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.
March 8th 1831
A Translation of the New Testament translated by the power of God
The book of the genaration of Jesus christ the son of David the son of Abraham Abraham begat Isaac and Isaac begat Jacob and Jacob begat Judas and his breatheren and Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar and Phares begat Esrom and Esrom begat Aram and Aram begat Aminadab and Aminadab begat Naasson and Naasson begat Salmon and Salmon begat Booz of Rechab and Booz begat Obed of Ruth and Obed begat Jesse and Jesse begat David the King and David the King begat Solomon of her whom David had taken of Urias and Solomon begat Roboam and Roboam begat Abia and Abia begat Assa and Assa begat Josaphat and Josaphat begat Joram and Joram begat Ozias and Ozias begat Joatham and Joatham begat Achaz and Achas begat Ezekias and Ezekias begat Manasses and Manasses begat Amon and Amon begat Josias and Josias begat Jechonias and his breatheren about the time they were carriad away to Babylon and after they were brought to Babylon Jechonias begat Salathial and Salathial begat Zorobabel and Zorobable begat Abiud and Abiud begat Eleakim and Eleakim begat Azor and Azor begat Sadoc and Sadoc begat Achim and Achim begat Eliud and Eliud begat Eleazar and Eleazar begat Matthan and Matthan begat Jacob and Jacob begat Joseph the Husband of Mary of whom was born Jesus as the Prophets have written who is called [p. 1]
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Footnotes
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Unidentified handwriting ends; John Whitmer begins.
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John Whitmer handwriting ends; Sidney Rigdon begins.
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