Some of you gals and guys did well. Four hundred years ago the King James Bible (KJV) was published. It was a very important happening in the life of mankind. It was that bible from which Joseph Smith read "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and abraideth not; . . .
That alone is very significant since not all translations give that powerful interpretation of the language of the ancients.
I was able to attend the 2nd day of a two day seminar at BYU entitled The King James Bible and the Restoration. This was held last Wednesday and Thursday. I went to the Thursday session only since I was very sick on Wednesday. I wish I could have heard it all.
One man spoke of the coming forth of the LDS Version of the KJV. BYU has recently made a documentary describing the printing and writing of the LDS version. This included the fantastically formed footnotes, the bible dictionary, the topical guide, the Greek and Hebrew term definitions, the Joseph Smith Translation entries both in the footnotes and in the back of the volume, and other things too. This can be viewed at www.byutv.org/watch/2039-100.
You will not be sorry you viewed it, and should feel great gratitude for what came forth in our lives that has done so much good.
You should all get the book Fire in the Bones, by Wilcox. It is the story of William Tyndale, and outlines the significance of his seminal work. He was martyred for his translation (done from Greek and Hebrew, not Latin, which made his work something other than another Catholic thing.), a thing that took place by treachery in Antwerp, Belgium. He was burned at the stake. Yet within eighty years of his death the King James translators used, it is said, eighty-five percent of his language in their writing of the KJV. Even one of the Apostles spoke of his work in General Conference lately.
I particularly loved the presentation of John Tanner, one of BYU's Vice Presidents and a professor of English. He spoke of the power of the language and its auditory artistry. He brought the spirit into the presentation and spoke in detail of the beautiful sounds from the mode of language that is in the KJV.
I have asked him to send me a copy of a poem that he had written and quoted in his presentation about some of the parable of the prodigal son. When I get it I will pass it on. It was very powerful.
I have been teaching Gospel Doctrine in the last few years and just finished the Old Testament. I am now teaching the New Testament. I love the KJV, and the wonderful thing that I learn from the cross references and other aids that are now available. Imagine, those things have come from centuries back and today still have power and great value.
The stuff of the conference will become available to all in a publication in about a year. It will be put out by the Religious Studies Center at BYU.
Hope I have not bored you all, but I could not restrain my enthusiasm and gratitude for this conference.
Jim Clark
2 comments:
You haven't bored me. I have been very interested in the Bible lately. I've enjoyed comparing the KJV to other translations and, in particular to a KJV linked to Strong's Greek Concordance. There is a lot of meaning that is difficult to convey when translating from Greek to English. Someday I'll have to learn Greek.
I can't recall if I have mentioned this to any of you, but I am very excited about the BYU New Testament Commentary that will include a new "rendition". It is scheduled to be published in parts over the next few years, starting with the Epistles of John sometime this year (hopefully). It will use the JST as well as Greek manuscripts to provide an English translation based on LDS doctrine. You can read more about here:
http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2007_As_Far_As_It_Is_Translated_Correctly.html
scroll down about 3/4 of the way down.
I love the Bible - especially the Old Testament.
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