--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 3 number: 5 published: 1900-03 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Editor’s Table: Talks to the Young Men; Hints on Presiding; The “Inspired Translation”; Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon," *Improvement Era* 3, no. 5 (March 1900): 388–390.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera35unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera35unse start_page: 388 end_page: 390 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1900-03) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera35unse publication_year: 1900 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1900, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Editor’s Table: Talks to the Young Men; Hints on Presiding; The “Inspired Translation”; Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon 388 IMPROVEMENT ERA. ting his own), and a presiding officer can not fail to impress the people with respect for his position. When such respect has been formed, the solution of the problem of how to prevent noise and confusion, and of how to create and maintain deference for place and position, will have been solved. THE "INSPIRED TRANSLATION." In a recent number of the Era, Elder F. W. Crockett discussed "The Mission and Necessity of the Holy Ghost," and to substantiate a portion of his argument, with the correctness of which there is no controversy, he uses Paul's words, (Hebrews 6: 1.) "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection," etc. Charles L. Walker, writing from St. George, remarks that this passage, as here quoted, is rather a stumbling block than a faith-promoter to some young men. "It is argued," says he, "and rightly too: 'How can we leave the principles of Christ and yet obtain salvation, seeing that it takes all the principles of Christ to insure salvation and exaltation in the kingdom of God?' For the benefit of some of the young men, I wish to refer to a matter that will throw a gleam of light on the passage referred to, and render itmore congenial to the minds of Latter-day Saints who strongly believe in revelation and inspiration, as these proceed from God's servants in authority. I heard the blessed Patriarch Hyrum Smith make the following statement, in Nauvoo, at a meeting. He said, referring to said scripture passage: 'It is a wrong translation, and should read: Having the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection, etc' It will thus be seen that this inspired rendering of the verse by our lamented patriarch sheds a beautiful light on this passage heretofore shrouded in mystery and doubt." EDITOR'S TABLE. 389 We give Elder Walker's testimony as above, because it is corroborative of the sentiment of the Prophet Joseph as expressed in what is known as the "inspired translation" of the Bible, in which the verse referred to reads as follows: Therefore, not leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God. While on this point, a word may be profitably said on the method of "translation" adopted by the Prophet Joseph. It should be remembered that rather than a translation it was a revision; but it can scarcely be called a revision either, and ought rather to be named a partial topical explanation of the scriptures. The method adopted was this: The Prophet had a large German Bible upon the margins of which he made the corrections as he was inspired while studying certain topics of the scriptures. One subject at a time was taken, and every reference to that subject was looked over, and where needed, corrected. But only a very small number of all the subjects were ever thus considered. Some most excellent corrections were made, but perhaps there were a dozen or more subjects or principles in certain chapters where one only was corrected. Hence it is that while one topic, as in the chapter referred to in Hebrews, has been explained, and much light thrown upon it, it does not follow and is not true that the Prophet either "revised" or "translated" the whole chapter or considered every subject therein. And this may be said of nearly all But he finished whatever sub- the chapters in the scriptures. ject he took up; and this interpretation must be placed upon the expression, "finished the translation of the scriptures," found in the history of Joseph Smith. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. As confirming the statement made by President Joseph F. Smith in the November, 1899, number of the Era, that the orig- 390 IMPROVEMENT ERA. inal manuscript of the Book of Mormon was deposited in the southeast corner of the Nauvoo House by the Prophet Joseph, on October 2, 1841, and was never at any time in the possession of David Whitmer, the following evidence will be of interest: J. S. Black, of Hinckley, Millard County, writes to the editor of the Era: "With elders Andrew Jenson and Edward Stevenson, I made a trip to the Eastern States, in 1889. We called at Richmond, Missouri, and were shown the manuscript of the Book of Mormon in the possession of the Whitmers. We then went to the State[of New York, and called on Mr. Gilbert, at Palmyra, the printer of the first copies of the Book of Mormon. From certain marks which he described, familiar to Brother Jenson, we were satisfied that what we had seen at the Whitmers was the printer's copy. Before leaving Salt Lake City, Apostle F. D. Richards showed us a part of what he said was the original manuscript which had been deposited in the Nauvoo House. Upon our arrival in Nauvoo Mr. L. C. Bidaman, the husband of Emma Smith, gave us the remainder of the manuscript in his possession, of which I have quite a roll. When I returned home, I exhibited my manuscript, so obtained, to Lewis Barney, my brother-in-law, and one of the pioneers, who said: 1 stood near the Prophet Joseph, in Nauvoo, and saw him deposit the manuscript and other articles, and heard him say that it was the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon.'