Joseph Smith-Matthew

From The Encyclopedia of Mormonism

See this page in the original 1992 publication.

Author: Giles, David T.

Joseph Smith-Matthew is an extract from the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible (JST), as revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1831, and comprises a revision of Jesus' discourse on the Mount of Olives recorded in Matthew 23:39through chapter 24. First published in Ohio in the mid-1830s as a broadside, Joseph Smith-Matthew was republished in 1851 as part of the original Pearl of Great Price (Matthews, p. 52).

On March 7, 1831, Joseph Smith was directed to begin a translation of the New Testament "that ye may be prepared for the things to come" (D&C 45:60-61). In Matthew 24,Jesus foretold the impending destruction of Jerusalem. He also spoke of his own second coming and the destruction of the wicked.

The following are some of the significant additions and clarifications of Joseph Smith-Matthew to the King James text:

1. Jesus' disciples clearly understood that he would come again in glory "in the clouds of heaven, and all the holy angels with him" (JS-M 1:1).

2. Verses 4-22 of the King James text refer to "things I have spoken unto you concerning the Jews" (JS-M 1:21).

3. Verses 6, 7, and 14 of KJV are repositioned from the early part of the chapter, which deals with the Jews of New Testament times, to the latter part of the chapter, which concerns the second coming.

4. The end of the world is not the end of the earth, but the "destruction of the wicked" (JS-M 1:4, 55).

5. The parable in KJV verse 28 is completed to read, "Wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together; so likewise shall mine elect be gathered from the four quarters of the earth" (JS-M 1:27).

6. The "abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet," applies both to conditions at the destruction of Jerusalem and to Jesus' second coming (JS-M 1:12, 32).

The plainness and clarity of Joseph Smith-Matthew eliminate much of the confusion that has surrounded Matthew 24.It states that the gospel must be preached in all the world and the elect gathered before the second coming (JS-M 1:31). Finally, the elect will know the signs of the times and will be prepared and preserved during the events of the last days.

[edit] Bibliography

Matthews, Robert J. "A Plainer Translation": Joseph Smith's Translation of the Bible. Provo, Utah, 1985.

DAVID T. GILES

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