I concluded reading the introduction of the Maxwell Institute Study Edition of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. From my experience reading to 1 Nephi chapter 18 in my first attempt to read the book, I have found it more insightful than reading the standard version of the Book of Mormon. There are a few things that I would like to point out from the introduction. I will address the following: the book is designed with a scholarly perspective, context is preserved better, and reference to the original translation is abundant.
I am not too scholarly; however, the book keeps in mind the Royal Skousen’s studies of the Book of Mormon. The book states the following concerning him in the Brief History of the Text section: “Royal Skousen, a professor of linguistics and English language at Brigham Young University, is the central figure in the academic analysis of the Book of Mormon text, including its origins, transmission, variants, and grammar.” The current Book of Mormon offers a lot more footnotes with bold chapters with headings. The Maxwell Institute Study edition reduces the extra headings and footnotes to a minimum, respecting that the original golden plates do indicate different chapters; although, the transcript was given to the printer at first without paragraphing or punctuation. The type setter, who is named John Gilbert, organized the transcript with punctuation. One may realize that one person deciding the punctuation of the text can cause variations of meaning in the writing. Clarification have been made throughout the years by the church, but I have found that there has been very minor changes to the original translation.
The Book of Mormon was originally publish in a paragraph format, and I have come to appreciate this. I would say that Book of Mormon’s context is preserved better this way. The current verse structure can fragment the context of the scriptures. Some verses may be ignored because it is not the rich doctrinal statements that we love. Complete contextual messages are more obvious, since they are in a paragraph, while one might stop reading in a middle of a paragraph without the paragraphing that is found in the current edition of the Book of Mormon.
I have a reference and a clarification that I would like to relate to you that I have found meaningful in the Maxwell Study Edition of the Book of Mormon as it is a reference to the original translation, which I said that I was going to address. The verse that a word was clarified in is verse 18 of 1 Nephi chapter 12 read as follows:
"And the large and spacious building, which thy father saw, is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men. And a great and a terrible gulf divideth them; yea, even the word of the justice of the Eternal God, and the Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the Holy Ghost beareth record, from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and forever."
Coincidently the word that was clarified was the word “word”. I have italicized it in the quotation. In the original transcript the “word” was sword. The ‘sword of justice… beareth record’. The word and sword have the same meaning.
The word might be the sword of Justice, yet the book of Alma chapter 31 verse 5 says the following:
"And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God."
However the word has been referred to as the sword many times. Most notably is in the Book of Revelation chapter 19 verse 15, stating the following: “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” An interesting thing is that Joseph Smith translation removes the sword again as shown the following quote: “And out of his mouth proceedeth the word of God, and with it he will smite the nations; and he will rule them with the word of his mouth; and he treadeth the winepress in the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” Okay. Now that Joseph Smith’s clarification confirmed that God will rule by his word. I need to look into this more. I found the following verses relating the word to a sword or a rod. I also looked up the word rod because it can be related to a hilt or handle of a sword.
- Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
- Helaman 3:29 Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked.
- sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, Eph. 6:17.
- word of God … sharper than any twoedged sword, Heb. 4:12 (D&C 6:2).
- out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword, Rev. 1:16
- And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; 1 Nephi 21:2 (Isa. 49:2.)
- sword of justice hangeth over this people, Hel. 13:5.
- take … the sword of my Spirit, D&C 27:18.
- I would let fall the sword of mine indignation, D&C 101:10.
- repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, D&C 19:15.
- rod of iron … was the word of God, 1 Ne. 11:25 (15:23).
- he did straiten them … with his rod, 1 Ne. 17:41.
- he shall rule them with a rod of iron, Rev. 2:27 (12:5; 19:15).
- smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, Isa. 11:4 (2 Ne. 21:4; 30:9).
The word is referred to in the scriptures many time as a sword, and the words of sword and rod is referred to as the word as well. Why is this important? In our homes, we may be tempted to rule with fear for that is the way of the natural man, seeking to accomplish the things that we desire with the least amount of effort; however, many prophets and Jesus Christ himself teaches that his word is sharper than any two edged sword, which is quick and powerful, yet Doctrine and Covenants section 121 verse 41 states “No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;”
I believe that the word sword can be attributed to the nature of God as a person of justice, judgement, and order. We should fear the justice of God. We should fear the consequences of sin.
The power of the word can also be used as a tool to bless the earth by bring others to God, for it is true. The truth is more powerful than fear. We have been charged to take the sword of the Spirit to fight “principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12) The word, when we hearken to it, holding on to the iron rod, “shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil.” (Helaman 3:29) Let us take heart and feast of the word of God that we may face the world without fear.
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