New Insights into the Miraculous Translation of the Book of Mormon 170914 SQ
Dear Class,
Much new information has come forth recently regarding what we know about Joseph Smith's translation of the Book of Mormon.
Numerous articles and materials can be found in the Book of Mormon Central archive.
https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/search/site/translation
Take a few minutes to prowl around in that archive to get a quick idea of the amount of work that has been done on this subject and to find some your favorite treatments of this fascinating and important subject.
Many questions can be asked (and answered) about this amazing accomplishment. We won't try to answer all of them on Thursday evening, but as you prepare for class consider some of the following queries:
When did all this happen?
Where did it happen?
Who was involved?
Who left personal statements about what they observed?
How was it done?
How did Joseph and his scribes work together?
How much of the Original Dictation manuscript do we have?
What does that Original document tell us?
How long did it take to translate the Book of Mormon that we have today?
How certain can we be of how long it took?
What else happened during those days, weeks, and months?
How often did they take breaks or need to rest or stop for supplies?
At what rate did they move through the work of translation?
How can we know in what order the parts of the Book of Mormon were translated?
Did Joseph make corrections, modifications, or adjustments before sending it to press?
What scholarly sources or resources did they have at their disposal?
To what extent does the translation use King James English?
Was the English poor English?
Are Hebraisms reflected in the English text of the Book of Mormon?
Is the Book of Mormon easy or hard to translate from English into other languages?
Has any other book ever been written in this way?
Why is the whole topic of the translation of the Book of Mormon spiritually or intellectually significant?
How does it change the way you read the Book of Mormon to approach it as a translation of an ancient record?
What other questions or observations might you make about the translation of the Book of Mormon?
Have a great week, and I look forward very much to surveying this vast subject with you on Thursday evening.
Brother Welch