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Inspired translation of Nephi Plates into English
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Joseph Smith in the process of translating the golden Nephi Plates the angel Moroni gave him. This process of translation of "scripture" is the only time known to man, when God inspired the translator.
A. The Bible was inspired in its original language but is translated
without inspiration by the skill of men. The Book of Mormon, was alleged to
be inspired in both the original language and the translation into English.
David Whitmer, one of the 3 witnesses of the B of M, "I will now
give you a description of the manner in which the Book of Mormon was
translated. Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his
face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light;
and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something
resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One
character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in
English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who
was his principle scribe, and when it was written down and reappeared to
Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and
another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of
Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and nor by any power of
man." Address to All Believers in Christ, David Whitmer, 1887, page 12,
reprinted 1960, Pacific Publishing Co., Martinez, CA.
Martin Harris, one of the 3 witnesses of the B of M, "By aid of the
seer stone, sentences would appear and were read by the prophet and written
by Martin, and when finished he would say, 'written' and if correctly
written, that sentence would disappear and another appear in its place, but
if not written correctly it remained until corrected, so that the
translation was just as it was engraved on the plates, precisely in the
language then used.'" Myth of the manuscript found, 1883 edition p91.
Oliver B. Huntington, recorded in his journal that in Joseph F.
Smith said in 1881 of Joseph Smith the prophet, (Joseph F. Smith later
became the sixth president of the Mormon church), "Joseph did not render
the writing on the Gold plates into the English language in his own style
of language as many people believe, but every word and every letter was
given to him by the gift and power of God. So it was the work of God and
not of Joseph Smith, and it was done in this way... The Lord caused each
word spelled as it is in the book to appear on the stones in short
sentences of words, and when Joseph had uttered the sentence or word before
him the scribe had written it properly, that sentence would disappear and
another appear. And if there was a word wrongly written or even a letter
incorrect the writing on the stones would remain there. Then Joseph would
require the scribe to spell the reading of the last spoken and thus find
the mistake and when corrected the sentence would disappear as usual."
Journal of Oliver Huntingon, p168 typed copy at Utah State Historical
Society.
God's own voice from heaven, "...we heard a voice from out of the
bright light above us, saying 'These plates have been revealed by the power
of God, and they have been translated by the power of God. The translation
of them which you have seen is correct, and I command you to bear record of
what you now see and hear.'" History of the Church, Joseph Smith, Vol 1 p54
B. Where are the original Nephi Plates from which the B of M was
translated?
The existence of the gold Nephi plates from which the book of Mormon
was allegedly translated have never been proven. They were conveniently
taken back to heaven by the angel Moroni. This is like have an English
translation of the Bible with no support Greek text. With modern forensic
science, it would be a simple task to confirm the authenticity of the Nephi
plates if they existed. How convenient that the angel took them.
Without the Nephi Plates, Mormonism resembles the myths of "Bigfoot"
& "UFO's". All three are long on "personal testimony and eye-witnesses" and
short on hard proof!
C. Changes to Mormon books that were inspired in their translation:
Pearl of Great Price: page 14 alone of the 1st edition requires that
355 words be added, 63 words changed, and 4 words deleted to bring it into
conformity with current the edition.
Doctrines and Covenants: some revelations have hundreds of words
added to them.
Joseph Smith's History: 62,000 words added/deleted including the
following deletion, Joseph Smith, "drank a glass of beer at Moessers".
Book of Mormon: 3913 changes, effecting 10,000 words!
D. A sampling of the 3913 changes made to the inspired book of Mormon:
Text
Original 1830 Edition, Book of Mormon
Editions 1837, 1888, 1920, 1964, 1978
Title page
Joseph Smith, Jr. the author and proprietor of this work
Joseph Smith, Jr. the translator of this work
Title page
now if there be fault, it be the mistake of men...
now if there are faults, they are the mistakes of men...
1 Ne 13:40
the lamb of God is the Eternal Father
the lamb of God is the son of the Eternal Father
Mosi 21:28
King Benjamin
King Mosiah (same change in Ether 4:1)
1 Nephi 20:1
words added
or out of the waters of Baptism
2 Nephi 12:9
the mean man boweth down
the mean man boweth not down
Alma 29:4
Yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable
words deleted
Alma 37:21,24
directors
Interpreters
Alma 30:6
it is the effects of a phrensied mind
it is the effect of a frenzied mind
Throughout B of M
now there was seven churches
now there were seven churches
Throughout B of M
there were no blood to shed
there was no blood to shed
Throughout B of M
there is two churches
there are two churches
Throughout B of M
and also much horses
and also many horses
Throughout B of M
these things had not ought to be
these things ought not to be
Throughout B of M
as I was a journeying
as I was journeying ("a" removed)
Throughout B of M
They did prepare for to meet them
They did prepare to meet them ("for" removed)
Throughout B of M
some have arrested the scriptures
some have wrested the scriptures
Throughout B of M
when they had arriven
when they had arrived
Throughout B of M
having no respects to persons
having no respect to persons ("s" removed)
Throughout B of M
they had fell into great errors
they had fallen into great errors
Throughout B of M
which was wrote upon the plates
which was written upon the plates
Throughout B of M
they were exceeding fraid
they were exceedingly afraid
Throughout B of M
they had began to possess the land
they had begun to possess the land
Throughout B of M
this they done that they might provide food
this they did that they might provide food
Alma 23:1
nor neither of their brethren
nor either of their brethren
E. Is God responsible for these errors?
Joseph Fielding Smith, 1961, "the printer was a man who was
unfriendly" The Improvements Era, p924
John Gilbert, the printer said, "I called their attention to a
grammatical error, and asked whether I should correct it? Harris cunsulted
with Smith a short time and turned to me and said: 'The Old Testament is
ungrammatical, set it as it is written'" Joseph Smith Begins His Work, Vol
1, Introduction.
Many early Mormons taught that the errors were on the original Gold
Nephi plates.
"If the translation is not such a word-for-word bringing over from
the Nephi language into English, then it cannot be claimed that the Nephite
original is responsible for verbal and grammatical errors." Defense of the
Faith, p278, B.H. Roberts, Mormon historian.
Next Mormons blamed the scribe who wrote from what was dictated by
Joseph Smith.
"The awkward, ungrammatical expression of the thoughts is,
doubtless, the result of the translator's (Joseph Smith's) imperfect
knowledge of the English language...That old theory cannot be successfully
maintained; that is the Urim and Thummin did the translating." Defense of
the Faith, p306, B.H. Roberts, Mormon historian.
F. We have the following questions for Mormons to answer:
If the original 1830 Book of Mormon was inspired than why were there
so many errors and changes and additions and deletions, when compared to
current editions?
Why does the B of M use old KJV type English at a time when it was
not currently used.
Why is about 1/8th of the B of M copied directly from the KJV
(1611AD) when it was alleged to have been written some 1200-2000 years
before the KJV existed?
Joseph Smith deleted the italicized words in the KJV because he knew
they were not in the original. "Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone;
because I am a man of unclean lips" Isa 6:5, The words "is & am" are
deleted in the Book of Mormon.
How can we be assured that the translation of the B of M into French
is correct?
How do you account for the stunning parallels in both content and
order between the B of M and the View of the Hebrews, by Ethan Smith?
Published in 1823 (7 years before the B of M) less than 100 miles from the
Joseph Smith's parents home.
Why did the angel take Nephi Plates back to heaven? Do they not
belong with man?
Mormon Article of Faith #8: "We Believe the Bible to be the word of
God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of
Mormon to be the word of God." Why do you only add the phrase, "as far as
it is translated correctly" to describe the Bible and not after the book of
Mormon when in fact there are far more translating errors in the Book of
Mormon than the Bible?
Original language
translation process
stated accuracy
observed accuracy
Bible
Inspired Greek
skill of men
translation errors
99.9% accurate
1830 B of M
Inspired Egyptian
inspired of God
no translation errors
thousands of major errors
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