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Original Message -----
Sent: April 22, 2005 21:27
Subject: Book of Mormon and the KJV Bible
The Book of Mormon and the King James Version
(1999)
Curt van den Heuvel
Introduction
The King James Version of the Bible is, in all likelihood, the
most successful of all the English translations. Volumes have been
written on its distinctive and rhythmic style, and it is still regarded
as a triumph of modern English literature.
................
A similar problem affects Mormon
chapter 9. Verses 22 through 24 read
For behold, thus said Jesus Christ, the Son of God, unto
his disciples who should tarry, yea, and also to all his disciples, in
the hearing of the multitude: Go ye into all the world, and preach the
gospel to every creature; And he that believeth and is baptized shall
be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned; And these signs
shall follow them that believe--in my name shall they cast out devils;
they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if
they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay
hands on the sick and they shall recover...
Similarly, Ether
4:18 reads
Therefore, repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto
me, and believe in my gospel, and be baptized in my name; for he that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not
shall be damned; and signs shall follow them that believe in my name.
Both these passages are quotations from Mark 16, verses 15 through
18:
And he said unto them, Go ye into
all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not
shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my
name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it
shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover.
The problem here is that these verses are
part of the so-called long ending of Mark, generally thought to be a
late addition to the Marcan text. Neither the Siniaticus nor the
Vaticanus, the two oldest Greek texts, have this ending. (The New
International Version has a note which reads `The most reliable early
manuscripts and other ancient witnesses do not have Mark 16:9-20'). If
this is true, it is quite impossible for Jesus to have spoken these
words.
Conclusion
It is very evident that the Book of Mormon owes much to the King
James Version. Since this particular version of the Bible was not
translated until 1611, it means that the Book of Mormon cannot be an
ancient work as Joseph Smith claimed.
