What needs to be explained?

They are separate books. In part the Doctrine and Covenants was an expanded version of the Book of Commandments, but it was more than this. The Doctrine and Covenants originally contained the Lectures on Faith, which was not so much a set of revelations or a revelation, as much as it was a short set of lesson materials on the topic of "faith". This was later removed and published separately (very good reading, but I'd recommend skipping the Q&A sections, as they are quite redundant). Originally, the Lectures on Faith were very much considered to be the "Doctrine" portion of the "Doctrine and Covenants", but despite the subsequent change in how the lectures have been published, the name has stuck.

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." (Matthew 7:15 KJ) "6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:6-9 KJ)

Alright, just when I think I can take a break and get back to a normal life, Latter Day Satan makes a return to answer bag with the same offensive questions. The reason it is offensive to me is I know his history of losing debate after debate and going to another part of the forum and starting the exact same time all over again, even knowing that he's lost. For that reason I am going to go around to every question he's asked about Mormonism and I am going to flag each and every one of them as offensive. I think he's done enough hate-mongering to lose the privilege of debating in the Mormon forums, and I can just hope that answerbag sees it my way.

There have been several editions of The Doctrine and Covenants. The first several editions included The Lectures on Faith. These lectures (whose authorship is uncertain) were taught in the School of the Prophets. In the 1920s (IIR) the lectures were removed from the D&C because they weren't canonized, but the General Authorities thought their inclusion gave the false impression they were. Joseph used pseudonyms when recording many of his revelations in order to protect people's identities. The real names were put into later editions. As new revelations were received and deemed profitable for the general body of the Church, they were canonized and added to the D&C

SHORT ANSWER: Probably the best example of how LDS "revelations" and history was retroactively revised to match the changes in Church organization and doctrine that Joseph Smith was introducing and implementing as the LDS Church developed and matured. LONG ANSWER: The LDS Church has been changing it's doctrine then retroactively rewriting it's history to match the new teachings since the VERY beginning. This is so that the "truths of the restoration" appear to be seamless and unified when the TRUE historical record demonstrates that they're anything BUT. There are FAR too many examples and details to provide a short concise version of the history here so I'll leave it up to well known Mormon Historian D. Michael Quinn: From the 1992 Salt Lake City Sunstone Symposium SL92161, Evolution of LDS Authority to 1835 https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/audio/SL92161.mp3 Warning: This audio presentation long, and at times dry. However, you'd better be seated throughout because some of Quinn's material will knock you off your feet! Plus the fact that Quinn cites this evidence and then glosses over it with a, "But it's all OK - really!" rationale is shocking enough to stun any thinking person. (Plus there's nearly a 90-minutes of deep, rich true Mormon History to consider here) RELATED RESOURCES: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Commandments http://www.2think.org/hundredsheep/boc/boc_main.shtml http://www.saintswithouthalos.com/s/_d&c.phtml http://www.watchman.org/lds/doctcovn.htm http://www.irr.org/mit/BOC/default.html

Regarding this issue David Whitmer - one of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon - who later came to see Joseph Smith as a "fallen prophet" - probably gave the best, most complete history and explanation for these changes in his classic book, "An Address to All Believers in Christ": “The revelations in the Book of Commandments up to June, 1829, were given through the ‘stone,’ through which the Book of Mormon was translated.” (David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon, An Address to All Believers in Christ, 1887, page 53) “[The] revelations … were printed in the Book of Commandments correctly… just exactly as they were arranged by Brother Joseph and the others. And when the Book of Commandments was printed, Joseph and the church received it as being printed correctly.” (David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon, An Address to all Believers in Christ, page 56) “After the translation of the Book of Mormon was finished, early in the spring of 1830, before April 6th, Joseph gave the stone to Oliver Cowdery and told me as well as the rest that he was through with it, and he did not use the stone anymore. He said he was through the work God had given him the gift to perform, except to preach the gospel.” (David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon, An Address to all Believers in Christ, page 32) “Is it possible that the minds of men can be so blinded as to believe that God would give these revelations – command them to print them in His Book of Commandments – and then afterwards command them to change and add to them some words which change the meaning entirely? As if God had changed his mind entirely after giving his word? Is it possible that man who pretends to any spirituality would believe that God would work in such a manner?” (David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon, Saint’s Herald, February 5th, 1887) “When it became generally known that these important changes had been made in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, many of the brethren objected seriously to it, but they did not want to say much for the sake of peace, as it was Brother Joseph and the leaders who did it. The majority of the members – poor weak souls – thought that anything Brother Joseph would do, must be all right; so in their blindness of heart, trusting in an arm of flesh, they looked over it and were led into error.” (David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon, An Address to all Believers in Christ, page 61) “You have changed the revelations to support the error of high priests. You have changed the revelations to support the error of a President of the high priesthood, high counselors, etc. you have altered the revelations to support you in going beyond the plain teachings of Christ in the new covenant part of the Book of Mormon…. You who are now living did not change them, but you who strive to defend these things, are as guilty in the sight of God as those who did change them.” (David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon, An Address to all Believers in Christ, page 49) Read more about David Whitmer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Whitmer