The Phinney Bible is significant in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1829, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery bought “a quarto-size King James translation published in 1828 by the H. and E. Phinney company of Cooperstown, New York” (Jackson). This Bible was used in the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible.
This Phinney Bible was printed in Cooperstown, New York just four years before Joseph Smith bought his own copy. It is an example of an innovation in printing that came to America in 1812: stereotyping. Stereotypes were “plates of type… made from plaster of paris molds that allowed printers to print certain works without having to reset the type every time or keep large volumes of loose type set standing in molds.
Mormon Views on the Bible: A Balancing Act.
While Joseph Smith affirmed the Bible’s divine origin in the Articles of Faith (“We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly.“), his beliefs about the scripture were more nuanced. He introduced the Book of Mormon as a companion text, claiming it contained missing portions of God’s message. Early Mormon leaders like Orson Pratt even suggested the Bible was pervasively altered.
Modern Mormons generally avoid such strong pronouncements. Factors influencing this shift include Smith’s unfinished Bible translation and the inclusion of some of his revisions in existing Mormon scripture like “The Book of Moses.”
Mormon doctrine posits that the Christian church fell into an apostate state after the death of the original apostles. Mormon literature is filled with critiques of historic Christianity, with leaders like Brigham Young comparing it to an “egg laid in hell” and Orson Pratt denouncing the entire Christian ministry as lacking divine authority.
Mormonism as the Restoration.
Mormons believe the decline of Christianity left the world spiritually bankrupt for centuries. The establishment of their church, they believe, signifies a restoration of truth and the start of a grand program leading to the ultimate triumph of God. They see their church as the fulfillment of Paul’s concept of the “dispensation of the fulness of times” (Ephesians 1:10).
Joseph Smith’s Bible Revision: Borrowing or Inspiration?
In the early 1830s, soon after the Book of Mormon’s publication, Joseph Smith embarked on a project that would become known as the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) of the Bible. This project aimed to revise and potentially correct the existing text. The original manuscript for this translation is currently held by the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (RLDS Church).
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has not included the JST in its official canon of scripture. However, they do reference the translation in footnotes within their standard works. A recent study by Brigham Young University (BYU) revealed significant parallels between Smith’s JST and the popular Bible commentaries of Adam Clarke, published around the same time.
While accusations of plagiarism against Smith might be extreme, the BYU study highlights his clear reliance on Clarke’s work. The extent of these similarities suggests Clarke’s commentaries served as a major source for Smith’s revisions to the Bible.
The Codex Sinaiticus, or “Sinai Bible”, is one of the four great uncial codices, ancient, handwritten copies of the Christian Bible in Greek 1,621 Years Ago. It is the oldest Bible in the world.
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. To call this version a “translation” gives a false impression. Technically, a “translation” means taking the words from one language (in the case of the Bible, Hebrew or Aramaic in the Old Testament or Koine Greek in the New Testament) and putting them into another language, such as English. Since there is no indication that Smith used biblical manuscripts or even had a fluent understanding of the three biblical languages, his version is not a “translation” that was put together like other biblical versions, including the New International Version or the New Living Translation.
About half of the Old Testament changes were made to the book Genesis while close to 80% of the New Testament changes were made to the four Gospels. Scattered changes were made throughout the rest of the Bible. One insertion made in Genesis chapter 50 added twelve new verses after verse 24a in the King James Version, including a conveniently placed prophecy about Smith! According to verse 33 in the Inspired Version, “. . . his name shall be called Joseph, and it shall be after the name of his father. . .” Needless to say, no Hebrew manuscript ever discovered supports this addition.
Smith claimed that he received a revelation on January 10, 1832 commanding him “to continue the work of translation until it be finished” (D&C 73:4b). A year and a half later, Joseph Smith said his translation was completed. On July 2, 1833, History of the Church 1:368 reported,
“We this day finished the translating of the Scriptures, for which we return gratitude to our Heavenly Father.”
The corrections made by Smith were lauded by Mormon apostle Bruce R. McConkie, who wrote:
“The Joseph Smith Translation, or Inspired Version, is a thousand times over the best Bible now existing on earth. It contains all that the King James Version does, plus pages of additions and corrections and an occasional deletion. It was made by the spirit of revelation, and the changes and additions are the equivalent of the revealed word in the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. For historical and other reasons, there has been among some members of the Church in times past some prejudice and misunderstanding of the place of the Joseph Smith Translation. I hope this has now all vanished away. Our new Church Bible footnotes many of the major changes made in the Inspired Version and has a seventeen-page section which sets forth excerpts that are too lengthy for inclusion in the footnotes. Reference to this section and to the footnotes themselves will give anyone who has spiritual insight a deep appreciation of this revelatory work of the Prophet Joseph Smith. It is one of the great evidences of his prophetic call” (Sermons and Writings of Bruce R. McConkie, p. 289).
If Joseph Smith truly finished his translation of the Bible and made corrections to a book that he claimed was true “only as far as it was translated correctly,” and if these changes are as good as McConkie says they are, then why doesn’t the LDS Church officially use the Inspired Version rather than the King James Bible?
In an authorized gospel manual published in the early 1970s, tenth president Joseph Fielding Smith explained the LDS leadership’s view on this issue:
“The reason why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has not published the entire manuscript is not due to any lack of confidence in the integrity of Joseph Smith, or doubt as to the correctness of the numerous additions and changes which are not in the Authorized Version of the Bible. The members of the Church do accept fully all of these (changes) as having come by divine revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The reason that is has not been published by the Church is due to the fact that this revision was not completed. It was the intention of Joseph Smith, while at Nauvoo, to take the scriptures up again and complete his labors, making numerous corrections which had not been made by him in the earlier revision. Due to persecution and mobbing this opportunity never came, so that the manuscript was left with only a partial revision” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Selections from Answers to Gospel Questions: A Course of Study for the Melchizedek Priesthood Quorum 1972-73, p. 312).
Smith’s reasoning is inadequate for several reasons:
1)If Smith did not finish the Bible as God supposedly told him to do so 1832 (D&C 73:4b), should Smith’s negligence to do what God commanded be considered a sin? After all, Smith lived for twelve more years after he was told to do this. Did he never have the chance to sit down and complete this reasonable task set forth by God?
2)If the translation wasn’t finished, then why did Smith say that he finished it in 1833?
3)If the Bible was only partially revised, does this mean the words that were revised or added by Smith are no better than what the King James Version has to offer?
Bruce Redd McConkie (July 29, 1915 – April 19, 1985) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church from 1972 until his death. One of the most controversial topics that he defended in his writings was the church’s policy of denying the priesthood to men of African descent until 1978.
Finally, why doesn’t the current LDS leadership—whom members believe possess “keys” and serve as God’s mouthpiece upon the earth—finish the work themselves? McConkie wrote that “up to the present time none of his successors have been directed by the Lord to carry the work forth to its final fruition” (Mormon Doctrine, 1966, p. 383). However, he promised, “There will be a not too distant day when all necessary changes shall be made in the Bible, and the Inspired Version — as then perfected — shall go forth to the world” (Mormon Doctrine, 1966, p. 384).
Just what did McConkie mean when he said there would be a “not too distant day” when the translation would be complete? This statement was written five decades ago!More than half of everyone who would have read McConkie’s words when his book was first published are now deceased.
Instead of hiding behind Article 8 and claiming that the Bible cannot be fully trusted because it has errors inserted by “corrupt” translators, we call upon the LDS Church leadership—if they truly are capable—to once and for all finish the Inspired Version and include this as an official part of their canon. This would eliminate the use of the “corrupt” King James Version. And if any of the changes could be supported with documented textual evidence, it would be greatly appreciated.
James White, Director of Alpha and Omega Ministries, explains the historic process that led to the Bible we hold in our hands today.
Just Thinking about the Bible Washington DC Regional Conference 2022
Joseph Smith’s Bible Revision: Borrowing or Inspiration?
