A Plainer Translation: Joseph Smith’s Translation of the Bible: A History and Commentary [Paperback] Robert J. Matthews

Description

Since the Church does not officially use the Prophet’s translation of the Bible, some have concluded that it must therefore be of little significance. In addition, with the passing of more than a century since the translation was made, most people are now uninformed about its history, significance, and special contribution to the Church. Thus questions such as the following are often asked: What was the purpose of the New Translation of the Bible? How many verses were affected? Was it finished? Has it been published accurately? How does it help in understanding the Bible? Is it a restoration of the original text of the Bible? In an attempt to answer these and similar questions, this book: – tells why, where, when, and how the translation was made; – points out some problems encountered in publishing the translation from the manuscript; – provides a complete list of references in which the New Translation differs from the King James Version; – provides a complete list of references in which various printed editions of the Inspired Version differ from one another because of intentional alterations and also unintentional typographical errors; – analyzes some problem passages and presents the text of the original manuscripts in those instances; – discusses contributions of the New Translation to Latter-day Saint scripture and doctrine.