The translation of the bible by joseph smith shows much of what is meant by. Joseph smith book of mormon translation video ryan. Excerpts from joseph smith the prophet by preston nibley. The resulting translation was published in 1830 as. Joseph smith translated an ancient text by the gift and power of god to produce the book of mormon. The joseph smith translation of the bible mormonism. The book of mormon is another testament of jesus christ.
How joseph smith translated the book of mormon youtube. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which, according to adherents, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. According to smith, the book is originally written in an otherwise unknown language called reformed egyptian on golden plates and it should be of similar importance as the bible. For instance, i read that at first he used a seer stone instead of the urim and thummim which he placed in his hat and buried his face into the hat to block out the light.
I give unto you my servant joseph to be a presiding elder over all my church, to be a translator, a revelator, a seer, and prophet. The translators of the book of mormon deseret news. If one scoffs at the missionarys explanation of the book of mormon, he is in so many words claiming it to be false. Smith supposedly produced these revisions under divine inspiration. Brothers according to those contemporaries of joseph smith who observed the book of mormon translation process, joseph smith did not look at or read from the golden plates while translating the book of mormon. The description of the book of mormon on the registration form is from the title page of the book of mormon, which joseph says is a literal translation taken from the very last leaf, on the left hand side of the collection or book of plates see pjs 1. I will now give you a description of the manner in which the book of mormon was translated. The prophet joseph smith taught that the devil will so transform things as to make one gape at those who are doing the will of god. It was first published in march 1830 by joseph smith as the book of mormon. Historical details about the time it took to translate the book are remarkably well preserved, and they are corroborated by the independently consistent. How long did it take joseph smith to translate the book of. Viett, who joined the church in france, and the translation work began. The coming forth of the book of mormon, foretold by ancient prophets, began with an angelic visitation in 1823 to 17yearold joseph smith.
The church recently released an essay summarizing what we know about the process of translating the book of mormon. When i see the word translate, it means to me that a scribe read a manuscript written in one language e. He also gave a prophecy of himself that he was a translator. A seer stone and a hat translating the book of mormon by bill mckeever and eric johnson the founder of the lds church, joseph smith, claimed an angel named moroni visited him in september of 1823. That it is a deceiving fraud formulated through the efforts and talents of a common man. According to witnesses, joseph smith often translated without the plates being present and used the interpreters to receive the revealed text. How exactly did joseph smith translate the book of mormon. A day in the life of joseph smith, translator extraordinaire. Joseph smiths uses of pseudo, intralingual and intersemiotic translation in the creation of the mormon canon. The gold plates and the translation of the book of mormon. Leaving the church, part 4 book of mormon translation by.
Book of mormon translation by joseph smith book of. Messenger of the restoration joseph smith translates the gold plates another testament of. The book of mormon is a sacred text that was published in march 1830 by joseph smith, jr. Could joseph smith have authored the book of mormon. Artwork of joseph smith translating the book of mormon. Joseph smith claimed that in 1827 an angel named moroni led him to a set of golden plates which he then translated by the gift and power of god. How joseph smith translated the book of mormon by royal. Joseph smith could neither write nor dictate a coherent and wellworded letter. Joseph smith and the beginning of book of mormon archaeology did the prophet joseph smith in 1842 locate book of mormon lands in middle america. Why did joseph smith translate the book of mormon into jacobean english, not in use in 1830. Who translated the book of mormon text into english for joseph smith to read.
Most latterday saints grew up learning that joseph smith translated the book of mormon through the use of magic spectacles known as the urim and thummim. Did joseph smith use a hat during the translation of the. The joseph smith translation jst is the king james version of the bible with joseph smiths revisionsmostly in the form of additions, though with some other kinds of changes. German translation of mormon collins englishgerman dictionary. The book of mormon has been translated in its entirety into 97 languages. Joseph smith translating the book of mormon, gospel art book 2009, no. A seer stone and a hat translating the book of mormon. Joseph smith clarifies what he means by very last leaf by specifying that it was on the left hand side of the book of plates. Before we get started it is worth mentioning that joseph smith apparently be. The book of hebrews and the joseph smith translation.
In 1827, smith began to gather a religious following after announcing that an angel had shown him a set of golden plates describing a visit of jesus to the indigenous peoples of. Joseph smiths translation and publication of the book of mormon. Book of mormon translation as you will see from the article, joseph smith apparently alternated between using the urim and thummim which he obtained simultaneously with the plates, and a seer stone that he. The last nephite prophet in the book of mormon circa a. When did joseph smith write the book of mormon answers. There are several theories as to the origin of the book of mormon. I believe from the book of mormon musical on the 65th tony awards. Changing the historical narrative, sets the stage for other false narratives to be written about the prophet joseph. The use of objects in the translation were only to help focusing on the work.
These books, too, he thought, as he dug through the shelves in the mormon book store. One of the most amazing facts about the book of mormon is that it took joseph smith only about sixtyfive working days to translate a book that, in the current edition, is 531 pages long. Garth norman posted by permission of ancient america foundation and the author. In 1822, joseph smith found a brown, eggcolored stone while digging a well for willard chase. The gold plates and the translation of the book of mormon according to joseph smiths later accounts, three years after he experienced his first vision of deity, an angel appeared to him in 1823 and told him of an ancient record written on gold plates.
The first german edition of the book of mormon came off the press in. The book of mormon text is unaltered and only arranged so that the reader does not. Most adherents to the latter day saint movement view the book as a work of inspired scripture. Translation refers to works such as the book of mormon that joseph smith said.
The book of mormon was first published in early 1830, prior to the official organization of the church of jesus christ in new york on april 6 of that year. Obviously, that means that the book of mormon is more correct than the bible. Joseph smith and his scribes used two instruments in the translation process. I know that if we will read and pray about the book of mormon, we can know that it is true and that joseph smith was a true prophet of god. Through him also, ancient records such as the book of mormon and the book of.
The book of mormon, the bible and the book of abraham. Dear gramps, i would like to know the exact way the prophet joseph translated the book of mormon. Written by prophets to a people who lived in america long before white people ever came, some believe they were the beginnings of some native indian tribes. This is the simple, direct testimony of joseph smith, giving some of the events that led to the restoration of the gospel and the founding of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints.
How did joseph smith translate the plates from which the. A few years ago i responded to a news article in which the author stated that joseph was a polygamist. Joseph smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light. The setting is the renowned though secretive west wing of the vast joseph smith frontier library, cleverly disguised as joseph smiths crude cabin in the frontier lands of new york. This is one of the first accounts of how joseph smith translated the book of mormon.
Joseph smith as revelator and translator the joseph smith papers. The mormon churchs push toward transparency about its roots and beliefs took another step forward with the first published pictures of a small sacred stone it. The german translation of the book of mormon, journal of book of. In 1823 moroni was sent as a resurrected being to reveal the book of mormon to joseph smith and finally delivered the plates to him in 1827 the guide to the scriptures, moroni, son of mormon, 16768.
Joseph smith claimed that the book of mormon is his translation of reformed egyptian. The most common belief of adherents is that promoted by joseph smith, who said he translated ancient golden plates. Smith said he has received these plates in 1827 from an angel named. Because joseph followed the instructions from heavenly father and translated the writings of ancient prophets, each of us can be blessed by reading the stories found in the book of mormon. Who translated the book of mormon text into english for. The joseph smith translation of the bible mormons in. Courtesy lds church this painting depicts lds church founder joseph smith translating the book of mormon from ancient gold plates with. It could be said that mormon history starts with the translation of the book of mormon. Seven years later, in 1830, this scriptural canon of the latterday saints was published for the world. Welch, foundation for ancient research and mormon studies farms. On september 21, 1823, joseph smith, then seventeen years old, was in his bed praying when a light began to fill his room. Early this week i posted a brief notice for the book from darkness unto light.
Thus, for example, the eighth article affirms that the book of mormon is the word of god without this qualification, and joseph smith claimed in its introduction that the book of mormon is the most correct of any book on earth quoted in gospel principles, 46. Translation of the bible has a long and fascinating history, beginning with the. Pdf joseph smiths uses of pseudo, intralingual and. By its own terms, the book of mormon is a translation of an ancient book. The book of mormon, first printed in 1830, is currently being published in more than 80 languages worldwide. Scharffs journal of book of mormon studies 111 2002.
In translating the book of mormon into sesotho, the language spoken in the. English german is a bilingual book for latterday saints. Mormon scriptures to be translated into 34 additional languages. We this day finished the translating of the scriptures. This minister was considered very antagonist towards the. An account written by the hand of mormon upon plates taken from the plates of nephi. The essay book of mormon translation in the gospel topics section of topics. Joseph smiths magic spectacles dan vogel photo of joseph smith wearing breastplate and looking through the urim and thummimmany mormons believe this is how joseph smith translated the book of mormon as he sat behind a curtain dictating the translation to a scribe on the other side. At first joseph spent a lot of time becoming familiar with the plates and the language in which they were written.
And, though i was an active participant in the scenes that transpired. With permission from professor anthony sweat, the artist behind the new artwork depicting joseph smiths translation of the book of mormon, the new pieces from the book are posted below. Oliver begins writing as scribe to joseph smith and will remain so for the vast majority of the remaining book of mormon translation. Joseph smith book of mormon translation video youtube. By april 1852, the new prophet, brigham young, had sent. As he studied and prayed, the urim and thummim helped him understand the characters on the plates. Smith also asserted that john the baptist appeared to him while he was translating the book of mormon and instructed him to restore the church by.
He planned to return home when he received a letter from brigham young asking him to remain in europe another year. By the power of god, through the holy spirit, how else. His early work on the translation, with emma smith and martin harris serving as the main scribes, was lost in 1828. In a related thread, the original inquirer asked, why did joseph smith translate the book of mormon into jacobean english, not in use in 1830. My response generated other responses, one of which indicated joseph was a fraud and wrote the book of mormon himself, which was an easy task to do.
When joseph was translating the book of mormon i had occasion more than once to go into his immediate presence, and saw him engaged. How did joseph smith translate the book of mormon from the golden plates. Since the prophet joseph smith originally translated the sacred volume from the gold plates into english and published the first edition in 1830, the book of mormon has been translated into 82 full foreign languages 25 partial and been named one of the 20 books that changed america. While on assignment from the lds prophet joseph smith to visit jerusalem in 1840, elder orson hyde of the quorum of the twelve apostles suggested opening. He began translating the book of mormon in early 1828, and the translation, as.
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