#90771 Language of Book of Mormon
Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2017 11:14 pm
The writers of the Board brought up a number of interesting and faith-promoting information regarding the translation of the Book of Mormon in other languages. There was something I felt that was missing in their discussion. The person asking the question understood that the Book of Mormon was written in English that was common in Joseph Smith’s time. That isn’t correct. The people didn’t write or talk like that in normal conversation or in the books they wrote.
However, many of the people in Joseph Smith’s time were very familiar with the King James Version of the Bible. This version of the Bible was written more than 200 years before the Book of Mormon was translated into English. Thus the language of the Bible was old in Joseph Smith’s time, but it was the most dignified and edifying language they knew. Just as we do today. In short, the people of Joseph Smith’s time found the language of the Book of Mormon to sound as old as we do today.
However, many of the people in Joseph Smith’s time were very familiar with the King James Version of the Bible. This version of the Bible was written more than 200 years before the Book of Mormon was translated into English. Thus the language of the Bible was old in Joseph Smith’s time, but it was the most dignified and edifying language they knew. Just as we do today. In short, the people of Joseph Smith’s time found the language of the Book of Mormon to sound as old as we do today.