Lesson 13
To help class members gain a greater appreciation of the Joseph Smith Translation, you may want to briefly compare some passages with the King James Bible. Two comparisons are suggested below: a. The account and teachings of Enoch are an example of the restoration of long passages in the Joseph Smith Translation. The Bible’s only references to Enoch are in Genesis 5:18–24, Luke 3:37, Hebrews 11:5, and Jude 1:14–15. The Joseph Smith Translation’s references to Enoch are greatly expanded to include his teachings, visions, and prophecies as recorded in Moses 6:21–68 and 7:1–69. Select a few of these verses to read in class, and discuss their value. b. The revisions to Matthew 4 are an example of inspired corrections to specific verses in the Bible. If class members have excerpts of the Joseph Smith Translation in the footnotes of their Bibles, have them review a few of the footnotes for Matthew 4 that begin with “JST.” Discuss how these corrections clarify the verses in the King James Version. The process of translating the Bible not only brought the correction and restoration of doctrines in the Bible. It also helped bring about the restoration of doctrines through the Doctrine and Covenants. Many revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants are responses to questions the Prophet asked while pondering the translation of the Bible. One Church member who spent many years studying the Joseph Smith Translation observed, “The Joseph Smith Translation is not just a better Bible; it was the channel, or the means, of doctrinal restoration in the infancy of this Church” (Robert J. Matthews, in The Capstone of Our Religion: Insights into the Doctrine and Covenants [1989], 64). To give an example of how the Joseph Smith Translation led to “doctrinal restoration,” read the second full paragraph on page 24 of Our Heritage. You may also want to read the heading to D&C 76 and verses 15–19 in D&C 76. Encourage class members to use the Joseph Smith Translation as they study the scriptures. 3. Plain and precious doctrines of the gospel have been restored through Joseph Smith. The chart on page 74 highlights some of the doctrines of the gospel that were restored or clarified through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Note that the subjects listed in the left column are the same as those in the attention activity. The middle column of the chart lists verses in the Bible where the doctrines and principles are unclear, incorrect, or incomplete. The right column shows where these doctrines and principles are explained or clarified in scripture given through Joseph Smith. Select a few subjects from the chart, and review the accompanying scripture passages with class members. Discuss how the revelations that came through the Prophet clarify these subjects.
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