FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Book of Mormon/Textual changes/"the Son of"
| Answers portal |
| Book of Mormon |
|
 RESOURCES
|
|---|
|
General information: Book of Mormon & Bible: Criticisms: |
 PERSPECTIVES
|
 MEDIA
|
| OTHER PORTALS
|
Contents
Criticism
The earliest edition of the Book of Mormon referred to Jesus as "God." In later editions this was changed to "the Son of God." Critics cite this as evidence that Joseph Smith changed the Book of Mormon to conform to his changing beliefs about the Trinity. They claim Joseph was originally a solid trinitarian (perhaps even a Modalist), and as he later began to teach that the Father and Son were two separate beings, he had to change the Book of Mormon to support his new doctrine.
Response
This change was a deliberate editorial insertion by Joseph Smith to clarify four verses in 1 Nephi.
The 1837 edition of the Book of Mormon
The second edition of the Book of Mormon was published in 1837 at Kirtland, Ohio. The typesetting and printing were done during the winter of 1836–37, with Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery taking an active part in the editing procedures.
In this edition numerous corrections were made to the text of the 1830 (first) edition to bring it back to reading in the original and printer's manuscripts. Joseph Smith also made a number of editorial changes to the text; this was his right as the translator of the text.
Among the changes he made are these four in 1 Nephi 11 and 13:
| Original manuscript | Printer's manuscript | 1830 edition | 1837 edition | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 11:18 | Text | Text | Behold, the virgin which thou seest, is the mother of God, after the manner of the flesh. | Behold, the virgin whom thou seest, is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh. |
| 1 Nephi 11:21 | Text | Text | Text | Text |
| 1 Nephi 11:32 | Text | Text | Text | Text |
| 1 Nephi 13:40 | Text | Text | Text | Text |
Why was this change made?
The phrase "the Son of" was probably added to the printer's manuscript and the 1837 edition as a clarification that the passages are speaking of Jesus, not God the Father.
The term "Eternal Father" found in 1 Nephi 11:21 and 13:40 was ambiguous since it could properly refer to either the Father or the Son. For example, Eternal Father refers to God the Father in Moroni 4:3, Moroni 5:2, and Moroni 10:4, but to God the Son in Mosiah 16:15 and Alma 11:38-39.
One reason "the Son of" was reintroduced into 1 Nephi 11:18 was to avoid the sectarian phrase "the mother of God" that had been objected to by early critics of the Book of Mormon. Oliver Cowdery, responding to an anonymously-authored article in the Baptist newspaper The Pioneer wrote in 1835:
- Again, this writer says: "The name of Jesus Christ, was declared to Nephi, 545 years before it was announced to Mary, and she, in true Roman phraseology, is called 'the mother of God.'"
- This "friend of truth" says that Mary was "called the mother of God."—The reader will please turn to the 25th page of the book of Mormon, and read: "And he [the angel] said unto me, behold, the virgin which thou seest is the mother of God, after the manner of the flesh."
- Now, every man knows, who has read the New Testament, that Mary was called the Lord's mother; and beside we remember to have read a word or two of Paul's writings, where he says: "But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. Now, the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not."—See Gal. 1. Here we have it—the Lord Jesus was born of a woman, had a brother, and yet had no mother according to the flesh!![1]
Since this criticism of the Book of Mormon was fresh on Oliver's mind, and he was involved in the editing of the 1837 edition of the Book of Mormon, it is possible that this change was inserted at his prompting.
In any case, the addition of "the Son of" to four passages in 1 Nephi does not change the Book of Mormon's teaching that Jesus Christ is the God of Old Testament Israel. This concept is taught in at least dozen other passages whose readings remain unchanged from the original manuscripts. (See, for example, 1 Nephi 19:10; Mosiah 7:27; Mosiah 13:28,33-34; Mosiah 15:1; Helaman 8:22-23; 3 Nephi 11:10,14.)
Conclusion
Although some have claimed that the meaning of the text was altered by these additions, a more plausible explanation is that the addition clarified to whom the verse referred.
Endnotes
- [note] Oliver Cowdery, "Trouble in the West," Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate 1 no. 1 (April 1835), 105. direct off-site
Further reading
FAIR wiki articles
FAIR web site
- FairMormon Topical Guide: Changes in the Book of Mormon FairMormon link
- Royal Skousen, "Changes In the Book of Mormon," 2002 FAIR Conference proceedings. FAIR link