Mark 400th Anniversary of King James Version by Studying Bible [Mormon]

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[greyfoxx39]

• Mark 400th Anniversary of King James Version by Studying Bible

“It is not by chance or coincidence that we have the Bible today,” says Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He explains that the Bible exists because of the obedience of righteous individuals who followed promptings to record sacred experiences and teachings, as well as the faith and courage of others who later sacrificed much to “protect and preserve” the Bible. Credit is also due, he says, to men such as John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, and Johannes Gutenberg, who translated and published the Bible in languages that ordinary people could understand and read. “I believe even the scholars of King James had spiritual promptings in their translation work,” he says.

Knowing the Scriptures

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Read messages about the scriptures that today’s prophets and apostles have given during general conference.

• “The Blessing of Scripture,” Elder D. Todd Christofferson
• “‘My Words . . . Never Cease,’” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
• “Scriptural Witnesses,” Elder Russell M. Nelson
• “Holy Scriptures: The Power of God unto Our Salvation,” Elder Robert D. Hales

May 2, 2011, marks the 400th anniversary of the first publication of the King James Version of the Bible. Throughout the world, people of many religious and nonreligious backgrounds are already commemorating the publication of the Bible with symposia, celebrations, concerts, speaking competitions, and more. Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles suggest another way to mark the occasion: by developing a love for the Bible as we study the life and ministry of the Savior and the words of the ancient prophets and apostles.

“How grateful we should be for the Holy Bible,” Elder Ballard says. “I love the Bible, its teachings, its lessons, and its spirit. . . . I love the perspective and peace that come from reading the Bible.”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles agrees. “We love and revere the Bible,” he says. “It is always identified first in our canon, our ‘standard works.’” He reminds us that the Restoration came about because Joseph Smith studied the Bible and exerted faith in the promise made in James 1:5 that God will answer our prayers.

Recalling the events of history that paved the way for the Restoration, Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks with gratitude for all who made possible the translation and publishing of the Bible. Because of their work, the King James Version of the Bible was available for anyone to read—and because it was available to young Joseph Smith, the true Church was restored to the earth. “Is it any wonder that the King James Version is the approved English Bible of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today?” Elder Hales asks.

“We must ever remember the countless martyrs who knew of [the Bible’s] power and who gave their lives that we may be able to find within its words the eternal happiness and the peace of our Heavenly Father’s kingdom,” Elder Ballard says.

President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, shares a story about viewing a centuries-old family Bible and finding a quote on the title page that said, “The fairest Impression of the Bible is to have it well printed on the Reader’s heart.” He follows with this scripture (2 Cor. 3:2-3): “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in the tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.”

The best way for us to honor and remember those whose sacrifices not only allow us to read the Bible in our language, but also to enjoy the blessings of the Restoration of the gospel, is for us to know the Bible and its accompanying scriptural texts. By knowing and loving its teachings, we show our appreciation.

“Consider the magnitude of our blessing to have the Holy Bible and some 900 additional pages of scripture,” says Elder D. Todd Christofferson. “May we feast continuously on the words of Christ that will tell us all things we should do.”

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The Bible and the Book of Mormon

As separate testaments of Jesus Christ, the Bible and the Book of Mormon support rather than supplant each other. Elder Russell M. Nelson explains, “Scriptural witnesses authenticate each other. This concept was explained long ago when a prophet wrote that the Book of Mormon was ‘written for the intent that ye may believe [the Bible]; and if ye believe [the Bible] ye will believe [the Book of Mormon] also.’ Each book refers to the other. Each book stands as evidence that God lives and speaks to His children by revelation to His prophets.”

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The King James Bible and the Restoration

Religious scholars presented LDS perspectives at a Brigham Young University symposium, The King James Bible and the Restoration, in February 2011.

[svcw]

In reference to your fist sentence or so, boy, I get that. My lds uncle (former bishop) has a PhD in geology will tell you straight out that there is no anthropological, geological or archaeology evidence to support anything in the BofM or other lds docs, and that is why it is call faith.

[ejonesie22]

Yeah, the KJV feels very “formal”. Grammar errors and such not withstanding. it is nice to read in a liturgical setting and such. In class the modern translations reach better.

[DustyMoment]

Where is this real unadulterated Gospel of Christ found...

First, look in your heart. Do the stories and inconsistencies in the KJB make sense? Do they make sense for the time?

Quick example - Jesus was sent to live among us and was always described as poor and wearing rags. If he wore rags, why were the Roman guards at his crucifixtion bidding for his clothes?

Then, "seek and ye shall find!"

[Bidimus1]

Firstly your statement on his apparel is supposition that he was with the poor did not mean he was destitute.

Second.. He was FAMOUS the possessions of FAMOUS people tend to be valued thus no mater what the garments were the Romans would have had a reason to wan them.

Logic is not a blunt tool it takes some skill to us it.

[DustyMoment]

He was FAMOUS the possessions of FAMOUS people tend to be valued thus no mater(sic) what the garments were the Romans would have had a reason to wan them.

You might want to re-think your logic comment - yours is flawed. Jesus was not famous, as you contend. He was considered a rabble-rouser and criminal. His biggest detractors were not the Romans, but the Sanhedrin who believed that he was trying to usurp their power and authority over religion.

Socrates was, essentially, sentenced to death for defying the authority of the powers that be who also controlled religion. Jesus was, essentially, placed in the same category and crucified as a result.

[svcw]

THX 1138

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so much for sharing your insights, dear brother in Christ!

[ejonesie22]

That's it?

His clothes?

Really?

I think I just heard the sound of 2000 years of Christian theological study tumble to dust...

Nope, it was my cat...

Out of curiosity, what religion do you follow, and no “Christian” is a little vague...

[ejonesie22]

Ok, curiosity got the best of me and I had to look. Say the Jesus and God relationship thing two completely separate beings and no mention of Jesus divinity.

Will assume, though that is meaningless around here, that you are not LDS though I never discount our local corp of Stunt Mormons. So JW? Unitarian?

Just gotta know...

[DustyMoment]

Christian, actually. I was raised in the Episcopalian (low) Church, but abandoned that as a teenager because I didn’t like the meddling by the priests.

I went through a whole change, going through agnosticism and coming bck to Christianity when I hit what, for me, was a low point in my life. Jesus pointed me in some directions that have made my life better.

Since then, I have been on a journey to discover more about Jesus Christ because too much of the KJB doesn’t add up. What I am finding is actually new emerging facts that are supported by theologians and biblical scholars that run counter to today’s Christianity but, when placed in the perspective of the time and what we know of the history of the period, makes more sense to me.

I’m not out to challenge the exitnce of Jesus Christ or promote a particular religious philosophy. I just want to know the truth and I believe that I am finding these truths. Others can and will vehemently disagree with me and flame me, but these truths bring me peace and present, for me, a more clear and complete life of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, I think it strengthens the relationship beween me, Jesus and God.

And, after all, isn’t that what religion is supposed to be about?

[DustyMoment]

No, his clothes are simply one tiny example. There are a multitude of others. Let’s start with a fundamental Christian belief about the origins of mankind, the story of Adam and Eve. Does that story make sense?

IF we buy into the whole Adam and Eve story (which, BTW, was co-opted from several older religious theories long before Christianity), whom did Cain and Able impregnate to continue the species - their sisters? According to biologists and doctors, inbreeding produces idiots. On an aside, looking at society today, there’s an argument to be made for that, but no medical/biological proof. This is a troubling issue of truth and fact. And, if we all descended from Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, how do we explain the evolution of man from as much as 5 million years ago, through the Neanderthals and Cro-Magnon man, etc.?

Then, we get to the Crucifixtion. Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate and accused of heresy and his accusers demanded that Pontius Pilate do something. Pilate, teh ROMAN appointed governor of Jerusalem, didn’t see a violation of ROMAN law and wanted the whole thing to go away. Jesus was accused of claiming to be the Son of God, a claim that irritated the Jewish priests and officials of the day. Since He was accused of violating Jewish law and not Roman law, Pilate could have cared less. But, the Jewish priests wanted Jesus crucified. This was when Pilate “washed his hands” of the whole affair and turned Jesus’ fate over to the Jewish priests who demanded His crucifixtion. This link adds a little more to the story:
http://www.gospel-mysteries.net/pontius-pilate.html.

There are also the discrepancies between the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Why does John, typically, while describing many of the same events as Matthew, Mark and Luke, arrive at a different end? Why? Was John stupid? Or blind? Did he not witness these events and make them up? Or, did he know something that the other three didn’t?

Again, these are troubling issues that evolve from a book that is supposed to explain and teach us about Jesus’ life.

There are many, many other things, but I don’t want to hijack this thread and I don’t want to burn up all of JimRob’s bandwidth on a topic that fascinates me.

Thanks for asking and giving me the oppoortunity to expound a little on my beliefs. I don’t expect you or anyone else to agree with me, but these things are the among the reasons that I doubt the veracity of the KJB.

[svcw]

Jesus is just like Gumby, He can bend to be anything we want as long as we are “searching” place marker

[SZonian]

"There are also the discrepancies between the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Why does John, typically, while describing many of the same events as Matthew, Mark and Luke, arrive at a different end? Why? Was John stupid? Or blind? Did he not witness these events and make them up? Or, did he know something that the other three didn’t?"

Again, these are troubling issues that evolve from a book that is supposed to explain and teach us about Jesus’ life.

Why is it that 4 eyewitnesses of an event can give slightly differing accounts of that same event?

Perspective.

[DustyMoment]

The Gospel of John was written a considerable period after the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke.

From a historical perspective, we don’t know that any of the Apostles witnessed any of these events, at least according to the history of the Gospels (NOT the history of the Apostles), because they were not written down in a contemporaneous form until approximately 300 years after Christ’s death.

And, in several cases, John’s variations are substantially different from those of Matthew, Mark and Luke. These aren’t slight differences as you suggest.

[MHGinTN]

Um, in your vast knowledge you no doubt have Bible passages which will verify your claim that Jesus wore rags? Care to share those with us? In the Greek, I cannot find any such passage. I can find where it says The Son of Man has one raiment and no place to lay His head ... perhaps you would help an old man find this so clarifying verse you claim for authority.

[SZonian]

And are the “differences” so vastly different to you that it prevents you from comprehending the messages contained in the gospels? What are you hoping to “find” in this quest of yours?

I find nothing nefarious in the variations. I find God’s Word. It sure seems to have worked out for the vast majority of Christians.

Good luck on your quest.

[DustyMoment]

. . . perhaps you would help an old man find this so clarifying verse you claim for authority.

I'm not going to dignify your insulting request and at no time have I ever claimed to be an authority.

[DustyMoment]

And are the “differences” so vastly different to you that it prevents you from comprehending the messages contained in the gospels?

You missed the point. Thanks for your good wishes. So far, I am finding the answers that satisfy me.

[SZonian]

No, I don’t believe I did.

I just may have asked the question in a manner that wasn’t clear.