If the original 1830 Book of Mormon was inspired than why were there so many errors and changes and additions?

Answer 1

Most changes were grammatical, since there was no Webster's Dictionary or Handbook of Style available to standardize the spoken English. Smith learned to write from his mother, and Joseph Sr worked as a teacher for a short period. Even I can't get too exited about those changes.

However, some changes are pretty noticeable, and I don't blame this on poor proofreading of the original:

* Benjamin changed to Mosiah. - Mosiah 21:28 and Ether 4:1
* Directors changed to interpreters - Alma 37:21, 24
* White changed to pure (pertains to change in skin color) - 2 Nephi 30:6
* Mother of God changed to Mother of the Son of God. - 1 Nephi 11:18
* The Eternal Father changed to Son of the Eternal Father - 1 Nephit 11:21, 32, 13:40
* The everlasting God changed to Son of the everlasting God - 1 Nephi 11:32

These are small potatoes to be sure. However, it's more important to note that it's not so much the doctrinal issues found (good practicing mormons centuries BC), but the fact that this entire book makes historical claims that are unfounded (no evidence of the civilizations as stated), unrealistic (exaggerated birthrate, extensive metallurgy, old world agriculture) , racist (White and delightsome, curse of dark skin) and just plain wrong (Cureloms and Curoms?). It's tantamount to starting a religion based on Frank Herbert's "Dune" series.

Actually, L Ron Hubbard sort of did that with Scientology, so you can see where this can go...

Answer 2

The reason is simple. They didn't have type-writers or computers in those days. When Joseph Smith translated the tablets, he dictated them to a scribe. This handrwitten copy was then sent to the publisher, who didn't always read the handwriting correctly. Consequently, with limited resources, the first edition was put out. Subsequent editions have corrected the mistakes.

Also, sometimes Joseph Smith used awkward grammar and syntax. While this is awkward to us, it is actually a pretty literal translation of the original Hebrew. Many of these Hebraisms have been rephrased to be more understandable, just as many different translations of the Bible do the same thing.

If you want to use these arguments to say the Book of Mormon is false, you would also be arguing that the Bible is false. There are thousands of Biblical manuscripts which have slight differences, contradictions and errors. Does this mean the Bible is not inspired? While there is only one version of the Book of Mormon, there are many versions of the Bible which have different numbers of books, and sometimes whole paragraphs omitted, changed, reworded, etc. depending on the source text used.

Answer 3

The first edition was the product of a very hurried translation of the plates. The transcription was poorly punctuated and spelled, because of the fact that it was done over a two month period. There were no chapters or verses. The second edition was only seven years after the first, when Joseph Smith had more time to go over it, and correct the spelling errors, the typo's, and put in chapters and verses, and correct any transcription errors.

Inspired does not necessarily mean perfect. No one is perfect but God, and God didn't write the Bible or the Book of Mormon.

Answer 4

I am afraid there is 3900 + changes to the book of mormon from the original 1830 version to present day one. And no matter what other answerers say it is documented in the text 3913 changes to the book of mormon by Utah Lighthouse missionaries. It is an exact copy of the 1830's book along with todays. Not bad for a book that Joseph smith claimed to be the most correct book ever written.

Answer 5

The answer is actually quite simple, most of it was actually typesetters errors which were corrected by Joseph Smith himself, the rest were the addition of footnotes, chapter headings, and verse form for easier studying and reference.

For the details read the following:

"The Book of Mormon was translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith through the gift and power of God. However, minor errors entered the text during the transcription and printing processes. The Prophet Joseph Smith helped prepare several subsequent editions (1837, 1840, and 1842) to correct these errors and make clarifications. These corrections were later incorporated into the current edition of the Book of Mormon.

Additional Information

Oliver Cowdery transcribed the majority of the Book of Mormon while Joseph Smith translated it. He described his experience as follows: "These were days never to be forgotten—to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven! . . . Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from his mouth, as he translated" (Joseph Smith—History 1:71, footnote).

During the translation process, Joseph Smith dictated short passages that Oliver Cowdery wrote and then read back for verification. Then Joseph continued with the next passage. They did not stop the process for editorial review.

When Oliver Cowdery transcribed the translation of the Book of Mormon, spelling was not standardized. In the late 1820s, several dictionaries were in circulation, but they contained variations in the spelling of many words. Oliver wrote what he heard, and many words, such as Nephite and Lamanite names, were unfamiliar to him.

In 1829, the printer's manuscript (Oliver Cowdery's handwritten copy of the original manuscript) was taken to publisher E. B. Grandin for typesetting and printing. Errors were introduced into the text during the typesetting process. For example, the phrase "yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable" found in Alma 29:4 of the current edition was mistakenly left out by the typesetter of the first edition. Grandin's typesetter, John H. Gilbert, read and punctuated the manuscript, adding between 30,000 and 35,000 punctuation marks. Oliver Cowdery's handwriting may have presented additional challenges to the typesetter; records indicate, for example, that Oliver's Rs and Ns may have been difficult to distinguish.

In March 1830, the first edition of the Book of Mormon was completed. The Prophet Joseph Smith helped prepare several subsequent editions (1837, 1840, 1842) to correct errors and make clarifications. For example, the word "robber" in today's edition of Helaman 3:23 was printed as "nobler" in the 1830 edition. The first English edition published in Europe was based on the 1837 edition and therefore did not include corrections made by the Prophet Joseph Smith for the 1840 and 1842 editions. Later editions published in the United States were based on the 1837 European edition, so some earlier errors were perpetuated.

In 1879, President John Taylor assigned Orson Pratt, an Apostle, to prepare a new edition, which included a re-division of the chapters and the addition of the verse numbers and references. In 1920, President Heber J. Grant asked James E. Talmage, also an Apostle, to prepare a new edition, which included double columns, revised references, a pronunciation guide, an index, and grammatical corrections. In 1981, the Church produced the edition most familiar to Church members today. The 1981 edition included the changes made by the Prophet Joseph Smith to the 1840 and 1842 editions. It also provided chapter summaries, revised introductory materials, revised footnotes, and other reference materials designed to improve study.

Considering the conditions under which early editions of Book of Mormon were printed, it is easy to understand how errors entered the text. The purpose for changes, in every case, has been to return to the wording intended by the Prophet Joseph Smith, as indicated by available evidence."

Have a nice day

Answer 6

Please name the changes and additions in quotes and be able to back it up. There are a lot of people out there spreading false or partial truths. Check your sources. Also remember that it was hand written and was printed by people who did not know what it said, so they could have made mistakes in reading. Trust me, if I was a printer back then, I would have messed up a lot. Have you seen what they had to do?

Answer 7

Because there is no real inspired book! Not the KJV, not the NIV, not the Book of Mormon, not any book, period. Inspired means that it came directly from God with no alterations. And since everybook has been translated, and so on, the translators had to change some things somewhere along the line. The book of Mormon's just a bunch of malarky anyways.

Answer 8

they are lies. The Bible is the Truth and that is it. There is not another book that God wrote or angles or whomever. I also dont understand why the word 'verily' is used so much and it is not in the real Bible. If these are to be written by the salme person, wouldnt it be the same language? Even translated the same?

Answer 9

UMMM, YOU COULD ARGUE THE SAME THING ABOUT THE BIBLE. HOW MANY DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THAT ARE FLOATING AROUND? AND THE GOSPELS? OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AFTER THE FACT, THIRD PERSON? HELLO!!!

Answer 10

The JW's have the answer to this one "New Light"