Structured Edition

The Structured Edition of the Standard Works is my attempt to make a version of the scriptures in which the layout of the text reflects the internal literary structure and organization that the original authors used. In other words, I’m trying to recreate the outline that the prophets had in mind as they wrote, depicting it through such features as paragraphs, headings, and shaded boxes (read below for a more detailed description). You can download here the current draft of each book. The drafts are currently messy and incomplete, but I’ve posted them so others can benefit from them while waiting for me to finish the final versions.

More entries in this project will be forthcoming

I try to emphasize the internal structure of the scriptures primarily by minimizing the chapter and verse divisions and maximizing the original divisions—using various typographical features such as paragraphing instead of verse breaks, multi-layered headings, coloring any spoken dialogue, digressions in shaded boxes, symbols indicating diverging narratives, bars alongside the text indicating parallel passages, occasional explanatory footnotes, etc. The text itself is the same as standard LDS editions; only the layout has been changed. My hope is that this edition makes the scriptures easier to read and understand.

If you’d like to try your hand at making your own custom version of the scriptures, see my Do-It-Yourself Scriptures page where you can download the Microsoft Word files of each book of scripture to get started.

Related Blog Posts

Redesigned Scriptures Project. An explanation of multiple endeavors that all involve redesigning the layout of the scriptures so that reading them is easier and more understandable, including ideas for doing this on your own.

Structured Edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, draft 2. A detailed explanation of the current draft, as well as some insights that can be drawn from it.

Structured Edition of the Pearl of Great Price, draft 1. A detailed explanation of the current draft, as well as some insights that can be drawn from it.