As I’ve been working on my annotated Doctrine and Covenants this year, one resource I’ve enjoyed reading is The Doctrine and Covenants Study Guide: Start to Finish (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2024), ed. Thomas R. Valletta. The book is formatted as the text of the Doctrine and Covenants with comments in wide margins and footnotes. The commentary is a blend of historical and linguistic context and devotional commentary and offers a variety of insights into the text and the people who are being addressed in the revelations.

In many ways, it feels like this commentary is a culmination of Church-centric discussions about the Doctrine and Covenants. Throughout, the words of church leaders discussing the scriptures in question are represented, as are faithful commentaries (like the Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, by Hyrum M. Smith and Janne M. Sjodahl) and scholarly analysis (such as quotes from the Joseph Smith Papers Project and Steven Harper’s Making Sense of the Doctrine & Covenants). The feel is similar to the Doctrine and Covenants Institute manuals that the Church has published (which makes a lot of sense, given that Valletta is director of seminary and institute curriculum for the Church Educational System), with the added benefit of the scripture text being present on the same page.

As far as intended audience, this commentary is directed primarily towards active Latter-day Saints. That audience will benefit greatly from engaging with The Doctrine and Covenants Study Guide: Start to Finish, doubly so if they are teaching in Sunday School. Academic audiences can still benefit from the discussion in the commentary, but will be better served by reviewing the resources available in the Joseph Smith Papers Project unless they are interested in how the text has been received and interpreted since publication.

If you’re looking for a great commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants to study alongside the text, then The Doctrine and Covenants Study Guide: Start to Finish is a great option that I would recommend.