New Testament Revision 1, Page 53
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New Testament Revision 1

Matthew, Chapter 1 Page 1 Matthew, Chapter 2 Page 2 Matthew, Chapter 3 Page 4 Matthew, Chapter 4 Page 6 Matthew, Chapter 5 Page 8 Matthew, Chapter 6 Page 12 Matthew, Chapter 7 Page 15 Matthew, Chapter 8 Page 18 Matthew, Chapter 9 Page 21 Matthew, Chapter 10 Page 24 Matthew, Chapter 11 Page 27 Matthew, Chapter 12 Page 29 Matthew, Chapter 13 Page 33 Matthew, Chapter 14 Page 36 Matthew, Chapter 15 Page 38 Matthew, Chapter 16 Page 40 Matthew, Chapter 17 Page 41 Matthew, Chapter 18 Page 43 Matthew, Chapter 19 Page 45 Matthew, Chapter 20 Page 47 Matthew, Chapter 21 Page 48 Matthew, Chapter 22 Page 52 Matthew, Chapter 23 Page 54 Matthew, Chapter 24 Page 56[a] Matthew, Chapter 25 Page 57[b] Matthew, Chapter 26 Page 59

Source Note

New Testament Revision 1, 8 Mar.–ca. June 1831; handwriting of ; 65 pages; CHL. Includes redactions.
The Bible revision manuscripts remained in JS’s possession throughout his life—except during a brief period in 1838 and another in 1839. Upon the death of JS, the manuscript was in possession of his wife for over twenty years, until 1867 when she gave it to her son so that the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS church) could publish it. It was in the possession of the RLDS church (now Community of Christ) until 2024, when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints acquired it. The manuscript is now held at the Church History Library in Salt Lake City.
Note: The transcript of New Testament Revision 1 presented here is used with generous permission of the Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center. It was published earlier, with some differences in style, in Scott H. Faulring, Kent P. Jackson, and Robert J. Matthews, eds., Joseph Smith's New Translation of the Bible: Original Manuscripts (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2004), 153–228.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Call, “Copied from the Journal of Anson Call,” 9 and Cooper, “Spiritual Reminiscences, No. 2,” Autumn Leaves (January 1891): 18.

    Call, Anson. “Copied from the Journal of Anson Call,” 1879. CHL. MS 4783.

    Cooper, F. M. “Spiritual Reminiscences.—No. 2,” Autumn Leaves 4, no. 1 (Jan. 1891): 17–20.

  2. [2]

    Emma Smith Bidamon, Nauvoo, IL, to Joseph Smith III, Plano, IL, 10 Feb. 1867, CCLA.

    Bidamon, Emma Smith. Materials, 1842–1871. CCLA.

  3. [3]

    The Holy Scriptures: Translated and Corrected by the Spirit of Revelation ([Plano, IL]: [Reorganized] Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1867).

Historical Introduction

As noted in the introduction to Old Testament Revision 1, in June 1830, JS and began recording a revelation related to Moses and other prominent Old Testament figures. (See Visions of Moses, June 1830 [Moses 1].) Eventually this work expanded into what is now designated as the Book of Moses and a complete revelatory re-reading, reviewing, and revising of the Bible, an endeavor that came to be known as JS’s “New Translation,” or Bible revision. By March 1831, JS and his scribes created a sixty-one-page manuscript containing a narrative account of the visions of Moses and a revised version of the Old Testament book of Genesis, from the beginning to chapter 24, verse 41. (See Old Testament Revision 1.)
JS set that work aside when instructed in a March 1831 revelation to instead begin work on the New Testament. (Revelation, ca. 7 Mar. 1831 [D&C 45:60–61].) He and began the new document on 8 March 1831, titling it “A Translation of the New Testament translated by the power of God.” It is currently designated as New Testament Revision 1 and consists of sixty-five pages, all of it in Rigdon’s hand.
New Testament Revision 1, presented here, begins with Matthew 1:1 and continues through part of Matthew 26:71. It was copied almost immediately by , who had been directed by revelation to “write & keep a regulal [regular] history & assist my servant Joseph in Transcribing all things which shall be given him.” (Revelation, ca. 8 Mar. 1831–B [D&C 47:1].) Whitmer’s copy (New Testament Revision 2) became the working copy of the New Testament for the revision project, and JS’s subsequent corrections to the text were inscribed on it. Consequently, New Testament Revision 1 is largely free from later revisions and emendations. Although the exact date JS stopped work on New Testament Revision 1 is unknown, it was apparently prior to his and ’s journey to in June 1831. (JS History, vol. A-1, 126.) John Whitmer’s copying of the manuscript began in early April 1831 and continued until shortly after JS and Sidney Rigdon stopped working on New Testament Revision 1.
An analysis of both New Testament manuscripts indicates that JS made changes to about 2,100 New Testament verses (Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 5). He introduced several significant changes to the King James New Testament text in New Testament Revision 1. Among other revisions, he revised and clarified material related to Matthew 24, John the Baptist’s role, and some aspects of the Sermon on the Mount and the Beautitudes. (See, Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 157.)
Note: The transcript of New Testament Revision 1 presented here is used with generous permission of the Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center. It was published earlier, with some differences in style, in Scott H. Faulring, Kent P. Jackson, and Robert J. Matthews, eds., Joseph Smith's New Translation of the Bible: Original Manuscripts (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2004), 153–228.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. New Testament Revision 1 New Testament Revision 2

Page 53

the person of men tell us therefore what thinkest thou is it lawfull to give tribute to <​unto​> Ceaser or not but Jesus perceived their wickedness and said ye hypocrites why tempt ye me shew me the trbute money and they brought unto him a penny he saith unto them whose image is this and superscription they say unto him Ceasers: then saith he unto them render to <​therefore unto​> Ceaser the things which are Ceasers and unto God the things which are Gods and when they had heard him say these words they marveled and left him and went their way the same day came the Saducees to him who say that there is no resurection and asked him saying master Moses said if a man die having no children his brother shall marry his wife and raise up seed to <​unto​> his brother now there were with us seven breatheren and the first when he had married a wife deceased and having no isue he left his wife unto his brother likewise the second also and the third and even to <​unto​> the seventh and last of all the woman died also therefoore in the resurection whose wife shall she be of the seven for they all had her Jesus answered and said unto them ye do err not knowing the Schriptures nor the power of God for in the resurection thy <​they​> neither marry nor are given in marriage but are as the Angles of God in heaven but as touching the resurection of the dead have ye not read that which was spoken unto you of God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living and when the multitude heard him they were astonished at his doctrine but when the Pharasees heard that he had put the Saducees to silence they were gatherd together then one of them a lawyer tempting him asked saying master which is the great commandment in the law Jesus said unto him thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind this is the first and great commandment and the second is like unto it thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself upon these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets while the Pharasees were getherd together Jesus asked them saying what think ye of christ whose son is he they say unto him the son of David he saith unto them how doth then doth David in spirit call him Lord saying the [p. 53]
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Editorial Title
New Testament Revision 1
ID #
7810
Total Pages
71
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • Sidney Rigdon

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