Whats going on in the book of mormon isaiah chapters. Does the bible contain prophecies about joseph smith. How can the book of mormons golden plates have commentary. Plagiarism the book of mormon narrative says that the jews who left jerusalem for the new world had with them the scriptures written up until that point 600 b. Mormon chose to keep about one third of isaiah s writings. What is it about the writings of isaiah that causes many of us to be overcome by feelings of.
Understanding isaiah in the book of mormon thus presumes an understanding of the terms house of israel, covenant, and gentile, which predominate in the isaiah commentaries in the book of mormon and do not occur elsewhere in the book. The claim that joseph smith translated the book of mormon from inscriptions on a set of ancient plates is literally at the heart of mormonism. Amazing and there is no way that joseph smith wrote his book and included the isaiah prophecies to coincide and perfectly fit the story line. It differs from earlier commentaries by providing not only introductory and summarizing remarks but also the most specific scriptural intertextual commentary on the matter. Identifying joseph smith as the great prophet of the restoration makes other biblical prophecies relating to his divine calling become clearer. Isaiah prophecies in book of mormon are relevant to the. Isaiah lived more than a century before the time that lehi left jerusalem. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he had attracted tens of thousands of followers and founded a religion that continues to the present. Joseph smith s interpretation of isaiah in the book of mormon 197 isaiah 29 appears to reflect historical concerns of the eighth century b. Brother douglas bassett, however, has made these great words easier to understand by compiling thousands of statements made by prophets, general authorities, and scriptural scholars to clearly explain the oftenformidable words of one of the greatest prophets. In the book of mormon, there are many chapters of isaiah directly incorporated from the king james version kjv of the bible, complete with translation errors that were obviously not possible to have been recorded on the gold plates since the kjv was not available until.
When he was 24, smith published the book of mormon. One of the interesting things about the writings of isaiah as rec. Best of book of mormon commentary list scripture notes. The isaiah passages in the book of mormon a non aligned text the above title and link refers to a 2001 masters thesis. That the book of mormon quotes from isaiah is not a problem, except that joseph smith s 1830 translation reads nearly verbatim to the 1611 king james translation. Joseph smithmatthew and the book of moses, containing translations and revelatory expansions of matthew 24 and genesis 17, respectively, are contained in the lds pearl of great price. It is interesting to note that nephis indication that the prophecies mentioned in isaiah 11 will be fulfilled in the last days is confirmed by the visit of moroni to joseph smith. He moroni quoted the eleventh chapter of isaiah, saying that it was about to be fulfilled joseph smithhistory, 1. The contributing scholars draw on the book of mormon prophets as knowledgeable guides, examining how and why those ancient writers used and interpreted isaiah s prophetic teachings.
How can the book of mormons golden plates have commentary on. The 17 essays in isaiah in the book of mormon take a variety of approaches in seeking to help readers make the most of isaiah s teachings. Quoted in the book of mormon are nearly all of isaiah chapters 214, 29, and 4854. Joseph smith and the words of isaiah book of mormon central.
The following 15 prophecies relate to joseph smith and his mission in this life. Pattern and purpose of the isaiah commentaries in the book. Mar 09, 2016 when moroni visited the boy joseph smith, he quoted isaiah 11 and said it was about to be fulfilled. Now i, nephi, do speak somewhat concerning the words which i have written, which have been spoken by the mouth of isaiah. The book of mormon is the worlds greatest commentary on the book of isaiah. Jun 28, 2018 the following 15 prophecies relate to joseph smith and his mission in this life.
The book s most distinctive contribution is a collection of references to isaiah from joseph smith s writings, the new testament, the book of mormon, the doctrine and covenants, and lds general authorities. Maxwell institute for religious scholarship and nibley llc. The essay, isaiah in the book of mormon, is included in a book that is meant to provide answers for mormons on difficult topics in mormonisms history and teachings. December 23, 1805 june 27, 1844 was an american religious leader and founder of mormonism and the latter day saint movement. That the book of mormon quotes from isaiah is not a problem, except that joseph smiths 1830 translation reads nearly verbatim to the 1611 king james translation. Overviews, the first of four parts in the volume, presents four essays. Mormonism attempts to establish smith and his revelation as being from god on the grounds that they fulfill bible prophecy. Check out this commentary on isaiah 11 to decide if its about jesus christ or joseph smith george a horton begins i am sometimes asked if there is any evidence in the bible that foretells the divine calling of the prophet joseph smith. A valuable resource for gospel teachers, students, and family study, commentaries on isaiah in the book of mormon can help each of us more fully comprehend the teachings and prophecies of isaiah. Isaiah in the book of mormon religious studies center. Nephi was including the scripture off the brass plates onto his gold plates that are relevant to them. Joseph fielding smith doctrines of salvation volume 3. Apr 10, 2018 book of mormon evidence vs book of mormon central search isaiah may 24, 2018 at 6. Disparities with hebrew language, text, and style part 5.
It definitely changed the way i view the actual text found in the book of mormon and it gave me a greater appreciation of how. When moroni visited the boy joseph smith on september 21, 1823, sources indicated that he quoted as many as 31 biblical passages. However, by applying various interpretive tools, the authors of the nineteen articles in isaiah in the book of mormon offer readers a clearer understanding of the function and message of isaiah as presented by the book of mormon authors. When joseph smith translated the isaiah references from the small plates of nephi, he evidently opened his king james version of the bible and compared the. There appears to be only one answer to explain the wordforword similarities between the verses of isaiah in the bible and the same verses in the book of mormon. Jan 18, 2018 adam clarke bible commentary in the book of mormon.
The books most distinctive contribution is a collection of references to isaiah from joseph smiths writings, the new testament, the book of mormon, the doctrine and covenants, and lds general authorities. Foundation for ancient research and mormon studies, 1998. Regarding the phrase daughters of zion, joseph fielding smith taught that moreover, this remark pertains to the men as well as to the women. It seems that if nephi had copied them from the plates of brass in hebrew onto his own record and that if joseph smith had then received the english translation by the gift and power of god, the isaiah passages would read more like the 1830 book of mormon and less. Thus, the restoration was both prophesied in and influenced by the words of isaiah. Mormon chose to keep about one third of isaiahs writings.
Kjv isaiah in the book of mormon why the lds church is. Smith considered this work to be a branch of his calling as a prophet. Did joseph smith plagiarize from adame clarkes commentary. Joseph smiths interpretation of isaiah in the book of mormon 197 isaiah 29 appears to reflect historical concerns of the eighth century b. It seems that if nephi had copied them from the plates of brass in hebrew onto his own record and that if joseph smith had then received the english translation by the gift and power of god, the isaiah passages would read more like the 1830. Jackson follows those who went before him in discussing the composition of the book of isaiah by pointing out a few of the arguments that scholars have made for the. A complete identification of all chapters and verses of isaiah quoted in the book of mormon along with an analysis of each. In isaiah in the book of mormon, edited by donald w. There is no question that the isaiah passages in the book of mormon are in the language of the king james translation of the bible.
A helpful listing is found in legrande daviess chart of isaiah citations in the book of mormon, in daniel h. Thus, both the book of mormon and the bible give us the correct meaning of isaiahs. Sep 06, 2018 perhaps it is natural for a man who hears for the first time the story of joseph smith and the coming forth of the book of mormon to propound such a question and to think that the plates, if they had been placed in some museum where the public could examine them, would have added much to prove the authenticity of the prophets story. Do academic translators copy translations of other documents to use as a base text. Isaiah chapters in the book of mormon the isaiah text in the book of mormon is an inspired rendering of text taken. In it, joseph smith desired to restore many of the plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the lamb of god.
Nibleys commentary on the book of mormon is based on transcriptions from classes taught by hugh nibley, and is published with the permission of the neal a. Pattern and purpose of the isaiah commentaries in the book of. Smith, isaiah updated, dialogue 16 summer 1983 3751. Relationship of the joseph smith translation to the book of abraham. As such, many latterday saints have viewed joseph smith as the rod and root of jesse, and the book of mormon as the ensign. Cherishing and interpreting the words of isaiah canada. Dec 05, 2018 isaiah ministered in the kingdom of judah from b. Joseph smiths interpretation of isaiah in the book of mormon. About a year ago, byu published an article showing the joseph smith translation jst of the bible appears to rely on the adam clarke bible commentary i first was made aware of this in a good podcast interview by. We build enduring faith in jesus christ by making the book of mormon accessible, comprehensible, and defensible to. It is noteworthy be cause, instead of laying out the original historical meaning of isaiah, it re applies the text to the time of joseph smith and to the course of. Spencer, prolegomena to any future study of isaiah in the book of mormon, claremont journal of mormon studies v1 n1 april 2011.
If the joseph smith translation jst is joseph smiths correction of biblical errors. Someone in the progmo world stumbled upon this recently, as ive seen it shared a lot the last couple days. Their journals show their direct interactions with the likes of emma smith, parley p. The prophet joseph smith said, i told the brethren that the book of mormon was 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 joseph smith, history of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, 7 vols. Mormonism and the biblejoseph smith translationrelationship. Deuteroisaiah verses in the book of mormon overview of the deuteroisaiah problem in the book of mormon. Relationship of the joseph smith translation of the bible to the book of mormon. The extensive use of isaiah poses several problems. This chart lists book of mormon passages that quote or paraphrase the words of isaiah, which held great meaning for the nephites and also apply to us today. Joseph spencer on isaiah, baptism, and the godhead in the. We can do this through the message given in the book of mormon.
Sep 06, 20 still, i think i learned more about joseph smith and how he translated the book of mormon than i did about isaiah by doing this. The joseph smith translation jst, also called the inspired version of the holy scriptures iv, is a revision of the bible by joseph smith, the founder of the latter day saint movement, who dictated inspired changes and additions to scribes. The saints understand isaiah to have foretold the restoration of the gospel through joseph smith see isaiah 49. Four years before the first word of the book of mormon was even translated, isaiahs words were connected to that sacred record. When joseph smith translated the book of mormon, he found it included many chapters of isaiah s writings. Deuteroisaiah and the book of mormon for thus it is. His teachings would have been recorded more than 100 years before lehi and his family left jerusalem around b. But for many, the isaiah sections of the book of mormon can seem daunting.
The relevance of isaiah 3 prophecy to the book of mormon story line is obvious. It definitely changed the way i view the actual text found in the book of mormon and it gave me a greater appreciation of how real, and in some cases, how literal the text is. Mormonism and the biblejoseph smith translation fairmormon. Feb 20, 2020 here are questions readers might have in their studies of the book of mormon this week, accompanied by halls insights that add new meaning to the beloved verses. A brief discussion about how deutero isaiah verses are in the book of mormon, and why that is a problem for the credbility of joseph smith and why the deutero isaiah verses are a massive anachronism in the book of mormon. To illustrate, here is another significant change through the prophet joseph smiths translation.
The commentary in 2 nephi 26 and 27 is the most helpful explanation we have of isaiah 29 in the book of mormon. When joseph smith translated the book of mormon, he found it included many chapters of isaiahs writings. Isaiah had been important to book of mormon writers from the very. Still, i think i learned more about joseph smith and how he translated the book of mormon than i did about isaiah by doing this. Adam clarke bible commentary in the book of mormon. It is not sponsored or endorsed by either the maxwell institute or brigham young university, and.
For detailed analysis, see my article joseph smith s interpretation of isaiah in the book of mormon, to appear in dialogue winter 1998. The prophet joseph smith was also killed because he taught the same concept of christ and the godhead. As members of the church and true disciples of jesus christ, we have the responsibility of taking this great truth to the world. The book of mormon narrative says that the jews who left jerusalem for the new world had with them the scriptures written up until that point 600 b. Four years before the first word of the book of mormon was even translated, isaiah s words were connected to that sacred record. Check out this commentary on isaiah 11 to decide if its about jesus christ or joseph smith. Why did nephi connect isaiahs prophecies with joseph who was sold into egypt.
Mormon defenders of the faith claim that 3 nephi 12. The book of mormon quotes extensively from the book of isaiah, including entire chapters, and in many cases verbatim to the king james. When moroni visited the boy joseph smith, he quoted isaiah 11 and said it was about to be fulfilled. Why are many of the quotes from isaiah in the book of mormon identical to those in the king james bible. He moroni quoted the eleventh chapter of isaiah, saying that it was about. Joseph smith s corrections to the bible do not match known biblical manuscripts. The scope of this paper does not allow a detailed explication of the isaiah chapters in the book of mormon. Commentaries on isaiah in the book of mormon deseret book. Fulfillment of isaiah 11 signifies that we are in the last days, and. Joseph smith and the words of isaiah book of mormon. For detailed analysis, see my article joseph smiths interpretation of isaiah in the book of mormon, to appear in dialogue winter 1998. Joseph fielding smith doctrines of salvation volume 3 chapter.
About a year ago, byu published an article showing the joseph smith translation jst of the bible appears to rely on the adam clarke bible commentary i first was made aware of this in a good podcast interview by laura hales at lds perspectives. The joseph smith translation of the bible jump to subtopic. They claim that this shows that joseph smith was a true prophet by omitting that phrase. Unlike other works on isaiah, this book goes beyond commentary and. The main nephite prophets who quoted isaiah were nephi, jacob, and abinadi. When moroni visited the boy joseph smith, he quoted isaiah 11 and said. Abinadis commentary on isaiah religious studies center. Smith was murdered before he ever deemed it complete, though. Millett also teaches that, daughters of zion isaiah 3.
My wifes ancestors on both sides knew joseph smith personally and are explicitly mentioned, by name, in the doctrine and covenants. Doctrinal commentary on the book of mormon by robert millet and joseph fielding mcconkie this is a 4 volume set which doesnt go straight through the book of mormon as some other commentaries, but approaches it by topic and then studies the scriptures with prophetic statements about those verses. Fulfillment of isaiah 11 signifies that we are in the last. Kjv isaiah in the book of mormon why the lds church is true. Next to the book of mormon references in this chart are corresponding references in the book of isaiah. Jesus christ attained godhood in the premortal life see joseph smith. Looking at nephis purpose for including the specific isaiah scriptures on his gold plates there are those who say joseph smith plagiarized from the bible the isaiah verses but when you look at the meaning of the isaiah scriptures to the story line the relevance becomes clear that the isaiah scriptures add real meaning to the storyline as the fit is amazing.
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