1. Additional Scripture in Our Day~
Lesson 12
Student Readings:
Doctrine and Covenants 1:38; 42:56; 45:60–62; 68:3–5; 76:15–19; 93:53; 94:10.
Jeffrey R. Holland, “My Words … Never Cease,” Ensign, May 2008.

2. What would you say? Imagine that a friend sincerely asked you,
“Why do Mormons have more scriptures than the Bible? I thought the Bible contained the complete word of God.”
What would you say?

3. What does the phrase “scriptural canon” mean?
What does it mean that Latter-day Saints believe in an “open” canon?
What difference does it make to believe that the Lord still reveals scripture to latter-day prophets?

4. “Most Christians believe that God closed
the scriptural canon - the authoritative
collection of sacred books used as
Scriptures - shortly after the death of
Christ and that there have been no
comparable revelations since that time.
Joseph Smith taught and demonstrated
that the scriptural canon is open…
Joseph Smith taught that God will guide
His children by giving new additions to the canon of scriptures. The Book of Mormon is such an addition. So are the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price.”
Elder Dallin H. Oaks

5. Holy Bible – KJV Many records, many books, compiled by uninspired people. Hebrews (OT), Greek (NT)
Book of Mormon Many records, abridged by inspired men. Reformed Egyptian
Doctrine & Covenants Revelation from the Lord to Joseph Smith & other prophets; official declarations; letters “Thus sayeth the Lord”
Pearl of Great Price - Moses Joseph Smith inspired version of Genesis 1-8.
Pearl of Great Price – Abraham Joseph Smith translation & interpretation of ancient papyri.
Pearl of Great Price - Joseph Smith–Matthew Joseph Smith inspired version of Matthew 24.
Pearl of Great Price - Joseph Smith–History Joseph Smith History of the Church.
Pearl of Great Price - Articles of Faith Joseph Smith letter to John Wentworth, editor of Chicago Democrat.

6. Holy Bible – KJV
Many records, many books, compiled by uninspired people.
Hebrews (OT)
Greek (NT)
Book of Mormon
Many records, abridged by inspired men.
Reformed Egyptian
Doctrine & Covenants
Revelation from the Lord to Joseph Smith & other prophets; official declarations; letters.
“Thus sayeth the Lord”
Pearl of Great Price
- Moses
Joseph Smith inspired version of Genesis 1-8.
- Abraham
Joseph Smith translation & interpretation of ancient papyri.
Egyptian
- Joseph Smith–Matthew
Joseph Smith inspired version of Matthew 24.
- Joseph Smith–History
Joseph Smith History of the Church.
- Articles of Faith
Joseph Smith letter to John Wentworth, editor of Chicago Democrat.

7. Principles
The authoritative word of God in not contained in the Bible alone.

9. Articles 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.
9 We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

10. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith,
the Lord revealed additional scripture that
confirms, clarifies, and expands
our knowledge of truth.
A significant portion of the Doctrine and Covenants
The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible
The Books of Moses and Joseph Smith - Matthew which are part of the Pearl of Great Price
The Book of Abraham

11. Joseph Smith did not translate the Bible from one language to
Additional Scripture in Our Day:
The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible
Joseph Smith did not translate the
Bible from one language to
another, nor did he have an
original biblical manuscript to
work from. Instead, Joseph read
and studied passages from the
King James Version of the Bible
and then made corrections and additions as inspired by the Holy Ghost. Thus, the translation was more of an inspired revision than a traditional translation.

12. Additional Scripture in Our Day:
The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible
D&C 35 - (December 7, 1830)
Section Heading:
…At this time, the Prophet was engaged almost daily in making a translation of the Bible. The translation was begun as early as June 1830, and both Oliver Cowdery and John Whitmer had served as scribes. Since they had now been called to other duties, Sidney Rigdon was called by divine appointment to serve as the Prophet’s scribe in this work (see verse 20).

13. The Joseph Smith Translation affected over 3,000 verses in the King James Version of the Bible. These differences include additions (to clarify meaning or context or to restore prophetic writings, such as the book of Moses), deletions, rearranged verses, and complete restructurings of certain chapters.
For more information on the Joseph Smith Translation, see Bible Dictionary or Guide to the Scriptures, “Joseph Smith Translation (JST).”

14. This is the room in the John Johnson home in Hiram, Ohio where the translation of the Bible was completed.
Where do we find portions of the Joseph Smith Translation revisions and corrections to the Bible?

15. In the following references, look for information about the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible:
D&C 45: D&C 42:56, footnote a D&C 93:53
D&C 76: D&C 94:10, footnote b

16. Principles
The authoritative word of God in not contained in the Bible alone.
Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord revealed additional scripture that confirms, clarifies, and expands our knowledge of truth.

17. Principles
The authoritative word of God in not contained in the Bible alone.
Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord revealed additional scripture that confirms, clarifies, and expands our knowledge of truth.
When the Lord’s servants speak by the power of the Holy Ghost, their words convey the will of the Lord.

18. Principles
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.
We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

19. Doctrine
The heavens are open and the Lord continues to reveal His words in our day!

20. As you look at these sections, what is some of the important doctrine that was revealed?
D&C 29 D&C 42 D&C 45 D&C 76 D&C 88 D&C 93

21. The Lord revealed a significant portion of the D&C as a direct result of Joseph Smith’s work on the translation of the Bible.
What effect do you think the work of translation had on Joseph Smith’s spiritual education and on the restoration of gospel truths?

22. The Prophet worked on the translation primarily between June 1830 and July Turn to the “Chronological Order of Contents” (located at the beginning of the Doctrine and Covenants) and look at the sections received during that time.
• How many sections of the Doctrine and Covenants were received between June 1830 and July 1833?
74 sections of the D&C were received/recorded during the period from June 1830 – July 1833.

23. So…
What effect do you think the work of translation had on Joseph Smith’s spiritual education and on the restoration of gospel truths?

24. So…
What effect do you think the work of translation had on Joseph Smith’s spiritual education and on the restoration of gospel truths?
And what does that tell you as you seek your own spiritual education?

25. “The Prophet’s translation of the Bible was an important part of his own spiritual education and the unfolding restoration of gospel truth. As he revised the Old and New Testaments, he often received revelations clarifying or expanding upon
biblical passages. In this way, the Prophet
received many doctrines from the Lord,
including those now found in D&C 74, 76,
77, 86, and 91, and in portions of many
other sections of the Doctrine and
Covenants.” (Teachings: Joseph Smith, 208).

26. “Those who have read [the scriptures], and who have drunk of the stream of knowledge which they convey, know how to appreciate them.
He who reads it oftenest will like it best.”

27. The books of Moses and Joseph Smith—Matthew, both of which are in the Pearl of Great Price, are also part of Joseph Smith’s translation of the Bible and were received during this time period.
The book of Moses is the Joseph Smith Translation for the first eight chapters of Genesis.
Joseph Smith became aware of how much was missing from the Bible as he translated the verses about Enoch. The King James Bible contains 109 words about Enoch, and the Book of Moses (which Joseph Smith received by revelation from the Lord) contains 5,240 words about Enoch.

28. Continuing Revelation comes through Living Prophets
D&C 1: O.D. 1
D&C 68: O.D. 2
D&C 26:1-2

29. What experiences have you had that made you feel grateful that the Lord continues to pour out revelation today?
Doctrine: The heavens are open and the Lord continues to reveal His words in our day!

30. “The Vision” Lesson 13 ~ Next week: Student Readings:
Doctrine and Covenants 76
L. Tom Perry, “The Plan of Salvation,” Ensign, November 2006.

31. The Book of Abraham In the summer of 1835, a man named
Michael Chandler brought four
Egyptian mummies and several
papyrus scrolls containing ancient
Egyptian writing to Kirtland, Ohio.
Members of the Church purchased the mummies and rolls of papyrus. Though the exact method of translation is unknown, the Prophet Joseph Smith translated some of the writings in the months following the acquisition of the Egyptian papyri. Beginning in March 1842, segments of the book of Abraham were published in a Church newspaper called Times and Seasons. The book of Abraham was later published in the Pearl of Great Price.

32. The Book of Abraham A common objection to the authenticity
of the book of Abraham is that the
manuscripts (papyri) are not old
enough to have been written by
Abraham, who lived almost 2,000
years before Jesus Christ. Joseph
Smith never claimed that the papyri were written by Abraham himself or that they originated from the time of Abraham. “Ancient records are often transmitted as copies or as copies of copies. The record of Abraham could have been edited … by later writers much as the Book of Mormon prophet-historians Mormon and Moroni revised the writings of earlier peoples.”
(“Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham,” Gospel Topics, lds.org/topics)

33. The Book of Abraham
While translating, the Prophet Joseph Smith may have been working with sections of papyri that were later destroyed. Thus, “it is likely futile to assess Joseph’s ability to translate papyri when we now have only a fraction of the papyri he had in his possession.”
(“Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham,” Gospel Topics, lds.org/topics)

34. The Book of Abraham
It is also possible that Joseph Smith’s careful examination of the writings led him to receive “revelation about key events and teachings in the life of Abraham, much as he had earlier received a revelation about the life of Moses while studying the Bible.”
(“Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham,” Gospel Topics, lds.org/topics)

35. The Book of Abraham
Although we do not know exactly how Joseph Smith translated the book of Abraham, we do know that the translation was done through the gift and power of God.
(“Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham,” Gospel Topics, lds.org/topics)

36. Scan the chapter headings of the Book of Abraham:
What are some examples of how additional scriptures made available through the Prophet Joseph Smith contribute to our understanding of God’s plan for His children?

37. It is the office of a true teacher to show us that God is, not was; that He speaketh, not spake. The true Christianity, - a faith like Christ’s in the infinitude of man, - is lost.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

38. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
“Some Christians, in large measure because of their genuine love for the Bible, have declared that there can be no more authorized scripture beyond the Bible. In thus pronouncing the canon of revelation closed, our friends in some other faiths shut the door on divine expression that we in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hold dear: the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and the ongoing guidance received by God’s anointed prophets and apostles.”
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland