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.
should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elects sake, according to the covenents, those day<s> shall be shortened. Behold these <7/> things I have spoken unto you Concerning the Jews. <7/> And then immediately after the tribilation of those days which shall come upon Jerusalem, if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is christ; or there; beleive him not. For in those days there shall also arise false christs, and fals prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch, that if possable, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenentt. <8> Behold, I speak these things unto you for the elects sake. <8> And you also shall hear of wars, and rumour of wars; see that ye be not troubled; for all I have told you must come to pass, but the end is not yet. Behold, I have told you before, wherefore If they shall say unto you, Behold he is in the desert; Go not forth; Behold, he is in the secret chambers; Beleive it not. For as the light of the morning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, and covereth the whole earth, so shall also the <9/> coming of the son of man be. <9> And now I shew unto you a parable, Behold, wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together; so likewise, shall mine elect be gathered from the four quarters of the earth. And they shall hear of wars and rumours of wars. Behold I speak unto you for mine elects sake. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earth quakes in dvers [diverse] places. And again because iniquity shall abound, the love of men shall wax cold; but he who shall indure unto the end <not be overcome,> <10> the same shall be saved. <10> And again this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a wittness <un>to all nations, and then shall the end come, or the distruction of the wicked. And again shall the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, be fulfilled. <11> And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkend, and the Moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken. Verily <Verily> I say unto you, this generation in the which these things shall be shewn forth, shall not pass away, till all these I have told <you> shall be fulfilled. Although the days will come that heaven and earth shall pass away, but <yet> my words shall not pass away, but <12/> all shall be fulfilled. <12> And as I said before, Aftr the tribulations of those days, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, then shall appear the sign of the son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, [p. 37 (second numbering)]
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