Joseph Smith's Translation Of Genesis 1:1 Acceptance of the Bible by the Mormon Church is qualified by a statement credited to Joseph Smith and which now appears in article eight of the Mormon Articles of Faith, " We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly." The JST says: “And Noah and his sons hearkened unto the Lord, and gave heed, and they were called the sons of God” (JST, Genesis 8:1/Moses 8:13). [5] James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1955). 30 For God having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself; that every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course; 31 To put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God; to do all things according to his will, according to his command, subdue principalities and powers; and this by the will of the Son of God which was from before the foundation of the world. Adam and Eve mourned because of Cain’s rebellion. . Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion, made a number of changes to the King James Bible that is known today as either the Inspired Version or Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible. Smith considered this work to be "a branch of his calling" as a prophet. [2] The book of Moses excerpts in the first edition of the Pearl of Great Price (1851) were taken from the Evening and Morning Star and the Times and Seasons. And since the claims of Joseph Smith to be a prophet are directly tied to his claims to possess this gift, this gives us more than enough reason to reject Joseph Smith’s prophetic claims. [5]. Enoch reaffirms this teaching: “Behold, Satan hath come among the children of men, and tempteth them to worship him; and men have become carnal, sensual, and devilish, and are shut out from the presence of God” (JST, Genesis 6:50/Moses 6:49). (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. The wording of section 132 and its doctrinal nature reflect its connection with JST, Genesis. 15. Jesus Christ (the Only Begotten Son) was called before the foundation of the world to be the Savior and Redeemer. It's a great volume! Other sources highly relevant to a greater understanding of Genesis include the book of Abraham, Lectures on Faith, doctrinal expositions of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve (e.g., “The Father and the Son”), statements of the First Presidency (e.g., “Origin of Man”), and the sermons and writings of the latter-day prophets (e.g., Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Conference Reports). “But behold, Cain hearkened not, saying: Who is the Lord that I should know him? for in heaven created I them.”. To whom was he writing? What Is the Fundamental Message of Genesis? Compare verses 40 to 57 with Genesis 5 (or Moses 6) about the Patriarchs: “The order of this priesthood [i.e., Melchizedek] was confirmed to be handed down from father to son, and rightly belongs to the literal descendants of the chosen seed, to whom the promises were made. JST, Genesis 1:1–8:18. 32 And men having this faith, coming up unto this order of God, were translated and taken up into heaven. Genesis 4:1–8 (JST, Genesis 4:2–5:13; Moses 5:2–28). Also, that by this sin they doomed all mankind to be born already stained with original sin upon their souls into a world of grief, sorrow, and suffering. Satan agreed to submit to Cain’s commands in return for Cain’s entering into the secret oaths to commit murder. And Cain loved Satan more than God.” (JST, Genesis 5:4, 6/Moses 5:16, 18.). The man who studies the stories and message of Genesis without the aid of the Joseph Smith Translation is like unto the captain of a ship who, while viewing the tips of many icebergs (doctrines), tries to estimate their true size and shape without considering all information available and the underlying currents which affect their movement. One afternoon, shortly after the “new” King James Version, LDS Edition came out, I boarded the Wasatch Boulevard bus going south on State Street in Salt Lake City and found that there was only one seat vacant—right in the middle of the back row. v. t. e. The Joseph Smith Translation ( JST ), also called the Inspired Version ( IV ), was a revision of the Bible by Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Instead of the “stone” being the house of God, it is the “place” of the house of God. 40 And it came to pass, that God blessed Abram, and gave unto him riches, and honor, and lands for an everlasting possession; according to the covenant which he had made, and according to the blessing wherewith Melchizedek had blessed him. Through personal righteousness, man could gain eternal life. Great gospel themes are better clarified in JST, Genesis. The featured speakers will talk about the Savior, his life, his mission, the Atonement, and his influence in our lives today. After mentioning that Seth was appointed in his murdered brother’s stead, the record continues, “Now this same Priesthood, which was in the beginning, shall be in the end of the world also” (JST, Genesis 6:7/Moses 6:7). What Great Gospel Themes Are Better Clarified in JST, Genesis? With his Father, it is his work and glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. This text of the Bible was restored by Joseph Smith and is published in the Pearl of Great Price as Selections from the Book of Moses. . Some of the major facts which cannot be overlooked in the JST are: In short, Adam knew of the mission of Jesus Christ, received instruction from him, understood the necessity of exercising faith in him, bore witness of him, and taught these things to his descendants for several generations. Then follows an explanation of the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. Thus we see the perfect justice of God in working with his children for their salvation. While engaging in such a concentrated study of the scriptures, it was natural for him to ask questions and ponder on various subjects, inquire of the Lord, and receive divine revelation in answer to his inquiry.” [11] Of what consequence could this be to a greater understanding of Genesis? Most of the Christian world, with the help of a few assumptions, reaches the following conclusions: Adam and Eve both openly rebelled against God and committed a wicked, evil sin—undoubtedly breaking the law of chastity. What other unique textual contributions are given? From this, who could possibly reconstruct the history or operation of the priesthood for approximately twenty-five hundred years—from Adam to Moses? Joseph Smith's claim that the word 'Elohim in Genesis 1:1, having a plural ending indicates that there are many gods is completely without merit. Before considering the great gospel themes which become plain in the JST, one other preliminary observation could be made to emphasize the large amount of additional scripture that it makes available. He rebelled and sought to destroy man’s agency. To gain valuable insights into Genesis, the place to start is with the book of Moses—in fact, chapter 1. Lot’s incestuous daughters “did wickedly.”. Thus, we see that none of them occur in the common version of Genesis. ... Hat Tip to Joseph Smith. Israel had a great patriarchal lineage going back to Adam. “Every green herb” becomes “every clean herb.”, 3. His well-worn Bible appeared to be one of the old black-covered Cambridge missionary editions, and he was reading Genesis 14. This order was instituted in the days of Adam, and came down by lineage in the following manner: From Adam to Seth, who was ordained by Adam at the age of sixty-nine years, and was blessed by him three years previous to his (Adam’s) death, and received the promise of God by his father, that his posterity should be the chosen of the Lord, and that they should be preserved unto the end of the earth; Because he (Seth) was a perfect man, and his likeness was the express likeness of his father, insomuch that he seemed to be like unto his father in all things, and could be distinguished from him only by his age” (D&C 107:40–43). A central claim in Mormon history and doctrine is the assertion that Joseph Smith was able to translate ancient documents into English by the gift and power of God. Genesis 24:2, 9 (JST, Genesis 24:2, 8). Genesis 48:5–6 (JST, Genesis 48:5–11). What about organic evolution? Most of us probably don’t fully appreciate or have a true perspective on the value of the JST because we have been using part of it for such a long time (i.e., the book of Moses). “The Gospel began to be preached, from the beginning, being declared by holy angels sent forth from the presence of God, and by his own voice, and by the gift of the Holy Ghost” (JST, Genesis 5:44/Moses 5:58). One will note that Genesis 5 gives the patriarchal line from Adam to Noah, indicating little more than the age of the patriarchs when the sons in the patriarchal line of succession were born. Risking the possibility that he might not be LDS, I said, “Pardon me, do you mind if I ask you a question?” Looking a little surprised, he said, “No, go ahead.”, “Do you mind telling me why you are reading the old Bible when the new one is available?” Again he looked a little shocked at the challenge, but as he searched for words, he almost unconsciously pulled his book close to him and said, “I just like my old Bible, that’s all.” Then he added, “And besides, I guess it’s the money.”, “You can buy a new Bible at the Distribution Center for about seven dollars,” I suggested. In this regard, we can see a similarity to eighteen verses in Doctrine and Covenants 107. 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