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.
then Jesus sent two disciples saying unto them go into the Village over against you and straightw[a]y you shall find an ass tied and a colt with her loose the <Ass and the> colt and bring him <them> unto me and if any shall say aught unto you ye shall say the lord hath need of him <them> and straightway he will send him <them> all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet saying tell tell ye the daughter <of> Zion behold thy King cometh unto thee and he is meek and he is sitt sitting upon the coat <an Ass and a> colt the foal of an Ass and the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them and brought the Ass and the colt and put on them their cloths clothes and they sat thereon Jesus took the colt and set thereon and they followed him and a very great multitude spread their garments in the way others cut down branches from the trees and strawed in the way and the multitudes that went before and also that followed after cried saying Hosanah to the son of David blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord Hosanah in the higest highest and when he was come into Jerusalem all the City was moved saying who is this and the multitude said this is Jesus of Nazareth the prophet of Gallilee and Jesus went into the Temple of God and cast out all them that sold and bought in the Temple and over threw the tables of the money changers and the seats of them that sold doves and said unto them it is written my house shall be called a <the> house of prayer but ye have made it a den of theives and the blind and the lame came to <him> in the Temple and he healed them and when the cheif priest and Scribes saw the wonderfull things that he did and the children of the Kingdom crying in the Temple and saying Hosanah to the son of David they were sore displeased and said unto him hearest thou what these say and Jesus said unto them yea have ye never read the Schriptures which saith out of the mouths of babes and sucklings o Lord thou hast perfected praise and he left them and went out of the City into Bethany and he lodged there. Now in the morning as he returned into the City he hungered and when he saw a figtree in the way he came to it and found nothing thereon but leaves only and he said unto it let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever and presently the figtree withered away and when the disciples saw [p. 49]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Go to page