New Testament Revision 2 (second numbering)
New Testament Revision 2
Source Note
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; CHL.
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 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.
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. , 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.
certain City, behold, a man full of leprosy, who, seeng Jesus, feel <fell> on his face and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean. And he put forth his hand and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediatly the leprosy departed from him. and he charged him to tell no man; but said <unto> him; go and shew thyself to the priests, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. But so much the more there went <went there> a fame abroad abroad of him; and great multitudes came together to hear, him & to be heald <by him> of their infirmities. </> And he withdrew himself into the willderness, and prayed. <4/> and it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharasees, and Doctors of the law sitting by, who were come out of every town of Gallilee, and Judeah, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And behold, men brought in a bed, a man who was taken in <with> a palsey; and they sought to bring him in, and to lay him before Jesus. and when they could not find <found> that they could not bring him in for the multitude, they went upon the house top; and let him down throught <the> tiling, with his couch, into the midst. before Jesus. Now he saw their faith, and said unto the man, Thy sins are forgiven thee. <5/> and the Scribes and Pharasees began to reason, saying, who is this who <that> speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone? But Jesus perceived their thoughts, and he said unto them, what reason ye in your hearts? is it not easier to say thy sins be forgiven thee <does it require more <more> power to forgive sins> than to say arise up and <make the sick rise up and> walk? but, that ye me know that the son of man hath power upon earth to firgive sins, I <he> said unto the sick of the palsey thy sins beforgiven thee I said it. And he said unto the sick of the palsey, I say unto thee, arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thy house. and immediately he arose up and took before them, and took up that whereon he lay & departed to his own house, gloryfying God. <6/> And they were all amazed, and they gloryfied God, and were filled with fear, saying, we have seen strange things to day, <6/> And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi sitting at the place where they recived costom; and he said unto him, follow me. And he left all, and rose up, and followed him. <7/> and Levi made him a great feast in his own house; and there was a great company of publicans and <of> others that sat down with them but the there <their> S[c]ribes, and Pharasees, murmered against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat with publicans and sinners and drink with publicans and sinners? Jesus [p. 57 (second numbering)]
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