[pelagius]

Originally Posted by All-American

I've never heard this reported except by second or third hand sources, but the general consensus is that Elder McKonkie was the head of the committee and was primarily responsible for the chapter headings.

Originally Posted by BlueK

would that be brm's excessive interpretation? Didn't he write most of them? Or is that just Mormon urban legend?

I don't want to imply that the headings reflect excess interpretation (that's up you to decide) but Bruce McConkie did produce them:

QUESTION: Who is responsible for the little informational headings preceding each chapter in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price?

ROBERT J. MATTHEWS: I would be glad to tell you who did that ... I think it would be no breach of etiquette or of confidentiality if I were to say with pleasure that Elder Bruce R. McConkie produced those headings.

Source: Millet, Robert L. and Monte S. Nyman (editors), 1994, "The JST: Retrospect and Prospect--A Panel", Joseph Smith Translation: The Restoration of Plain and Precious Things, Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 300-301.

The following quote is less explicit than the first but indicates largely the same thing.

Readers will probably first notice new chapter headings summarizing the contents of each chapter rather than the running heads along the page tops of previous versions. Prepared by Elder McConkie, these headings are especially helpful to Latter-day Saints. For example, the chapter heading for Isaiah 29 links this prophecy to the Nephites and the Book of Mormon, which Isaiah is saying will come forth in the future. "The typesetters had a few questions for us on that one!" said Sister Knowles.

Source: Anderson, Lavina Fielding, 1979, "Church Publishes First LDS Edition of the Bible," Ensign, Oct 1979, 9.