Many people are unaware that over the years the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) has made
thousands of changes to its scriptures. LDS leaders have
added and deleted words and tampered with previously
published revelations by writing in new material and falsely
attributing it to an earlier date. What follows are examples
of some of the most significant revisions made to the Book
of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of
Great Price. Within this article are links to scanned images
of these historical documents from the 1830s.
Changes to the Book of Mormon
According to the Mormon Church’s teaching manual, Gospel Principles, page 53,
Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon into English through the gift and power of God. He said that it is "the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book" (History of the Church, 4:461).
Yet, the book which Joseph Smith declared was "the most
correct of any book on earth" (History of the Church,
vol. 4, p. 461) has been revised in over 3900 places. Most
of these changes were made to correct embarrassing spelling
and grammatical errors (this will be examined in more detail
later in this article). However, there are numerous other
changes which affect the doctrinal teachings of the Book of
Mormon.
Changes in Doctrine. Key Passages on Deity in
the original 1830 text of the Book of Mormon were changed in
the 1837 edition to reflect Joseph Smith’s changing
doctrine of Deity. Joseph originally taught that Jesus
and the Father were the same person and that God had always
been God, but later developed the idea that the Father and
Son were separate Gods, each with a tangible body. Smith
taught that both God the Father and Jesus had been mortal
men. What follows are specific examples from the original
1830 first edition Book of Mormon (which did not have verse
divisions) compared with the altered text of recent
versions.
|
Original 1830 Text |
Current, Altered Text |
|
1 Nephi 3, p. 25* — And he said unto me, Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of God, after the manner of the flesh [View the 1830 Book of Mormon text.] *The 1830 text did not have verse divisions. |
1 Nephi 11:18 — And he said unto me, Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God. |
|
1 Nephi 3, p. 25 — And the angel said unto me, behold the Lamb of God, even the Eternal Father! |
1 Nephi 11:21 — And the angel said unto me, behold the Lamb of God, even the Son of the Eternal Father! |
|
1 Nephi 3, p. 26 — And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Everlasting God, was judged of the world. |
1 Nephi 11:32 — And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the Everlasting God, was judged of the world. |
|
1 Nephi 3, p. 32 — These last records ... shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Eternal Father and the Savior of the world. |
1 Nephi 13:40 — These last records ... shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Sonn of the Eternal Father and the Savior of the world. |
Other Changes to the Book of Mormon. A variety
of other changes have been made that also alter the meaning
of the text.
|
Original 1830 Text |
Current, Altered Text |
|
Alma 15, p. 303 — yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills. |
Alma 29:4 — Yea, I know that
he alloteth unto men, |
|
Note: Later editions from at least 1840 to 1980 deleted without explanation these eight words. LDS leaders re-inserted the omitted words into all editions since 1981.
|
|
|
Mosiah 9, p. 200 — … King Benjamin had a gift from God, whereby he could interpret such engravings … |
Mosiah 21:28 — … King Mosiah had a gift from God, whereby he could interpret such engravings … |
|
Ether 1, p. 546 — … and for this cause did King Benjamin keep them … |
Note: According to Book of Mormon chronology, King Benjamin was already dead when these events took place. Apparently LDS leaders changed the name to Mosiah to eliminate the mistake. |
|
2 Nephi 8, p. 87boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself not ... |
2 Nephi 12:9 — … and the mean man boweth not down, and the great man humbleth himself not … |
|
1 Nephi 5, p. 52 — … O house of Jacob, which are called out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the Lord … |
1 Nephi 20:1 — … O house of Jacob, which are called out of the waters of Judah, or out of the waters of baptism, which swear by the name of the Lord … |
|
2 Nephi 12, p. 117 — … and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a white and a delightsome people. |
2 Nephi 30:6 (1840 edition) —
… and many generations shall not pass away among
them, save they shall be a
(Later editions until 1981) … white and delightsome (1981 to current edition) pure and delightsome |
| Note: Before 1978 dark-skinned males were not allowed to hold positions of priesthood authority within the Mormon church. Today Mormon scriptures continue to teach that dark skin is a curse from God and a sign of His displeasure (See 1 Nephi 12:23; 2 Nephi 5:21; Alma 3:6). Brigham Young, second president and prophet of the LDS church referred to those with dark skin as being "cursed with a s[k]in of blackness" (Journal of Discourses, vol. 11, p. 272). | |
Grammatical, Spelling and Syntactical Changes.
As stated earlier, the Mormon church has made many changes
to the Book of Mormon in order to correct Joseph’s poor
grammar and spelling. This should not have been necessary,
however, given the manner in which Joseph is supposed to
have produced this book. According to eyewitness testimony,
Joseph Smith gave his scribe a word-for-word dictation of
what he read off a magical stone that he had placed in his
hat. (This seer stone would later be referred to by the Old
Testament name of Urim and Thummim.) The fact that Joseph
simply dictated the words he read on the stone was supposed
to prove that the Book of Mormon came from God and not
Joseph. This view was taught by Joseph F. Smith, 6th
President of the Mormon church. On Saturday, February 25,
1881, Oliver B. Huntington recorded in his journal:
I went to Provo to a quarterly Stake Conference. Heard Joseph F. Smith describe the manner of translating the Book of Mormon by Joseph Smith the Prophet and Seer, which was as follows as near as I can recollect the substance of his description. 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 him by the gift and power of God. So it is 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 or words, and when Joseph had uttered the sentence or word before him and 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 stone would remain there. (Journal of Oliver B. Huntington, p. 168 of typed copy at the Utah State Historical Society)
For more details on this subject and quotes from the eyewitnesses, see the article, Translation or Clairvoyance.1
While the following short sampling of changes do not affect the meaning of the text, they do reveal the human origin of the book..
Improper use of "was" in 1830 edition later changed to "were"
"… Adam and Eve, which was our first parents …"
[p. 15]
"… the bands which was upon my wrists …" [p. 49]
"… the priests was not to depend …" [p. 193]
"… they was angry with me …" [p. 248]
"… there was no wild beasts …" [p. 460]
Improper use of "is" in the 1830 edition later
changed to "are"
"… the words which is expedient …" [p. 67]
"… But great is the promises of the Lord …" [p. 85]
"… And whoredoms is an abomination …" [p. 127]
"… here is our weapons of war …" [p. 346]
Improper use of "a" in the 1830 edition later
deleted from text
"… As I was a journeying …" [p. 249]
"… he found Muloki a preaching …" [p. 284]
"… had been a preparing the minds …" [p. 358]
"… Moroni was a coming against them [p. 403]
Improper or slang word usage in 1830 edition deleted,
correct words inserted in later editions
"Behold the Scriptures are before you; if ye will arrest
them, it shall be to your own destruction." [p. 260] The
word "arrest" is now changed to "wrest" [Alma
13:20].
"… they were exceeding fraid …" [pp. 354, 392, 415].
The phrase "exceeding fraid" is now changed to "exceedingly
afraid" [Alma 47:2; 58:24; Helaman 4:3].
"… my soul was wrecked with eternal torment …" [p.
214]. The word "wrecked" is now changed to "racked"
[Mosiah 27:29].
Changes to the Doctrine & Covenants
The Mormon scripture called the Doctrine and Covenants is a
series of revelations which Joseph Smith and other LDS
prophets claimed to receive directly from God. The first of
these revelations were printed in The Book of
Commandments in the year 1833. Since that time many of
these revelations have been radically altered, with words
and even whole sentences deleted. In other places later
doctrinal innovations were written back into earlier
revelations to hide the glaring contradictions that would
otherwise result. In this way, events that were previously
unheard of suddenly become part of the historical record as
a revelation from God.
Here are some specific examples representative of thousands
of changes:
| Original 1833 Book of Commandmentss | Current, Altered Doctrine & Covenants |
|
BC 4:2, p. 10 — and he has a gift to translate the book [of Mormon], and I have commanded him that he shall pretend to no other gift, for I will grant him no other gift. [Harmony, Pennsylvania March 1829] |
D&C 5:4 — And you have a gift to translate the plates; [and this is the first gift that I bestowed upon you;] and I have commanded that you should pretend to no other gift [until my purpose is fulfilled in this;] for I will grant unto you no other gift [until it is finished]. Note: The changes to this revelation were necessary for Joseph had already claimed the divine ability to do his own translation of the Bible. Later he would claim the gift to translate ancient Egyptian papyri. However, the evidence does not support these as authentic translations.2 |
|
BC 28:6-7, p. 60 — Behold this
is wisdom in me, wherefore marvel not, for the hour
cometh that I will drink of the fruit of the vine
with you, on the earth, and with all those whom my
Father hath given me out of the world: [Harmony, Pennsylvania September 4, 1830] |
D&C 27:5ff — Behold this is wisdom in me, wherefore marvel not, for the hour cometh that I will drink of the fruit of the vine with you, on the earth, and with [Moroni, whom I have sent unto you to reveal the Book of Mormon, containing the fulness of the everlasting gospel…] [Harmony, Pennsylvania first part August 1830, remainder September 1830] Note: At this point in the revelation over 300 words are added regarding the restoration of the Mormon priesthood by means of divine ordination. By making the account part of a revelation that is dated to 1830, it appears the story has been known since then. However, it is not a part of any revelation until the 1835 edition of the Doctrine & Covenants. Apparently Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, who were in charge of editing the 1835 D&C, inserted this material so that the concept of the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods being restored and the office of high priest would appear to have been in place from the start and would appear to have been given directly by God. The revelation concludes with over 130 additional words, taken from the Bible copied almost verbatim from Ephesian 6:13-17. No explanation is given for the dating discrepancy. |
|
BC 44:26, p. 92 — If thou lovest me thou shalt serve me and keep all my commandments; and behold, thou shalt consecrate all thy properties, that which thou hast unto me, with a covenant and a deed which can not be broken; and they shall be laid before the bishop of my church, and two of the elders, such as he shall appoint and set apart for that purpose. [Kirtland, Ohio February 1831] |
D&C 42:29-30 — If thou lovest
me thou shalt serve me and keep all my commandments;
and behold, [thou wilt
remember the poor, and] |
| Note: By 1835 when the D&C was printed Joseph Smith had given up on the idea of communalism. Therefore this revelation was changed so that Mormons were no longer told by God to consecrate all their properties, but instead the emphasis is shifted to a command to remember the poor and give "of your property". Also, at the time the revelation was originally given there was no office of "counselor" or "high priest" in the Mormon church, so these also had to be added to the revelation retroactively, once again giving the appearance these offices were there from the beginning. | |
| BC 9:1, p. 22
— Now, behold I say unto you, that because you
delivered up so many writings, which you had power
to translate, into the hands of a wicked man, you
have lost them, and you also lost your gift at the
same time … [Harmony, Pennsylvania May 1829] [View Book of Commandments text.] |
D&C 10:1 9:1 —
Now, behold I say unto you, that because you
delivered up (v.2) And you also lost your gift at the same time, [and your mind became darkened]. Note: There is no mention of the Old Testament Urim and Thummim in the Book of Mormon nor is there any connection of the Urim and Thummim to the translation of the Book of Mormon until 1833, which is four years after this revelation was supposedly given. |
| Another example of a revelation that has undergone hundreds of changes was first published in The Evening & Morning Star in October 1832. The revelation was said to have been received in November of 1831. | This revelation is now D&C 68 and contains multiple references to the Melchizedek priesthood, high priests and the First Presidency. Once again the attempt is made to write later developments into previously given revelations to make them fit Joseph’s evolving church structure. |
Changes in the Pearl of Great Price
As with the Doctrine and Covenants, LDS leaders have altered the revelations contained in the Pearl of Great Price.
|
Original 1851 Pearl of Great Price |
Current, Altered Pearl of Great Price |
| PGP Moses, p. 14 — And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And again, the Lord said unto the woman, I will greatly multiply your sorrow, and your conception. |
PGP Moses 4:19-22 — And the
woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
And |
|
PGP Moses, p. 16 — And the Lord said unto Cain, why are you angry? Why is your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not well, sin lies at the door, and Satan desires to have you; and except you shall hearken unto my commandments, I will deliver you up, and it shall be unto you according to his desire. |
PGP Moses 5:22-31 — And the
Lord said unto Cain, why
Note: At this point there are an additional 200 words added to this passage including Cain making a pact directly with Satan to be able to kill his brother Abel. |
| PGP JS History, p. 41 — He called me by name and said unto me, that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Nephi. | PGP JS History, 1:33 — He called me by name and said unto me, that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni. |
| Note: All evidence indicates this change was made after the death of Joseph Smith, and cannot be considered a clerical error. Both the handwritten manuscripts for the History of the Church, and the printed history in the Church newspaper Times and Seasons (of which Joseph Smith was editor) give the visiting personage’s name as "Nephi." | |
Conclusion
The historical record is clear. The Mormon Church has made
thousands of changes to its scriptures changes which raise
the following questions.
- If, as the Mormon Church claims, the original
revelations came directly from God, what justifies the
tampering documented above?
- Does this evidence warrant further investigation of
the historical and spiritual roots of the LDS Church?
Notes
1
Later Mormon leaders including General Authority Brigham
H. Roberts, expressed a strong desire to abandon the idea
that Joseph received the text of the Book of Mormon directly
from God. Elder Roberts reasoned that such a view made God
responsible for the grammatical and spelling errors and
would hinder people from accepting Joseph Smith and the Book
of Mormon as divinely inspired. Roberts wrote:
That old theory cannot be successfully maintained; that is
the Urim and Thummim did the translating, the Prophet,
nothing beyond repeating what he saw reflected in that
instrument; that God directly or indirectly is responsible
for the verbal and grammatical errors of translation. To
advance such a theory before intelligent and educated people
is to unnecessarily invite ridicule, and make of those who
advocate it candidates for contempt. …
It is no use resisting the matter. The old theory must be
abandoned. It could only come into existence and remain so
long and now be clung to by some so tenaciously because our
fathers and our people in the past and now were and are
uncritical" (B.H. Roberts, Defense of the Faith, pp. 307,
308 – cited in Mormonism Shadow orReality, Jerald and Sandra
Tanner, p. 90).
The new theory proposed by Roberts, and still popular today,
is that God only gave Joseph the ideas and concepts for the
Book of Mormon. These Joseph recorded in his own
grammatically poor language and style. With this new theory,
LDS leaders justified themselves in making thousands of word
changes designed to enhance the quality and credibility of
the Book of Mormon.
A serious problem with the theory of Joseph receiving only
inspired ideas and concepts and then rendering them into his
own words after much study and contemplation, is that there
is no historical evidence to support it. It is a theory born
of necessity in the minds of LDS leaders decades after the
fact. Compare this with the word-for-word dictation method
which has extensive testimony from those who were closest to
Joseph personally and present during the act of dictating
the Book of Mormon.
Today the Mormon Church gives potential converts a copy of a
corrected and grammatically sanitized Book of Mormon but
still points to Joseph Smith’s lack of education as evidence
for its divine origin. What is implied is that Joseph could
not have produced such a book without divine aid. What they
do not say is that Joseph’s poor grammar, so evident in the
first edition, is now masked by thousands of changes and
corrections made by later LDS leaders. As a result, today we
do not have the Book of Mormon as it came from the hand of
Joseph Smith, but rather a heavily edited version as it has
come through the hands of LDS church leaders.
2 Click here for further information on Smith’s failed attempt at translating Egyptian. For details on Joseph’s false revisions to the King James Bible request, Joseph Smith’s Inspired Translation in Light of the Greek New Testament, from Institute for Religious Research, 1340 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49505, USA.
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