Joseph Smith: The Lord's Anointed (LDS Caucus)

Maridian Magazine ^ | 2005 | By John A. Tvedtnes

[MHGinTN]

“... Jesus was best understood as a Jew and Israelite who was trying to reform the religion, and he died as a devout Jew.” Sort of leaves out the salient points of His coming, namely His resurrection and ascension.

[Grig]

Didn’t you read the introduction?

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http://scriptures.lds.org/en/jst/
JOSEPH SMITH TRANSLATION

SELECTIONS FROM
THE JOSEPH SMITH TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE
AND
EXCERPTS TOO LENGTHY FOR INCLUSION IN FOOTNOTES

Following are selected portions of the Joseph Smith Translation of the King James Version of the Bible (JST). The Lord inspired the Prophet Joseph Smith to restore truths to the Bible text that had become lost or changed since the original words were written. These restored truths clarified doctrine and improved scriptural understanding. The passages selected for the Guide should help improve your understanding of the scriptures regardless of the language into which they are translated.

Because the Lord revealed to Joseph certain truths that the original authors had once recorded, the Joseph Smith Translation is unlike any other Bible translation in the world. In this sense, the word translation is used in a broader and different way than usual, for Joseph’s translation was more revelation than literal translation from one language into another. For more information about the JST, see “Joseph Smith Translation (JST)” in the Guide to the Scriptures.

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I believe Joseph was a prophet and there were parts of the Bible lost over time (including several books of scripture the Bible names that no longer exist anywhere). There is nothing wrong with with a prophet of God restoring the original text by revelation. Given that no original manuscripts exists, revelation would be the only way to get back to the original text.

[MHGinTN]

Um, from what did Joseph Smith ‘translate’? Smith merely took the King James Bible and altered it to suit his approach and issue prophesies of his coming and bring forward the book of mormon. But until someone points to a text Smith ‘translated’ his edition of the King James Bible is not a translation of anything merely an ‘expansion’ by authority he claims for himself as founded in the prophesies he added to books like Genesis?

[Grig]

“Moses was a murderer and had a speech impediment. David was a murderer and adulterer. Isaiah was a man of unclean lips. The word Jacob means trickster. He lied to his own father stealing his brother’s birthright. Yet in the end, God changed his name to Israel and named his family after him. Peter denied Christ. Paul persecuted Christians.”

And don’t forget that evil men spread lies about prophets of God, even about the Savior, throwing false accusations and lying witnesses against them to lead others away from accepting them.

[restornu]

Joseph Smith Translation as a restoration of the original Bible text

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This page is based on an answer to a question submitted to the FAIR web site, or a frequently asked question.

Contents

• 1 Question
• 2 Answer
• 3 Conclusion
• 4 Endnotes
• 5 Further reading
  Question">edit]

Question

If the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) is Joseph Smith's 'correction' of Biblical errors, why do these corrections not match known Biblical manuscripts?

[edit]

Answer

In describing the nature of the JST, the leading expert said:

To regard the New Translation [i.e. JST] as a product of divine inspiration given to Joseph Smith does not necessarily assume that it be a restoration of the original Bible text. It seems probable that the New Translation could be many things. For example, the nature of the work may fall into at least four categories:

1. Portions may amount to restorations of content material once written by the biblical authors but since deleted from the Bible.
2. Portions may consist of a record of actual historical events that were not recorded, or were recorded but never included in the biblical collection
3. Portions may consist of inspired commentary by the Prophet Joseph Smith, enlarged, elaborated, and even adapted to a latter-day situation. This may be similar to what Nephi meant by "Likening" the scriptures to himself and his people in their particular circumstance. (See 1 Nephi 19:23-24; 2 Nephi 11:8).
4. Some items may be a harmonization of doctrinal concepts that were revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith independently of his translation of the Bible, but by means of which he was able to discover that a biblical passage was inaccurate.

The most fundamental question seems to be whether or not one is disposed to accept the New Translation as a divinely inspired document.^[1]

The same author later observed:

It would be informative to consider various meanings of the word translate. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) gives these definitions: "To turn from one language into another retaining the sense"; also, "To express in other words, to para-phrase." It gives another meaning as, "To interpret, explain, expound the significance of." Other dictionaries give approximately the same definitions as the OED. Although we generally think of translation as having to do with changing a word text from one language to another, that is not the only usage of the word. Translate equally means to express an idea or statement in other words, even in the same language. If people are unfamiliar with certain terminology in their own tongue, they will need an explanation. The explanation may be longer than the original, yet the original had all the meaning, either stated or implied. In common everyday discourse, when we hear something stated ambiguously or in highly technical terms, we ask the speaker to translate it for us. It is not expected that the response must come in another language, but only that the first statement be made clear. The speaker's new statement is a form of translation because it follows the basic purpose and intent of the word translation, which is to render something in understandable form…Every translation is an interpretation—a version. The translation of language cannot be a mechanical operation … Translation is a cognitive and functional process because there is not one word in every language to match with exact words in every other language. Gender, case, tense, terminology, idiom, word order, obsolete and archaic words, and shades of meaning—all make translation an interpretive process.^[2]

[edit]

Conclusion

Some aspects of the JST may reflect a restoration of lost Biblical text. But, such restoration is likely in the minority. Joseph did not claim to be mechanically preserving some hypothetically 'perfect' Biblical text. Rather, Joseph used the extant King James text as a basis for commentary, expansion, and clarification based upon revelation, with particular attention to issues of doctrinal importance for the modern reader. Reading the JST is akin to having the prophet at your elbow as one studies—it allows Joseph to clarify, elaborate, and comment on the Biblical text in the light of modern revelation.

Modern readers are accustomed to thinking of a 'translation' as only the conversion of text in one language to another. But, Joseph used the term in a broader and more inclusive sense, which included explanation, commentary, and harmonization. The JST is probably best understood in this light.

[edit]

Endnotes

1. [back]  Robert J. Matthews, "A Plainer Translation": Joseph Smith's Translation of the Bible: A History and Commentary (Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 1985), 253.
2. [back] Robert J. Matthews, "Joseph Smith as Translator," in Joseph Smith, The Prophet, The Man, edited by Susan Easton Black and Charles D. Tate, Jr. (Provo: Religious Studies Center, 1993), 80, 84.

• Garold N. Davis, "Review of The Legacy of the Brass Plates of Laban: A Comparison of Biblical and Book of Mormon Isaiah Texts by H. Clay Gorton," FARMS Review of Books 7/1 (1995): 123–129. off-site PDF link
• Cynthia L. Hallen, "Redeeming the Desolate Woman: The Message of Isaiah 54 and 3 Nephi 22," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 7/1 (1998): 40–47. off-site [No PDF link] wiki
• Mark J. Johnson, "Review of The Legacy of the Brass Plates of Laban: A Comparison of Biblical and Book of Mormon Isaiah Texts by H. Clay Gorton," FARMS Review of Books 7/1 (1995): 130–138. off-site PDF link
• Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely, "'Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish': Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 14/2 (2005): 12–25. off-site PDF link wiki
• Stephen D. Ricks, "Review of The Use of the Old Testament in the Book of Mormon by Wesley P. Walters," FARMS Review of Books 4/1 (1992): 235–250. off-site PDF link
• A. Don Sorensen, "The Problem of the Sermon on the Mount and 3 Nephi (Review of: “A Further Inquiry into the Historicity of the Book of Mormon,” Sunstone September–October 1982, 20–27)," FARMS Review 16/2 (2004): 117–148. off-site PDF link
• Sidney B. Sperry, "The Book of Mormon and the Problem of the Pentateuch," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4/1 (1995): 119–128. off-site [No PDF link] wiki
• Sidney B. Sperry, "The Book of Mormon and the Problem of the Sermon on the Mount," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4/1 (1995): 153–165. off-site [No PDF link] wiki
• Sidney B. Sperry, "The Isaiah Quotation: 2 Nephi 12–24," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4/1 (1995): 192–208. off-site PDF link wiki
• Sidney B. Sperry, "The "Isaiah Problem" in the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4/1 (1995): 129–152. off-site [No PDF link] wiki
• Sidney B. Sperry, "Literary Problems in the Book of Mormon involving 1 Corinthians 12, 13, and Other New Testament Books," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4/1 (1995): 166–174. off-site [No PDF link] wiki
• John A. Tvedtnes, "Isaiah in the Bible and the Book of Mormon (Review of: “Isaiah in the Book of Mormon: Or Joseph Smith in Isaiah.” In American Apocrypha: Essays on the Book of Mormon, 157–234.)," FARMS Review 16/2 (2004): 161–172. off-site PDF link
• W. John Welsh, "Why Didn't Joseph Correct KJV Errors When Translating the JST?", lightplanet.com off-site

[

[restornu]

“Moses was a murderer and had a speech impediment. David was a murderer and adulterer. Isaiah was a man of unclean lips. The word Jacob means trickster. He lied to his own father stealing his brother’s birthright. Yet in the end, God changed his name to Israel and named his family after him. Peter denied Christ. Paul persecuted Christians.”

And don’t forget that evil men spread lies about prophets of God, even about the Savior, throwing false accusations and lying witnesses against them to lead others away from accepting them.

****

Ether 12
23 And I said unto him: Lord, the Gentiles will mock at these things, because of our weakness in writing; for Lord thou hast made us mighty in word by faith, but thou hast not made us mighty in writing; for thou hast made all this people that they could speak much, because of the Holy Ghost which thou hast given them;

24 And thou hast made us that we could write but little, because of the awkwardness of our hands. Behold, thou hast not made us mighty in writing like unto the brother of Jared, for thou madest him that the things which he wrote were mighty even as thou art, unto the overpowering of man to read them.

25 Thou hast also made our words powerful and great, even that we cannot write them; wherefore, when we write we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words; and I fear lest the Gentiles shall mock at our words.

26 And when I had said this, the Lord spake unto me, saying: Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness;

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

28 Behold, I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me—the fountain of all righteousness.

29 And I, Moroni, having heard these words, was comforted, and said: O Lord, thy righteous will be done, for I know that thou workest unto the children of men according to their faith;

[Revelation 911]

Ummm Before RM left s/he said it ok if we had a party. :)

.....with pizza

and we could stay up late and watch Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom

[Rameumptom]

>>>Ok, but beer and wine only, no hard liquor.

Hey now!! not on the LDS caucus thread. Only Green Jello allowed at this party ;-)

[Rameumptom]

>>>This is the first time I’ve heard the phrase “Messiah of Joseph” - do you know if this means something other than the Messiah in general?

I don't have a direct answer to your question. I don't fully know what constitutes the Messiah ben Joseph belief of the Jews since this is the first time I have read about it oo.

However, Biblical names are used in more than one context. For example Christ is called a "last Adam" in the NT. The term "Elias" while referring to an OT prophet also refers to others in the Bible. They are both personal names and used in a titular sense.

Anointed refers specifically to the Savior as one of his personal names but it can also refer to one who saves in a more general sense. As in Isaiah where King Cyrus a non-covenant person is referred to as Anointed. He is called that not as a personal name (or as the "Savior" Jesus) but as a title for one who saves (through letting the jews return and rebuild their temple) and as a type of Christ.

GUIDE TO THE SCRIPTURES - Anointed One

Jesus is called the Christ (a Greek word) or the Messiah (an Aramaic word). Both words mean “the anointed.” He is the one anointed of the Father to be the Father’s personal representative in all things pertaining to the salvation of mankind.

Isaiah 45: 1 Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

GUIDE TO THE SCRIPTURES Elias See also Elijah

There are several uses of the name or title Elias in the scriptures:

Elijah: Elias is the New Testament (Greek) form of Elijah (Hebrew), as in Matt. 17: 3-4, Luke 4: 25-26, and James 5: 17. In these instances, Elias was the ancient prophet Elijah whose ministry is recorded in 1 and 2 Kings. Forerunner: Elias is also a title for one who is a forerunner. For example, John the Baptist was an Elias because he was sent to prepare the way for Jesus (Matt. 17: 12-13)......

[gondramB]

Thank you.

[Utah Girl]

Green jello and shredded carrots. A favorite in the ward I grew up in. Yuck.

[DanielLongo]

You’re making me hungry. Can I have some Nauvoo potatoes with that? Bring on the RootBeer!