Book of Moses Changes
Rich Kelsey
These manuscripts are entitled Old Testament Manuscript One
(OT1) and Old Testament Manuscript Two (OT2) respectively. OT1 was penned
by Smith’s scribes as Smith gave dictation. OT2 started out as a copy of
OT1, yet many changes were made to it after it was copied; words were crossed
out, additions were made, etc.
According to LDS sources:
The text of OT1 is one of the most significant documents of
the restored gospel. In its doctrinal contributions it is on par with the
greatest of revelations. But OT1 is not the complete and final text of the Book
of Moses, because that is found on OT2, on which Joseph Smith made further
inspired corrections and additions. (History of the Book of Moses: Kent P.
Jackson, The Book of Moses and the Joseph Smith Translation Manuscripts, Provo:
Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2005), p. 1-52).
Additions:
The following words are not found in OTI:
“Therefore
I give unto you a commandment to teach these things freely unto your Children
Saying that in as much
as they were born into the World by reason of the fall
which bringeth death by water and blood and the Spirit which I have made and so
became of dust a living soul even so ye must be born again of water and the
spirit and cleansed by blood even the blood of mine only begotten into the
mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven...” (Moses 6:58-59)
Joseph Smith did not dictate those 85
words to his scribes as they penned the first draft of the Book of Moses.
Sometime after the first draft was written, this
dialog, supposedly God speaking to Moses, was written on a separate piece of
paper and pinned to the second draft. [Caption: Correction on a small piece of
paper pinned to Old Testament Manuscript 2, page 18; handwriting of Sidney
Rigdon; Moses 6:58-59]
There are strong reasons to doubt that those 85 words, which
Smith added to Genesis, were words spoken to Moses by God:
● The content of the text
is unlike anything found in Moses’ accepted works.
● It hardly resembles Old
Testament prose.
● The text in question uses
the term “Born again,” which is a
term found only in the New Testament.
Also,
"…and he beheld also things which were not visible…" (Moses
6:36, OT1)
Becomes:
"…and he beheld also things which were not visible
to the natural eye…" (Moses 6:36,
OT2)
In Moses 6:36 four words were added:
If Moses had used the words
"to the natural eye"
in his record then why were those words omitted in Smith’s
early manuscript?
Changing The Text:
"These words was
spoken unto Moses in the mount…" (Moses 1:42, OT1)
Became:
"These words were
spoken unto Moses in the mount…" (Moses 1:42, OT2)
Also:
"If thou doest well shalt thou
not be accepted?" (Moses 5:23, OT1)
Became:
"If thou doest well thou shalt
be accepted." (Moses 5:23, OT2)
The early manuscript phrased the text of Moses 5:23 as a question. The final manuscript changed the same passage into a statement. This change had nothing to do with grammar. It had everything to do with a change in the supposed record of what God said to Cain.
Also:
"…the people trembled, and could not stand
before his presence…" (Moses 6:47,
OT1)
Became:
"…the people trembled, and could not
stand in his presence…"
(Moses 6:47, OT2)
Then:
"And behold, all things has its
likeness…" (Moses 6:63, OT1)
Became:
"And behold, all things have
their likeness…" (Moses 6:63, OT2)
Imagine God saying,
“…all things has its likeness…”
It’s hard to envision God communicating
with men in such a manner.
Yet we know Joseph Smith spoke that way.
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