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.
the Publicans & the Harlotts believed him; & ye, afterward, when ye had seen me, repented not, that ye might believe him; for he that believed not John concerning me, cannot believe me, except he first repent; & except ye repent, the preaching of John shall condemn you in the <10/> day of Judgement. <10/> & <And> again, hear another parable; for unto you that believe not, I speak in parables; that your unrighteousness may be rewarded unto you. Behold, there was a certain Householder, who planted a vineyard, & hedged it round about, & diged a winepress in it, & & built a Tower, & let it out to husbandmen, & went into a far country; & when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servents to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. & <And> the husbandmen took his Servents, & beat one, & healed <killed> another, & stoned another. Again he sent other servents more then the first; & they did unto them likewise. But last of all, he sent unto them his son, Saying, They will reverence my Son. But when the husbandmen saw the Son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, & let us Seize on his inheritance. & <And> they caught him & cast him out of the vinyard, & slew him. & <And> Jesus said unto them, When the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto them <those> husbandmen? They say unto him, He will destroy those miserable wicked men, & will let out the vinyard unto other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits <11/> in their Seasons. <11/> Jesus saith <said> unto them, did ye never read in the scriptures, the stone which the builder rejected, the same is <to> become the head of the corners; this is the Lord’s doings, & it is marvelous in our eyes? Therefore say <I> unto you, the Kingdom of God shall be taken from you, & given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. & <For> whosoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken ; but on whomsoever it shall <12/> fall, it will grind him to powder. <12/> & when the Chief Priests & Pharisees had heard his parables they perceived that he spake of them. & <And> they said among themselves, Shall this man think that he alone can spoil this great Kingdom? & <And> they were angery with him. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they fearred <feared> the multitude, because that <13/> they learned that the multitude took him for a Prophet. <13/> & now his Deciples came to him, & Jesus saith <said> unto them, Marvel ye at the <words or the> parable which I spake unto them? Verily I say unto you, I am the stone, & those wicked ones reject me. I am the head of the corner. These Jews shall fall upon me, & shall be broken; & the Kingdom of God shall be taken from them, & shall be given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof; (meaning the gentiles.) Wherefore [p. 40 (first numbering)]
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