Kathryn Elizabeth Jones

DECEMBER 8
The Joseph Smith Translation
When you go to a grocery store, do you comparison shop? Are you checking price tags at Shopko? Are you trying to get the best deal on Christmas gifts?

If you’re anything like me, you are. Getting the best deal is important to you. Besides, it feels good to save a little money.

For a moment I’d like to compare using the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible to your desires to save money at the checkout counter. And before you leave me for my strange comparison, let me share with you my reasoning.

Have you ever read something in the Bible that confused your thinking or made you wonder, why isn’t there more? Have you considered the fullness of peace that comes from modern day revelation?

As we know, there is a slew of latter-day truth within the Doctrine and Covenants and at the bottom of each page in all of the LDS standard works, but there is also some mighty fine gems beginning on page 797 of the Bible. When was the last time you did a reading of just this section, comparing the scriptures of Joseph Smith’s Translation to those in the Bible?

Here is one of my favorites:

“And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth” (Genesis 9:16-17).

“And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant, which I made unto thy father Enoch; that, when men should keep all my commandments, Zion should again come on the earth, the city of Enoch which I have caught up unto myself. And this is mine everlasting covenant, that when thy posterity shall embrace the truth, and look upward, then shall Zion look downward, and all the heavens shall shake with gladness, and the earth shall tremble with joy; And the general assembly of the church of the first-born shall come down out of heaven, and possess the earth, and shall have place until the end come. And this is mine everlasting covenant, which I made with they father Enoch. And the bow shall be in the cloud, and I will establish my covenant unto thee, which I have made between me and thee, for every living creature of all flesh that shall be upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and thee; for all flesh that shall be upon the earth” (JST Genesis 9: 21-25).

What an amazing difference! What new insights do you gather from this latter-day scripture? Record these thoughts in your journal.