The Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants are bound together as revelations from Israel's God to gather and prepare His people for the second coming of the Lord.
The bringing forth of these sacred volumes of scripture, "For the salvation of a ruined world . . . cost the best blood of the nineteenth century" - that of Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum. (D&C 135:6.)Each divine witness contains a great proclamation to all the world - the title page of the Book of Mormon and Section 1, the Lord's preface to the Doctrine and Covenants. (D&C 1.)
"This generation," said the Lord to Joseph Smith, "shall have my word through you" (D&C 5:10). And so it has through the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and other modern revelations.
The Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants testify of each other. You cannot believe one and not the other.
The Book of Mormon testifies of modern books of scriptures. It refers to them as "other books" and "last records" which "establish the truth" of the Bible and make known the "plain and precious things which have been taken away" from the Bible. (1 Ne. 13:30-40.)
Excluding the witnesses to the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants is by far the greatest external witness and evidence which we have from the Lord that the Book of Mormon is true. At least 15 sections in the Doctrine and Covenants give us confirming knowledge and divine witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. (D&C 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 17, 18, 20, 27, 42, 84, 135.)
The Doctrine and Covenants is the binding link between the Book of Mormon and the continuing work of the restoration through the prophet Joseph Smith and his successors.
In the Doctrine and Covenants we learn of temple work, eternal families, the degrees of glory, Church organization, and many other great truths of the restoration.
"Search these commandments," said the Lord of the Doctrine and Covenants, "for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled. What I the Lord have spoken I have spoken and I excuse not myself and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." (D&C 1:37-38.)
The Book of Mormon brings men to Christ. The Doctrine and Covenants brings men to Christ's kingdom, even the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - "the only true and living Church upon the face of the whole earth."
The Book of Mormon is the "keystone" of our religion and the Doctrine and Covenants is the "capstone" - with continuing latter-day revelation. The Lord has placed His stamp of approval on both the keystone and the capstone.
