New Testament Revision 1
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Source Note
New Testament Revision 1, 8 Mar.–ca. June 1831; handwriting of ; 65 pages; CCLA. 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 in order for the RLDS Church to publish The Holy Scriptures.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.
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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 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.
loaves and the fishes and gave thanks and brake the bread and gave to his disciples and the disciples to the multitude and they did all eat and were filled and they took up of the broken meat seven basketsfull and they that did eat were four thousand men besides women and children and he sent away the multitude and took ship and came into the coasts of Magdala
16th) The Pharasees also with the Saducees came and tempting Jesus desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven and he answered and said unto them when it is evening ye say the weather is fair for the sky is red and in the morning ye say the weather is foul to day for the sky is red and louring o hypocrites ye can desern the face of the sky but ye cannot tell the signs of the times a wicked and adulteres generation seeketh after a sign and there shall no sign be given unto it but the sign of the prophet Jonas and he left them and departed and when his disciples were come to the other side they had forgotten to take bread then Jesus said unto them take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharasees and of the Saducees and they reasoned among themselves saying he said this because we have taken no bread and when they reasoned among themselves Jesus perceived it and he said unto them o ye of little faith why reason ye among yourselves because ye have brought no bread do ye not yet understed neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets ye took up neither the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many baskets ye took up how is it that ye do not understand that I spake not unto you concerning bread that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharasees and of the Saducees. Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread but of the doctrine of the Pharasees and of the Saducees. And when Jesus came into the coasts of Cesarea Philippi he asked his disciples saying whom do men say that I the son of man am and they said some say John the Baptist some Elias and others Jeremias or one of the prophets he saith unto them but whom say ye that I am and Simon Peter ansered and said thou art the christ the son of the living God and Jesus answered and said unto him blessed art thou Simon Barjona for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my father which is in heaven and I say also unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it and I will give unto thee the keys of the King [p. 40]
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