LESSON 4:  “REMEMBER THE NEW COVENANT, EVEN THE BOOK OF MORMON”

There are two manuscripts of the Book of Mormon.  The “Original Manuscript,” is that which was dictated to Oliver Cowdery and other scribes by Joseph Smith.  This manuscript was later placed in the cornerstone of the Nauvoo House.  In the 1870s, Lewis Bidamon, Emma’s second husband, removed the manuscript from the cornerstone.   Some of the manuscript had been damaged by the elements.  Bidamon gave out much of the remaining pages and pieces to visitors as souvenirs.  Less than 30% of the original manuscript survives today.

A copy of the original manuscript was made by Oliver Cowdery and two others, and carried a few pages at a time to the printer for typesetting.  This “Printer’s Manuscript,” is owned today by the Community of Christ.

Below is a brief synopsis of some significant editions of the Book of Mormon, with emphasis on their textual changes.

1830:  5,000 copies; published by E. B. Grandin in Palmyra, New York. In general, the first edition is a faithful copy of the printer's manuscript (although on one occasion the original manuscript rather than the printer's was used for typesetting). For the most part, this edition reproduces what the typesetter, John H. Gilbert, considered grammatical "errors." Gilbert added punctuation and determined the paragraphing for the first edition. In the Preface, Joseph Smith explains the loss of the Book of Lehi—116 pages of manuscript loaned to Martin Harris. The testimonies of the Three and the Eight Witnesses were placed at the end of the book. In this and all other early editions, there is no versification.

1837:  Either 3,000 or 5,000 copies; published by Parley P. Pratt and John Goodson, Kirtland, Ohio. For this edition, hundreds of grammatical changes were made in the text. The 1830 edition and the printer's manuscript were used as the basis for this edition.

1840:  2,000 copies; published for Ebenezer Robinson and Don Carlos Smith (by Shepard and Stearns, Cincinnati, Ohio), Nauvoo, Illinois. Joseph Smith compared the printed text with the original manuscript and discovered a number of errors made in copying the printer's manuscript from the original. Thus the 1840 edition restores some of the readings of the original manuscript.

1841:  4,050 copies (5,000 contracted); published for Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Parley P. Pratt (by J. Tompkins, Liverpool, England). This first European edition was printed with the permission of Joseph Smith; it is essentially a reprinting of the 1837 edition with British spellings.
Two additional British editions, one in 1849 (edited by Orson Pratt) and the other in 1852 (edited by Franklin D. Richards), show minor editing of the text. In the 1852 edition, Richards added numbers to the paragraphs to aid in finding passages, thereby creating the first—although primitive—versification for the Book of Mormon.
Three other important LDS editions have involved major changes in format as well as minor editing:
IMPORTANT NOTE:  This 1841 edition provided the basis for all subsequent editions until 1981.  Since it is based on the 1837 edition, those changes that had been made by Joseph Smith in the 1840 edition were lost until they were restored in the 1981 edition.

1879:  Edited by Orson Pratt. Major changes in the format of the text included division of the long chapters in the original text, a true versification system (which has been followed in all subsequent LDS editions), and footnotes (mostly scriptural references).

1920:  Edited by James E. Talmage. Further changes in format included introductory material, double columns, chapter summaries, and new footnotes. Some of the minor editing found in this edition appeared earlier in the 1905 and 1911 editions, also under the editorship of Talmage.

1981:  Edited by a committee headed by members of the Quorum of the Twelve. This edition is a major reworking of the 1920 edition: The text appears again in double columns, but new introductory material, chapter summaries, and footnotes are provided. About twenty significant textual errors that had entered the printer's manuscript are corrected by reference to the original manuscript. Other corrections were made from comparison with the printer's manuscript and the 1840 Nauvoo edition.

LESSON 3: “I HAD SEEN A VISION”


I’ve always been amused by those who look at the varying early accounts of the First Vision as source material for attacking Joseph Smith and the Church on the grounds of inconsistency.  It would be far more suspect if the accounts agreed in every detail, and the fact that the details are presented differently in some of the versions is to me far more consistent with the nature of oral history and the evolving sensibilities of a boy from the age of 14 to his death at the age of 39.

We should also remember that Joseph’s First Vision was a personal experience.  A young boy retired to the woods to inquire of God regarding his personal worthiness and seek further instruction.  We have institutionalized this intensely personal experience as the foundational event of the Restoration.  While this is understandable, let us not forget its original and personal nature.

Here is a brief synopsis of the eight contemporary accounts of the First Vision.

1832 ACCOUNT --  Dictated by Joseph Smith to Frederick G. Williams in 1832.  His age is given as either 15 or 16 (the second digit is not legible).  He makes no reference to reading James 1:5.  Says, “The Lord,” appeared to him and told him that his sins were forgiven him.  He is told that “none doeth good,” but is not told that the Church would be restores.

1835 ACCOUNT -- 1835 recital to a visitor to Kirtland, recorded by Warren Parrish.   Joseph mentions reading James 1:5.  He mentions the opposition of evil that he encountered in the grove and says that he say 2 personages.  He was told that his sins were forgiven him and he say many angels.  He indicates he was about 14 years old.

1838 ACCOUNT --  Dictated by Joseph Smith to James Mulholland; this is the primary text which is found in the Pearl of Great Price.  He mentions James 1:5 and says he was in his fifteenth year.  He gives the date as Spring of 1820.  He mentions the evil opposition in the grove.  He says that he saw two personages.  He asked which Church to join, but was told that they were all wrong.

1842 ACCOUNT - Published in the Times and Seasons as a reply to John  Wentworth, seeking information for publication in the Chicago Democrat.  Similar to 1838 account.

1840 ACCOUNT - Orson Pratt’s account published in Several Remarkable Visions.  This is the first known printing of an account.   He mentions James 1:5 and the evil opposition. In the grove.  He sees two personages and asks which Church to join.  He is told that all are wrong and is promised a restoration.

1842 ACCOUNT - Orson Hyde’s account published in A Cry From the Wilderness.   Joseph was 14 or 15.  The evil opposition in the grove is mentioned.  Joseph sees two personages who tell him not to join any of the churches.  A restoration is promised.

1843  ACCOUNT- An account written by the editor of the Pittsburg Gazette (David White) who visited Nauvoo in 1843.  Published in the New York Spectator, Sept. 23, 1843.  The brief account says he was about 14 when he saw two personages who told him to join none of the churches.

1844 ACCOUNT - Alexander Neibaur’s journal account of hearing from Joseph Smith his rendition, May 24, 1844.   Mentions the evil opposition in the grove.  Only one personage is mentioned (who has blue eyes), then another personage appears.  Joseph asks if he should join the Methodist Church and is told no, that all are wrong.

1844 - Daniel I. Rupp published in, An Original History of the Religious Denominations at Present Existing in the United States.   Joseph was about 14 when he saw 2 personages.  He is told that all churches are wrong, but is promised a restoration.

For those who may be interested in reading further, I would recommend, Milton V. Backman.  JOSEPH SMITH’S FIRST VISION.  Salt Lake City:  Bookcraft, 1971.

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants and Church History

 The following is brief history of the printing of the Doctrine & Covenants since 1833.

 1833 - A BOOK OF COMMANDMENTS. The original intent was to print up to 10,000 copies of this collection of revelations, but the number was revised down to 3,000 in 1832. The printing press was destroyed while the book was being set and most of the printed sheets scattered or destroyed. Some of these sheets were saved by early members of the Church and compiled into an indeterminate number of books with various, often home-made, bindings. A total of five 32-page signatures (tricesimo secundo), resulting in a book of 160 pages, comprised in 65 chapters. Whether this was all that was intended to be printed is not known. Fewer than 30 copies of this book are still in existence today.

 1835 - DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS OF THE CHURCH OF THE LATTER DAY SAINTS. Although 5,000 copies were supposed to be printed, it is likely that not all of these were bound. The “Lectures on Faith,” are found at the beginning of the book, and remained a part of the D&C until 1921. There are 100 revelations covering the period from July 1828 to March 28, 1935. Sections 1-4, 6-100 are numbered with roman numerals. Two sections are erroneously numbered as 66, and section 7 is misnumbered as 5. An article on marriage is included as section 101, and an article on government and laws as section 102. There is also an unnumbered section including the minutes of the August 17, 1835 general assembly. The article on marriage, written by Oliver Cowdery, was included in all editions until 1876. The article on government is still found in the D&C as section 134.

 1844 Second Edition Eight sections were added (current 103, 105, 112, 119, 124, 127, 128 and 135). 110 sections total.

1845 Third Edition
1845 First European Edition
1846 Fourth Edition - NOTE: Not printed again in the US for 30 years.

 1876 SALT LAKE CITY EDITION Revised by Orson Pratt with sections placed in roughly chronological order. Section 101 (statement on marriage by Oliver Cowdery) was removed from this edition.

 This section included the language: Inasmuch as the Church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, And polygamy: we declare that we believe that one man should have one wife; and one Woman but one husband, except in the case of death… Replacing this section is the revelation on marriage, now included as section 132.

 During the 1880s, five foreign editions contained two revelations by John Taylor that were received in 1882 and 1883. These revelations “set in order” the priesthood, gave instructions regarding priesthood offices (especially the Seventy), and required priesthood leaders to live the principle of plural marriage in order to qualify to hold their Church positions. These two revelations were not included after 1890.

 1921 - First Edition in double-column pages with chapter headings, revised footnotes, and index. “The Lectures on Faith,” were removed/

 1930 - Elder James E. Talmage was appointed to compile an abridged version of the Doctrine & Covenants, published as Latter-day Revelations.

 1981 - Sections 137 & 138 were added, as was Official Declaration 2.