Articles and Covenants of the Church of Christ

Articles and Covenants
D&C 42:12-13 reads, “And again, the elders, priests and teachers of this church shall teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fullness of the gospel. And they shall observe the covenants and church articles to do them, and these shall be their teachings, as they shall be directed by the Spirit.”
What are these covenants and articles? This passage is referring to the 20th section of the Doctrine and Covenants. Section 20 was one of the most important sections in the D&C. In fact, it was read aloud in every general conference, up until 1835 when it was finally published. Early missionaries took manuscripts of the revelation with them on their journeys and read them aloud in the branches they organized. So what made this document so important?
Section 20 is divided into three sections. The first is a brief history of the restoration and the Book of Mormon. (vs. 1-16) The next section contains articles of faith. It explains some basic principles of the Gospel, along with the laws concerning repentance and baptism. The third section is basically a handbook of instruction, containing the duties and roles of the various callings of the church.
I think that the reason section 20 was so important is that it contained all the information needed to organize a growing church.