The story of the evolution of the Book of Moses, and indeed that of the development and transmission of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, is at once fascinating and thought-provoking. It now appears as part of The Pearl of Great Price, itself a product of an ongoing process of gathering and selecting of texts. It originated, however, as Joseph Smith's additions to the book of Genesis.

Jackson makes an important point -- there is much in Mormon doctrine that has its roots in the Book of Moses. Pages 173-174 contain an appreciation of the uniqueness of this scripture, listing some of the unique points of belief finding their origins in the Book of Moses. It is indeed an impressive list.

But the real interest in this story is in its explication of the evolutionary nature of scripture, specifically the Book of Moses. By carefully comparing various manuscripts and emendations, Jackson gives the reader a thorough and richly detailed view of how the Book of Moses came into its current form. Most of the changes had to do with grammar, punctuation, etc., but some were substantial.

Inasmuch as the Book of Moses is an excerpt from the Inspired Version, it is interesting to study the changes made by Joseph Smith III many years after the Prophet's death. Under Joseph Smith III's supervision, the so-called "Committee Manuscript" was prepared. Here are some of the amazing things I learned about the "Committee Manuscript" (abbreviated CM in much of the book):

When one examines the RLDS Committee Manuscript carefully, one can determine the history of its preparation. That history has heretofore not been well understood, but it is important for Latter-day Saints because today's Book of Moses -- indeed, every edition of the Book of Moses since 1878 -- uses the text that was established in the 1866-67 RLDS Committee Manuscript, with some variations. (p. 21)

After Joseph Smith III had corrected Faulconer's transcription to make it consistent with the Prophet's final text, he returned to the Committee Manuscript and deleted many of Joseph Smith's corrections. The manuscript shows that he lined out many of the insertions that Joseph Smith had dictated to his scribes and replaced them with the earlier readings. (p. 24)

To this reader, this is astonishing. What is being stated here is that the Book of Moses we have in the Standard Works today is not the final text approved by Joseph Smith, but rather an edited text prepared by his son, Joseph Smith III, and now appearing in the Inspired Version, currently published by the Community of Christ (formerly RLDS).

There is further discussion of excerpts from the Book of Moses that appeared in "The Evening and Morning Star" and "Times and Seasons." These excerpts are amazing in how much they varied from the corrected text provided by the Prophet. Note the following, from page 27:

OT2: Satan shall be their master. (Moses 7:37) CM: Satan shall be their father.

OT2: that from a remnant of his seed shall come all nations (Moses 7:52) CM: that a remnant of his seed should always be found among all nations.

OT2 is the abbreviation for "the final product of Joseph Smith's revealed text." (p. 12) From these examples (selected from many given in the book), one can appreciate the importance of understanding how the text came into its final form, used by Latter-day Saints today.

This little book is full of surprises, and is a welcome addition to the corpus of knowledge of the Restoration Scriptures. It takes some risks in discussing the provenance of the Book of Moses. Some readers may wonder why there isn't a text closer to that which Joseph Smith approved before his death. But, in the end, it shows how scripture can go beyond the dead word and take on a life of its own. And it emphasizes the role of current leadership in determining, and approving, the sacred texts.

This should come as no surprise. This is likewise true of the Bible; the presence of so many translations testifies to the ongoing nature of inspiration and understanding. This should be no less true of Restoration scripture. The Word of God ought to live and breathe, not just through the readers, but by the custodians of the Word.

Scholars of the scriptures, especially those interested in the Pearl of Great Price, should own this book. It will remain in my permanent library.

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Jeff Needle
April 7, 2005