Continuing with more
of our reader’s comments and our responses, and information about Royal
Skousen’s Critical Test Project and Webster’s monumental dictionary.
18. Nourished. “wherefore,
it is likened unto their being nourished
by the Gentiles and being carried in their arms and upon their shoulders”
(1 Nephi 22:8)
Skousen claims the word
“nourished” is wrong here and should have been “nursed.”
Webster’s 1828 meaning for “nursed” is: “tended in infancy or sickness; nourished from the breast, maintained;
cherished; also to tend, suckle, to bring up, to cherish, to foster, to
encourage, to take care of”
However, “nourished” means “fed;
supplied with nutriment; caused to grow” also “to support, to maintain by
feeding; to encourage, nourish the virtues, to cherish, to comfort, to educate,
instruct, promote growth
While a case could be made for
both words, the rest of the text is leading more toward the Gentiles raising,
education, and helping to grow in the gospel, thus, while “nursed” lends more
toward health and recovery, “nourished” is more correct since it tends toward
growth and development, education and knowledge.
Therefore, Joseph Smith used the
correct word once again and it was written correctly by the scribe.
19. Covenanted. “Notwithstanding
our afflictions, we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice
above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed.”
(2 Nephi 1:5).
Skousen claims the
word “covenanted” is wrong here and should have been “consecrated.”
However, Webster’s
definitions shows a different meaning: “consecrated” means “Made
sacred by ceremonies or solemn rites; separated from a common to a sacred use;
devoted or dedicated to the service and worship of God; made venerable.”
On the other hand, “covenanted”
means “pledged or promised by covenant.”
In this case, the land was not
made sacred in this statement by Lehi, for it had already been made sacred
after the waters receded from the Flood (Ether 13:2), it was being pledged or
promised to Lehi’s and his seed in this statement. The process between God and
Lehi may have been some type of consecration, but the act itself, of which Lehi
speaks, was a pledge or promise made by covenant.
Again, Joseph Smith used the
correct word and it was recorded correctly by the scribe.
20. Thee. “I
prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the
hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands
with which I am bound.” (1 Nephi 7:17)
Skousen claims that the word
“thee” is incorrect and should have been “me.”
However, Nephi’s faith was not
in himself, but his faith was in the Lord, to whom he is speaking. "According to
my faith which is in me" suggests that Nephi's faith is in himself--to use Skousen's usage, it would have to be "according ot my faith that is within me..." In addition, Skousen's use of just "me" would be a redundant usage of words, and does not
make sense since Nephi already said his
faith, so the next part of his statement is who his faith is in (not within)
and his faith is not in himself, but his faith is in the Lord.
Thus, once again, Joseph Smith
chose the right word and it was recorded correctly.
21. Son. “But
unto you that fear my name, shall the Son
of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth and
grow up as calves in the stall” (3 Nephi 25:2)
Skousen wants to
change the word “Son” for the word “Sun.”
It is interesting
that nowhere in the entire Book of Mormon scriptural record does the phrase
“Sun of Righteousness” appear, while “Son of Righteousness” appears three times
(2 Nephi 26:9; Ether 9:22 and 3 Nephi 25:2). Not only that, but nowhere in
scripture is the physical sun granted the power to heal other than through
normal properties of sunlight. However, there is no question that the Son of
God has the healing powers of all things and to all extent.
Christ will return to the Mount of Olives to
the east of Jerusalem (Acts 1:9-12; Zechariah 14:4-5) and the final battle will
center on Jerusalem (Galatians 4:24-26); “In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah
and Jerusalem, I
will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat” (Joel
3:1-2)
In this passage, the
Lord is speaking (3 Nephi 24:6), and condemning Israel and those who have gone
away from his ordinances (3 Nephi 25:7), and robbed him (3 Nephi 24:8-9), and
that He will spare His own (3 Nephi 24:17), then man will discern between the
righteous and the wicked (3 Nephi 24:18), and then says the day cometh that
shall burn as an oven and all the proud and wicked shall be stubble (3 Nephi
25:1), “But unto you that fear my name, shall the Son of Righteousness arise
with healing in his wings, and he shall go forth and grow up as calves in the
stall”, i.e., protected.
For Skousen to
attribute this power and might to the physical sun and not the Son of God, the
Son of all righteousness, is beyond comprehension.
Joseph Smith
translated the correct word and the scribe wrote down the correct word. And hopefully,
Skousen will not get his way and get the word changed.
22. Desired. “Blessed
are ye because ye desired this thing
of me; therefore, after that ye are seventy and two years old ye shall come
unto me in my kingdom; and with me ye shall find rest” (3 Nephi 28:3).
Skousen wants to
change the term from the past tense into the present tense, from "desired" to
"desire."
However, while in
verse 1 the Lord asks the question in the present tense “What is it that ye
desire of me, after that I am gone to the Father?” In verse 2, the disciples
answer in the future tense, “We desire that after we have lived unto the age of
man, that our ministry, wherein thou hast called us, may have an end, that we may speedily come unto thee in thy
kingdom.”
But in verse 3, the
Lord answers in the past tense, “Blessed are ye because ye desired this thing of me (in the future); therefore, after that ye are seventy and two years old
ye shall come unto me in my kingdom; and with me ye shall find rest.”
While the disciples
wanted something to take place in the future, which was the point of the Lord’s
inquiry (after that I am gone to the
Father), the Lord then responds in the past tense, that the disciples desired to come unto the Lord in his
Kingdom after their death.
Thus, “desired” is
the correct word and Joseph transcribed in correctly and it was written down
correctly.
23. Revile. “No weapon that is formed against
thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall revile against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn” (1 Nephi
22:17).
Skousen wants to
replace "revile" with "rise."
However, "revile" means
“to reproach, to censure in contempt or derision, to treat with opprobrious
(disgrace) and contemptuous (proud, severe) language, to charge with a fault,
while “rise” means to begin to exist, to ascend, to be elevated, to proceed, to
be moved, roused, excited, kindled or inflamed; elevated, increase.
The very nature of
the statement suggests a voice that reviles against one, far more than simply a
voice that rises against one.
Again, Joseph Smith
used the correct word and the scribe wrote it correctly.
(See the next post, “The
Critical Text Project or Webster’s 1828 Dictionary: An Interesting
Comparison-PtXI,” for more of the reader’s comments and our responses, and
information about Royal Skousen’s project and Webster’s monumental dictionary)
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