Description: Once work had been completed on my 2023 release From Concept to Binding, I had produced the necessary required elements to begin this project, Original Intent: Early Changes to the Book of Mormon Manuscripts. This enterprise is a multi-volume analysis of the corrections made to the Original Manuscript (OM; the real-time dictation of the Book of Mormon by Joseph Smith, Jr.), before the 1830 printed production of the Book of Mormon (BOM). When the OM is unavailable, the Printer’s Manuscript (PM; a duplicate of the OM; copied mostly by Oliver Cowdery, which accounts for about 72% of the damaged/missing OM), is referenced instead. Besides offering a critical analysis of the changes made to these manuscripts, the following items were included to make this difficult adventure easier for the reader. Though I confess I might have failed in making things easier, at the very least, the student will have access to several things to help make referencing quicker: From Concept to Binding:The formatting of the OM, the PM, and the 1830 first printed edition, follow the three-column use of these documents, respectively. The data for the OM and the PM is provided from The Handwritten Book of Mormon (2017). The 1830 column information comes directly from the Joseph Smith Papers site. Certain spacing issues have made it impossible to offer this data in the precise way it was in From Concept to Binding, but these spacing differences are minimal. Current Edition of the Book of Mormon:It is important to view these early documents in their currently accepted format. These are not delivered in a fourth column but are displayed in smaller italicized fonts after the passage is introduced in rreversedr type.The format then adds the analysis portion, which comprises three categories:· ISSUE IN QUESTION· EXPLANATION· SUMMARYTBTBOMC:A final element is introduced: A comparative look at the BOM verse against one from the Authorized King James Version of the Bible (AKJV). These comparisons, gleaned from The Bible To Book Of Mormon Comparative (2019-2021), are not present in every verse being analyzed—but for most of them. The comparisons usually have little to do with the analysis, but help highlight Joseph Smith Jr’s. incorporation of the AKJV within the BOM. It could be easy to mistake these additions as trivia, but they represent some of the better selections from the three-volume set and are just as vital (if not more) as other information. The SUMMARY sections of this book are heavily influenced by Royal Skousen’s 2004 six-volume set, Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon. Though Skousen’s treatments include all varieties of BOM verse, they do not always address the differences between the OM, the PM, and the 1830 first edition directly. At times, he does not address certain changes at all. It is difficult to ascertain bias in Skousen’s work since he makes a great effort toward neutrality. Unfortunately, because he evaluates everything from the perspective of a faithful member of the church, his bias shows up in other ways. Skousen tends to overuse variations of the word accidently, as a way to avoid discussing elements of controversy. It is also used to throw shade on others, instead of placing the blame on the source: Joseph Smith, Jr. I’m not interested in avoiding controversy or throwing my brand of shade on Skousen, or anyone else, for their faith. I’m interested in the raw data, and the closer it gets to the source, the better. So much so, that the OM/PM references in this production, borrowed from The Handwritten Book of Mormon, provide only the original pen markings before any change, modification, or redaction. Royal Skousen deserves our gratitude for undertaking such a herculean task and being among the first to dive into the minutiae.As you will see, the manuscripts are littered with thousands of errors. From 1827-1830, Joseph Smith, Jr. and his gang of scribes produced these documents to the best of their ability—which is sometimes not saying much. Joseph’s words were not handled by seasoned professionals, they were written by close friends and relations who had never done anything like this and were not trained in recording dictation. Even Oliver Cowdery, who had some experience in teaching and typesetting, was challenged by this task. Original Intent is not focused on minor issues of spelling unless the spelling produces insight into intent. Punctuation is absent for much of the OM and the PM, which gave the printers incredible responsibility to interpret where commas, periods, and other punctuation should reside. They were masterful, but not inerrant. The student can look directly across the three columns to see the transformation of the text and can judge its ultimate evolution by then reading it in the currently published edition. There are several times when Joseph Smith, Jr. patches two concepts together by using “in other words” to do it; sometimes he only uses the word “or” to accomplish this. An example can be found in Alma 24:19: ... thus we see that they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried the weapons of war, for peace. The use of “or” in this passage brings clarity to an otherwise perplexing concept of their weapons of peace: ... thus we see that they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried the weapons of war, for peace. Perhaps no one has analyzed the use of “in other words” more than H. Michael Marquardt. I am indebted to his work in identifying these important passages. I am also indebted to him for being a direct mentor since 2018; reading my titles before publication, and giving insight in ways I’d never dreamed of previously. Beyond all of this, our work together has blossomed into a friendship. He is a kind, genteel, thoughtful, funny, and generous man. Original Intent provides the student with the following: The entire pre-edited version of the Original Manuscript. The entire pre-edited version of the Printer’s Manuscript. The 2023 JSP’s copy of the 1830 First Printed Edition. Excerpts from the 2013, currently accepted version of the Book of Mormon.Critical analysis for every insertion, modification, and redaction in the OM (or the PM when the OM is not extant) where intent is realized, or where speculation can be addressed. Comparative verses between the BOM and the AKJV Bible; occasionally featuring strings of exact matches, but always showing Joseph’s love of the Bible.
Price: 33.33 USD
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
End Time: 2025-01-26T22:28:01.000Z
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Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Publication Year: 2023
Type: Study Guide
Format: Big Book
Subject Area: Philosophy of Religion
Language: American English
Publication Name: Workbook
Author: Dan Wees
Level: Advanced
Subject: Books