Monday, September 28, 2009

New Bible for the LDS Church?




The LDS Church has announced it's plans to re-translate the Spanish Bible. Before this time, Spanish speaking LDS members used their own Spanish Bible translation of the KJV or " Reina Valera" translation. It's important to take note, that this a new translation, not just a reprint of the KJV translation with a LDS book cover. To read more about this, you can visit the LDS Church's official website and read up on this project.




I suspect the LDS church will include the various changes it's founder Joseph Smith, made to the original text of the KJV. These can be found at the back of the current English version of the LDS published Bible. I also suspect the new Spanish LDS edition of the Bible will have the LDS footnotes at the top of each chapter and cross references to other LDS scriptures, as it does in the English version.




What I do wonder is how long will it be before the LDS Church re-translates the English Version of the Bible into their own translation/version? Right now, the LDS church uses the KJV, and also adds their own footnotes, and cross references to other LDS cannonized Scriptures. I wonder if this step will lead LDS leaders to come up with their own Bible translation in English and then do the same in other languages?




I also wonder, and wondered when I was a practicing LDS, "why" they just don't lay aside the KJV all together and use the Joseph Smith Inspired Version like the Reorganized Church and other splinter churches from the original church Joseph Smith founded.



My concern is this, right now the LDS people have God's word available to them in the KJV. Yes, there are LDS footnotes, and cross references, but God's Word is still available to them to read. For me personally, my exit from the LDS was deeply affected by reading the Bible. ( and yes it was an LDS published KJV bible!) God has promised us that His word will not return void and will go forth and fulfill the purposes it is intened by God to do, and that is to bring men to a knowledge of their sinfullness and need of the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.




As long as the LDS do have access to the Bible, there is great hope, that many will pick it up and read and may come to see the truth.




"If" the LDS church re-translates the Bible it's members use there is reason to be concerned. Other Cults also have their "own" translations, including the Jehovah Witnesses. These translations change God's Word in essential ways.




For example, what if the LDS church changed John 1: 1 from what it states now to what Joseph Smith said it should be?




Right now John 1: 1 states:




" In the begining was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. "




Joseph changed this passage to read:




" In the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God and the Son was of God."




Can you see the significant change in the text & meaning of this passage?




All of sudden Jesus is no longer the WORD, and no longer is HE GOD.




Big difference! Big change!




So there lies my concern.


All I can do is hope & pray God would intervene, that the LDS people would begin to read their Bibles more , like I did, and that God would use His word to divide asunder, and to convict them of the error of the LDS doctrines. I guess time will tell.




One can hope & definately one can pray ~ He is able!




gloria
















1 comment:

  1. Hola -- I know Spanish quite well and have looked over the online version of the new LDS Bible. I can see no signs that the translators have mistranslated anything to conform with LDS doctrine. My impression after reading key sections of the translation is that the purpose of the church in making the new translation was less to provide a contemporary Spanish translation than it was to make LDS-oriented footnotes and scriptural cross-references available to its Spanish-speaking membership.

    ReplyDelete

Hello and thanks for taking time to read my blog and for leaving a courteous comment.:) May God bless you!!

~ gloria ~