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.
cometh he will distroy those misrable wicked men and will let again his vinyard unto other husbandmen even in the last days which shall render him the fruits in their seasons and then understood they the parable which he spake unto them that the gentiles should be distroyed also when the lord ) should descend out of heaven to reign in his vinyard which is the earth and the inhabitants thereof—
22nd And Jesus answered the people again and spake unto them again in parables and said the Kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain King who made a marriage for his son and when the marriage was ready he sent forth his servents to call them that were bidden to the wedding and they would not come again he sent forth other servents saying tell them that are bidden behold I have prepared my Oxen and my fatlings have been killed and my dinner is ready and all things are prepared therefore come unto the marriage but they made light of the servents and went their ways one to his farm and another to his merchantdize and the remnant took his servents and entreated them spitefully and slew them but when the King heard that his servents were dead he was wroth and he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers and burnt up their City then saith he to his servents the wedding is ready but they who were bidden were not worthy go ye therefore into the highways and as many as ye shall find bid to the marriage so those servents went out into the highways and gathered together all as many as they found both bad and good and the wedding was furnashed with guests but when the King came in to see the guests he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment and he saith unto him friend how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment and he was speechless. Then said the King unto his servents bind him hand and foot and take and cast him away into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth for many are called but few chosen wherefore all do not have on the wedding garment. Then went the Pharasees and took council how they might entangle him in talk and they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodeans saying master we know that thou art true and teaches the way of God in truth neither carest thou for any for thou reguardest not [p. 52]
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