Joseph Smith learned as a youth that when he had a dilemma he could not resolve, he could ask God in faith and be answered, not upbraided (Joseph Smith—History 1:10–19). Joseph acted on that invitation many times. The Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of revelations the Lord gave in response. Every section in the Doctrine and Covenants resolves a problem or a dilemma.

But the Doctrine and Covenants also poses a problem. Each of its sections is at the heart of a story that the Savior deemed important enough to address from heaven, but the beginning and ending of each story is not generally included in the Doctrine and Covenants. The purpose of this book is to aid understanding of the Lord's revelations by telling the rest of the story. The hope is that learning what evoked and resulted from each revelation will help us hearken—listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, give ear to his words, and faithfully apply them until we see every prophesy and promise fulfilled. That's what the Doctrine and Covenants invites us to do from the very first word of its very first section.