Changes in the Book of Mormon

Sosthenes · Changes in the Book of Mormon

Changes in the Book of Mormon

Corrections in the Most Correct Book
James Walker
Arlington, TX

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is currently involved in a massive television advertising campaign involving the Book of Mormon. Potential converts are asked to call an 800 number to receive a free copy of this "other Testament of Jesus Christ."

While thousands of Christian churches around the world accept the Old and New Testaments as the word of God, only the Mormon Church and a relatively small number of splinter groups that follow Joseph Smith accept the Book of Mormon.

Potential converts to Mormonism, as well as long-time members, should know that there are a number of valid reasons that all other churches reject the Book of Mormon. One reason Christianity rejects the Book of Mormon is because of the numerous changes in the text.

Challenge of the Book of Mormon

A pamphlet put out by the LDS Church called, "The Challenge the Book of Mormon Makes to the World" is currently being distributed by the Visitor's Center of the Los Angeles LDS Temple.

Point number six is particularly interesting. It stated, "Other than a few grammatical corrections, you must have no changes in the text. The first edition as you dictate to your secretary must stand forever."

It implies that because the Book of Mormon is divine scripture, translated by the gift and power of God, it has undergone no textual changes - or at most "a few" changes in grammar.

The leaflet suggests that anyone attempting to duplicate Joseph Smith and produce a similar book without the power of God would be unable to do so because subsequent editions would have to contain changes.

Instead of issuing a challenge, the statement actually condemns the Book of Mormon.

In reality, the Book of Mormon has been altered in over four thousand
places since it was first published in 1830. The author of the pamphlet either did not know this or is willfully deceiving his readers.

Most Correct Book?

Joseph Smith said that the Book of Mormon was "the most correct of any book on earth" (History of the Church, Vol. 4, p.461). However, as some critics have pointed out it could actually be called the most corrected book.

Joseph Smith claimed that in 1829 he, Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer were visited by an angel who showed them the Golden Plates.

During the angelic vision the Prophet reports that, "we heard a voice from out of the bright light above us, saying, 'These plates have been revealed by the power of God, and they have been translated by the power of God. The translation of them which you have seen is correct, and I command you to bear record of what you now see and hear'" (Ibid Vol.1,pp.54-55).

If the voice from heaven was telling the truth, there would be no need to make any corrections. In fact it would be morally wrong to make
corrections! But this is exactly what has happened. Furthermore, in the thousands of changes between the 1830 edition and the current edition, there is not one footnote or parenthesis placed in the text to honestly allow the reader to know that a correction has been made. The average reader (like the author of The Challenge the Book of Mormon Makes to the World) is falsely led to believe that he is reading what Joseph Smith translated in 1830.

Such is not always the case. The following reference will give some
examples of alterations in the original Book of Mormon.

.pg

Historical Changes

One type of revision could be classified as corrections in the historical narrative. An example of this is located on page 200 of the 1830 Book of Mormon (Mosiah 21:28 modern ed.) The original reads, "And now Limhi was again filled with joy, on learning from the mouth of Ammon that king Benjamin had a gift from God, whereby he could interpret such engravings."

The current version changes the name of the king from Benjamin (1830) to "Mosiah" (see current ed. Mosiah 21:2 Cool

. No LDS leader has ever admitted to making this change or explained why it was necessary to alter this passage. However, further investigation provides a possible motive for the correction.

About twenty pages earlier (Mosiah chapter six) it is recorded that, "King Benjamin lived three years and he died" (verse 5). If King Benjamin was indeed dead, his appearance 15 chapters later would create problems. Ether 4:1 is likewise changed from King Benjamin (1830 ed., p. 546) to King Mosiah (current ed.).

Doctrinal Changes

The Book of Mormon has also been altered in places where the original no longer agrees with the doctrine currently being taught by the Church. For example, the first edition appears to teach a doctrine called Modalism or Sabellianism (see New International Dictionary of the Christian Church, p.870). This third century heresy teaches that the Heavenly Father and the Son (Jesus Christ) are the same person.

The 1830 edition states, "...Behold, the virgin which thou seest, is the mother of God...And the angel said unto me, behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Eternal Father!" (1 Nephi 11:18,21).

The Church no longer teaches Modalism. The current position is a doctrine called Tritheism (see New International Dictionary p. 986). This view holds that there are three separate Gods: The Father, Son and Holy Ghost. This is actually a form of Polytheism, "the doctrine of/or belief in more than one god or in many gods" (The Random House College Dictionary, 1975 ed., p. 1030).

LDS Apostle Bruce R. McConkie explained:

"Three separate personages - Father, Son, and Holy Ghost - comprise the Godhead. As each of these persons is a God, it is evident, from this standpoint alone that a plurality of Gods exists.

"To us, speaking in the proper finite sense, these three are the only Gods we worship" (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed., pp.576-577).

Because the Church no longer held to Modalism (The Father and the Son are the same person), the Book of Mormon was corrected to remain consistent with the new truth - Tritheism (Father and Son are separate Gods).

The passage mentioned above in the current editions now reads: "...Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God...And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son to the Eternal Father!" (1 Nephi 11:18-21, 1981 ed., emphasis indicates changes).

The words "The Son of" were also added to 1 Nephi 11:32 as well as other key passages.

If Jesus (the Lamb of God) is "the Eternal Father," then the current LDS theology, which teaches they are separate Gods, is incorrect. It cannot be said with certainty that this is the reason that these passages were changed. No footnote or reference is given to explain or even honestly acknowledge the alteration. The sincere investigator is left wondering who made the changes and why they were necessary.

Recent Changes

A more current change took place in the Book of Mormon between 1974 and 1981. Many members of the Church have copies of pre-1981 editions in which this may be verified.

Second Nephi 30:6 in the earlier (1830-1980) editions reads: "... and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a white and delightsome people."

However, the 1981 edition states: "... and many generations shall not pass away among them, shave they shall be a pure and delightsome people."

This passage is in reference to the dark-skinned Lamanites, who received as a "cursing" from God a "skin of blackness" (2 Nephi 5:21).

From 1830 until 1980 the Book of Mormon taught that repenting Lamanites became "white." Then suddenly in 1981 history was changed and they never became white at all but simply "pure." Something must have happened between 1975 (the last edition issued) and 1981 to force Church officials into changing the text.

Possibly this event took place in 1978 when Prophet Spencer W. Kimball
received a revelation giving the Blacks the Priesthood. It was the very next edition, 1981, that contained the variant.

Perhaps some Latter-day Saints were reasoning that repenting, Priesthood holding Blacks (like their Book of Mormon Lamanite counterparts) would soon turn "white and delightsome."

Whatever the reason and motivation, it appears that the Book of Mormon is being constantly altered to match current truth. If Scripture disagrees with one's beliefs there are two options: Change the belief to fit Scripture or change the Scripture to fit the belief. It would appear that the LDS leaders have chosen the latter.

By doing so, they are deceiving honest and sincere members of the Church as well as potential converts who are unaware of their actions.
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