to a specific volume, page, date, and speaker
  2. Full context — We do not quote out of context in ways that change meaning
  3. Charitable reading — We acknowledge reasonable interpretations before presenting our analysis
  4. Complete citations — Every lyric is mapped to its source
  5. 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.

Why This Page Exists

This page exists because a religion is also a corporation. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds federally registered trademarks. Intellectual Reserve, Inc. holds the copyrights. Lawyers write the letters. So educational and artistic projects that quote a 26-volume sermon collection the Church itself published — and once promoted as “an additional reflector of the light that shines from Zion’s hill” — still need disclaimers, fair-use citations, and a paper trail. Not because the underlying record is fragile, but because the legal machinery around it is muscular.

It is worth sitting with that.

If a teaching is true, what does it have to fear from a song?

If history is just what was preached — in the prophets’ own words, in volumes the Church printed and sold worldwide for thirty-five years — what is gained by chilling its retelling?

If there is a god, would that god really need a registered trademark to defend a single line of doctrine?

We do not pretend to answer these questions. We only notice that this page had to be written, and that the writing of it is itself a small piece of the historical record. The terms above are the price of admission to the conversation. The conversation is what we came for.

Contact

For corrections, questions, or concerns about this project, please open an issue on our GitHub repository.

Last updated: May 2026