New Testament Revision 1
New Testament Revision 1
Source Note
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]
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 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.
to the damsel and she brought it to her mother and his disciples came and took up the body and buried it and went and told Jesus when Jesus heard that John was beheaded he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart and when the people had heard of him they followed him on foot out of the Cities and Jesus went forth and saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion toward them and he healed their sick and when it was evening his disciples came to him saying this is a desert place and the time is now past send the multitude away that they may go into the Villages and buy themselves Victuals but Jesus said unto them they need not depart but <give> ye them to eat and they say unto him we have here but five loaves and two fishes he said bring them hither to me and he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass and <he> took the five loaves and the two fishes and looking up to heaven he blessed and break and gave the loaves to the disciples and the disciples to the multitude and they did all eat and were filled and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve basketsfull and they that had eaten were about five thousand men besides women and children and straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship and to go before to <him unto> the other side while he sent the multitudes away and when he had sent the multitudes away he went up into a mountain apart to pray and when the evening was come he was there alone but the ship was now in the midst of the sea tossed with the waves for the wind was contrary and in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them walking on the sea and when the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were troubled saying it is a spirit and they cried of out for fear but straightway Jesus spake unto them saying be of good cheer it is I be not affraid and Peter answered him and said lord if it be thou bid me come unto thee on the watter and he said come and when Peter was come down out of the ship he walked on the watter to go [p. 37]
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