Changed LDS Scripture/Part 13

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The Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis 50 added 12 verses that are not in any authentic ancient manuscripts of the Bible. In those 12 verses it says “the Lord” told Joseph (the son of Jacob in Genesis) about the coming of both Moses and Joseph Smith. But those “prophecies” were unheard of until Smith put them in his Joseph Smith Translation after 1830 AD. Moses was born long after the death of Joseph, the son of Jacob, in Genesis 50, so it would have been very “prophetic” if he had written about Moses. But, content about Moses that Smith added in his Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis 50 was in Exodus after Moses was born, so did Smith use that information to write his “prophecy” about Moses? Someone today could use content from Acts to write a “prophecy” about the Apostle Paul and put it in Genesis and there would be just as much “evidence” for it as there is for the Joseph Smith Translation prophecy of Moses in Genesis 50! The 12 verses Smith added to Genesis 50 in the Joseph Smith Translation also “prophesies” about the coming of “Joseph the Seer” in the latter days which is an obvious reference to Joseph Smith himself. Someone today could also write a “prophecy” about themselves and insert it into Genesis and there would be as much true evidence for it as there is for the prophecy about Joseph Smith in the Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis 50!

In Genesis 50:26-33 of the Joseph Smith Translation, Joseph the son of Jacob in the Bible said,

A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins. Thus saith the Lord God of my fathers unto me, A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins, and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins; and unto him will I give commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren. And he shall bring them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers; and he shall do whatsoever work I shall command him. And I will make him great in mine eyes, for he shall do my work; and he shall be great like unto him whom I have said I would raise up unto you to deliver my people, O house of Israel, out of the land of Egypt…And again, a seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins, and unto him will I give power to bring forth my word unto the seed of thy loins; and not to the bringing forth of my word only, saith the Lord, but to convincing them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among them, in the last days; Wherefore the fruit of thy loins shall write, and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together unto the confounding of false doctrines, and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to a knowledge of their fathers in the latter days; and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord. And out of weakness shall he be made strong, in that day when my work shall go forth among all my people, which shall restore them who are of the house of Israel, in the last days. And that seer will I bless and they that seek to destroy him shall be confounded; for this promise I give unto you; for I will remember you from generation to generation; and his name shall be called Joseph, and it shall be after the name of his father; and he shall be like unto you; for the thing which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand shall bring my people unto salvation.”

Following are some comments on the content in bold print in this text.

The 12 verses added to Genesis 50 in the JST have a “second witness” in II Nephi 3:5-18 of the Book of Mormon. The caption over II Nephi 3 says, “Joseph in Egypt saw the Nephites in vision—He prophesied of Joseph Smith, the latter day seer.” The prophecy about “Joseph Smith, the seer” in II Nephi 3:5-18 says exactly the same thing as Genesis 50:26-33 in the JST with only a few words changed. LDS say the similarity exists because God inspired both texts, but it is also possible that the similarity exists because Joseph Smith wrote both texts! Genesis was written in Hebrew while Smith said he translated the Book of Mormon from “Reformed Egyptian.”

So, how did Smith “translate” two different texts from two different languages into almost identical wording in English? Translators know that isn’t possible. The main Book of Mormon story is about a few descendants of Joseph, son of Jacob in Israel, who left Jerusalem in 600 BC and came to America and divided into light skinned Nephites and dark skinned Lamanites that LDS believe are American Indians. The choice seer in this prophecy was to be a descendant of the biblical Joseph and bring God’s word to his descendants. The Book of Mormon identifies Smith as “the choice seer” in this prophecy, but his genealogy indicates his ancestors were English, not Israelites or Native Americans and his ministry was not to Israelites or Native Americans.

Genesis 50:33 in the Joseph Smith Translation and II Nephi 3:15 says the choice seer “shall be called Joseph and it shall be after the name of his father.” Joseph Smith’s father’s name was Joseph, so that helps to identify Joseph Smith as the “Seer.” Genesis 50:26-29 in the Joseph Smith Translation and II Nephi 3:7 both say “Joseph” will be esteemed highly and “the Lord” said, “I will make him great in mine eyes.” Smith wrote that about himself, so it seems conceited. Genesis 50:31 in the Joseph Smith Translation and II Nephi 3:12 say the biblical Joseph’s descendants are to write scripture (LDS say it is the Book of Mormon) and Judah’s descendants were also to write scripture (the Bible) and those two books would end false doctrines, contentions and bring peace to Joseph’s descendants. Smith published the Book of Mormon and organized the LDS Church, which now has had 200 schisms, so the Book of Mormon and Bible together did not end false doctrines and contentions or bring peace to Joseph’s descendants. Genesis 50:33 in the Joseph Smith Translation and II Nephi 3:14 in the Book of Mormon both say, “They that seek to destroy him (Joseph Smith) shall be confounded.” The “God” who inspired that prophecy apparently didn’t know that those seeking to destroy Smith would succeed! Smith was shot and killed by his enemies while in jail in Carthage, IL, on June 24, 1844.

For more information about the Joseph Smith Translation see The Inspired Revision of the Bible by Merrill Van Wagoner, published by Deseret News Press. Next time we will discuss Isaiah in the Joseph Smith Translation.

Read Part 14