New Testament Revision 2 (first numbering)
New Testament Revision 2
Source Note
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; CHL.
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 so that the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS church) could publish it. It was in the possession of the RLDS church (now Community of Christ) until 2024, when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints acquired it. The manuscript is now held at the Church History Library in Salt Lake City.
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.
Footnotes
- [1]
Call, “Copied from the Journal of Anson Call,” 9 and Cooper, “Spiritual Reminiscences, No. 2,” Autumn Leaves (January 1891): 18.
Call, Anson. “Copied from the Journal of Anson Call,” 1879. CHL. MS 4783.
Cooper, F. M. “Spiritual Reminiscences.—No. 2,” Autumn Leaves 4, no. 1 (Jan. 1891): 17–20.
- [2]
Emma Smith Bidamon, Nauvoo, IL, to Joseph Smith III, Plano, IL, 10 Feb. 1867, CCLA.
Bidamon, Emma Smith. Materials, 1842–1871. CCLA.
- [3]
The Holy Scriptures: Translated and Corrected by the Spirit of Revelation ([Plano, IL]: [Reorganized] Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1867).
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. , 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.
Temple <of God, & cast out all them that sold & bought in the Temple,> & overthrew the tables of me <the> money changers, & the seats of them that sold doves, & said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called <6/> the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. <6/> & <And> the blind, & the lame, came to him in the Temple; & he healed them. & <And> when the Chief Priests & Scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, & the children of the Kingdom crying in the temple, & saying, Hozannah to the son of David; they were sore displeased, & said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? & <And> Jesus said unto them, Yea; Have ye never read the Scriptures which saith, Out of the mouths of babe’s & suckling’s, O <7/> Lord, thou hast perfected praise? <7/> & <And> he left them, & went out of the City <7/> into Bethany, & he lodged there. <7/> Now in the morning, as he returned into the City, he hungered; & when he saw a Figtree in the way, he came to it, & found nothing thereon <there was not any fruit on it,> but leaves only; & he said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever; & presently the Figtree whithered away. & <And> when the Desiples saw this, they marveled & said, How soon is the Figtree whithered away! Jesus answered & said unto them, Verily I say unto you, if ye have faith, & doubt not, ye shall not only do this to the Figtree, but also, if ye shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, & be thou cast into the Sea; it shall be done. & <And> all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, in faith believeing, ye <8/> shall receive. <8/> And When he was come into the Temple, the chief priests Priests & the Elders of the People, came unto him as he was teaching & said, By what authority dost thou these things? & <And> who gave thee this authority? & <And> Jesus answered & said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, Which, if ye <tell> me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The Baptism of John, whence was it? From Heaven, or of men? & <And> they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From Heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the People; for all People hold John as a Prophet. & <And> they answered Jesus & said, We cannot tell. <9/> & <And> he said, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. <9> But what think ye? A man had two Sons; & he came to the first, <saying,> Son, go work today in my vineyard. He answered & said, I will not; but afterwards he repented & went. & <And> he came to the Second, & said likewise. & <And> he answered & said, I will serve; & went not. Whether of these twain did the will of their father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith <said> unto them Verily I say unto you, that the Publicans & Harlotts shall go into the Kingdom of God before you; for John came unto you in the way of righteousness, & bore record of me, & ye believed him not; but [p. 39 (first numbering)]
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