Friday, October 29, 2021

Did Joseph Smith Remove Mark 13:32 in the JST?

Bill Grover, who has produced a number of sub-par books on “Mormonism,” confidently states that Joseph Smith removed Mark 13:32 in his revision of the Bible:

 

So, if you are a Mormon reading this, can you justify Joe’s additions and omissions to the Bible in his “Inspired Version” like Genesis 50:33, 33 and his removing Mark 13:32 from his translation? (Bill Grover, And, Man Made God in His Own Image: The Misbegotten Mormon Doctrine of Deity [Rapid City, S.Dak.: New Harbor House, 2021], 3)

 

Also, Joe removed 13:32 from Mark likely due to his errant belief that Christ has only one nature which has all knowledge. (Ibid., 10)

 

. . . Mormons wish to erase the teaching about Christ in Mark 13:32 . . . (Ibid., 70)

 

In reality, Grover, his confidence notwithstanding, shows he has not bothered to crack open a copy of the Joseph Smith Translation/JST (AKA Inspired Revision). It has been retained, though it is verse 47, not 32 as it is in the KJV and other translations. In my copy of the RLDS 1867 Inspired Version, it reads:

 

But of that day and hour no one knoweth; no, not the angels of God in heaven, but my Father only. (‎New Testament‎ | ‎Mark‎ ‎13‎:‎47‎)‎

 

On page 38 of New Testament Manuscript 2, Folio 2, we read:

 

But of that day and hour, knoweth no man <one> knoweth; no, not the angles of God in heaven, but my father only

 

Here is the relevant portion of the manuscript itself:




If one only learns one thing from this post, it is that one should always check claims made by critics of the Church and check the primary sources.