A Serious Study

Behold, I say unto you that you shall let your time be devoted to the studying of the scriptures, and to preaching. and to confirming the church at Colesville, and to performing your labors on the land, such as is required. Doctrine & Covenants 26:1

In June 1830 Joseph Smith began a serious study of the King James Version of the Bible. Acting by appointment and direction (D&C 42:56; 76:15), the Prophet and his scribes read the Bible and made alterations according to the promptings of the Spirit. In the process, more than 3,400 verses were altered. This branch of Joseph Smith’s calling as a translator (Smith, History of the Church, 1:238) was a significant means by which plain and precious truths were restored, as prophesied in the Book of Mormon (1 Nephi 13:20-40). This work was an important part of the Prophet’s spiritual education and became the impetus for the receipt of several revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 74; 76; 77; 91; 132). Joseph Smith’s inspired translation of the Bible is one of the great evidences of his prophetic call, a vital means by which the Bible has begun to be restored to its pristine purity. (Robert L. Millet and Lloyd D. Newell. Draw Near Unto Me: Daily Reflections on the Doctrine and Covenants. 76)