Joseph Smith’s translation of the Bible was initiated and guided by revelation from the Lord. It contains truths that directed the development of the restored Church and that are relevant for us today. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

ABSTRACT: The Joseph Smith Translation (including the Book of Moses) is an indispensable, Christ-centered framework for teaching the Old Testament. Surveying revelations that accompanied the Joseph Smith Translation (1830–33), Matthew L. Bowen and Aaron P. Schade show how these texts clarify creation, divine council, the Fall, sacrifice, priesthood, and the Abrahamic covenant while establishing the antiquity of the gospel and ordinances. Close readings of Moses 1–7; JST, Genesis 14–17, 50; and the Doctrine and Covenants suggests questions that invite the Spirit and deepen discipleship.

KEYWORDS: Joseph Smith Translation · Book of Moses · Genesis · Old Testament pedagogy · Christ-centered teaching

Effective and impactful gospel teaching is centered on Jesus Christ and his multifaceted role in bringing to pass our Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation, including creating this and numberless worlds, his involvement in the events surrounding the Fall of humankind, and his giving of the infinite and eternal Atonement. When students read the books of Genesis, Moses, and Abraham, they encounter the Savior’s involvement in creation, the events of primordial history, the concept of covenants from the beginning, and the Abrahamic covenant—individual stories or threads that create a larger tapestry of God’s plan of salvation through the ages.

In the book of Genesis, due to a lack of detail or a lack of clarity resulting from the text’s redactional history, readers may fail to fully appreciate how involved God and his Son were in the events this book narrates and how important the covenantal context is. This can leave readers with questions about how to interpret and find relevance within them. Nevertheless, Joseph Smith’s translation of the Bible (which includes the Book of Moses) restores much lost truth and knowledge that can bring clarity and purpose, revealing the depth of Jesus’s involvement throughout the plan of salvation and how that plan—including its principles, covenants, and ordinances—was not only pertinent anciently but still relevant today. In this study, we will discuss the origin and nature of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible and why its restorations pertaining to the book of Genesis (and the Bible in general) are so essential to establishing the antiquity of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and why its antiquity matters. Because the Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis is so thoroughly Christ centered, it constitutes an indispensable teaching tool for religious educators and gospel instructors who want to help students acquire a greater love, appreciation for, and deeper connection to Jesus, not just in their approach to the Bible but in their study of all books of scripture.

The Joseph Smith Translation: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?

What was the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) of the Bible that began in June 1830 and lasted until July 1833? It was referred to by the Lord through revelation as “the new translation of my holy word unto the inhabitants of the earth” (D&C 124:89). What was so relevant about this new Bible translation that it would be initiated and continually directed by revelation?[1] The revelations themselves help answer these questions (the following being illustrative, not exhaustive in their presentation):

• In December 1830 the Lord commanded Sidney Rigdon, a former reformed Baptist preacher who had been baptized into the Church along with others from his congregation, “And a commandment I give unto thee—that thou shalt write for him [Joseph Smith]; and the scriptures shall be given, even as they are in mine own bosom, to the salvation of mine own elect” (D&C 35:20; emphasis added in quotations).[2]
• On February 9, 1831, the Lord stated, “All this ye shall observe to do as I have commanded concerning your teaching, until the fullness of my scriptures is given. . . . Thou shalt ask, and my scriptures shall be given as I have appointed” (D&C 42:15, 56).[3]
• On March 7, 1831, the Lord commanded Joseph to pause the translation of Genesis in the Old Testament and to begin work on the New Testament: “Behold, I say unto you, it shall not be given unto you to know any further concerning this chapter [Matthew 24], until the New Testament be translated, and in it all these things shall be made known; wherefore I give unto you that ye may now translate it, that ye may be prepared for the things to come” (D&C 45:60–61).[4]
• On January 10, 1832, after a pause in the translation process, the Lord commanded Joseph that “it is expedient to translate again” and that after the upcoming conference “it is expedient to continue the work of translation until it be finished” (D&C 73:3–4).[5]
• On February 16, 1832, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon received one of the greatest revelations recorded in scripture today (D&C 76). This occurred while they were “doing the work of translation, which the Lord had appointed unto us” (D&C 76:15). The revelation that opened upon Joseph and Sidney came in direct response to questions the two elders had while translating John 5:29.[6]
• On May 6, 1833, the Lord revealed “that it is my will that you should hasten to translate my scriptures, and to obtain a knowledge of history, and of countries, and of kingdoms, of laws of God and man, and all this for the salvation of Zion” (D&C 93:53). The remarkable revelation came amid experiences related to topics addressed in the JST of Genesis, including topics pertaining to Enoch discussed among members who participated in the School of the Prophets.[7]
• The JST was having profound effects upon the early Church, and the Lord continually instructed the Prophet to finish the work. Probably on August 2, 1833, the Lord provided a revelation pertaining to “the printing of the translation of my scriptures” (D&C 94:10).[8]
• After the translation was completed but yet unpublished, on January 19, 1841, the Lord commanded William Law to assist Joseph Smith in “publish[ing] the new translation of my holy word unto the inhabitants of the earth,” adding, “And if he will do this I will bless him” (D&C 124:89–90).[9] The timing of this revelation appears to be providential, as the Saints were in the midst of building the Nauvoo Temple and were having miraculous doctrines revealed to establish the Zion that had been broadly revealed to them in the JST and other revelations.[10] The need for accessibility to the principles taught in the JST was essential.

This translation of the Bible was clearly dear unto the Lord and his purposes “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life” of his children (Moses 1:39), and he used affectionate language to describe his holy word: “And the scriptures shall be given, even as they are in mine own bosom, to the salvation of mine own elect” (D&C 35:20).[11] These revelations help articulate why this “new translation” matters and how we can begin to use it in our teaching of the Old Testament and throughout scripture in general. The JST is so relevant and imperative to search, ponder, and draw on in our teaching that President Dallin H. Oaks described it as “a member of the royal family of scripture” that “should be noticed and honored on any occasion when it is present.”[12] Understanding the process of its coming forth can help us better see its relevance and the weight God placed on it in advancing his message of salvation and exaltation through Jesus Christ and his gospel.

While the Book of Mormon was being printed in October 1829, Oliver Cowdery purchased a Phinney edition of the King James Bible from E. B. Grandin. Joseph Smith would eventually use this volume in his translation of the Bible.[13] In March 1830 the publication of the Book of Mormon was complete, and just three months later he would officially begin the JST. In June 1830 the Lord revealed the “visions of Moses,” now known as Moses chapter 1, and about a month later manuscripts of the Bible translation beginning with Moses 2 (equivalent to Genesis 1) were being recorded.[14]

As Joseph translated ancient scripture by various means and forms of revelation, he began to learn of sacred truths that appeared to be lacking in the Bible.[15] This led him to conclude on several occasions: “I resumed the translation of the scriptures, From sundry revelations which had been received, it was apparent that many important points, touching the Salvation of man, had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled;”[16] “From what we can draw from the scriptures relative to the teaching of heaven we are induced to think, that much instruction has been given to man since the beginning which we have not;”[17] “There are many things in the Bible which do not as they now stand, accord with the Revelations of the Holy Ghost to me”;[18] “I believe the Bible, as it ought to be, as it came from the pen of the original writers;”[19] and “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly” (Articles of Faith 1:8). These statements articulate the revelatory significance of the JST, and when we begin to see exactly what these revelations were that no longer existed, we can begin to gain a sense of why the JST is so valuable and the great worth of God’s revelations that restored these truths. As Elder Parley P. Pratt stated, “We can never understand precisely what is meant by restoration, unless we understand what is lost or taken away.”[20]

Revelation Given to Joseph Smith at the Organization of the Church, by Judith Mehr. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Through this lens we can begin to answer the question “Why use the JST in our teaching?” Joseph’s prophetic recovery of sacred texts in their primitive purity—“things . . . which otherwise could not be known” (Mosiah 8:17)—answers questions that scholars, theologians, and laypeople have been trying to answer for centuries.[21] Through the JST, revelation from an omniscient God is brought into light, and as described by President D. Todd Christofferson, focuses our attention on the source of all sources when it comes to the Bible:

“We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God” (Articles of Faith 1:9). This is to say that while there is much we do not yet know, the truths and doctrine we have received have come and will continue to come by divine revelation. . . . We value scholarship that enhances understanding, but in the Church today, just as anciently, establishing the doctrine of Christ or correcting doctrinal deviations is a matter of divine revelation to those the Lord endows with apostolic authority.[22]

We too value scholarship, and our comments are not intended to diminish its value but to underscore the value of revelation. Further, we wish to articulate how the JST can help resolve questions that scholarship cannot or has not yet been able to always fully answer. Scholarly conclusions may not always agree with the content of the revelations, but its veracity is not contingent on it either. Applying all that scholarship can supply, along with a powerful testimony of all that God has revealed, can be enlightening, ennobling, and empowering as we draw on all sources available and feel confidence in the priority and weight we place upon each, especially when they don’t always agree.

Joseph viewed the translation of the Bible as a sacred undertaking and as part of his prophetic calling. He had received a divine commission to translate. He recorded in his journal on December 1, 1831, “I resumed the translation of the Scriptures, and continued to labor in this branch of my calling with Elder Sidney Rigdon as my scribe.”[23] As the translations were recorded, perhaps based on past experiences of lost manuscript pages, the Lord commanded that backup copies were to be produced.[24] Joseph’s revelations and other comments help us answer the question: what is the JST? In sum, it is revelation received from God “for the salvation” of his children (D&C 35:20). Revelation is the theme repeated throughout the JST and the key feature of its production.

The JST and Other Revelations

The translation process served as a major catalyst for numerous revelations essential to the Restoration. The Lord often gave Joseph these revelations in direct connection with the production of the translated texts. Sometimes he gave them more peripherally in response to questions about what actions individual leaders and members were to take, as well as detailing how the saints were to accomplish these and other revelations. Studying these translation-precipitated revelations can be invaluable in efforts to teach how the Restoration unfolded. This period was remarkable, and the Prophet Joseph Smith explained that the revelations flowed like an “overflowing surge” before his mind.[25] The Prophet began to see things more clearly as the Lord urged the hastening of the translation project (Doctrine and Covenants 93:53). God was restoring teachings that existed or were relevant in the distant past (particularly on Enoch and Zion) and was instructing how these were still relevant in the present and would continue to be in the future. In essence, “The translation also had a significant influence on the Church in the way it shaped the content of the Doctrine and Covenants. More than half of the current Doctrine and Covenants consists of revelations received during the three-year period in which Joseph Smith labored over the Bible translation. Many revelations were received as direct answers to questions Joseph was inspired to ask as his understanding of the gospel expanded during the effort to restore plain and precious parts of the Bible.”[26] This telling overture of divine direction, where over half the revelations contained in the Doctrine and Covenants were received during the translation project (June 1830–July 1833),[27] seemed to emphasize how the principles that were revealed in ancient days to Enoch and Zion could articulate how God was continuing to reveal them in our day with the same goal to build a Zion prepared to commune with God. As Orson Pratt explained: “The Latter-day Zion will resemble, in most particulars, the Zion of Enoch: it will be established upon the same celestial laws—be built upon the same gospel, and be guided by continued revelation. Its inhabitants, like those of the antediluvian Zion, will be the righteous gathered out from all nations: the glory of God will be seen upon it; and His power will be manifested there, even as in the Zion of old. All the blessings and grand characteristics which were exhibited in ancient Zion, will be shown forth in the Latter-day Zion.”[28]

The Old Testament is culturally very different from today, but it shares principles that can bind us to the text and all God’s purposes from the beginning, and the Lord began revealing some of these in the early years of the Church in conjunction with the JST.[29] In this light, “Many verses in the Doctrine and Covenants do not radiate their full meaning and are obscure to a modern reader until [one] learns that there is a connection to Joseph Smith’s translation of the Bible.”[30] Despite the cultural divide we may feel between ourselves and the Old Testament, there are some vital truths that can connect us and our students to the text and its stories.[31] It is imperative to study the Old Testament based on its own historical context, and vital revelations received during this period such as Doctrine and Covenants 84—a revelation on priesthood tying the ancient and the modern together in explaining why the Aaronic Priesthood, rather than the full Melchizedek Priesthood, was more common in ancient Israel. Together with Moses 4, Doctrine and Covenants 29 can help us better understand agency and the nature of the Fall. Thus, these revelations can give us footing as we attempt to comprehend both the Old Testament and our worship today.

The Antiquity of the Gospel and Its Ordinances and Why It Matters Today

The antiquity of the gospel was a significant part of the ongoing restoration of it.[32] Because the JST is a restoration of what was brought back from the past and into the present, it is relevant to use in teaching and to use the value it brings to the learning and faith-building process. Viewing the JST through the lens of revelation from God—the ultimate source—can help relieve pressure and the avoidable tension some of us and our students might feel between religion and scholarship (or other social media sources and outlets). We can approach questions (which we all have) and topics through the lens of President Christofferson’s statement, to which we now return: “While there is much we do not yet know, the truths and doctrine we have received have come and will continue to come by divine revelation. . . . We value scholarship that enhances understanding, but in the Church today, just as anciently, establishing the doctrine of Christ or correcting doctrinal deviations is a matter of divine revelation to those the Lord endows with apostolic authority.”[33]

It is important to use scholarship, and such an approach can help produce academic humility within us as we study scripture. This can leave us with a more settled feeling as we ultimately rely upon revelation for answers to doctrinal questions, even when it feels, and may be, at odds with the conclusions reached in academic scholarship (while in fact, scholars do not reach the same conclusions either among themselves). The Lord revealed in relation to the JST “that it is my will that you should hasten to translate my scriptures, and to obtain a knowledge of history, and of countries, and of kingdoms, of laws of God and man, and all this for the salvation of Zion” (D&C 93:53). We can take this commandment seriously, and perhaps as we learn more of these elements, we can better comprehend what God was restoring through the JST as we view it through the lens of antiquity. This revelation to learn of history is not a step to be skipped, but a steppingstone of learning towards God’s purposes “for the salvation of Zion.”

With all the knowledge the JST reveals, it does not always answer all questions. When questions are not answered, this need not be taken with frustration, dismissiveness, or with doubts and skepticism, but as an opportunity to address these questions, conduct discussions, and rely upon personal study and revelation for more answers. For educators and learners alike, “I don’t know” is an acceptable answer as long as we have done the work to try and find answers. To be able to say, “Here is what I do know thanks to revelation and the inspired translation of the Bible (JST),” can be edifying and inspiring. Conclusions that take revelation into account will not always match academic conclusions (which often vary or disagree) because authors of those studies do not always draw on all the available sources provided by revelation, but this need not be overly concerning if we rely on the ultimate source of revelation. The questions can remain, but the unanswered parts of those questions need not leave us in a state of consternation or wallowing in doubt as we work to resolve them, especially if we avoid dismissing the JST and ancient scripture in general as significant historical sources. Personal revelation can confirm the veracity of those accounts, dispelling at least some of concerns that may arise. If we have an anchor to keep us from drifting, we can patiently navigate questions that arise and hold fast to revelation in the process.

The JST and revelation do settle some important questions that we or our students may hear from a variety of sources, both near and far. For example, the JST (as well as the Book of Mormon) puts beyond doubt several truths that are sometimes questioned and made to look foolish or unprovable or even disproven in some, but certainly not all, academic circles. These truths include baptism existing before New Testament times, that Jesus is Jehovah, that King David was a real person, that Israel was a real entity, that the Exodus happened and is not fiction, that the devil existed before New Testament times, that there really is a scattering and gathering of Israel, which have always been important to God’s plan of salvation. The JST helps confirm the antiquity of the gospel and can thus give us and our students confidence that the Book of Mormon, the Book of Abraham, and the Book of Moses were also ancient, not something Joseph Smith composed as he was attempting to Christianize the Old Testament or the Bible.[34] The JST can be instrumental in helping us and our students through such questions.

Why Antiquity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Matters

The ancient nature of God’s covenants has relevance because they are eternal. Some forms of worship changed through time, but the concept of covenants and saving ordinances is constant.[35] For example, the doctrine of baptism is found in the Book of Mormon (2 Nephi 31), the JST (Moses 6:62–68; Moses 7–8; JST, Genesis 17:3–7, 11–12), and other revelations situating baptism before the New Testament (Doctrine and Covenants 84:23–27). Statements made by the Prophet Joseph Smith all confirm it existed from the beginning. He taught:

Perhaps, our friends will say, that the gospel and its ordinances were not known till the days of John the son of Zacharias, in the days of Herod the king of Judea. But we will here look at this point: For our own part, we cannot believe, that the ancients in all ages were so ignorant of the system of heaven as many suppose, since all that were ever saved, were saved through the power of this great plan of redemption, as much so before the coming of Christ as since.[36] . . . Some say the kingdom of God was not set up on the earth until the day of Pentecost, and that John did not preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, but I say in the name of the Lord, that the kingdom of God was set up on the earth from the days of Adam to the present time.[37]

Although issues such as the antiquity of baptism are debated in academic circles, prophecy, revelation, and ancient scripture clearly define the reality. When Elder Franklin D. Richards compiled and published the first edition of the Pearl of Great Price in 1851, he had the antiquity of the gospel in view. He explained that a purpose of the volume was to demonstrate that the restored gospel, doctrine, and ordinances contained in the book were “the same as were revealed to Adam for his salvation after his expulsion from the garden, and the same that he handed down and caused to be taught to his generations after him, as the only means appointed of God by which the generations of men may regain his presence.”[38] When we and our students learn of the power of revelation and gain a testimony of these principles, it can be empowering and alleviate the faith and emotional struggles that can arise when revelation takes a back seat in our journey to understand the past. With the anchor of revelation, we can have questions without giving up our faith and obtain answers without abandoning our academic pursuits.

When a testimony of revelation becomes active in our own lives and those of our students, what seems ridiculous or unproven in the eyes of others becomes empowering and ennobling in the eyes of the beholder to whom the revelation and the testimony of it has come. We know what we know and why, regardless of others’ acceptance or acknowledgment of it. Such differences of experience need not be confrontational nor contentious, and we need never be ostentatious or arrogant in our interactions with others. Rather, such visions and glimpses of God’s plan can instill confidence, humility, purpose, and peace. Moreover, they help us better comprehend and approach what modern prophets teach in relation to God’s everlasting covenant:

“The new and everlasting covenant” (Doctrine and Covenants 132:6) and the Abrahamic covenant are essentially the same—two ways of phrasing the covenant God made with mortal men and women at different times.

The adjective everlasting denotes that this covenant existed even before the foundation of the world! The plan laid out in the Grand Council in Heaven included the sobering realization that we would all be cut off from God’s presence. However, God promised that He would provide a Savior who would overcome the consequences of the Fall. God told Adam after his baptism:

“Thou art after the order of him who was without beginning of days or end of years, from all eternity to all eternity.

“Behold, thou art one in me, a son of God; and thus may all become my sons” (Moses 6:67–68).

Adam and Eve accepted the ordinance of baptism and began the process of being one with God. They had entered the covenant path.

When you and I also enter that path, we have a new way of life. We thereby create a relationship with God that allows Him to bless and change us. The covenant path leads us back to Him. If we let God prevail in our lives, that covenant will lead us closer and closer to Him. All covenants are intended to be binding. They create a relationship with everlasting ties.[39]

Understanding the eternal nature of covenants can motivate us to both enter and keep them and bring confidence and courage as we face life’s challenges with an eternal perspective. Questions matter, and where we find answers to those questions matters even more.

Seeking to Publish the JST

So important were the revelations of the JST in conjunction with the others that were coming to light, that in Kirtland, on June 15, 1835, Joseph pleaded with the early Church to help move the work of the publication of the New Translation forward with their support:

Dear brethren in the Lord, I send you my love and warmest wishes for your prosperity in the great cause of our Redeemer. We are now commencing to prepare and print the New Translation, together with all the revelations which God has been pleased to give us in these last days, and as we are in want of funds to go on with so great and glorious a work, brethren <we> want you should donate and loan us all the means or money you can that we may be enable[d] to accomplish the work as a great means towards the salvation of Men. My love to my relatives &c your brother in the bonds of the New Covenant. Joseph Smith Jr[40]

As the translation was yet to be published in 1842, Joseph described the great worth of the New Translation and other revelations he was attempting to publish:

In future, I design to furnish much original matter, which will be found of inestimable advantage to the saints and to all who desire a knowledge of the kingdom of God, . . . that the honest in heart may be cheered and comforted and go on their way rejoicing as their souls become expanded and their understanding enlightened by a knowledge of God’s work through the fathers.[41]

Such were the effects these revelations could bring, and excerpts of the JST were printed in the Church’s newspapers and elsewhere insomuch as was possible. But because of poverty, continuing persecutions and relocations, and other priorities, when the prophet was martyred in 1844, he had not seen the realization of the entire New Translation appearing in print. However, such is not the case today, and we can use these amazing resources with ease.

How Can We Use the JST in Our Teaching?

One of the most vital aspects of Joseph Smith’s Translation of the Bible, especially his translation of Genesis, is its clarification of Jesus Christ’s central involvement in biblical events and scenes where the mechanics of divine action may seem opaque. These scenes include divine council in the premortal world, the creation of the earth and humankind, and the divine making and honoring of covenants with his children. The following includes overviews of some of these teachings and possible ways to discuss them in formal and informal situations.

Moses 1

In the JST, the texts of Genesis are given a thoroughly Christological framework, beginning with the restoration of “The Visions of Moses.” The text begins with Moses’s temple-like experience atop an unnamed “exceedingly high mountain.”[42] As part of this sacred learning experience, the Lord teaches Moses that he is a son of God in the similitude of God’s Only Begotten Son: “And, behold, thou art my son; wherefore look, and I will show thee the workmanship of mine hands; but not all, for my works are without end, and also my words, for they never cease” (Moses 1:4). Once he knows who Christ is (along with the overarching purposes of God), Moses comes to better know who he himself is (compare Moses 1:4 to Psalm 2:7 and Mosiah 5:7).

The knowledge of the truth of Moses’s relationship to God was essential to the work that the Lord was calling him to do: “And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he is full of grace and truth. . . . And now, behold, this one thing I show unto thee, Moses, my son, for thou art in the world, and now I show it unto thee” (Moses 1:6–7). As one brought up by the daughter of Pharaoh in the royal courts of Egypt, the concept of Egyptian royalty as “begotten” manifestations of divine beings in the Egyptian pantheon would have constituted an integral part of Moses’s worldview early in his life. Helping Moses understand his own sonship in relation to God was preparatory to his understanding Jehovah’s divine sonship. Thus, his own calling to deliver Israel out of bondage was an antetype of Jesus Christ as divine Deliverer and Redeemer. It would also place Moses on a continuous path of revelatory guidance. Through the revelations, we witness the Lord reorienting Moses’s Egyptian worldview from one in which Egyptian royals were divine manifestations of Egyptian deities into one in which he was “a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten” (Moses 1:13).[43] This knowledge expanded his vision and solidified his worth and identity in relation to God. This would later enable Moses to overcome Satan’s assault upon him (see Moses 1:12–22, especially v. 21) and help him move forward with confidence in God’s work. What happened to Moses can not only inform and instruct us but can also connect us with the Old Testament world in ways that may have escaped us in the past. Discussions we could have with students might include: How was Moses knowing that he was a child of God “in the image of [his] only Begotten” essential (and enabling) to accomplishing his mission in delivering Israel? What was the big picture God was revealing in Moses 1? How might this have affected Moses as he moved forward with God’s work? How can knowing that we are God’s daughters and sons in the same way bring confidence and assurance in difficult situations in life and inspire us to move forward? The truths that help answer these questions can help introduce uplifting conversations within a variety of teaching environments, bridging gaps or feelings of distance we might have as the experiences recorded in the Old Testament become more personal.

Teaching Christ as the creative Word (Moses 1–2)

The latter part of Moses 1 emphasizes the doctrinal truth that Jesus Christ, under the direction of God the Father, is the creator of “worlds without number” (Moses 1:33). The revealed text’s description of the premortal Jesus as “the word of my power” provides a Christological framing for the creation of the entire cosmos (Moses 1:32–33).

As the restored form of the creation account that pertains to Genesis 1, the text in Moses 2 continues the emphasis on Jesus Christ as the Creator (Moses 2:1, 5). Given the emphasis on Jesus Christ as Creator of this world and worlds without number, a significant question that a teacher might ask students is “What is the relationship between Jesus Christ’s role as Creator of numberless worlds and his role as Redeemer?” The teacher can help students arrive at the truth articulated through the testimony of Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon in Doctrine and Covenants 76:22–24: “And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—that by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.” The purposes of creation (Moses 1:39) can lead to discussions on the familial and personal outlook God and Jesus possess for each of us and how their purposes are brought to pass (atonement and redemption through Jesus Christ and his gospel), linking creation with God’s covenantal aspirations to which we can aspire, the path of exaltation we can pursue with their full support and intent, and the peace that knowledge can bring into our lives.

Christ’s involvement in the creation of humankind and divine council

JST Genesis (Book of Moses) reveals Christ’s deep involvement in the creation of humankind. The divine council is implicit in Genesis 1:26–27, with the collective action signaled by the first-person plural verb naʿăśeh (“let us make”):

And I, God, said unto mine Only Begotten, which was with me from the beginning: Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and it was so. And I, God, said: Let them have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. And I, God, created man in mine own image, in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him; male and female created I them. (Moses 2:26–27)

Here we offer two examples of questions that teachers could ask students that can help them think through the doctrinal implications of these important verses:

• What does it mean that human beings are created “after our image, after our likeness, . . . male and female,” and what difference does this make?
• What does being “created . . . in the image of [God’s] Only Begotten” imply about our eternal potential and our relationship to him, and how can this help us in our lives?

The first question can lead students to the truth that “all men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity.”[44] This can help in the way we view ourselves and others, with compassion and sensitivity. It can open conversations of tolerance for others and their experiences with self, potential, and gender identity, and the value each holds as children of God, wherever they find themselves within that equation. The second question can lead them to the realization that every daughter, son, or child of heavenly parents has the potential to progress as a precious child toward all that their heavenly family was designed to become, just as Jesus Christ did. The JST can help answer these questions and bring hope into the most fundamental and critical circumstances in life where each has a place in God’s family.

The power of Jesus Christ expelled Satan from heaven

The Joseph Smith Translation (Book of Moses) also contrasts the character and behavior of Jesus Christ with that of Satan at the presentation of the Father’s plan in the premortal council in heaven. Recalling Moses’s earlier expulsion of Satan in Moses 1, Satan’s self-seeking is brought to the front of the narrative as the Lord recounts events in the premortal council in heaven: “And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor” (Moses 4:1).

Meek self-abnegation constituted as much a part of Jesus’s character in premortality as it did in mortality. Recognizing his character from the beginning can bring trust and comfort to our students as they realize how Jesus has always had their best interest in mind and that he was willing to live and give his life for them to help bring them peace in a troubled world. Thus, Jesus’s response to the Father’s plan could not be starker than that of the adversary, whose designs were to harm rather than help God’s children: “But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever” (Moses 4:2). Jesus and Satan represent two opposite types of leadership, as well as approaches to the worth of individuals. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: “Now in this world mankind are naturly selfish, ambitious & striving to excell one above another so while yet some are willing to build up others as well as themselves so in the other world their is a variety of spirits some who seek to excell, & this was the case with the devil when he fell he sought for things which were unlawful hence he was cast down & it is said he drew away many with him.”[45] Human leadership succeeds the nearer it approaches Christ’s mode of leadership (“willing to build up others as well as themselves”) and fails the nearer it approaches Satan’s self-seeking methods. Conversations can lead to a better understanding of the type of compassionate, caring, and wholly benevolent approach of the Savior who lived and gave his life for us. They can instill inspiration, trust, and a willingness to come unto him. We trust him enough to turn our lives over to him in the way we live, interact, and view others. His example can become our reality.

The desire to approach divinity can also lead us to draw on divinity for strength. The same power that Moses used to expel Satan from his presence was the same power that expelled him from the presence of God in the premortal council in heaven—namely, the power of Christ: “Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down; and he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice” (Moses 4:3–4). The restored account in Moses 4 also depicts Christ as being present at the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden (see Moses 4:28–31), an active participant in the events that would lead the human family to the opportunities associated with immortality and eternal life. Seeing Christ in the Old Testament can help us see Christ in our lives today.

The Christ typology of sacrifice (Moses 5)

Pertaining to sacrifices and offerings which many may find difficult to relate to in the Old Testament, Moses 5 clearly establishes that, from the days of Adam and Eve’s first sacrifices to the time of Jesus Christ, all divinely ordained blood sacrifices to the Lord were typological of his supreme atoning offering: “And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me. And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth. Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore” (Moses 5:6–7).

This JST passage can lead to tender conversations with students about atonement and repentance through Jesus Christ. It may not make the foreign nature of sacrifices in the Old Testament suddenly familiar, but discussion on how we live the law of sacrifice today in the form of personal offerings and the ordinance of the sacrament can certainly bridge some of the gaps and bring individuals closer to their purposes and intent.

This episode also teaches that it is OK not to have all the answers, that obedience through those times of uncertainty can bring strength and in time draw us closer to answers and eventually lead us to the most liberating and inspiring clarity as revelation comes. These passages also teach about the sacred nature of and empowering effects of Christ’s Atonement. In the larger scope of what the Atonement of Jesus Christ cost, Donald W. Parry has pointed out when the Lord “ma[d]e coats of skins, and clothed” Adam and Eve (Moses 4:27),[46] he likely introduced them to the doctrine and practice of sacrifice, and the sacrifice entailed the giving of life to preserve life, though he did not explain why until “many days” later.

At that time, the angel of the Lord emphasized the eternal interrelationship between repentance to sacrifice (“and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of his Son forevermore”). In other words, he connected it to the doctrine of Christ, as a part of his everlasting gospel. This connection is emphasized here: “And in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying: I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and forever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will” (Moses 5:9). Through the JST, students can feel closer to the principles presented in the Old Testament, and perhaps the book can become a little less strange as they come to understand the symbolism in it. Again, it is crucial to view the Old Testament within its cultural context. The JST can help provide some of that context while we sift through the cultural and historical differences between then and now.[47]

Furthermore, by using this story of sacrifice and the JST account, it is easier to make sense of the Lord’s rejection of Cain’s sacrifice and his acceptance of Abel’s, one of the most puzzling aspects of the biblical version of the Cain and Abel narrative for some exegetes. Details are scant in the biblical version but abundant and clear in the JST.[48] First, Cain was obedient to Satan rather than God in making the offering (Moses 5:8–19). This can open opportunities to discuss which voices we listen to and viewing decisions to act through the lens of God’s defined prescriptions of worship, versus those we or others may attempt to redefine. Second, in this light, the sacrifice was not done in similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten. It was not an offering of the firstlings of the flocks or even an offering of first fruits. The text merely states that “Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord” (Moses 5:19), removing Christ’s Atonement from the equation.

What may seem whimsical in God’s rejection of the offering was rooted in what was already revealed in the purpose of the sacrifice as a type of the infinite sacrifice of the Son of God. Making these connections can be faith building for students. Third, there was no accompanying repentance on Cain’s part, as the angel of the Lord had commanded Adam and Eve earlier in the chapter (compare Moses 5:7 with 5:25). The story is thus not about the wrongs that unfairly came upon Cain (as it is sometimes viewed in biblical scholarship) but about action and accountability, revelation and the rejection of it. In sum, Cain’s offering lacked all the essentials prescribed by God that foreshadowed Christ’s infinite Atonement. One of the most important truths for students to identify when studying the revelatory version in Moses 5 is that Cain’s sacrifice fails to conform to the Christological pattern laid out in Moses 5:5–7. Some questions that can help students recognize this truth follow: According to what we read in Moses 5, and the differences we see between it and the Genesis account, what are some reasons that the Lord rejected Cain’s offering? Who was leading Cain toward this behavior? How does God treat Cain through this and how does Cain react to God? How do the answers to these questions change the way we view the story? What efforts were made to help Cain, and how can that help us better understand situations where God is trying to help us? How did rejecting God in this story lead to sorrow?

After these events, Moses 5:59 explains that the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the administration of its ordinances among Adam’s righteous posterity continued, at least in part, as a response to the secret combination founded by Satan and Cain and perpetuated by Lamech. The gospel and its principles thus became, and continue to be, a vital part of human existence.

Enoch teaches about Jesus Christ and the plan of salvation (Moses 6)

Moses 6 has the theme of teaching,[49] from the book of remembrance out of which Adam and Eve’s righteous posterity was instructed, to the preachers of righteousness who taught the doctrine of Christ, including Enoch, who became one of the greatest orators the world has ever known (see Moses 6:47; 7:13). In Moses 6:48–68, Enoch teaches a master class on the plan of salvation and the centrality of Jesus Christ in the plan. Helping students discover this on their own can be a life-changing experience. If students can learn to identify the following, a plethora of revelation can come into view: (1) assess what Enoch is teaching and why those teachings were effective; (2) identify what Enoch’s teaching helps his own audience (and us) see about the gospel of Jesus Christ as it has been taught throughout all dispensations; (3) why does Enoch teach what he does and what is the result?

Students may identify that one of the most effective things Enoch does is use the example of Adam and Eve being taught the principles of the gospel and receiving ordinances as a model for them, since he was a common reference point for Enoch’s audience. Students may also recognize the centrality of Jesus Christ to Enoch’s teaching:

And he called upon our father Adam by his own voice, saying: I am God; I made the world, and men before they were in the flesh. And he also said unto him: If thou wilt turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, and believe, and repent of all thy transgressions, and be baptized, even in water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall be given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men, ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, asking all things in his name, and whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be given you. . . .Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time (Moses 6:51–52, 57).

I give unto you a commandment to teach these things freely unto your Children saying that <in> as were <as much as they were> born into the world by the fall which bringeth death by water & <blood &> the spirit which I have made & so became of dust a living soul even so ye must be born again of water & the spirit & cleansed by blood even the blood of mine only begotten into the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven that ye may be Sanctified from all sin & enjoy the words of eternal life in this world & eternal life in the world to come even immortal glory for by the water ye keep the commandment by the spirit ye are Justified & by the blood ye are Sanctified.[50]

Further, the Lord’s repeated instruction to Adam and Eve to teach these things to their children can help students see the importance of teaching the doctrine of Christ and the plan of salvation (a lesson reinforced again by Noah and his sons’ teaching the doctrine of Christ in Moses 8). As part of God’s family and within the context of his plan of salvation, our children can mean anything from one’s own children, to any child of God, young or old. Enoch’s audience needed to be reminded of this. Collectively, we still need the reminder to do this.

Enoch sees the atoning death of the Son of Man (Moses 7)

Jesus Christ also occupies a central place in Enoch’s panoramic vision of the earth. Enoch sees everything: from his own troubled times and the flood that would follow, to the coming of the Messiah in the meridian of time the eventual triumph of good over evil that will bring about the earth’s millennial rest. In the JST, the title “Son of Man” is used seven times with reference to Jesus Christ.[51] In one of the most significant scenes in this vision, Enoch sees the Savior’s coming in mortality with the realization of what his atoning death will mean: “And behold, Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh; and his soul rejoiced, saying: The Righteous is lifted up, and the Lamb is slain from the foundation of the world; and through faith I am in the bosom of the Father, and behold, Zion is with me” (Moses 7:47).

As this is pivotal to both Enoch’s experience and to his audience, an example of a question we could ask when discussing this passage is: why does Enoch “rejoice” at the prospect of the Savior’s crucifixion and atoning suffering? How does the answer to this question change everything? When we look at the larger picture of Enoch’s sermons and what they are teaching, these episodes and visions can change our outlook on the gospel and life and instill purpose in our lives. We could also discuss how Enoch came to obtain the answer to his questions and what effect this had on him.

That can lead to discussions about our potential to seek, ask, and receive answers to questions and how those answers can affect us. We may not have the same experiences as did Enoch, but those we do have can be just as powerful and lasting for us as they were for him: “Forasmuch as thou art God, and I know thee, and thou hast sworn unto me, and commanded me that I should ask in the name of thine Only Begotten; thou hast made me, and given unto me a right to thy throne, and not of myself, but through thine own grace” (Moses 7:59).

While we could consider Enoch’s rejoicing at the knowledge of Christ’s Crucifixion counterintuitive, we and our students can identify the truth that Enoch rejoices because he knows that Christ’s Atonement means the potential for eternal life and exaltation (compare Moses 7:59)—for himself, his people, and the rest of us, leading us towards the same devotion and compassion for others.

The eternal priesthood after the order of the Son of God (JST Genesis 14)

The JST of Genesis also emphasizes that that the ancient patriarchs, beginning with Adam and his righteous posterity, held and acted in the authority of “the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God,”[52] or what was later characterized as Melchizedek Priesthood. Although not explicitly stated, revelation confirms that the sacrifices and ordinances performed by Adam and Eve and their righteous posterity were performed with this authority.

In the various JST manuscripts, clarifications were made in what became Moses 6:7 to emphasize the eternal nature of this priesthood: “Now this <same which presthood which> was in the begining, which shall be in the <continue> end of the world <als>.”[53] This was a theme continued throughout the Restoration as part of the welding link that would be created via the priesthood and its ordinances. The Prophet Joseph Smith later discoursed on this eternal priesthood and its reach to the whole human family:

He (Adam) is the head and was told to multiply. The keys were given to him;— he will have to give an account of his stewardship. . . . The priesthood is everlasting. The Savior, Moses and Elias, gave the keys to Peter, James and John on the mount, when they were transfigured before him. The priesthood is everlasting without beginning of days or end of years, without Father, Mother, &c. If there is no change of ordinances, there is no change of priesthood. Whenever the ordinances of the Gospel are administered there is the priesthood. How have we come at priesthood in the last days—they come down in regular succession.[54]

These teachings and revelations link back to the significance of the antiquity of the gospel and how we fit into this larger framework of God’s work to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of all his children from the beginning. As part of his teaching about how Adam, Eve, and their accepting family members lived the doctrine of Christ, Enoch stated that the Adam received the priesthood by sacred oath: “And thou art after the order of him who was without beginning of days or end of years, from all eternity to all eternity. Behold, thou art one in me, a son of God; and thus may all become my sons” (Moses 6:67–68). This is like the divine oath and covenant made to the Davidic kings of Judah much later: “The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4). These teachings situate today’s covenants within an eternal framework.

The JST also gives us more information on Melchizedek, the source of Abraham’s priesthood. The scant biological details given in Genesis 14:18–20 are dramatically expanded in the JST. Of particular note for our purposes here, this revealed text directly connects Melchizedek’s high priesthood to Jesus Christ: “And thus, having been approved of God, [Melchizedek] was ordained an high priest after the order of the covenant which God made with Enoch, it being after the order of the Son of God; which order came, not by man, nor the will of man; neither by father nor mother; neither by beginning of days nor end of years; but of God; and it was delivered unto men by the calling of his own voice, according to his own will, unto as many as believed on his name” (JST, Genesis 14:27–29).

The Hebraistic wordplays on the name Melchizedek (“king of righteousness”; malkî “king of” + ṣedeq “righteousness”) and Salem (šālēm, “peace”; compare Hebrew šālôm) in this text all point forward to Jesus Christ. As a priest-king after this order, Melchizedek “wrought righteousness” and “obtained peace in Salem, and was [thus] called the Prince of peace [compare śar-šālôm, Isaiah 9:6; Abraham 1:2]. And his people wrought righteousness, and obtained heaven. . . . And this Melchizedek, having thus established righteousness, was called the king of heaven by his people, or, in other words the King of peace” (JST, Genesis 14:26, 33–34, 36). Asking students how these names and titles point to Jesus Christ, his priesthood, and role in our salvation can help them recognize that Jesus Christ is the perfect embodiment of the type adumbrated in the life and person of Melchizedek.[55]

Jesus Christ and the Abrahamic covenant

The JST directly connects the giving and fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant with the mission of the Son of Man—the Messiah—in mortality. Jesus Christ’s Atonement and Resurrection will bring to pass every promise of God to humankind, including his covenant promises to Abraham.

And Abram said, Lord God, how wilt thou give me this land for an everlasting inheritance? And the Lord said, Though thou wast dead, yet am I not able to give it thee? And if thou shalt die, yet thou shalt possess it, for the day cometh, that the Son of Man shall live; but how can he live if he be not dead? he must first be quickened. And it came to pass, that Abram looked forth and saw the days of the Son of Man, and was glad, and his soul found rest, and he believed in the Lord; and the Lord counted it unto him for righteousness. (JST, Genesis 15:9–12)

The JST text makes clear that the horizons for the complete fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant extend well beyond the confines of mortality. It is perhaps with reference to this moment that Jesus taught the people on the temple mount, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8:56). Abraham and Sarah died before they ever inherited the land of Canaan, or had a numerous posterity as promised to them, but what God had promised them was eternal and could not be restrained by time (Hebrews 11:11–13). This was the great revelation to Abraham in the JST.

Here, one could discuss with students: Why is it important to understand that the timeframe for the fulfillment of God’s promises, including some of those found in our patriarchal blessings, extends beyond mortality? How can we view through this lens disappointment, apparent unfulfilled dreams or promises, and uncertain futures and perceived failures? How can we endure disappointing outcomes, as things don’t always work out as we had hoped? Their answers and the ensuing discussion can lead to the realization that because of Jesus Christ, even physical death cannot prevent the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to his children, and every tear will eventually be wiped away (Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 7:17; 21:4). That does not remove the immediate hurt and pain we may feel and experience, but it can empower us to move forward through adversity with hope in a brighter, eternal future promised in God’s covenantal love.

A Context for the Abrahamic Covenant: Apostasy from Christ and His Doctrine

The JST further contextualizes the giving of the Abrahamic covenant with apostasy from Jesus Christ and his doctrine. The people in Canaan during Abraham’s time had lost their sense of the meaning and symbolism of the ordinance of baptism, the doctrine of personal accountability, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ: “And God talked with [Abraham], saying, My people have gone astray from my precepts, and have not kept mine ordinances, which I gave unto their fathers; and they have not observed mine anointing, and the burial, or baptism wherewith I commanded them; but have turned from the commandment, and taken unto themselves the washing of children, and the blood of sprinkling; and have said that the blood of the righteous Abel was shed for sins; and have not known wherein they are accountable before me” (JST, Genesis 17:4–7). Abel’s death, whose offering of “the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof” in similitude of the Savior’s sacrifice had come to be seen by some as having an expiatory function (Genesis 4:4; Moses 5:20).[56] The revelation presented in the JST explains a doctrinal drift that was corrected in the time of Abraham.

The giving of the Abrahamic covenant, with Abraham becoming the father of many nations, constituted the Lord’s effort to save those nations through Christ, who would himself come through Abraham’s lineage and take “on him the seed of Abraham” (Hebrews 2:16).

And this covenant I make, that thy children may be known among all nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be called Abraham; for, a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come of thee, and of thy seed. And I will establish a covenant of circumcision with thee, and it shall be my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations; that thou mayest know forever that children are not accountable before me until they are eight years old. And thou shalt observe to keep all my covenants wherein I covenanted with thy fathers; and thou shalt keep the commandments which I have given thee with mine own mouth, and I will be a God unto thee and thy seed after thee. (JST, Genesis 17:9–12)

The Lord’s speech as recorded in the JST text further explains that circumcision on the eighth day was an anticipatory reminder that “children are not accountable before me until they are eight years old.” In other words, baptism before the age of eight was unnecessary. As a requirement of salvation, entering into the covenant path by living the doctrine of Christ, including repentance and baptism, begins at the age of accountability defined by God.

At this point one could discuss with students: why is it so important to observe the ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ the way the Lord prescribes and for us to understand the nature of our accountability before God? Answers can bring a recognition that the correct observance of the ordinances not only reflects reverence for God and his Son, but their tenderness and mercy towards us. Discussions can also bring about an understanding of the atonement of Jesus Christ and the doctrine of moral agency that leads us willingly to participate in covenant making with them. This can bring a liberating and invigorating sense of purpose and confidence in our outlook towards the power and blessings that come through covenants.

Joseph in Egypt, Moses, the Messiah, and the Raised-up Seer (JST, Genesis 50)

The JST of Genesis concludes with Joseph in Egypt’s prophetic allusions to the coming of the Messiah, giving the entirety of Genesis a Christological framing. Joseph foretells the raising up of Moses who is not the Messiah but whose mission of delivering Israel from bondage is an anticipatory type of the Messiah’s mission:

And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die, and go unto my fathers; and I go down to my grave with joy. The God of my father Jacob be with you, to deliver you out of affliction in the days of your bondage; for the Lord hath visited me, and I have obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of my loins, the Lord God will raise up a righteous branch out of my loins; and unto thee, whom my father Jacob hath named Israel, a prophet; (not the Messiah who is called Shilo;) and this prophet shall deliver my people out of Egypt in the days of thy bondage. (JST, Genesis 50:24)

Joseph connects the raising up the prophet Moses to the Lord, “the God of my father Jacob,” fulfilling the promises in the Abrahamic covenant.

We thus come full circle to where we began: the antiquity of the gospel. The Messiah’s mission of deliverance in fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant would not only be relevant to the peoples in the Old Testament, but also to peoples in the Book of Mormon, in the New Testament near the time of his coming in the meridian of time. This relevance equally extends to us in the latter days, with Christ’s continued gathering of the scattered branches of Israel and bringing them into light and freedom: “And it shall come to pass that they shall be scattered again; and a branch shall be broken off, and shall be carried into a far country; nevertheless they shall be remembered in the covenants of the Lord, when the Messiah cometh; for he shall be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the Spirit of power; and shall bring them out of darkness into light; out of hidden darkness, and out of captivity unto freedom” (JST, Genesis 50:25).

An instructor could discuss with students: what does the Savior’s involvement in everything from creation to the gathering of Israel teach us about him? Students can come to recognize that Jesus Christ—the truths he taught and the blessings he offers—has been a part of people’s lives from the beginning, and he continues to be the solution to so many challenges humankind faces. Such discussions can facilitate revelation as students ponder their own path of discipleship and where that path leads them daily. Discipleship can become more fulfilling as one more intentionally lives the doctrine of Christ.

Conclusion

In this study, we have endeavored to give religious educators and gospel instructors resources for learning and teaching about the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible to better equip them to teach the stories of the Bible, particularly Genesis. We have explained the nature of the JST and why it is so important in establishing the antiquity of the gospel of Jesus Christ—and why that antiquity matters. We have further shown how thoroughly Christ-centered the restored text of Genesis is and offered religious educators and gospel instructors’ examples of questions that can help students reflect upon the doctrinal truths revealed in the JST, giving the Holy Ghost the opportunity to bear witness to them of Jesus Christ. These resources and questions can help students recognize his importance in the plan of salvation, including the creation of the earth, humankind, the events pertaining to the fall of humanity and its aftermath, the giving of the Abrahamic covenant, and the eventual gathering of Israel. Such teachings can bring inspiration as we study the Old Testament.

Notes

Author’s note: We express appreciation to Karamea Wright and Jared Marcum for reviewing prepublication drafts of this article and for suggestions that improved its text. We also thank Devan Jensen and his team for their excellent editorial work.

[1] See Aaron P. Schade and Matthew L. Bowen, The Book of Moses: From the Ancient of Days to the Latter Days (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Deseret Book), 33‒46.

[2] For the context of this revelation and Sidney Rigdon’s call as scribe, see “Doctrine and Covenants Historical Resources: Sidney Rigdon,” www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[3] Part of the historical background of the revelations contained in D&C 42 centered on doctrinal clarity and authority. The scriptures as given through the Lord in the form of the JST and the revelations that would attend that translation would help answer pertinent questions the early Church was seeking and posing. See for example, “Doctrine and Covenants 42: Revelation, 9 February 1831,” in Joseph Smith’s Revelations: A Doctrine and Covenants Study Companion, ed. Matthew C. Godfrey, R. Eric Smith, Matthew J. Grow, and Ronald K. Esplin (Church Historian’s Press, 2020).

[4] The revelations in D&C 45 were initiated during the translation of the Old Testament when the Lord used these remarkable revelations to answer questions being posed by the early Church and specific concerns the leadership of the Church was attempting to overcome and address. See History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 (23 December 1805–30 August 1834), p. 104, www.josephsmithpapers.org; John Whitmer, History, 1831–circa 1847, p. 10, www.josephsmithpapers.org; “Doctrine and Covenants 45: Revelation, circa 7 March 1831,” in Godfrey and others, Joseph Smith’s Revelations. The JST facilitated the reception of more revelation that was needed to respond to specific questions of the day.

[5] The pause in translation was “In accordance with direction given in a December 1831 revelation [Doctrine and Covenants 71], JS and Rigdon had set aside their Bible revision work so they could preach to church members and others in the general vicinity around Hiram and Kirtland, Ohio. Their preaching, as well as that of other elders sent from Kirtland, was intended in part to combat misinformation and criticism published by former church member Ezra Booth in the Ohio Star.” History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 (23 December 1805–30 August 1834), p. 179, www.josephsmithpapers.org; Minutes, 6 September 1831, p. 6, www.josephsmithpapers.org; Historical Introduction to Revelation, 1 December 1831 (Doctrine and Covenants 71), p. 3, www.josephsmithpapers.org. See also historical introduction in “Doctrine and Covenants 73: Revelation, 10 January 1832,” in Godfrey and others, Joseph Smith’s Revelations. Joseph and Sidney were guided by revelation and returned to the translation of the Lord’s holy word, which continued to bring to light much restoration of truth.

[6] For the various doctrines and teachings revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon during this vision, see discussion in “Doctrine and Covenants 76: Vision, 16 February 1832,” in Godfrey and others, Joseph Smith’s Revelations, and “The Vision (D&C 76),” Church History Topics, www.churchofjesuschrist.org. For the background and influence the vision had on early Church members and individuals from other faith backgrounds, including both the inspiration it brought early Church members and the persecutions it brought upon Joseph, Sidney, and others, see “The Vision,” in Revelations in Context: The Stories Behind the Sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, ed. Matthew McBride and James Goldberg (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2016),and “Chapter 14: ‘Visions and Nightmares,’” in Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, vol. 1: The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846 (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2018).

[7] See discussion in “Man Was Also in the Beginning with God,” in McBride and Goldbert, Revelations in Context and “Doctrine and Covenants 93: Revelation, 6 May 1833,” in Godfrey and others, Joseph Smith’s Revelations. These cumulative revelations led from principle-based worship to the transition and application of those principles in the form of temple worship. See discussion in Schade and Bowen, The Book of Moses, 381‒412, and “A House for Our God,” in McBride and Goldberg, Revelations in Context.

[8] For the timing of the revelation following the destroyed press in Missouri and its aftermath, see “Doctrine and Covenants 94: Revelation, 2 August 1833–B,” in Godfrey and others, Joseph Smith’s Revelations, and “Waiting for the Word of the Lord,” in McBride and Goldberg, Revelations in Context.

[9] The following was recorded on July 2, 1833: “We this day finished the translating of the Scriptures, for which we returned gratitude to our heavenly father,” Letter to Church Leaders in Jackson County, Missouri, 25 June 1833, p. 1, www.josephsmithpapers.org. Editorial efforts on the translation continued, but the translation itself was considered complete, and Joseph then began to speak of getting it published. See Kent P. Jackson, “Joseph Smith’s Cooperstown Bible: The Historical Context of the Bible Used in the Joseph Smith Translation,” BYU Studies Quarterly 40, no. 1 (2001): 59–60 and Kent P. Jackson, “How We Got the Book of Moses,” in By Study and by Faith: Selections from the Religious Educator, ed. Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Kent P. Jackson (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2009), 138–39. Earlier efforts had been made to publish the translation, but only parts of the translation ever were. To the end of his days, Joseph pleaded with the early Church to help get the translation published.

[10] For and overview of the events, see, for example, “Doctrine and Covenants 124: Revelation, 19 January 1841,” in Godfrey and others, Joseph Smith’s Revelations.

[11] “Bosom” is a term used to denote closeness and the deepest love, and “the Heb. ḥêq often denotes the lap, or the part of the body where one clasps those one loves (e.g., Nu. 11:12; Ruth 4:16; 1 K. 1:2; 3:20; 17:19; Isa. 40:11). . . . Used in a figurative sense, the term ‘bosom’ refers to closest intimacy (e.g., Dt. 13:6; Jn. 1:18) or tender care (Isa. 40:11)” N. J. Opperwall, “Bosom,” in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised, ed. G. W. Bromiley, vol. 1 (Eerdmans, 1979–88), 536. In scripture, “it is generally used in an affectionate sense, e.g., ‘the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father’ (John 1:18 RSV), carrying the lambs in his bosom (Isa 40:11 KJV), or Lazarus resting in Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16:22–23 KJV). It can be almost synonymous with ‘heart’ as the center of one’s life (cf. Ps 35:13; Eccl 7:9 KJV).” J. D. Douglas and M. C. Tenney, “Bosom,” in New International Bible Dictionary (Zondervan, 1987), 171. The Lord was thus describing in delicate terminology how precious the words he was revealing were to him and how precious we are to him.

[12] Dallin H. Oaks, “Scripture Reading, Revelation, and Joseph Smith’s Translation of the Bible,” in Plain and Precious Truths Restored: The Doctrinal and Historical Significance of the Joseph Smith Translation, ed. Robert J. Millet and Robert L. Matthews (Deseret Book, 2001), 13. For recent textual treatments of the JST, see Kent P. Jackson, ed., Joseph Smith's Translation of the Bible: The Joseph Smith Translation and the King James Translation in Parallel Columns (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2022); Kent P. Jackson, Understanding Joseph Smith's Translation of the Bible (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2022).

[13] For this process, see Jackson, “Joseph Smith’s Cooperstown Bible,” 41–70, and Elizabeth Maki, “Joseph Smith’s Bible Translation,” in McBride and Goldberg, Revelations in Context, 99–104; Schade and Bowen, Book of Moses, 28–30.

[14] See Visions of Moses, June 1830 (Moses 1), p. 1, www.josephsmithpapers.org; Kent P. Jackson, “Joseph Smith Translating Genesis,” BYU Studies Quarterly 56, no. 4 (2017): 12–13; Kent P. Jackson, “The Visions of Moses and Joseph Smith’s Bible Translation,” in “To Seek the Law of the Lord”: Essays in Honor of John W. Welch, ed. Paul Y. Hoskisson and Daniel C. Peterson (Interpreter Foundation, 2017), 161–69; Maki, “Joseph Smith’s Bible Translation,” in McBride and Goldberg, Revelations in Context, 100.

[15] Robert J. Matthews, “A Plainer Translation”: Joseph Smith’s Translation of the Bible (Brigham Young University Press, 1975), 32. It is important to realize that Joseph Smith’s translations were inspired and revelatory in nature, not something he was imposing upon the texts. See Kent P. Jackson, “Joseph Smith’s Biblical Antiquity,” in Approaching Antiquity: Joseph Smith and the Ancient World, ed. Lincoln H. Blumell, Matthew J. Grey, and Andrew H. Hedges (Deseret Book, 2015), 183.

[16] History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 (23 December 1805–30 August 1834), p. 183, www.josephsmithpapers.org.

[17] Evening and Morning Star, March 1834; Letter to the Church, circa March 1834, p. 143, www.josephsmithpapers.org.

[18] History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 (1 August 1842–1 July 1843), p. 1573, www.josephsmithpapers.org; Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook, eds., The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith (Grandin, 1991), 211.

[19] Discourse, 15 October 1843, p. 129, www.josephsmithpapers.org; Ehat and Cook, Words of Joseph Smith, 256.

[20] Parley P. Pratt, A Voice of Warning and Instruction to All People (Sanford, 1837), 147.

[21] See discussion in Schade and Bowen, Book of Moses, 47–53.

[22] D. Todd Christofferson, “The Doctrine of Christ,” Ensign, May 2012, 86.

[23] History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 (23 December 1805–30 August 1834), p. 175, www.josephsmithpapers.org. See also Jackson, “Joseph Smith’s Cooperstown Bible,” 59, and Philip L. Barlow, Mormons and the Bible: The Place of the Latter-day Saints in American Religion, updated ed. (Oxford University Press, 2013), 46–47.

[24] See Matthews, “Plainer Translation,” 64–66; Jackson, Book of Moses and the Joseph Smith Translation Manuscripts, 57–66; Jackson, “How We Got the Book of Moses,” 140–43.

[25] History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 (1 August 1842–1 July 1843), p. 1534, www.josephsmithpapers.org; Kerry Muhlestein, “One Continuous Flow: Revelations Surrounding the ‘New Translation,’” in The Doctrine and Covenants: Revelations in Context, ed. Andrew H. Hedges, J. Spencer Fluhman, and Alonzo L. Gaskill (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Deseret Book, 2008), 40–65.

[26] Maki, “Joseph Smith’s Bible Translation,” in McBride and Goldberg, Revelations in Context.

[27] Kent P. Jackson, Understanding Joseph Smith’s Translation of the Bible (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Deseret Book, 2022), 157; Robert L. Millet, “Joseph Smith’s Translation of the Bible and the Doctrine and Covenants,” in Studies in Scripture, vol. 1, The Doctrine and Covenants, ed. Robert L. Millet and Kent P. Jackson (Deseret Book, 1989), 138.

[28] Orson Pratt, “Latter-day Zion,” The Seer 2, no. 5 (May 1854): 265.

[29] See discussion in Schade and Bowen, Book of Moses, 339–62.

[30] Robert J. Matthews, “Doctrinal Connections with the Joseph Smith Translation,” in The Doctrine and Covenants: A Book of Answers, ed. Leon R. Hartshorn, Dennis A. Wright, and Craig J. Ostler (Deseret Book, 1996), 29. See also Robert J. Matthews, “A Plainer Translation”: Joseph Smith’s Translation of the Bible, a History and Commentary (Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 1985), 256–57; Muhlestein, “One Continuous Flow,” 40–41; Robert J. Matthews, “The Joseph Smith Translation: A Primary Source for the Doctrine and Covenants,” in Sperry Symposium Classics: The Doctrine and Covenants, ed. Craig K. Manscill (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2004), 142–54.

[31] For a more in-depth study of the Old Testament and its cultural context, see, for example, Daniel L. Belnap and Aaron P. Schade, eds., From Creation to Sinai: The Old Testament through the Lens of the Restoration, (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Deseret Book, 2021) and Daniel L. Belnap and Aaron P. Schade, eds., From Wilderness to Monarchy: The Old Testament through the Lens of the Restoration (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Deseret Book), 2025.

[32] Jackson, “Joseph Smith’s Biblical Antiquity,” 177–80.

[33] Christofferson, “The Doctrine of Christ,” 86.

[34] See overview in Schade and Bowen, Book of Moses, 11–32, 47‒70.

[35] See, for example, Shon D. Hopkin, “The Covenant among Covenants: The Abrahamic Covenant and Biblical Covenant Making,” in Belnap and Schade, From Creation to Sinai, 223‒50; Kerry Muhlestein, Joshua M. Sears, and Avram R. Shannon, “New and Everlasting: The Relationship between Gospel Covenants in History,” Religious Educator 21, no. 2 (2020): 21–40.

[36] Letter to the Church, circa March 1834, p. 143, www.josephsmithpapers.org.

[37] History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 (1 August 1842–1 July 1843), p. 1457, www.josephsmithpapers.org.

[38] F. D. Richards, “Preface,” in Pearl of Great Price, Being a Choice Selection from the Revelations, Translations, and Narrations of Joseph Smith, ed. F. D. Richards (F. D. Richards, 1851).

[39] Russell M. Nelson, “The Everlasting Covenant,” October 2022 general conference, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[40] Letter to Church Brethren, 15 June 1835, p. 1, www.josephsmithpapers.org.

[41] Editorial, circa 1 March 1842, Draft, p. 1, spelling modernized, www.josephsmithpapers.org.

[42] On what constitutes a temple and a temple experience, see John M. Lundquist, “What Is a Temple: A Preliminary Typology,” in Temples of the Ancient World, ed. Donald W. Parry (Deseret Book; FARMS, 1994), 84–89.

[43] For an in-depth discussion on all these Moses passages, see Schade and Bowen, Book of Moses, 84-87.

[44] The First Presidency, “The Origin of Man,” Improvement Era, November 1909, 78.

[45] Discourse, 14 May 1843, p. 31; original spelling retained, www.josephsmithpapers.org.

[46] Donald W. Parry, “Garden of Eden: Prototype Sanctuary,” in Temples of the Ancient World: Ritual and Symbolism, ed. Donald W. Parry (Deseret Book; FARMS, 1994), 142.

[47] It is also imperative to understand that the ideal presented “in the beginning,” was a constant struggle to live until the end. It is for this reason that some of these concepts and teachings can appear foreign in the Old Testament. Not because the intent is missing, but because application of it is or is articulated ambiguously.

[48] See discussion in Schade and Bowen, The Book of Moses, 213–54.

[49] Matthew L. Bowen, “Taught in All the Ways of God: Teaching as the Theme of Moses 6,” FAIR Latter-day Saints Blog, January 17, 2022, https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/blog/2022/01/17/come-follow-me-week-4-genesis-5-moses-6.

[50] Old Testament Revision 1, p. 14, www.josephsmithpapers.org.

[51] Moses 7:24, 47, 54–56 (3x), 59, 65.

[52] “Before his [Melchizedek’s] day it was called the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God. But out of respect or reverence to the name of the Supreme Being, to avoid the too frequent repetition of his name, they, the church, in ancient days, called that priesthood after Melchizedek, or the Melchizedek Priesthood” (Doctrine and Covenants 107:3).

[53] Old Testament Revision 2, p. 14, www.josephsmithpapers.org.

[54] Discourse, between circa 26 June and circa 4 August 1839–A, as Reported by William Clayton, p. 14, www.josephsmithpapers.org.

[55] Alma 13:1–19; Hebrews 2:17; 3:1; 4:14–15; 5:1, 5, 10; 7:26; 9:11, 25; 10:21.

[56] Jeffrey M. Bradshaw and Matthew L. Bowen, “‘By the Blood Ye Are Sanctified’: The Symbolic, Salvific, Interrelated, Additive, Retrospective, and Anticipatory Nature of the Ordinances of Spiritual Rebirth in John 3 and Moses 6,” Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 24 (2017): 150–55.