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.
Behold thy Mother & thy Brethren without seek for thee. And he answered them, saying, Who are my Mother, or who are my Brethren? & And he looked round about on them which sat about him, & said, Behold my mother & my Brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my Brother, & my Sister, & Mother.
Chapter 4
1/ And he began again to teach by the sea side; & there was gethered unto him a great Multitude, So that he entered into a Ship & Sat in the Sea; & the 2/ whole multitude was by the sea on the Land. 2/ & And he taught them many things by Parables. & And he said unto them in his doctrine, Hearken; behold, there went out a Sower to Sow; & it came to pass as he sowed, some fell by the way side, & the fowls of the air came & devoured it up. &And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much Earth; & immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of Earth but when the Sun was up, it was scorched; & because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, & the thorns grew up & choked it; & it yielded no fruit. And other seed fell on good ground, & did yield fruit, that sprang up & increased, & brought forth, some thirty fold, & some sixty, & some a hundred. And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear 3/ let him hear. 3/ And when he was alone with the twelve & they that believed in him, they that were about him with the twelve, asked of him the Parable. And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but unto them that are without, all things are done in Parables; that seeing, they may see & not perceive; & hearing, they may hear & not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, 4 & their sins should be forgiven them. 4/ And he said unto them, know ye not this Parable? And how then will ye know all Parables? The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the wayside, where the word is sowed; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately & taketh away the word that was sowed in their hearts. And these are they likewise who receve the word on stony ground; Who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness, & have no root in themselves, & so endure but for a time; & afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the words sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they who receive the word among thorns; such as hear the word, & the cares of this world, & the deceitfulness of riches, & the lusts of other things [p. 14 (second numbering)]
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