New Testament Revision 2
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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; CCLA.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 in order for the RLDS Church to publish The Holy Scriptures.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.
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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.
The Revelation of
John
Chapter -[1st]-
Verse 1st The revelation of John, a servant of God, which was given unto him of Jesus Christ, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass, that he sent & signifyed by his Angel unto his servant John, who bore record of the word of God, & of the testimony of Jesus Christ, & of all things that he saw. Blessed are they who read, & they who hear & understand the words of this Prophisy, & keepeth those things which are written therein for the time of the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Now this is the testimony of John to the seven servants who are over the seven churches in Asia. Grace unto you, & peace from him who is, & who was, & who is to come; who hath sent forth his Angel from before his throne, to tistify unto those who are the seven servants over the Seven churches. Therefore, I John, the faithful witness, bear record of the things which were delivered me of the Angel, & from Jesus Christ the first begotten of the dead, & the prince of the Kings of the earth. & unto him who loved us, be glory; who washed us from our sins in his own blood, & hath made us kings & Priests unto God, his Father. To him be glory & dominion, for ever & ever. amen. For behold he cometh in the clouds with ten thousands of his saints in the Kingdom, clothed with the glory of his Father. And every eye shall see him; & they who pierced him, & all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. For he saith, I am Alpha & Omega, (the beginning & the ending, the Lord, who is, & who was, & who is to come) the Almighty
12th And I turned to see from whence the voice came which spake to me; & being turned I saw seven golden candlesticks
16th Shining
20th this is are the Servents
Chapter -[2nd]-
Verse 1st servent
8th servent
12th servent
18th servent [p. 149 (second numbering)]
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Footnotes
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Sidney Rigdon handwriting ends; unidentified begins.
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Unidentified handwriting ends; Sidney Rigdon begins.
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