The first editions of the Journal of Discourses were published in England by George D. Watt, the stenographer of Brigham Young, in 1854.
The 26 volume collection includes 1,438 sermons given by 55 church leaders, including Brigham Young, John Taylor, Parley P. Pratt, Heber C. Kimball, George A. Smith, Orson Pratt, Franklin D. Richards, Jedediah M. Grant, and others.
The 26 volumes cover a wide range of topics such as celestial marriage, spiritual communication, fall and redemption of the earth, the personality of God, temples, and others.
Bonus book! Lectures on Faith
Lectures on Faith were published in the forepart of the Doctrine and Covenants in all editions from 1835 until 1921. Although the lectures are not currently published as part of the standard works, it is evident that they were held in high esteem by the Prophet Joseph Smith and those that followed him. President Joseph Fielding Smith said
“These lectures are of great value and should be studied... I consider them to be of extreme value in the study of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” Bruce R. McConkie has classified the lectures as “some of the best lesson material ever prepared on the Godhead; on the character, perfections, and attributes of God; on faith, miracles, and sacrifice. They can be studied with great profit by all scholars.”
The seven lectures in this collection deal with the following subjects:
What is faith?
What is the role of revelation in developing faith?
What are the attributes of God?
Why is it necessary to have a correct knowledge about God's attributes in order to exercise true faith?
What is the true nature of the Godhead and what is God's purpose for man?
What is the role of sacrifice in building the faith needed for eternal life?
What are the effects or results that flow from having true faith?
The compilation contains:
A historical sketch by John A. Widstoe.
A treatise on true faith by Orson Pratt.
A bibliography on Melchizedek by Ariel L. Crowley.
Also included, the King Follett discourse.