Tuesday, July 5, 2022

Exodus 11:9 in the JST

Exo 11:9 in the KJV reads:

 

And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.

 

In Old Testament Manuscript 2, page 68, we read something slightly different:

 



 

And the Lord said unto Mosses, Pharaoh will not hearken un[ot]<to> you, therefore my wonders shall be multiplied in the land of Egypt.

 

While it has often been noted that the JST changes texts in Exodus that speak of the Lord hardening the heart of Pharaoh, what seems to be overlooked is this verse: in the KJV, the purpose of Pharaoh’s disobedience is God multiplying wonders in Egypt; in the JST, in response to Pharaoh’s disobedience, God will then multiply wonders in Egypt. This is another example of Joseph Smith subverting determinism in the JST.