If Joseph Smith Jr returned the Golden Plates to the angel, how could the BoM EVER be revised?

Question

The Book of Mormon has been revised and changed numerous times since its original publication.
Joseph Smith Jr. testified that God, himself, would not allow any symbol to pass from his sight until it was correctly translated.
The "prophet" and all Mormons since, have claimed that it is the most perfect book ever written.
If that IS sgrammarwas grammer and spelling changes needed?doctrinale doctirnal passages changed to reflect altered meanings?
If God, personally, was directly proofreading the word-by-word "translation", why would revision be needed?
How COULD revision be possible?
Especially without the plates?
If God guided the people who revised the BoM and that without the plates, why were the plates even needed in the first place?

Answer 1

...not to mention complete reversals in the meanings of numerous BofM scriptures. I have a version of the 1st edition in which over 10,0000 direct changes are highlighted. There are over 50 instances in which the words "does not", "will not," or "have not" have been changed to the opposite equivalent.



Compare a first edition with what they have today, the changes in meaning are remarkable. These are not just corrections in typographical or spelling errors; but rather changes in context. Quite shocking, considering the original "prophets" of the Mormon religion emphasized so strongly the perfection of the BofM and visions as given to Smith - only to have such sweeping reversals and failures by subsequent "prophets."

Answer 2

Why were the plates even needed in the first place?



Good question. Joseph wrote the inspired Bible and the book of Moses without any manuscript to translate. So, no reason why he couldn't have done the same with the ancient American record. Who knows? Some accounts by witnesses say that sometimes he did his translating while the gold plates were hidden away in a different room or outside, so he didn't always have them to look at while he was doing the translating. Some witness accounts say that he did the translating while peering into a hat that was covering his face completely so he couldn't see the plates. So the plates really didn't seem to be necessary for the translation process, but I could be wrong.



As for all the changes, that is a perplexing question. I can understand grammar and spelling errors, what with a 19th century printing press and handwritten manuscripts and all, but the doctrinal changes are troublesome. If they were one-offs, it wouldn't be a big deal, but they seem systematic, as if the nature of God is being revised in the text from a trinitarian God to the Godhead of Mormonism. I don't know.

Answer 3

It was revised by Joseph Smith Jr. the translator, what's wrong with that. He translated the book he didn't copy it word for word. He changed it from one language to another. Have you ever written something down and later changed it? duh.



Besides we believe a prophet lives today, and what better person to change a word or two for clarity. The English language changes over time, take some racial slurs that were used 50 years ago. They would be bad to use today, but were used commonly then.



Edit:Wrong, that's not correct. Again we see that those outside the church will find the information that will try to discredit the church. Oliver Cowdery tried to translate also, but he couldn't do it. If the words were clearly and distinctly available then anyone could have directly copied the words of the book. They weren't however, the book is a translation. Joseph Smith said it is a TRANSLATION, do you know what this means.



What is a translation, it is converting one language to another. NO translation is perfect, even the Book of Mormon itself says there ARE errors, and not to condem the book because of them. There may have even been errors in the original!



Again you do not understand. Errors in punctuation and grammer do not need an original in order to correct. It is surprising that this would be an issue, seems like common sense to me.



Keep tryin though, gives me something to do :)

Answer 4

Can you show me any DOCTRINE in the Book of Mormon that has ever changed? No. Because it is all correct.



The changes have been grammatical. You need to quit spending so much time reading anti-Mormon literatrue. Do some thinking for yourself. Read the Book of Mormon, ask GOD if it's true, not the internet.

Answer 5

there is also the disclaimer that Mistakes of men can cause accidents,

there is also a book that details every single correction and alteration and the reasons why.

what i read of the book seemed reasonable in every detail.

i am a witness for Jesus and OF jesus.

what i was taught by personal revelation is only taught in this church.

the bible is not perfectly preserved either.

even the jots and tittles were preserved when written but the recorded versions ARE IN HEAVEN. on earth even the bible codes have been corrupted once wicked men realized there was a code they wrote their own scriptures.

When it comes to the bible itself the allegation is the 4 gospels were altered to allow Emporer Constantines lust for flesh and Beer



see link below for intro to gospel of 12 apostles

Answer 6

You must have failed in your research efforts to learn that the majority of the changes came from Joseph's own written notes. -- oops



If you don't believe me, go to the church history museum... there's nothing being covered up here.



The current (1981) edition of the Book of Mormon has this notice printed at the bottom of the page opposite 1 Nephi, chapter 1:



Some minor errors in the text have been perpetuated in past editions of the Book of Mormon. This edition contains corrections that seem appropriate to bring the material into conformity with prepublication manuscripts and early editions edited by the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Significant changes



Some Book of Mormon changes were corrections of transcription or printing errors.Changes that would affect the authenticity of the Book of Mormon are limited to:



those that are substantive AND could possibly change the doctrine of the book OR could be used as evidence that the book was written by Joseph Smith.



There are surprisingly few meaningful changes to the Book of Mormon text, and all of them were made by Joseph Smith himself in editions published during his lifetime. These changes include:



"the Son of" added to 1_Ne. 11:18; 1_Ne. 11:21, 1_Ne. 11:32, and 1_Ne. 13:40.



"or out of the waters of baptism" added to 1_Ne. 20:1.

"white" changed to "pure" in 2_Ne. 30:6.



"Benjamin" changed to "Mosiah" in Mosiah 21:28 and Eth. 4:1.



"Words missing in Alma 32:30"[3] Alma 32:30-31



The historical record shows that these changes were made to clarify the meaning of the text, not to alter it.



The authenticity of the Book of Mormon is not affected by the modifications that have been made to its text because the vast majority of those modifications are minor corrections in spelling, punctuation, and grammar. The few significant modifications were made by the Prophet Joseph Smith to clarify the meaning of the text, not to change it. This was his right as translator of the book.

Answer 7

Correct translation by the Lord and Joseph Smith, and thereafter the recording (done for Joseph by various scribes, primarily Oliver Cowdery) proofreading and printing processes are different things. Please forgive; part of the following is from an answer to another similar question:



One item we catch flack on is the statement by Joseph Smith, included on the "Introduction" page preceding the Book of Mormon: "I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." Then some folks say that can't be so, because appropriate corrections have been made to editions of the Book of Mormon since the original printing, and they will offer a long list of these, but none changing the book's message. Joseph never claimed the first printing to be free of spelling, grammar, or flat-out human error in the publication of the Book of Mormon translation. The Book of Mormon is "the most correct" in its truthfulness and clarity in history and doctrine. It is free of such errors of translation, both ancient and modern, as those found in the Bible, for instance. Many Bibles come with good footnotes showing alternate or more correct points of translation, wanting to make sure the reader gets more information even if it reveals the weaknesses of Bible translators through the centuries. True to Joseph's statement, I find the "precepts" (dictionary: "an instruction intended as a rule of conduct, esp. moral conduct; a maxim; a commandment or exhortation") which enter your mind and heart from the Book of Mormon will in fact lead you to live nearer to God. The Bible is a foundation of our Christian faith; therefore if the Book of Mormon leads one to live even the Bible's precepts more fully, it is evidence that both volumes have come from God as sacred scripture.



By the way, how many different versions of the Bible are there? How many different modern English versions? Why no fuss about changing the wording of the Bible in so many different ways?



There have been no changes to the Book of Mormon which would change its doctrines. One common argument (referenced by Beta Fishy) that the Book of Mormon resembles the Bible regarding the general Christian view of the Trinity, is mistaken. Trinitarians think they see the Trinity in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, but Mormon doctrine distinctly finds the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost separated in both books. Remember Joseph Smith saw both the Father and the Son appearing together as separate individuals in the First Vision before he knew of the existence of the Book of Mormon. He thereby already knew the common Trinity concept was in error, and it is not taught in the Book of Mormon. Those who know the difference see it plainly in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Jesus worshipped, clearly taught about, and prayed to His Father in both books, clearly observable in the Book of Mormon in 3 Nephi. Not hard to understand the confusion, though, because Jesus Christ was and is Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament, who was thereafter born into mortality to be our Savior. This was according to His Father's plan since before the earth's creation, that His Son might be glorified with Him. Colossians chapter 1 describes this relationship well, that all the Father's work is accomplished through Jesus Christ; even in this chapter, you will see them mentioned as separate individuals.

Answer 8

The Book of Mormon was not revised as to the content. Grammatical errors, and spelling errors were fixed.

Answer 9

My favorite changes are "white and delightsome" becoming "pure and delightsome" - yet they left the "dark and filthy" part in.



They inserted "son of" in front of "God" in a few places right away. You really should get your Gods straight.



Mostly they tried to make it not sound like it was written by a backwoods kid. Which it was, and which the first version sounds like.

Answer 10

The book of mormon is a lie. Anyone who studies the Bible can see that.

Answer 11

Good question!

Answer 12

It was just imagination

Answer 13

Mormonism is EVEN DUMBER Christianity, which is hard to do.