New Testament Revision 2
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Source Note
New Testament Revision 2, ca. 4 Apr. 1831–24 Mar. 1832 and 20–31 July 1832; handwriting of , , , and an unidentified scribe; 206 pages; CCLA.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 2 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), 229–581.
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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. , 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]) began in early April 1831 to copy New Testament Revision 1 through Matthew 26:1, stopping a little short of where JS and Sidney Rigdon left off before they traveled to in June 1831. (JS History, vol. A-1, 126.)When JS resumed the revision of the New Testament, he did so using ’s copy, currently designated New Testament Revision 2. He began with Matthew 26:1, though he had previously translated through Matthew 26:71 in New Testament Revision 1. Work continued on the rest of the New Testament through late July 1832. In addition to , JS was assisted by John Whitmer, , and .New Testament Revision 2, presented here, consists of 203 pages. Work on this manuscript was completed in and , Ohio. During the revision project, JS adopted an abbreviated format for annotating the changes to be made to the New Testament. Previously, JS dictated the entire Bible text to his scribe, revising verses as he read from the Bible. But beginning after John 5, JS marked his copy of the Bible as he read in it, indicating where a change should be made. In the manuscript, the scribes wrote the scripture reference and the specifics of the revisions. Thus, the Bible and manuscript together now constituted the text of the revision project.In total, JS made changes to about 2,100 New Testament verses (Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 5). He introduced a number of significant changes to the King James New Testament text in New Testament Revision 2. Among the more prominent clarifications and corrections were those in Matthew 24 and Mark 13 related to Jesus’s discourse on the Mount of Olives, as well as those in the beginning verses of the Gospel of John. (See, Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 234, 303, and 424–425.)Note: The transcript of New Testament Revision 2 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), 229–581.
Daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he who taketh not his cross, & followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He who seeketh to save his life shall loose it; & he who looseth his life for 14/ my sake shall find it. 14/ He who receiveth you; receiveth me; & he who receiveth me, receiveth him who sent me. He that receiveth a prophet, in the name of a prophet, shall receive a Prophet’s reward; & he that receiveth a righteous man, in the name of a righteous man; shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones, a cup of cold watter only, in the name of a Deciple, Verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise loose his reward.
Chapter XI John sendeth his Deciples to Christ the testimony of Christ concerning John &c
1/ And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve Deciples, he departed thence to teach & to preach in their Cities. 2/ Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his deciples, & said unto him, Art thou he of whom it is written in the prophets that should come, or do we look for an other? 3/ Jesus answered & said unto them, Go & tell John again of those things which ye do hear & See; how the blind receive their sight, & the lame walk, & the lepers are cleansed, & the deaf hear, & the dead are raised up, & the poor have the Gospel preached unto them. & And blessed is John, 4/ & whosoever shall not be offended in me. 4/ & And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? Was it a reed shaken with the wind? And they answered him, No. & And he said, But what went ye out for to see? Was it a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft raiment are in Kings Houses. But what went ye out for to see? A Prophet? yea I say unto you, & more than a prophet. For this is the one of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist; notwithstanding, he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven, is 5/ greater than he. 5/ And from the days of John the Baptist, untill now the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, & the violent take it by force. But the days will come, when the violent shall have no power; for all the Prophets & the law prophecied, that it should be thus untill John. Yea, as many as have prophecied, have [p. 20 (first numbering)]
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