![FairMormon Logo](https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2021_fair_logo_primary.png)
FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
JamesStutz (talk | contribs) (→Bible vs The Joseph Smith Translation (JST)) |
JamesStutz (talk | contribs) (→Bible vs The Joseph Smith Translation (JST)) |
||
Line 67: | Line 67: | ||
:#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. | :#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. | ||
− | + | See the following FAIRwiki article for more information: [[Joseph_Smith_Translation|The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible]] | |
*JST Isaiah 29 | *JST Isaiah 29 | ||
*JST John 1:1 | *JST John 1:1 |
This page is based on an answer to a question submitted to the FAIR web site, or a frequently asked question.
(NOTE: This review is incomplete and is still being worked on. If you would like to help please let us know through our "Ask the Apologist" service!)
In 2010 Sourceflix & Living Hope Ministries (LHM) produced a DVD entitled "The Bible vs Joseph Smith". This film compares and contrasts the prophecies found in the Bible with the prophecies found in the Book of Mormon. The format of the film is a dialogue between Joel Kramer of LHM and Greg Gifford, a Latter-day Saint. The film is shot entirely in Israel, and various scholars are interviewed for their opinions. Overall the filming is well done and leaves the sense of a solid case against Joseph Smith, when in reality the arguments are very poor and easily debunked.
The film opens with a short conversation about the biblical test for determining whether a prophet is a true prophet or a false prophet as found in Deuteronomy 18꞉20-22:
Commenting on this passage, Kramer says,
A few important points should be made about this:
The following articles discuss this issue further:
Relevant articles: John Gee: The Corruption of Scripture in Early Christianity (http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=42&chapid=206)
What exactly is the nature of the "Joseph Smith Translation" (JST) of the Bible, also known as the "Inspired Version"? In his discussion of this text Joel Kramer approaches it as a restoration of the "plain and precious parts of the Bible", as described in the chapter heading of 1 Nephi 13. Describing the JST, Kramer says,
Kramer then investigates three different instances in which the JST differs from the text of ancient manuscripts of the Bible and in each case Kramer concludes that Joseph Smith's translation does not match the best manuscripts available today. Kramer ultimately concludes that Joseph Smith himself has corrupted the Bible and it is implied that Joseph is a hypocrite for claiming (through Nephi) that "the great and abominable church" is responsible for corrupting the Bible.
But Joseph Smith himself never explained what exactly the nature of the JST is. The JST was a continual project for Joseph, one he did not finish before his death in 1844. In the absence of a clear explanation of the nature of the JST, many Latter-day Saints have made the same assumption that Kramer makes, that it is a restoration of text which was lost or corrupted by translators and scribes. But LDS scholarship in recent decades has helped to provide insight into exactly what the JST is. It has been described as a combination of the following:
See the following FAIRwiki article for more information: The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible
==
==
Notes
==
Jump to Subtopic:
FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
We are a volunteer organization. We invite you to give back.
Donate Now