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.
& looked upon his deciples, he rebuked Peter, Saying, Get theee behind me, Satan; for thou saverest not the things that be of God, but the 9/ things that be of men. 9/ & And when he had called the People, with his Deciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, & take up his cross, & follow me. For whosoever will save his life, shall loose it; or whosoever will save his life, shall be willing to lay it down for my sake; & if he is not willing to lay it down for my sake, he shall loose it; but whosoever shall be willing to loose his life for my sake, & the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, & loose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Therefore deny yourselves of these, & be not ashamed of me. Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, & of my words, in this adulterous & sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his father with the holy Angels. And they shall not have part in that resurrection when he cometh. For verily I say unto you, that he shall come; & he that layeth down his life for my sake & the Gospels, shall come with him, & shall be clothed with his glory, in the cloud, on the right hand of the 10/ son of man. 10/ And he said unto them again, Verily I say unto you, that there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seeen the Kingdom of God come with power.
Chapter 9th
And after Six days Jesus taketh Peter, and James, and John, who asked him many questions concerning his saying; and Jesus leadeth them up into a high Mountain apart by them selves, And he was transfigured before them. And his raiment be came shining, exceeding white, as snow, so white as no fuller on earth could white them. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses, or in other words, John the baptist and Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. and Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernicles; one for thee, & one for Moses, and one for Elias. For he knew not what to say, for they were sore affraid. And there was a cloud that overshadowed [p. 24 (second numbering)]
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Footnotes
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John Whitmer handwriting ends; Sidney Rigdon begins.
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