How to Read the Old Testament in Tandum With the New Testament

"Affiliate one: Introduction to the New Testament," New Attestation Pupil Transmission (2018)

Introduction and Timeline

The New Attestation consists of 27 separate books, written mainly, though not exclusively, by Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. These books teach and prove of the ministry and Atonement of Jesus Christ and the rising of the early Christian Church. The Bible—the Old and New Testaments—has influenced more people than any other book always written. Elder L. Tom Perry (1922–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated that the New Testament "is the centerpiece of scriptural history, just as the Savior Himself should be the centerpiece of our lives. We must commit ourselves to written report it and treasure it!" ("The Sabbath and the Sacrament," Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, half dozen).

This affiliate contains a brief overview of the historical period between the Old and New Testaments, a curt summary of the contents of the four Gospels with emphasis on the final week of the Savior's mortal life, a cursory history of how the New Attestation came to be, information about the Joseph Smith Translation, and statements on the importance of the New Testament for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members.

Commentary

The Intertestamental Catamenia

Knowing some of the main historical events between the end of the Old Testament era and the beginning of the New Testament era helps us better understand the people and circumstances we encounter as nosotros begin to read the New Attestation. The time flow betwixt the testaments can exist divided into the Persian, Hellenistic, Hasmonean, and Roman periods.

Persian period. Around 539B.C., Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon and permitted Jews who had been brought there equally captives between 606 and 586B.C. to return to Judea (see Ezra ane; Bible Dictionary, "Cyrus," "Persia"). The Jews who chose to render brought the Aramaic linguistic communication with them from Babylon, and by New Attestation times it had replaced Hebrew as the spoken linguistic communication of nigh Jews. With permission from Farsi rulers, the Jews rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem (around 516B.C.). Former Attestation books written during the Persian period include Daniel, Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. The last Old Testament book, Malachi, was written by the prophet Malachi most 430B.C. After Malachi, scribes, temple priests (led by the Aaronic loftier priest), and rabbis gradually replaced prophets as spiritual leaders of the Jewish people.

Hellenistic period. Judea was one of the conquests of Alexander the Swell (336–323 B.C.), bringing the influence of Hellenistic (Greek) culture to the state of the Jews (run across Bible Dictionary, "Alexander"). Many Jews left Judea to alive in other Greek cities, furthering the dispersion of the Jewish people. The presence of Jewish communities and synagogues throughout the Mediterranean earth later facilitated the spread of Christianity in the kickoff century A.D. (run across Bible Dictionary, "Diaspora," "Dispersion"). New occupations, such every bit tax collectors and hired day laborers, found their style into Jewish social club during the Hellenistic menstruation. The Jewish governing council, the Sanhedrin, was formed during this time. In the third century B.C., the Erstwhile Testament began to be translated into Greek, which had become the mutual language of the Mediterranean earth. The finished translation, known every bit the Septuagint, was the scripture commonly used during New Testament times. Most of the quotations of the Old Testament found in the New Testament are taken from the Septuagint. This Greek translation of the Jewish scriptures afterwards proved to be of special value in spreading the Christian organized religion to the Gentile world, for it made the religion of the Jews available to the civilized world (see Bible Dictionary, "Hellenists," "Septuagint").

Following the decease of Alexander (323B.C.), his generals fought to proceeds control of his empire. Seleucus Nicator seized control of Syria, Asia Small (or Turkey), and Hellenic republic, while Ptolemy took control of Egypt. Judea lay directly betwixt the realms of the two rivals and changed hands several times during the ensuing years.

Hasmonean menses. The Seleucid ruler Antiochus Four Epiphanes (descendant of Seleucus Nicator) began his rule of the Judean area in 175B.C. (run into Bible Dictionary, "Antiochus Epiphanes"). Believing that a complete Hellenization of the region would bring stability to his kingdom, he banned Judaism completely, including Sabbath observance and circumcision. He made the possession or reading of the Torah (see Bible Dictionary, "Torah") punishable by expiry. In Jerusalem, the temple altar was desecrated with the sacrificing of swine, and an chantry to pagan gods was placed over the temple chantry. Though calculated to embarrass Jews and discourage observance of Jewish police, these atrocities outraged the Jewish community. In response, a priest named Mattathias, of the family of Hasmon, and his five sons led a Jewish revolt in 167B.C., called the Maccabean revolt (come across Bible Dictionary, "Maccabees"). By 165B.C., Maccabean forces had recaptured Jerusalem and rededicated the temple. The Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) mentioned in the New Testament commemorated this momentous event (encounter Bible Lexicon, "Feasts"). Maccabean leaders succeeded in establishing an independent Jewish state for the commencement time in over 440 years. Simon Maccabeus, a son of Mattathias, became both loftier priest and governor of Judea, thus establishing the Hasmonean dynasty.

Dome of the Rock in mod Jerusalem

Photograph by Timothy 50. Taggart

Roman period. Over time, Hasmonean leadership degenerated into a corrupt political entity. In 63B.C., at a fourth dimension when 2 Hasmonean brothers were vying for power, the Roman general Pompey invaded Jerusalem, and the country of the Jews cruel under the control of the Roman Empire (see Bible Dictionary, "Roman Empire"). At the fourth dimension Jesus Christ was built-in, the Roman-appointed ruler of Judea was the Jewish rex Herod the Peachy, who, threatened by reports of the birth of the Messiah, ordered the slaying of the children of Bethlehem age two and nether (run into Matthew 2:1–eighteen). A powerful, ruthless leader who was unpopular with his people, Herod attempted to win their favor by undertaking massive building projects, especially the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple, which continued long later Herod's expiry and throughout the duration of Jesus Christ's ministry (see Bible Dictionary, "Herod," "Temple of Herod"). After Herod's death in 4B.C., his lands were divided between three of his sons. They ruled equally tetrarchs (Greek pregnant "rulers of a function or portion") and non every bit full-fledged kings like their father. I of them, Herod Antipas, ruled Galilee and is the Herod mentioned most often during the time of Jesus Christ'south ministry.

Beginning in A.D. 6, subsequently one of Herod's sons was deposed, leaders of the Roman Empire began to engage governors over the province of Judea. They were offset chosen praefectus and so procurators from the time of Emperor Claudius (A.D. 41–54) onward (see Acts 11:28). Pontius Pilate was appointed governor in A.D. 26 and ruled until A.D. 36.

Throughout the New Testament period, the office of high priest—the official head of the Aaronic or Levitical Priesthood—was filled by decadent men. During the Hasmonean era, the legitimacy of the office was increasingly challenged. Under the Seleucid ruler Antiochus Four, the part was sold to the highest bidders, and Herod the Nifty relegated the role to a marginal role. Just with the coming of the Roman governors, the high priest was given greater power so that the function could go a pro-Roman aristocracy. The high priest during Jesus Christ'southward adulthood was Caiaphas, who was a son-in-law of Annas (see John 18:24). Annas was high priest from A.D. vi to 15, and Caiaphas ruled from A.D. eighteen to 36. Annas was then powerful that several of his sons went on to become high priests.

The Roman period is generally regarded every bit catastrophe in A.D. 324.

The events of the intertestamental period aid us understand the great desire many Jews felt for the coming of the promised Messiah. After centuries of conquest and humiliation, many felt badly that but the Messiah could rid them of foreign oppressors and reclaim their national dignity.

The New Attestation Setting

A bones agreement of the following terms will be helpful as you study the New Testament:

Messiah. An Aramaic and Hebrew word meaning "anointed one." In ancient State of israel, prophets, kings, and priests were all-powerful with oil, indicating they were chosen and set apart by God. The term Messiah came to indicate a specific rex of Israel of the lineage of David who would one solar day come to salvage his people. The Greek equivalent of Messiah is Christos, from which comes the title Christ. At the fourth dimension of the New Testament, the people were expecting the coming of the Messiah.

Galilee. The surface area north of Jerusalem, bordering on the n and west of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was raised in the small Galilean village of Nazareth and spent the majority of His mortal ministry building teaching in Galilean towns and villages such equally Capernaum, Cana, Bethsaida, Nain, and others.

Judea. The area due west of the Dead Ocean and surrounding Jerusalem. The Savior was not as readily accustomed hither as in Galilee, peculiarly by the Jewish leaders, who were the principal priests, scribes, and elders.

Samaria. The area w of the Jordan River and betwixt Judea and Galilee. The Samaritans were descendants of Israelites and foreigners who intermarried and inhabited the land post-obit the Assyrian conquest in the eighth century B.C. (meet 2 Kings 17:24–41). The animosity between Samaritans and Jews dated back to at least the Persian flow. Jews traveling between Judea and Galilee oftentimes traveled a longer route nearly the Jordan River in society to avoid passing through Samaria.

Pharisees. A group of pious Jews whose name denotes separatists—in particular, they separated themselves from Gentile impurities. Pharisees sought strict observance of the law of Moses and Jewish rituals. They upheld the authorization of oral tradition as existence of equal value to written scripture. In full general, the Pharisees were a major source of opposition to Jesus Christ.

Sadducees. An elite group composed of aristocratic loftier priestly families who had gained prominence during the Hasmonean flow. Though relatively few in number, they held considerable ability, especially over the administration of the temple in Jerusalem. They opposed Jesus Christ for His cleansing of the temple, which they regarded as an affront to their dominance. They rejected traditions and beliefs not found in the written law of Moses, putting them at odds with the Pharisees and many other Jews. In item, they rejected belief in angels, immortality, judgment, and resurrection. These behavior were the cause of much of the animosity they had toward the Savior.

Sanhedrin. This Greek term ways "council." In that location were many Sanhedrins in different areas of Jewish life. When the term (or its English equivalent "council") is used without qualification in the New Attestation, yet, it generally refers to the Great Sanhedrin that was headquartered in Jerusalem. This Jewish quango regulated the internal affairs of the Jewish nation. It consisted of 70 members and a high priest who presided over the council. Its membership was fatigued from the Jewish aristocracy—chief priests, scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and elders. Though Rome retained political ability, the Sanhedrin was allowed jurisdiction over the religious laws of Judea as long as it was able to continue the Jews nether control.

Scribes. Educated men who fabricated their livelihood as tape keepers and as copyists of the scriptures. They supplied scriptures to the growing number of synagogues and also became interpreters and teachers of the law of Moses.

Synagogue. Synagogues were Jewish congregations, or the bodily buildings where Jews assembled for prayer and worship on Sabbaths, festivals, and other holy days. The institution of the synagogue became pronounced during the Babylonian exile and the intertestamental period as Jews sought means to worship the Lord while separated from His temple. Remains of several synagogues dating to New Testament times have been discovered. Jesus and His Apostles taught in such synagogues.

Scriptures. The scriptures used by Jews in Jesus's day were sometimes divided into three main categories. The Torah, also known as "the Law," consisted of the five books of Moses (the starting time 5 books of the Old Testament). The Prophets referred to a collection of books by and most prophets and included the historical books from Joshua through two Kings too as the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the 12 "minor prophets" (Hosea through Malachi). The Writings were a collection that included literary works (Psalms, Proverbs, and Chore), "the five scrolls" (Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther), the book of Daniel, and the historical books of 1 and 2 Chronicles.

The Gospels Written as Testimonies of the Ministry and Atonement of Jesus Christ

Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles summarized the contents of the New Testament: "The New Testament … recounts the fulfillment of the ancient promises; tells of the birth and ministry and atoning sacrifice of the Promised One; expounds the saving doctrines of his everlasting gospel; records the growth and expansion of the gospel cause in the meridian 24-hour interval; predicts the universal falling away from the faith once delivered to the saints; promises a glorious restoration of the gospel in the last days; and foretells, in graphic and dramatic imagery, the events preceding, attention, and succeeding the Second Coming of the Son of Human. Its primary purpose is to bear witness of Christ" (A New Witness for the Articles of Religion [1985], 392).

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were written not equally biographical sketches of Jesus Christ only as testimonies that He was the Messiah, the Son of God. Rather than revealing a 24-hour interval-to-day story of the life of Jesus Christ, the Gospels emphasize His atoning mission, equally told in the context of His mortal life and ministry. The public ministry of Jesus Christ spanned almost three years; nonetheless, the four Gospels relate information about a small number of specific days of the Savior's life. John stated that the authors were selective in what they recorded (see John 21:25).

Inasmuch every bit the Atonement of Jesus Christ is at the heart of our Heavenly Father's program for the redemption of His children, it is important to recognize the emphasis that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each gave to events of the Atonement—the suffering in Gethsemane, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through careful narrative, the inspired Gospel writers showed how these sacred events were primal to Jesus Christ's mortal ministry. And, as recorded by John, "These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that assertive ye might have life through his name" (John 20:31).

Overview of the Iv Gospel Writers' Testimonies of Jesus Christ

	Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
Fabric in common with other Gospels*	58 per centum	93 percent	41 per centum	8 percent
Material establish only in this Gospel*	42 percent	7 percent	59 percent	92 percentage
Principal audience	Jewish people	Romans	Greeks	Members of the Church of Jesus Christ
Focus on Jesus Christ	Christ the King, fulfillment of prophecy	Christ the suffering Son of God and servant of all	Christ the Savior of all mankind	Christ the divine Son of God
Focus on concluding week of Savior'south life	eight chapters, 21–28	vi chapters, eleven–16	6 chapters, 19–24	10 chapters, 12–21
Examples of testimonies of the Savior	Matthew 1:21–23; viii:16–17; 21:1–9; 27:54	Marker 1:1; 4:41; 8:27–31; x:45; xiv:61–62; 15:2, 39	Luke one:ane–4, 35; ii:ten–11; 24:5–8, 25–32, 44–48	John 1:i–4, fourteen; 5:36–39; 8:12, 58; 18:36–37; 20:30–31

The first two rows on the overview chart show that Matthew, Mark, and Luke share much of the same content. "The records of Matthew, Mark, and Luke present a somewhat similar collection of materials and have considerable phraseology in common, too as similar main points, and thus are sometimes labeled every bit the 'Synoptic Gospels' (meaning 'run across-akin'). Even and so, each is unique and has much item that is non shared by the others. John's record is quite dissimilar from the other three in vocabulary, phraseology, and presentation of events" (Bible Dictionary, "Gospels").

The Canonization of New Testament Texts

The primeval surviving New Testament text dated to the first half of the second century A.D. There are no surviving autographs of New Testament books—original manuscripts written by the author. The earliest full manuscripts of individual New Testament books date to around A.D. 200, while the earliest collections of all the books of the New Attestation date to the 4th century.

The Apostasy began to occur in the early Christian Church while the Apostles were nonetheless live (see Acts xx:29–xxx; 1 Corinthians i:10–13; Galatians 1:6–8; 2 Peter 2:1–3; 3 John 1:9–10; Jude ane:three–iv, 18–19). After churchly authorisation was taken from the earth through the deaths of the Apostles, which resulted in the loss of priesthood keys, the Apostasy accelerated, and various and competing groups of Christians claimed scriptural support for their beliefs. As debates over the authenticity and value of diverse texts intensified, Christians felt a demand to get together together an accustomed collection of authentic Christian writings. It was generally understood that some writings were authentic and others were questionable, with some being of greater value than others. In time, Christian leaders of the third and fourth centuries adamant which texts would be included in the accepted canon of scripture—based on whether texts had known churchly authority, continuous and widespread support among Christian communities, and an absence of false teachings. Using these criteria, in A.D. 367 Athanasius of Alexandria recommended a list of the 27 books currently in the New Testament. This collection was confirmed by the 3rd quango of Carthage in A.D. 397.

Replica of Greek papyrus codex

From the first century, Christians began producing copies of New Testament texts in codex form—a "book" format with separate pages bound together—rather than scroll form, which had been the customary way to write One-time Testament texts. This may have been a factor in the development of the drove of books now known as the Bible. The word Bible derives from the Greek biblia and literally means "books." With a codex, a collection of multiple books could be created in one jump volume. The earliest complete text of the New Testament is the Codex Sinaiticus, written in the fourth century A.D.

Translations of the Bible

One time the 27 books of the New Attestation were canonized, they were translated and organized into the Bibles nosotros use today. Following is an overview of a few of the major translations of the Bible throughout history. As this overview makes clear, many of the people responsible for bringing the Bible to the four corners of the earth "sacrificed, fifty-fifty to the point of death, to bring the word of God out of obscurity" (D. Todd Christofferson, "The Blessing of Scripture," Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 32).

The Vulgate: Jerome's Latin Translation. (In Latin, vulgate means "common.") When the need arose to take the scriptures into Latin-speaking areas, such every bit northern Africa, Latin translations were fabricated of the Greek Septuagint (Sometime Testament) and the New Testament. However, because these translations were not closely controlled, church leaders shortly became concerned about the many corruptions and variances in the dissever texts. To address this problem, Pope Damasus in A.D. 383 commissioned his secretary, Jerome, a very able scholar in Greek and Latin, to produce a new suitable Latin translation. In the preface to his Vulgate translation of the New Attestation, Jerome wrote a letter to Pope Damasus, describing the problem with creating a new translation: "For if nosotros are to pin our faith to the Latin texts, it is for our opponents to tell united states which; for at that place are almost equally many forms of texts every bit at that place are copies. If, on the other hand, nosotros are to glean the truth from a comparing of many, why not go back to the original Greek and correct the mistakes introduced by inaccurate translators, and the blundering alterations of confident but ignorant critics, and, farther, all that has been inserted or changed by copyists more asleep than awake?" Jerome's words describe the same problem Joseph Smith dealt with as he created the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible.

Jerome's Latin Bible, known as the Vulgate, eventually supplanted all other translations and became the Bible of the western earth for close to a one thousand years. The Vulgate was given official sanction at the Council of Trent (1545–63). It has been said that the Vulgate was the colonnade that preserved Europe'south spiritual and intellectual heritage against attacking waves of northern barbarism.

The Luther Bible: Martin Luther's High german translation. The history of the Bible'south translation into German language began in A.D. 348. To escape religious persecution by a Gothic primary, a Cosmic priest named Wulfila (sometimes known as Ulfilas) fled with his followers from Frg to what is now northern Bulgaria. At that place, Wulfila translated the Bible from Greek into the Gothic dialect. This version established much of the Germanic Christian vocabulary that is nevertheless in utilise today. In the late 15th and early 16th centuries, a number of German translations of the Bible were produced, just the German translation that had the greatest influence was the one produced by Martin Luther. Luther was a German language priest and theologian, whose break from the Catholic church helped to fuel the Protestant Reformation. He disagreed with many church practices that he felt did not accord with the teachings of scripture, and he came to regard the Bible rather than the church as the reliable source of potency for Christians.

Subsequently publicly announcing his disagreements with the church in 1517, Martin Luther began to piece of work on translating the Bible into German. He completed work on the New Testament in 1522 and published his translation of the unabridged Bible in 1534. This translation into the vernacular of German-speaking peoples was one of the near of import acts of the Reformation. It not only gave the German people access to the Bible, but it influenced German culture, standardized German language religious and literary language, and helped create national unity. Its influence on the German language is comparable to the influence the Rex James Bible had on the English language language. The Luther Bible was also one of the factors leading to the product of the King James Bible. A 2022 revision of the Luther Bible is widely used today.

It is of involvement to know that the Prophet Joseph Smith possessed a copy of the New Testament in several languages, including Martin Luther'south translation of the Bible into the High german linguistic communication. He compared the various translations of some New Testament passages and felt that Luther'southward translation was very expert (see History of the Church, 6:307).

John Wycliffe'southward English translation. A century and a one-half before Martin Luther, the piece of work of translating the Bible into English was pioneered past John Wycliffe. Ane of the most prominent scholars of his day, Wycliffe loved the scriptures and was troubled past the ignorance of scripture that he observed amongst many clergymen and lay persons alike. Similar Luther, he grew disillusioned with the church and concluded that the only accurate guide the people all the same had was the Bible; thus he embarked on the arduous task of taking "God's law" to his countrymen in the English linguistic communication they understood. Working from Jerome's Latin translation, Wycliffe and his associates completed an English translation of the New Testament in 1380 and portions of the Old Testament in 1382. Approximately xxx years after his death, he was denounced as a heretic. Later on, in 1432, by order of Pope Martin Five, his bones were dug upward and burned and the ashes scattered. His followers, the Lollards, were persecuted long afterward his death.

William Tyndale'south English language translation. Despite Wycliffe's pioneering efforts, English speakers did not have widespread admission to the Bible until after the time of William Tyndale, who has been called "the father of the English Bible." Elderberry D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles described the contributions made by Tyndale:

"Tyndale, born in England about the time Columbus sailed to the new world, was educated at Oxford and Cambridge and so became a fellow member of the Catholic clergy. He was fluent in 8 languages, including Greek, Hebrew, and Latin. Tyndale was a devoted student of the Bible, and the pervasive ignorance of the scriptures that he observed in both priests and lay people troubled him deeply. In a heated commutation with a cleric who argued against putting scripture in the easily of the common man, Tyndale vowed, 'If God spare my life, ere many years I will crusade a boy that driveth the turn, shall know more of the Scripture than one thousand dost!'

"He sought the approval of church regime to gear up a translation of the Bible in English so that all could read and apply the word of God. It was denied—the prevailing view being that direct access to the scriptures by any simply the clergy threatened the potency of the church building and was tantamount to casting 'pearls earlier swine' (Matthew 7:six).

"Tyndale withal undertook the challenging work of translation. In 1524 he traveled to Frg, under an assumed proper name, where he lived much of the time in hiding, under constant threat of arrest. With the assistance of committed friends, Tyndale was able to publish English language translations of the New Testament and later the Old Testament. The Bibles were smuggled into England, where they were in great demand and much prized by those who could go them. They were shared widely simply in secret. The authorities burned all the copies they could find."

In 1535 Tyndale was arrested for heresy and treason, and for nearly a twelvemonth and a half he was imprisoned in a castle dungeon most Brussels, Belgium. The dungeon was dark, cold, and lone. On Oct half-dozen, 1536, he was taken exterior the castle wall and attached to a postal service. Elder Christofferson continued:

"He had time to utter aloud his final prayer, 'Lord! open the rex of England'southward eyes,' and and then he was strangled. Immediately, his torso was burned at the stake. …

" … Within three years of Tyndale's death, God did indeed open King Henry Eight's eyes, and with publication of what was called the 'Great Bible,' the scriptures in English began to be publicly available. Tyndale's work became the foundation for about all future English translations of the Bible, most notably the King James Version" ("The Blessing of Scripture," Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 32).

Tyndale'due south was the kickoff English translation of the Bible to draw directly from both Hebrew and Greek texts and the first English language translation to take advantage of the recently invented Gutenberg printing press, which allowed for wide distribution.

King James Version. From 1604 through 1611, a team of approximately 50 translators commissioned by Male monarch James I of England (1566–1625) worked on a new English language translation of the Bible, which became known as the Male monarch James Version, sometimes called the Authorized Version. The translators used Tyndale'southward text and consulted other helpful resources, including other translations of the Bible in English, Castilian, French, German, and Italian; numerous scholarly works; and manuscripts of Bible texts in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. The resulting translation had a tremendous influence on the English language, like to the impact of the Luther Bible on High german. It was the Rex James Version of the Bible that was studied and used by the Prophet Joseph Smith. Its vocabulary and style of linguistic communication can be seen throughout the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants (come across D&C 1:24). The King James Version is of lasting value in the restored Church building of Jesus Christ of Latter-solar day Saints.

In August of 1992, the Commencement Presidency of the Church—Ezra Taft Benson, Gordon B. Hinckley, and Thomas S. Monson—released a statement on the King James Version of the Bible. Function of the statement reads: "While other Bible versions may be easier to read than the Rex James Version, in doctrinal matters latter-mean solar day revelation supports the Male monarch James Version in preference to other English translations. All of the Presidents of the Church, beginning with the Prophet Joseph Smith, have supported the King James Version past encouraging its continued use in the Church. In light of all the above, it is the English language Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" ("Beginning Presidency Statement on the King James Version of the Bible," Ensign, Aug. 1992, 80).

Santa Biblia, Reina-Valera, the LDS edition of the Bible in Spanish, published in 2009

Reina-Valera Spanish translation. As early as 1490, a translation was made of the four Gospels from the Latin Vulgate into Spanish. In 1543 Francisco de Enzinas, a Protestant, translated a consummate New Testament and was imprisoned for what were considered perverse readings. In 1569 Casiodoro de Reina produced and published a translation of the entire Bible in Spanish. Reina had been a monk, but he left the Cosmic church after hearing the bulletin of the reformers. Like many other reformers and Bible translators, he faced persecution and threats on his life—King Philip of Kingdom of spain put a price on Reina's head in 1564—and he spent much of his life in exile. One of Reina'south colleagues, Cipriano de Valera, worked for 20 years to revise and amend Reina'due south translation, and in 1602 at the historic period of lxx, he published what has become known equally the Reina-Valera translation. This version has go the archetype translation of the Bible in Castilian. It has been as central to the agreement of the scriptures in Castilian as the Rex James Version has been in English. Over the centuries, numerous revisions accept been fabricated to the Reina-Valera version. Reina and Valera are remembered with award as "2 men in whose hearts existed the noble purpose of giving to Kingdom of spain the Bible in their mother tongue" (Eduardo Balderas, "How the Scriptures Came to Be Translated into Spanish," Ensign, Sept. 1972, 27).

In 2009, under the direction of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-twenty-four hour period Saints produced an LDS edition of the Reina-Valera version, with updated language, new chapter headings, footnotes, cantankerous-references to all the standard works of the Church, maps, and other report aids (come across "Church building Publishes LDS Edition of the Holy Bible in Spanish," Ensign, Sept. 2009, 77–78).

Miraculous Nature of the Bible

The miraculous nature of the Bible was described past President M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

"It is a miracle that the Bible's four,000 years of sacred and secular history were recorded and preserved past the prophets, apostles, and inspired churchmen.

"It is a miracle that we accept the Bible's powerful doctrine, principles, verse, and stories. But nigh of all, it is a wonderful miracle that we have the business relationship of the life, ministry, and words of Jesus, which was protected through the Dark Ages and through the conflicts of countless generations so that we may take it today.

"It is a miracle that the Bible literally contains within its pages the converting, healing Spirit of Christ, which has turned men'south hearts for centuries, leading them to pray, to cull correct paths, and to search to observe their Savior.

"The Holy Bible is well named. It is holy because it teaches truth, holy because it warms united states of america with its spirit, holy because it teaches us to know God and understand His dealings with men, and holy considering it testifies throughout its pages of the Lord Jesus Christ" ("The Miracle of the Holy Bible," Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, eighty).

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-mean solar day Saints and the Bible

The Bible plays a central role in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-twenty-four hour period Saints. President 1000. Russell Ballard spoke of the importance of the Bible and encouraged us not to neglect it in our personal written report:

The Bible "is one of the pillars of our faith, a powerful witness of the Savior and of Christ'due south ongoing influence in the lives of those who worship and follow Him. The more than we read and study the Bible and its teachings, the more than conspicuously we see the doctrinal underpinnings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We tend to dear the scriptures that nosotros spend time with. We may need to balance our study in order to love and understand all scripture.

"Y'all young people especially, do not disbelieve or devalue the Holy Bible. It is the sacred, holy tape of the Lord'south life. … It is the boulder of all Christianity. …

"I am puzzled by any who would question this Church's conventionalities in the Bible and our position as Christians. The proper name of the Church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In our concluding general briefing, here in this building, our Church leaders quoted from the Bible nearly 200 times. This Church is organized and functions like the Church that Christ and His Apostles established in the New Testament. …

"I behave solemn witness that we are true and full believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His revealed word through the Holy Bible. We non but believe the Bible—we strive to follow its precepts and to teach its message" ("The Miracle of the Holy Bible," 82).

Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible

The Bible Dictionary explains that the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) is "a revision or translation of the King James Version of the Bible begun by the Prophet Joseph Smith in June 1830. He was divinely commissioned to make the translation and regarded it as 'a branch of his calling' as a prophet. Although the major portion of the work was completed by July 1833, he continued to brand modifications while preparing a manuscript for the press until his decease in 1844. …

"The translation procedure was a learning experience for the Prophet, and several sections of the Doctrine and Covenants (and also other revelations that are not published in the Doctrine and Covenants) were received in direct outcome of the work (D&C 76–77; 91). Too, specific education pertaining to the translation is given in D&C 37:1; 45:60–61; 76:15–18; ninety:xiii; 94:x; 104:58; 124:89. The book of Moses and the 24th chapter of Matthew (JS—M), contained in the Pearl of Great Price, are actual excerpts from the JST. … The JST to some extent assists in restoring the plain and precious things that take been lost from the Bible (see 1 Ne. 13–14)" (Bible Lexicon, "Joseph Smith Translation").

President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency has stated that the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible "is a member of the royal family of scripture. … It should exist noticed and honored on whatsoever occasion when it is present" ("Scripture Reading," in Plain and Precious Truths Restored, ed. Robert L. Millet and Robert J. Matthews [1995], thirteen).

In the LDS edition of the King James Version of the Bible, short excerpts from the Joseph Smith Translation can be found in the footnotes, while longer revisions are included in the Bible appendix.

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Source: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/new-testament-student-manual/chapter-1?lang=eng

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