The Papers
Browse the PapersDocumentsJournalsAdministrative RecordsRevelations and TranslationsHistoriesLegal RecordsFinancial RecordsOther Contemporary Papers
Reference
PeoplePlacesEventsGlossaryLegal GlossaryFinancial GlossaryCalendar of DocumentsWorks CitedFeatured TopicsLesson PlansRelated Publications
Media
VideosPhotographsIllustrationsChartsMapsPodcasts
News
Current NewsArchiveNewsletterSubscribeJSP Conferences
About
About the ProjectJoseph Smith and His PapersFAQAwardsEndorsementsReviewsEditorial MethodNote on TranscriptionsNote on Images of People and PlacesReferencing the ProjectCiting This WebsiteProject TeamContact Us
Published Volumes
  1. Home > 
  2. The Papers > 

New Testament Revision 1

Matthew, Chapter 1 Page 1 Matthew, Chapter 2 Page 2 Matthew, Chapter 3 Page 4 Matthew, Chapter 4 Page 6 Matthew, Chapter 5 Page 8 Matthew, Chapter 6 Page 12 Matthew, Chapter 7 Page 15 Matthew, Chapter 8 Page 18 Matthew, Chapter 9 Page 21 Matthew, Chapter 10 Page 24 Matthew, Chapter 11 Page 27 Matthew, Chapter 12 Page 29 Matthew, Chapter 13 Page 33 Matthew, Chapter 14 Page 36 Matthew, Chapter 15 Page 38 Matthew, Chapter 16 Page 40 Matthew, Chapter 17 Page 41 Matthew, Chapter 18 Page 43 Matthew, Chapter 19 Page 45 Matthew, Chapter 20 Page 47 Matthew, Chapter 21 Page 48 Matthew, Chapter 22 Page 52 Matthew, Chapter 23 Page 54 Matthew, Chapter 24 Page 56[a] Matthew, Chapter 25 Page 57[b] Matthew, Chapter 26 Page 59

Source Note

New Testament Revision 1, 8 Mar.–ca. June 1831; handwriting of ; 65 pages; CHL. Includes redactions.
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 1 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), 153–228.

Footnotes

  1. [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. [2]

    Emma Smith Bidamon, Nauvoo, IL, to Joseph Smith III, Plano, IL, 10 Feb. 1867, CCLA.

    Bidamon, Emma Smith. Materials, 1842–1871. CCLA.

  3. [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

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 and consists of sixty-five pages, all of it in Rigdon’s hand.
New Testament Revision 1, presented here, begins with Matthew 1:1 and continues through part of Matthew 26:71. It was copied almost immediately by , 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].) Whitmer’s copy (New Testament Revision 2) became the working copy of the New Testament for the revision project, and JS’s subsequent corrections to the text were inscribed on it. Consequently, New Testament Revision 1 is largely free from later revisions and emendations. Although the exact date JS stopped work on New Testament Revision 1 is unknown, it was apparently prior to his and ’s journey to in June 1831. (JS History, vol. A-1, 126.) John Whitmer’s copying of the manuscript began in early April 1831 and continued until shortly after JS and Sidney Rigdon stopped working on New Testament Revision 1.
An analysis of both New Testament manuscripts indicates that JS made changes to about 2,100 New Testament verses (Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 5). He introduced several significant changes to the King James New Testament text in New Testament Revision 1. Among other revisions, he revised and clarified material related to Matthew 24, John the Baptist’s role, and some aspects of the Sermon on the Mount and the Beautitudes. (See, Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 157.)
Note: The transcript of New Testament Revision 1 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), 153–228.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. New Testament Revision 1 New Testament Revision 2

Page 8

on his words left their nets and straightway followed him and going on from thence he saw other two breatheren James and John his brother the sons of Zebedee in a ship with Zebedee their father mending their nets and he called them and they immediately left their father in the ship and followed him and Jesus went about all Gallilee teaching in their Sinegogues and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people which beleived on his name and his fame went throughout all Syria and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments and those who were possessed with Devils and those who were lunatic and those that had the palsey and he healed them and there followed him great multitudes of people from Gallilee and D[e]capolis and Jerusalem and Judea and beyond Jordan Jordan.
Matthew, Chapter 5
And Jesus seeing the multitudes he went up into a mountain and when he was set down his disciples came unto him and he opened his mouth and taught them saying Blessed are they who shall beleive on me, and again more blessed are they who shall beleive on your words when ye shall testify that ye have seen me and that I am. Yea blessed are they that shall beleive on your words and come down into the depts of deph depths of humility and be Baptised in my name for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost and shall receive remission of their sins. Yea Blessed are the poor in spirit which cometh unto me for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. And again blessed are all they that mourn for they shall be comforted and blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth and blessed are all they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost [p. 8]
View entire transcript

|

Cite this page

Source Note

Document Transcript

Page 8

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
New Testament Revision 1
ID #
7810
Total Pages
71
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • Sidney Rigdon

© 2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Terms of UseUpdated 2021-04-13Privacy NoticeUpdated 2021-04-06