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From Translations to Revelations:
Joseph Smith's Translation of the Bible
and the Doctrine and Covenants
Robert L. Millet
Facsimile No. 1. Old Testament #3, p. 9 (Gen. 3:20 -4:1b). Permission by the Library-Archives, Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, The Auditorium, Independence, Missouri.
Immediately on our coming up out of the water," Joseph Smith said regarding his and Oliver Cowdery's baptism under the direction of John the Baptist, "we experienced great and glorious blessings from our Heavenly Father." More specifically, the Prophet explained that "our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning and intention of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could attain to previously" (JS-History 1:73-74, emphasis added). This was a singular moment in the history of the Restored Church, not only because of the bestowal of power and divine authorization delivered on this occasion, but also because of the preparatory experience it proved to be in regard to the work of inspired translation that would commence within a matter of weeks. This chapter concentrates on the relationship between the Prophet's inspired translation of the Bible (JST) and the revelations received between June 1830 and 7 March 1831 (D&C 2 -45), the period associated primarily with the New York-Pennsylvania era of Church history.
A New Translation of the Bible
Joseph Smith had learned from his translation of the Book of Mormon that theological darkness and spiritual stumblings of the Christian world were due, in large measure, to a willful tampering with some of the earliest biblical texts. Plain and precious truths, including many covenants of the Lord, had been "taken away" or "kept back" by designing individuals of that time, following the original compilations of the Old and New Testaments (See 1 Ne. 13:23-34 ). "From what we can draw from the scriptures relative to the teaching of heaven," Joseph observed in 1834, "we are induced to think that much instruction has been given to man since the beginning which we do not possess now.
Earlier, the Prophet had observed, "From sundry revelations which had been received, it was apparent that many important points touching the salvation of men, had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled."