The Articles of Faith

The Eighth Article of Faith

8. We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

Dr. Robert J. Matthews, former Dean of Religious Education at BYU and Timpanogos Temple President has said:

"When a teacher in a seminary or institute class asks for a volunteer to recite the Eighth Article of Faith just about all the hands go up.  When that same teacher asks for anyone who can give an example of a Bible passage that is not translated correctly, just about all the hands go down."

There are many, many examples in the Joseph Smith Translation of the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible of mistranslations, but one always comes to mind.  In the Book of Isaiah, in the Old Testament, in Chapter two, verse nine, it says:

9. And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.

Now Isaiah is hard enough to understand, without mistranslation also getting in the way.  Dr. Matthews continues:  "The 'mean' man does not mean 'that mean old man,' but rather the average man.  The great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.  That makes no sense.  They bow down, they humble themselves and yet they are not forgiven.  Why?  The Book of Mormon clears that up.  It states in 2nd Nephi Chapter 12 verse nine:

9. And the mean man boweth not down, and the great man humbleth himself not, therefore, forgive him not.

That makes a lot more sense.  You don't bow down; you don't humble yourself, so you're not forgiven." 

 

The Sixth Article of Faith
JILL MULVAY DERR holds a Master of Arts in teaching degree from Harvard University. She was a research historian at the Church History Department in Salt Lake City and at Brigham Young University, where she was also an associate professor of Church history. She is coauthor of Women of Covenant: The Story of Relief Society and coeditor of Women’s Voices: An Untold History of the Latter-day Saints. Her many other publications include more than a dozen articles on the life and thought of Eliza R. Snow.
Sister Derr was interviewed by Nathan Wright from the Mormon Channel Program entitled, "Legacy," in 2010.  Only a very slight part of that audio program is mentioned here by way of paraphrase.  The complete program can be found online.
Emmaline Wells and Eliza Snow, reported Sister Deer, brought with them the Relief Society (R/S) minutes from March 17th 1842 to March 1844.  During this time the Prophet Joseph Smith gave six immensely important sermons.  One of those sermons stressed that the R/S organization was really of ancient date.  The 6th Article of Faith mentions that:  We believe in the same organization that existed in the primitive Church…Joseph indicated that the R/S was one of those organizations and to prove it so, referred to 2nd John, Chapter 1 in the KJV of the Bible that states:
1. The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only but also all they that have known the truth;
This passage was compared to D&C 25 wherein Emma Smith is called an elect lady, implying that a similar organization existed in the primitive church.  The R/S organization is not new.  It has been around much longer than most imagine.