--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Thorup, Joseph F. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 12 number: 5 published: 1909-03 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Thorup, Joseph F., "Book of Mormon in Greek," *Improvement Era* 12, no. 5 (March 1909): 329–332.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1205unse 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: improvementera1205unse start_page: 329 end_page: 332 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1909-03) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1205unse publication_year: 1909 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 1909, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Book of Mormon in Greek BOOK OF MORMON IN GREEK. BY JOSEPH F. THORUP. At last the Book of Mormon has been translated into the Greek language. I say at last, because several attempts have before been made. The first two books of Nephi have been oftenest translated, but these were one evening destroyed by accident, and we were therefore obliged to commence anew. The translation now completed is being read, revised and compared with the German, Danish and French editions. In this we have made good progress, but the comparing of the manuscripts with other translations makes the work laborious, consequently somewhat slow. In the translation of the Book of Mormon into Greek we have had the advantage of the language, as comparison will show, and Paul Graziatos, Translator. Born in Cephalonia, in 1847. 330 IMPROVEMENT ERA. I only regret that we cannot all enjoy it. Probably of all the translations that have been made, none are so literal as the Danish, but the Greek language was the depository of the gospel, and in Creek only can we hope for the more perfect rendering of holy writ. "In answer to your question," says the translator, "I will say that Greek is above all languages the most fitting for the expression of religious representations and philosophical thoughts; arising to a matchless degree of perfection, through wonder- L'Areopage — Mars Hill, Athens. And they took Paul, and brought him into Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? * * Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' Hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. — Acts 17: 19, 22. ful poets and prose writers, as were certainly Plato and Aristotle and the Stoics, this language was made by Alexander the Great the common property of the learned of the then civilized world. The scattered Jews in Egypt, in the loss of their national language, were compelled to translate their sacred books into Greek, that they might preserve the religion and nationality of their fathers. And at the time of the coming of Christ, Greek had become the world-organ of intellectual and commercial intercourse. In it was conceived and formulated the great man-God BOOK OF MORMON IN GREEK. 331 eVi twv xecpaXcov avxwv, ovxoog waxe [iixqov jietd tf]v dvci&rplnv tovXqiotov eig tov ovoavov, ovxog d^i]dd); e^aveoan^ri avroig* 19. Aioti eSsi^ev avxoig to ocojid avxov xal E&iSa^ev aivrovg, xal exfteaig xr\q SiSaaxaXiag avTOv Oct 8odrj voteqov. Aio ejxl tov naoovcog jxavco ouiXcov. KE$AAAION 11 eO 'L]OOvg Xqioxbg Efxcpavit,exai Tiqbg xbv labv Ne(pi, ore 6 b%Xog ovvi')%dr) ev xfj #v xvxXco, Sioxt 8sv xdxevoovv xf)v cpcovrjv, f\q fytovov 8ev fjto 8e xoaxeta, ov8e jAeycxXri f| cpcovTj, dXXd xaixoi ovoa [uxod 8iexu>- Q8i nexQi tov (3dftovg xfjg xaoSiag avrcov, outgo? coots ejioiei Ta oojbiata avtoSv oXa vd TQE|iu)ai, vai, Siejiega avxoug ^lexQig avTijg xfjg tpvxT)? xal xaxeopXeye Tag xocgSiag avxcov. 4. Kal jtdXiv TiKovoav Tfjg cpcovrjg, xal Sev xatsvoi^oav avxrjv. 5. Kal Tcaliv totqitov T}xovaav xfjg (pcovfjg xal i]voi^av td coxa autojv, I'va dxowaooaiv avxfjg xal ot otp-QaX^iot avxwv Eorodopr]aav jtQog tov fjxov avtfjg xal e(3Aejiov aTevcog Jtgog tov ovgavov, ojco- OfiV 6 fj^Og TJQXETO. 6. Kal l8ov xatd to tqltov dxovc|ia Ivorjaav xryv opcovi^v, i]v i|xovov,xal TJtig eXsysv autoig. 7. «'I8ov 6 vtog jiov 6 dyajtriT6g,8v (o i|u86xY]aa,8v w ESo^aaa to ovond \iov, ai>Toi5 dxoveie. » 8. Kal eysvsto, ore evoT]aav, v^coaav xd o(i(.iaxa avTwv jtd?av jtoog xov ovgavov xal e!8ov avftgodnov xaxa^auvovxa ex xov ovoavov- fjxo 8e jtEQi|3£pXTijiEvog Xevxov t^dxiov, xal xaxf)X^e xal eoxi] ev \iiaoi auxcuv, xal oi oopdaXixol acavxog xov o'xXov EOTQaqpT]oav e^'avxov, §ev er6X[iT]aav 8e vd dvoi^coor xd ox6|xaxa avxwv, ovSe Eig Jigog exEQOv, xal 8ev eyivcooxov tI tovto eoiijxaive, Sioti vjiEXa^ov, oxi dyyEAog ecpdvi] avxoig. Ill Nephi 11. Page from the new Greek Book of Mormon Translation. IMPROVEMENT ERA. doctrine; by it was developed and spread the saving Christian dogmas. The whole of the books of the New Testament, the Articles of Faith, the theological writings of the early Fathers of the church were written in Greek. The Book of Mormon, therefore, having such close relation to the holy scriptures as to style and matter, can, I think, only in the Greek language be translated faithfully and exactly." It must not be thought that we have translated in a language other than Greek. Between the language of the translation and the language of the New Testament, there can be said to be but a shadow of difference, as indeed there is but little difference between the Greek of the New Testament and the Greek of the contemporary newspapers. Each year Greek is becoming more pure and classical : foreign elements and vulgarisms are being eliminated, and it will be but a matter of a little time and Greek is back again in its pristine purity and beauty. Athens, Greece, Jan. 1, 1909. ^ ^1 jf* mumr- SSflKfl BaBC Photo sent the Era by K. N. Winnie, Nome, Alaska.