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Interesting analysis; particularly the emphasis on the “Lord’s Day” and meeting attendance. Keeping the Lord’s Day, or the Sabbath, is a great indicator of who is on the Lord’s side and wo is not. Much to ponder. Two comments:
1. Although section 42 begins with a recitation of some basic commandments, the real purpose of this revelation, named “The Law, “is to introduce the practical functioning of the “The Law of Consecration,” which encompasses all other laws. It is the socio-economic law of the Celestial Kingdom (D&C 105:4-5), and anyone who wishes to go there must covenant to live that law. If one cannot live that law, they cannot live there.
2. Dennis, as to your questions about why the Book of Mormon was translated into Early Modern English, the simplest answer is that is when the translation was made. This is when the Pilgram Fathers were arriving in America. As it was Moroni who was the custodian of the record, he was probably the one who made the translation into the language he learned from them.
As to why Joseph Smith changed some of the syntax, sit was probably on advice of the more educated Oliver Cowdery, to make it more understandable to readers of their day. Oliver would have recognized that the English was from an earlier day.
Thanks for the comments. Given its prevalence in other sections of the D&C as well as the temple covenants, I am a little surprised that there is not a commandment in D&C 59 that uses the word “consecration.” The closest in theme is probably #7 (“sacrifice of a broken heart and contrite spirit”). Consecration is a common theme in D&C 42 (both at the individual level as well as the administrative level). While I am not willing to declare that it is “the theme” of the section without a full-blown rhetorical analysis of D&C 42, it is certainly one of the themes.
Thanks for your suggestion regarding a possible reason for the use of 16th-century English in the original BoM text. I had not considered that possibility before.
I’m confused by what you said, hopefully you can clear it up for me. You say “this is when the pilgrim fathers were arriving in America. As it was Moroni who was the custodian of the record, he was probably the one who made the translation into the language he learned from them.” Can you explain what you mean? It seems as if you are saying that Moroni , who died in the fifth century, learned English from the pilgrims, who didn’t arrive until the 17th.
Moroni obviously did not lose his commission to be guardian of the plates when he died. In fact he was likely resurrected pretty early after he died so as to physically protect the plates. We know that it was almost certainly him who showed the plates to Mary Whitmer and he appeared as a regular non glowing human then just like Jesus on the road to Emmaus.
Thus it would have been quite likely he was around for the Pilgrims.
However, I think more probable that God likely used the talents of both Moroni and William Tyndall after Mr Tyndall passed away. He was an expert at translating scripture into English by that point. And it was early Modern English, the exact language the text of the Book of Mormon is in.
Certainly however Moroni could have learned English and done the work himself though. If you recognize that God has access to all of the people who have lived regardless of when they died then some things are much more likely.
I don’t mean to be rude but I find that highly unlikely. Moroni finished his work, died, and went to his reward in the celestial kingdom, and only returned when it was time to unearth the plates. As to why the Book of Mormon has older English is because that’s how the prophet translated them. The translation, even with the urim and thummim was not a word for word exact translation. I believe Royal Skousen has done the most research in this area. For me, I think the plates sound older because that’s how God inspired Joseph Smith during the translation.
Craig,
The historical record is very clear that the words of the Book of Mormon were transmitted to Joseph Smith where he read each word displayed on a stone or through the provided Urim and Thummim. The words did not just come into his mind. They appeared where he could read them. Joseph did not have a knowledge of the Nephite language so that he could choose what he thought was the best corresponding English word. The fact that the book is written in Early Modern English, which was not of his time, is further evidence that Joseph did not choose the words.
God does most of His work though others whom He assigns. Rather than do it Himself, God sent John the Baptist to give the Aaronic Priesthood to Joseph and Oliver. Likewise, he sent Peter, Jame, and John to bestow the Melchizedek Priesthood. Although Jesus appeared in the Kirtland Temple, He had others bestow keys of His Priesthood upon Joseph and Oliver. These were all areas of their respective stewardships. This principle is made very clear in the Temple Endowment where the Father instructs Jehovah and then Jehovah instructs those who carry out the instructions.
The Book of Mormon record was obviously under the stewardship of Moroni, so it would have been his responsibility to prepare the needed translation. It was then transmitted to Joseph Smith through the gift and power of God. It appears that Joseph and/or Oliver subsequently altered some words or phrases that they thought were archaic to their time, into what they thought would be better understood.
Vance,
William Tyndall’s English was too early. I think it more likely that Moroni would have used the English of those who came to America, as the translation would be given to their descendants.
It appears that Moroni did not know when The Father would have it revealed, so he prepared the translation when then English-speaking gentiles stared arriving.
There was no such language as English when Moroni lived. Never, not once, has the church ever said that Moroni hung around to pick up English from the first English settlers. The translation of the Book of Mormon was not a scholarly endeavor like the translation of the Hebrew texts into Greek to create the LXX, it required urim and thummim and seer stones, it was a supernatural translation. Moroni wrote in reformed Egyptian, left the records, died, and was sent back 1400 years later to show Joseph the plates. He was not learning from pilgrims any more than aliens taught the ancient Egyptians to build pyramids.