The church recently released an essay summarizing what we know about the process of translating the book of mormon. An account written by the hand of mormon, upon plates taken from the plates of nephi smith 1830b, title page. The question at hand, then, is whether or not smiths translation of the book of mormon plates is true. Today, we commonly use the voicetotext apps in our cell phones to send text messages to friends and family. This was not a translation of one language to another, but was actually revelation that joseph smith received concerning truths that had been lost or changed in the bible. Joseph smith and his scribes wrote of two instruments used in translating the book of mormon. Suddenly, the kinderhook plates did not support joseph smith or the book of mormon, but instead raised serious questions about josephs prophetic claims to be able to translate ancient languages. If one scoffs at the missionarys explanation of the book of mormon, he is in so many words claiming it to be false. In 1827, smith began to gather a religious following after announcing that an angel had shown him a set of golden plates describing a visit of jesus to the indigenous peoples of. Joseph smith consistently related that the book of mormon was translated by the gift and power of god. Book of mormon translation by joseph smith the encyclopedia of. If the book of mormon is a 19th inspired creation as you believe, how do you explain. Welch, foundation for ancient research and mormon studies farms. On september 21, 1823, joseph smith, then seventeen years old, was in his bed praying when a light began to fill his room.
The work has yielded the publication of a large facsimile transcription of all the original manuscript pages and much new information about how joseph smith prepared the text. Did joseph smith use a hat during the translation of the. What is produced by one man can always be duplicated by another. Many of you are experienced in the difficult task of translating written text from one language to another. Martin harris tests joseph smiths claim of translating.
Why wouldnt the book of mormon contain the jst version of the matthew verses. Kerry muhlestein, professor of ancient scripture at brigham young university, phd in egyptology at ucla in 2003. Problems in the joseph smith translation of the bible and comparison to the book of mormon. Smith, joseph, 18051844, book of mormon, pearl of great price publisher salt lake city, utah. Kimball, kinderhook plates brought to joseph smith appear to be a nineteenthcentury hoax, ensign 11 august 1981. And, though i was an active participant in the scenes that transpired. He started out in the late 1820s by translating the book of mormon from golden plates supposedly found in a hillside near his new yo. Eventually, even joseph smith used urim and thummim indiscriminately as labels generically representing either the book of mormon interpreters or the seer stone used during translation. The book of mormon 1891 hardcover january 1, 1891 by joseph smith jr. David whitmer said, regarding smiths translation of the book of mormon. Joseph smiths diary statements regarding translation of.
Joseph smith couldnt translate without emmas forgiveness. In the isaiah chapters which were plagiarized by the book of mormon, joseph smith has changed them in his translation to fit the book of mormon. The prophet joseph smith said very little about the actual process of translating the book of mormon. The language in the sections of the book of mormon that correspond to parts of the bible is quite regularly selected by joseph smith, rather than obtained through independent translation. If smith truly was a prophet with the ability to decipher plates of an unknown language. Mormon challenges was joseph smiths egyptian alphabet. Everyone with an interest in mormonism is welcome to participate in rmormondebate, including truebelieving mormons, doubting active mormons, unorthodox mormons, exmormons, nonmormon christians, people of other faith traditions, and.
In the late 1990s, a team of byu scholars worked with the community of christ formally rlds church to gain access to the complete joseph smith translation manuscripts. For further discussion on the book of mormon and the translation process, see the introduction to documents, volume 1. Martin played a trick on joseph to prove whether he actually was translating golden plates or was not. Early this week i posted a brief notice for the book from darkness unto light. In an interview conducted by her son joseph smith iii in 1879, emma smith, wife of the prophet joseph smith, expressed her faith in the restored church of jesus christ, which was established in 1830 after the prophet had translated the book of mormon and published it to the world. Original manuscripts is a large scholarly book presenting for the first time a typographic transcription of the handwritten pages, notes, and. This 2001 ensign cover shows joseph smith translating the book of mormon by poring over the plates which is how many faithful latterday saints have been instructed to imagine the process. The weight of the book of mormon gold plates book of mormon translation timeframe. The following is an excerpt taken from an interview between martin harris and edward stevenson.
The joseph smith translation jst, also called the inspired version of the holy scriptures iv, is a revision of the bible by joseph smith, the founder of the latter day saint movement, who dictated inspired changes and additions to scribes. A personage appeared in the light and began to speak to joseph. Almost all of the present book of mormon text was translated during a threemonth period between april and june 1829 with. Artwork of joseph smith translating the book of mormon. According to latter day saint belief, the golden plates are the source from which joseph smith said he translated the book of mormon, a sacred text of the faith. Phelps and oliver cowdery as scribes, i commenced the translation of some of the characters or hieroglyphics, and much to our joy found that one of the scrolls contained the writings of abraham, another the writings of joseph of egypt more full account of which will appear in its place, as i proceed to examine or unfold them. Eyewitness descriptions of the gold plates from which the book of mormon was translated. Welch, the miraculous translation of the book of mormon, in opening the heavens. Joseph smith translated an ancient text by the gift and power of god to produce the book of mormon.
Book of mormon translation as you will see from the article, joseph smith apparently alternated between using the urim and thummim which he obtained simultaneously with the plates, and a seer stone that he. Smith was murdered before he ever deemed it complete, though most of his work. Like and now, if god, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, o then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another. The gold plates and the translation of the book of mormon. Buy book of mormon 1830 replica by joseph smith translator online at alibris. Smith considered this work to be a branch of his calling as a prophet. By its own terms, the book of mormon is a translation of an ancient book. I just love that joseph smith was able to bring a new perpsective to the bible. Joseph smith was unable to translate the golden plates when there was contention with emma. But unlike his other scriptures, it was not published during his lifetime. I am intrigued, as you are, with the process joseph smith used to translate the book of mormon, which he said was done through the gift and power of god. With permission from professor anthony sweat, the artist behind the new artwork depicting joseph smith s translation of the book of mormon, the new pieces from the book are posted below. This book utilizes that research to provide a concise, ataglance reference book that teachers and students of the scriptures can use to quickly find any and every change the. Why did joseph smith translate the book of mormon into jacobean english, not in use in 1830.
He joseph smith was a religious and straightforward man. Mormons react to firstever photograph of joseph smiths. Joseph had an active mind and he was always bouncing from project to project, many of which he didnt finish. For a compilation of accounts by joseph smith s contemporaries, see john w.
Published in the journal of mormon history 32 fall 2005. The complete joseph smith translation of the new testament. This book utilizes that research to provide a concise, ataglance reference book that teachers and students of the scriptures. At the beginning of june 1829, smith and cowdery moved to fayette, new york for the remainder of the translation, where the plates title page indicated the book was to be entitled the book of mormon. Joseph smith s inexperience and weakness as a writer does nothing but intensely magnify the miraculous nature of the book which he brought forth through divine means. According to witnesses of the translation, when joseph looked. Joseph smith could neither write nor dictate a coherent and wellworded letter. Adam clarke bible commentary in the book of mormon. In particular, they claim that the joseph smith translation jst of the bible in matthew doesnt correspond to 3rd nephi which are identical to the kjv of the bible. One of the most amazing facts about the book of mormon is that it took joseph smith only about sixtyfive working days to translate a book that, in the current edition, is 531 pages long. Among the many new discoveries resulting from this research is an enhanced understanding of the sequence and chronology of. Much can be known about the coming forth of the english text of the book of mormon through a careful.
This assertion can mislead people into believing the book of mormon production process was nothing short of miraculous. Book of mormon 1830 replica by joseph smith translator. How joseph smith translated the book of mormon by royal. Several investigations and studies which set out to prove that joseph wrote the book of mormon have actua. Later, joseph smith translated the book of mormon into english through the gift and power of god. However, i truly want to believe the church is true. Joseph smith, as gods prophet, thus takes on a greater. Joseph smiths detailed accounts of obtaining, protecting, and translating the gold plates 4. Martin harris tests joseph smith during the translation of the golden plates. And, though i was an active participant in the scenes that transpired, and was present during the translation of the plates, and had cognizance of things as they transpired, it is marvelous to me, a marvel and a wonder, as much so as to any one else. How long did it take joseph smith to translate the book of. God gave joseph smith the gift and power to translate writings recorded.
Joseph smiths inspired version of the bible oseph smith began work on his new translationof the bible in 1830. Analysis of the accuracy of the joseph smith translation. When i see the word translate, it means to me that a scribe read a manuscript written in one language e. Was joseph smith really uneducated when he translated the. Oh how i wish we more fully understood what the egyptian alphabet and grammar.
In august 1830, just after the translation of the book of mormon was finished and the mormon church had been organized, joseph smith began translating the king james version of the bible. Joseph smith and his scribes wrote of two instruments used in translating. His early work on the translation, with emma smith and martin harris serving as the main scribes, was lost in 1828. Why joseph smiths dictation of the book of mormon is. Joseph smith translates the gold plates church history.
A seer stone and a hat translating the book of mormon. According to joseph smiths later accounts, three years after he experienced his first vision of deity, an angel appeared to him in 1823 and told him of an ancient. The core of mormon belief was a conviction about actual events. Why is the book of mormon written in 16th century english. He identified himself as a messenger from the presence of god, named moroni. Even though their a rticles of faith do not mention their other two books of scripture, the doctrine and covenants and the pearl of great price, those books play a more central role in lds theology than the book of mormon. The test of faith was not adherence to a certain confession of faith but belief that christ was resurrected, that joseph smith saw god, that the book of mormon was true history and not philosophy, and. Welcome to rmormondebate this community operates a little differently than many, so please take a moment to read and learn how to contribute. Joseph smithseer stonesrock in hat used for book of. Lds, how old was joseph smith when he translated the. Price new from used from hardcover, 1891 please retry. He didnt have the time, education or wherewithal to do this.
Spalding collection americana digitizing sponsor brigham young university contributor harold b. Another testament of jesus christ behold, i am jesus christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world 3 nephi 11. That it is a deceiving fraud formulated through the efforts and talents of a common man. Book of mormon japanese translation na, joseph smith, jr. Joseph smith translated the book of mormon through the gift and power of god he used an occult seer stone to translate it. As joseph grew to understand his prophetic calling, he learned that he could use this stone for the higher purpose of translating scripture book of mormon translation, gospel topics on 20. The presence gold plates while joseph translated, seen by many witnesses. Why doesnt the book of mormon contain the joseph smith. Ive heard that joseph smith created a supposed egyptian alphabet and grammar that shows a complete lack of understanding of how to decipher hieroglyphics. Joseph smith said that the book of mormon translation was performed by the gift and power of god the lost 116 pages of the book of mormon manuscript.
David whitmer explains how joseph had to be humble, contrite, free of contention and in tune with the holy ghost for the translators to work. So i try to read and study from this as much as i can. Was joseph smith really uneducated when he translated the book of mormon. I believe that joseph smith did translate this, and i love this book very much. Joseph smith put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely. It could be said that mormon history starts with the translation of the book of mormon. The appearance of the angel moroni, one of the authors of the bofm. Drawing from firsthand accounts of joseph himself and the scribes who served with him, from darkness unto light explores the difficulties encountered in bringing forth this book of inspired scripture. This book provides a detailed description of the process by which joseph smith translated the book of mormon. Joseph smith s translation and publication of the book of mormon. Details of the translation process joseph smith used for translating the book of mormon from the plates can be adduced from statements of witnesses and from. The joseph smith translation is only an inspired revision of the king james version. Joseph smith and the beginnings of mormonism richard l. It was first published by the rlds church in 1867, although excerpts from it were published by the mormon church in the pearl of great price as early as 1851.
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