Book of Mormon textual changes/"white" changed to "pure"
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General information: Book of Mormon & Bible: Criticisms: |
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Contents |
Criticism
- The phrase "white and delightsome" was changed to "pure and delightsome" in the Book of Mormon.
Source(s) of the criticism
- Richard Abanes, Becoming Gods: A Closer Look at 21st-Century Mormonism (Harvest House Publishers: 2005). 73, 367 n.137. ( Index of claims )
- Simon Southerton, Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church (Salt Lake City, UT: Signature Books, 2004) 12. ( Index of claims )
- Contender Ministries, Questions All Mormons Should Ask Themselves. Answers
Response
This change actually first appeared in the 1840 edition, and was probably made by Joseph Smith:
- 2_Ne. 30:6 (1830 edition, italics added): "...they shall be a white and a delightsome people."
- 2_Ne. 30:6 (1840 edition, italics added): "...they shall be a pure and a delightsome people."
The 1837 edition was used for the European editions, which were in turn used as the basis for the 1879 and 1920 editions, so the change was lost until the 1981 (current) edition. This particular correction is part of the changes referred to in the note "About this Edition" printed in the introductory pages:
"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."
It’s doubtful that Joseph Smith had racism in mind when the change was done in 1840 or other similar verses would have been changed as well.
Conclusion
This change was originally made in the 1840 edition but went unnoticed until the preparation of the 1981 edition. The change is not (as the critics want to portray it) a "recent" change designed to remove a "racist" original.
Endnotes
None
Further reading
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- Textual changes
- "the Son of" added
- "or out of the waters of baptism" added
- "white" changed to "pure"
- "Benjamin" changed to "Mosiah"
- Missing words in Alma 32:30?
- Translation chronology, Book of Mormon
- Translation method, Book of Mormon
See also: "Anachronisms"•Authorship•DNA issues•Geography issues•Herbaic influence•Witnesses
FAIR web site
- FAIR Topical Guide: Changes in the Book of Mormon FAIR link
- Royal Skousen, "Changes In the Book of Mormon," 2002 FAIR Conference proceedings. FAIR link
Videos
| The Charge of Racism in The Book of Mormon, John Tvedtnes, 2003 FAIR Conference |
- Part 1: The Charge of Racism in The Book of Mormon
- Part 2: The Charge of Racism in The Book of Mormon
- Part 3: The Charge of Racism in The Book of Mormon
- Part 4: The Charge of Racism in The Book of Mormon
- Part 5: The Charge of Racism in The Book of Mormon
External links
| Book of Mormon on-line articles |
- Donald B. Doty, "I Have A Question: Why is the Book of Mormon the ‘most correct of any book on earth’?," Ensign (August 1988): 28–29. off-site
- Monte S. Nyman, "The Most Correct Book," Ensign (June 1984): 21. off-site
- Monte S. Nyman, "Why is the Book of Mormon the 'most correct book,' and how does it contain the fulness of the gospel?," Ensign (September 1976): 87. off-site
See also: Archaelogy•Authorship•DNA issues•Geography issues•Herbaic influence•Witnesses
Printed material
| Book of Mormon Critical Text Project |
Working in collaboration with FARMS, professor Royal Skousen is currently producing the definitive critical edition of the Book of Mormon, comparing the original manuscripts and all printed editions, identifying differences, and suggesting improvements to the current text. The following volumes in the series are currently available: (Key source)
Volume 1
- Royal Skousen (editor), The Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon : typographical facsimile of the extant text [Book of Mormon Critical Text Project, Vol. 1] (Provo, Utah : Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Brigham Young University, 2001), 1. ISBN 0934893047.
Volume 2
- Royal Skousen (editor), The Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon : typographical facsimile of the entire text in two parts [Book of Mormon Critical Text Project, Vol. 2, Part 1: 1 Nephi 1–Alma 17] (Provo, Utah : Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Brigham Young University, 2001), 1. ISBN 0934893055.
- Royal Skousen (editor), The Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon : typographical facsimile of the entire text in two parts [Book of Mormon Critical Text Project, Vol. 2, Part 2: Alma 18–Moroni 10] (Provo, Utah : Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Brigham Young University, 2001), 1. ISBN 0934893063.
Volume 3
- Forthcoming
Volume 4
- Royal Skousen (editor), Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon [Book of Mormon Critical Text Project, Vol. 4, Part 1: 1 Nephi 1–2 Nephi 10] (Provo, Utah : Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Brigham Young University, 2004), 1. ISBN 0934893071.
- Royal Skousen (editor), Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon [Book of Mormon Critical Text Project, Vol. 4, Part 2: 2 Nephi 11–Mosiah 16] (Provo, Utah : Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Brigham Young University, 2005), 1. ISBN 093489308X.
- Royal Skousen (editor), Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon [Book of Mormon Critical Text Project, Vol. 4, Part 3: Mosiah 17–Alma 20] (Provo, Utah : Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Brigham Young University, 2006), 1. ISBN 093489311X.
- Royal Skousen (editor), Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon [Book of Mormon Critical Text Project, Vol. 4, Part 4: Alma 21–55] (Provo, Utah : Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Brigham Young University, 2007), 1. ISBN 0934893128.
See also:
- M. Gerald Bradford and Alison V.P. Coutts, "Uncovering the Original Text of the Book of Mormon,” in “Uncovering the Original Text of the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 11/0 (2002): 1–57. [No off-site] PDF link wiki ISBN 0934893683.
- M. Gerald Bradford, "Recovering the Original Text of the Book of Mormon: An Interim Review," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 15/1 (2006): 30–31. off-site PDF link wiki
- Terryl L.Givens, "The Book of Mormon Critical Text Project," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 15/1 (2006): 32–35. off-site PDF link wiki
- Anonymous, "English Editions of the Book of Mormon 1830–1981," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 15/1 (2006): 36–37. [No off-site] PDF link wiki
- Robert J. Matthews, "Joseph Smith and the Text of the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 15/1 (2006): 38–42. off-site PDF link wiki
- Grant Hardy, "Scholarship for the Ages," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 15/1 (2006): 43–53. off-site PDF link wiki
- Kevin L. Barney, "Seeking Joseph Smith's Voice," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 15/1 (2006): 54–59. off-site PDF link wiki
- Kerry Muhlestein, "Insights Available as We Approach the Original Text," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 15/1 (2006): 60–65. off-site PDF link wiki
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- Free copy of the Book of Mormon with no obligation.
See also: Authorship•DNA issues•Geography issues•Herbaic influence•Historicity•Witnesses
