The Mormon Apocrypha

The Joseph Smith Translation, also known as the inspired version, is an interesting part of Latter-day Saint history. After translating the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith began his translation of the King James Bible in June 1830. In 1833, he believed it sufficiently finished to begin publication. Unfortunately, Joseph Smith did not live to see it published.  Following Smith's death, John Milton Bernhisel, a confidant of Brigham Young, asked Emma Smith for permission to use Joseph's translation in his own bible. Unfortunately, Bernhisel's bible had less than half of the corrections of the JST and was never published. When Jospeh Smith III became prophet of the RLDS Church, he began work on a bible based on his father notes, publishing it in 1867. The JST has not been canonized by the LDS church, with the exception of the Book of Moses, which contains Genesis 1-7 of the JST, and Joseph Smith Matthew, which contains Matthew 24 of the JST. Below are some sections from the Old Te...

I wanted to share a sermon delivered by Joseph F Smith and recorded in the 23rd volume of the Journal of Discourses about the resurrection of Christ and the world. We are called mortal beings because in us are the seeds of death, but in reality, we are immortal beings because there is also within us the germ of eternal life.  Man  is a dual being, composed of the spirit which gives life, force, intelligence and capacity to  man , and the body which is the tenement of the spirit and is suited to its form, adapted to its necessities, and acts in harmony with and to its utmost capacity yields obedience to the will of the spirit. The two combined constitute the soul. The body is dependent upon the spirit, and the spirit during its natural occupancy of the body is subject to the laws which apply to and govern it in the mortal state. In this natural body are the seeds of weakness and decay, which, when fully ripened or untimely plucked up, in the language of scripture, is calle...

As today is Easter, I wanted to post today instead of Monday. I wanted to celebrate this day with a general conference talk given by Marion D. Hanks in April 1969, who Christ is wand what that means for us.  I have two commitments today that I should like to fulfill. One I undertook upon reading a letter yesterday from one of our choice chaplains serving a second tour of duty in Vietnam, once again moving among those engaged in the most serious of the fighting. His letter asks, "Will you ask the brethren specifically to mention the wives and the children of the servicemen over here from time to time. They have it harder than we do." I pledge, and ask you to join me, that I will remember and seek to put actively into effect my interest in the wives and children and parents of those who are far away, giving what has to be given to preserve the high ideals of this land, and thus to express to all mankind their own concern for the well-being of those who are not able to take care...