The CES Letter is a document written by Jeremy Runnells, a former member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), which outlines his concerns and criticisms about the church’s doctrines, history, and practices. The letter addresses various issues, including the Book of Mormon’s origins, and aspects of church teachings Runnells had concerns about. It is intended to provide a comprehensive critique of LDS Church beliefs.
One of the first questions in the CES Letter is, why are there King James Version Bible errors perpetuated in the Book of Mormon? These supposed errors are italicized words and phrases included in the KJV. So, what are these italicized words? Here is a CES Letter rebuttal:
In the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, italicized words are used to indicate that these words were added by the translators to help convey the meaning of the original Hebrew and Greek texts. These words are not present in the original manuscripts but were included to improve readability and comprehension in English.
The italicization serves a couple of purposes:
1. Clarity: English often requires additional words to make sense of the sentence structure or to convey nuances that are not explicitly present in the original languages. For example, the Hebrew and Greek texts might use shorter phrases or have different grammatical structures, so the translators added words to make the text flow naturally in English.
2. Transparency: The italicized words show readers where the translators made additions, allowing them to see which parts of the translation are interpretative rather than literal. This practice helps maintain a degree of transparency about the translation process.
For instance, if the original Hebrew text had a phrase that could be translated as “the land,” and the translators felt the context required “the land of Canaan,” they might add “of Canaan” in italics. This way, readers understand that the added words are meant to provide specific detail or clarification.
Overall, the use of italics in the KJV is a way to keep the translation as faithful as possible to the original texts while making it comprehensible in English.
So, we understand why the italicized words are in the Bible, why are the interpretative, italicized words included in the Book of Mormon? Every translation is subject to the perceptions and judgment of the interpreter. Joseph Smith grew up reading the King James Version of the Bible, so it is logical that any Bible verses included in the Book of Mormon would have a King James tone. Also, if the verses are not clear without the italics, it would be ill-advised to quote a biblical verse that didn’t make sense to the reader.
Additionally, there are many instances where the Bible is quoted in the Book of Mormon and the verses are different from the King James Version of the Bible. The assumption that the LDS CES Letter is making with its original question is that Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon and copied verses from the King James Version of the Bible. If this is true, the next logical question is why change some verses from the KJV and not others? The faithful answer to this question is that Joseph Smith was inspired to translate the Book of Mormon and some biblical verses were sufficiently understandable in a King James Version form, the form that Joseph Smith was familiar with. Other verses were not sufficient for God’s purposes, and were changed for God’s purposes.
By Todd Noall, Source Expert
Todd Noall is an author and religious scholar at Mormonism Explained with a focus on the history and theology of religion.
Fact Checked by Mr. Kevin Prince, Source Expert
Kevin Prince is a religious scholar and host of the Gospel Learning Youtube channel. His channel has garnered over 41,000 subscribers and accumulated over 4.5 million views. Mr. Prince also created the Gospel Learning App, a reliable platform where individuals seeking truth can access trustworthy answers to religious questions from top educators worldwide.
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