The First Edition Book Of Mormon

By Cornelia Reyes


Historians, libraries and book collectors attach an incredible price tag to the first edition Book of Mormon. This is the unedited version that traces its origin to New England despite its inconsistencies in tenses, numbers and spelling. It was written in Jacobean English and does not contain any changes or corrections of original scripts.

The Latter Day Saints Movement considers it as sacred and a representation of words from prophets in ancient America. The prophets were said to have lived between 2200BC and 421AD. It has its origin in Joseph Smith who copied from tablets referred to as Plates of Nephis. In the words of Smith, the scriptures were written in a form he referred to as reformed Egyptian. This is why he was required to translate the writing on the golden plates to English.

Many prophets took part in writing the scripture with the last contributor being Moroni. Moroni then buried the scripts on one of the hills in New York. In 1827, Moroni returned to the earth to reveal where the book had been buried. He instructed Smith to commence translating the scriptures. This would serve as evidence that Christ was restoring the true church on earth after centuries of distortion.

The content of original scripts include discussions on various Christian doctrines including eschatology, atonement, the original sin by Adam and Eve as well as redemption of both body and soul. There are discussions on how the latter-day church should be organized. The scriptures depart substantially at the point where Jesus appeared to American after resurrection.

The unique writing in this book has led members of the Latter Day Church to regard it as special. It is a historical record of the interaction God had with Americans beyond being Holy Scripture. It is a collection of several books with the names of their writers as they titles. Like other religious books, it has chapters and verses.

The style used in writing is a heavy borrowing from the King James Version. The English used in the original copy is Early Modern English but the book has been translated either partially or wholly to over 108 languages so far. Smith indicates that he managed to read the golden plates because he was given special spectacles by Moroni. There is an indication that more of these scriptures will be revealed at a later date because some of the plates were listed as concealed.

There are a number of witnesses to these revelations including seven with signed affidavits. Among the people who assisted in production of the book is Harris Martin who financed production by selling his land. It was released to the market in March 1830. This was after Martin allegedly disappeared with the initial 168 translated pages. Cowdery Oliver stepped in and helped with the final translation.

The front page of the first edition Book of Mormon is translated from a golden plate that read The Very Last Leave. This scripture came to the American people as a message from God that he was with them just as he was with their fore fathers. This message was to be broadcast to the rest of the world.




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