In my last post I mentioned a lecture and have since gotten the links to it. It illuminate in a doctrinal way, the mormon ideas on the last days and the book of revelation. Now I haven't yet watched it all, but I'm posting the link here anyway, and as I do watch I'll post some of my thoughts.
I wish I had the stamina to go through it all at once, but I just can't swallow all that doctrine as easily as I once did.
"The Key to Understanding the Book of Revelation"
Watch with me and share your thoughts in the comments if you like.
And if you have a question about mormonism, or about the mormons in your life, send it my way at askanexmormon@gmail.com
Yes, interesting lecture. I think something that isn't illustrated to non Mormons is that Joseph Smith not only translated the Book of Mormon but also, later, created what became known as the Inspired Version or Joseph Smith Translation (JST) of the Bible. Mormons believe that the King James Version of the Bible is a work of scripture, but due to translation errors, much has been lost from the original meaning. Smith set about to correct these through revelation. As far as historical accounts reveal, he would read through the Bible and make annotations to the text. Some of these annotations and changes were quite extensive, like what Mormons now know as the Book of Moses found in the Pearl of Great Price as well as his expanded version of the 24th chapter of the Book of Matthew.
ReplyDeleteAt Joseph Smith's death, his annotated Bible remained in the possession of his widow, Emma Smith, who then transferred the possession and subsequent copyright to her son Joseph Smith III and the church he founded, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, now known as the Community of Christ. They published a full length copy of the Inspired version.
The followers of Brigham Young of course knew about the book, but did not have a copy of all the changes made other than the previously published Book of Moses and the Matthew translation, which they introduced into their scriptural canon. Church leader and close friend of Joseph Smith, John M. Bernhisel, who followed Brigham Young after the succession crisis following Smith's death, had annotated his own personal Bible with the changes Joseph Smith made and at his death this Bible came to the possession of the LDS church. Notations of changes made in the Inspired Version are now included in the footnotes of the current LDS edition of the King James Bible.
The true importance of the Inspired Version is the doctrines that came from the process. For the Book of Revelations, the interpretation that the seven seals represent thousand year epochs of human history, and that we are at the end of the sixth thousand year period is one example.
Sapper Daddy
That is a great point Sapper Daddy. Often time in a class the teacher would have us read the scripture, and then read the JST (Joseph Smith Translation) so we could really truly understand the verse. It's funny that I could be so very comfortable with the JST version, and yet find any other translation a little repellent. Funny-sad. Not Funny-haha.
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