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New Testament Revision 1
Matthew, Chapter 1
Page 1
Matthew, Chapter 2
Page 2
Matthew, Chapter 3
Page 4
Matthew, Chapter 4
Page 6
Matthew, Chapter 5
Page 8
Matthew, Chapter 6
Page 12
Matthew, Chapter 7
Page 15
Matthew, Chapter 8
Page 18
Matthew, Chapter 9
Page 21
Matthew, Chapter 10
Page 24
Matthew, Chapter 11
Page 27
Matthew, Chapter 12
Page 29
Matthew, Chapter 13
Page 33
Matthew, Chapter 14
Page 36
Matthew, Chapter 15
Page 38
Matthew, Chapter 16
Page 40
Matthew, Chapter 17
Page 41
Matthew, Chapter 18
Page 43
Matthew, Chapter 19
Page 45
Matthew, Chapter 20
Page 47
Matthew, Chapter 21
Page 48
Matthew, Chapter 22
Page 52
Matthew, Chapter 23
Page 54
Matthew, Chapter 24
Page 56[a]
Matthew, Chapter 25
Page 57[b]
Matthew, Chapter 26
Page 59
Source Note
Source Note
New Testament Revision 1, 8 Mar.–ca. June 1831; handwriting of ; 65 pages; CCLA. Includes redactions.
The Bible revision manuscripts remained in JS’s possession throughout his life—except during a brief period in 1838 and another in 1839. Upon the death of JS, the manuscript was in possession of his wife for over twenty years, until 1867 when she gave it to her son in order for the RLDS Church to publish The Holy Scriptures.
Note: The transcript of New Testament Revision 1 presented here is used with generous permission of the Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center. It was published earlier, with some differences in style, in Scott H. Faulring, Kent P. Jackson, and Robert J. Matthews, eds., Joseph Smith's New Translation of the Bible: Original Manuscripts (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2004), 153–228.
Historical Introduction
Historical Introduction
As noted in the introduction to Old Testament Revision 1, in June 1830, JS and began recording a revelation related to Moses and other prominent Old Testament figures. (See Visions of Moses, June 1830 [Moses 1].) Eventually this work expanded into what is now designated as the Book of Moses and a complete revelatory re-reading, reviewing, and revising of the Bible, an endeavor that came to be known as JS’s “New Translation,” or Bible revision. By March 1831, JS and his scribes created a sixty-one-page manuscript containing a narrative account of the visions of Moses and a revised version of the Old Testament book of Genesis, from the beginning to chapter 24, verse 41. (See Old Testament Revision 1.)
JS set that work aside when instructed in a March 1831 revelation to instead begin work on the New Testament. (Revelation, ca. 7 Mar. 1831 [D&C 45:60–61].) He and began the new document on 8 March 1831, titling it “A Translation of the New Testament translated by the power of God.” It is currently designated as New Testament Revision 1 and consists of sixty-five pages, all of it in Rigdon’s hand.
New Testament Revision 1, presented here, begins with Matthew 1:1 and continues through part of Matthew 26:71. It was copied almost immediately by , who had been directed by revelation to “write & keep a regulal [regular] history & assist my servant Joseph in Transcribing all things which shall be given him.” (Revelation, ca. 8 Mar. 1831–B [D&C 47:1].) Whitmer’s copy (New Testament Revision 2) became the working copy of the New Testament for the revision project, and JS’s subsequent corrections to the text were inscribed on it. Consequently, New Testament Revision 1 is largely free from later revisions and emendations. Although the exact date JS stopped work on New Testament Revision 1 is unknown, it was apparently prior to his and ’s journey to in June 1831. (JS History, vol. A-1, 126.) John Whitmer’s copying of the manuscript began in early April 1831 and continued until shortly after JS and Sidney Rigdon stopped working on New Testament Revision 1.
An analysis of both New Testament manuscripts indicates that JS made changes to about 2,100 New Testament verses (Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 5). He introduced several significant changes to the King James New Testament text in New Testament Revision 1. Among other revisions, he revised and clarified material related to Matthew 24, John the Baptist’s role, and some aspects of the Sermon on the Mount and the Beautitudes. (See, Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 157.)
Note: The transcript of New Testament Revision 1 presented here is used with generous permission of the Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center. It was published earlier, with some differences in style, in Scott H. Faulring, Kent P. Jackson, and Robert J. Matthews, eds., Joseph Smith's New Translation of the Bible: Original Manuscripts (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2004), 153–228.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
New Testament Revision 1
New Testament Revision 2
The First Book of the New Testament translated by the Gift of god [p. [1]]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
- Related Case Documents
- Editorial Title
- New Testament Revision 1
- ID #
- 7810
- Total Pages
- 71
- Print Volume Location
- Handwriting on This Page
- Unidentified
Footnotes
Footnotes
Unidentified handwriting begins.
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