Bible Translations and Key Figures

St. Jerome (347-420 AD)

• Experienced a dream where he was rebuked for being a follower of Cicero rather than Christ.
• Initially spoke only Latin.
• Learned Hebrew from people in Palestine (Israel).
• Retranslated the Bible into Latin in Bethlehem, creating the Vulgate.

John Wycliffe (1328-1384)

• Known as the Father of the Reformation.
• First individual to publish the entire Bible in English, using the Vulgate as his source.
• The Black Death (1350s) and the Peasants' Revolt (1381) occurred during his time.
• His followers, called Lollards, were blamed for the unrest.
• The English Bible was outlawed.
• Wycliffe's body was exhumed and burned 44 years after his death.
• A prophecy is attributed to him: "The Avon to the Severn runs, the Severn to the sea, and Wycliffe’s dust shall spread abroad, wide as the waters be.”

William Tyndale (1492-1536)

• English Bibles were outlawed in the early 1400s.
• Lived as a fugitive, secretly publishing the Bible in English.
• First to translate the Bible from Hebrew and Greek (the original languages) into English.
• Created commonly used words such as "Ark," "Atonement," "Jehovah," and "Repentance."
• Famously stated: "If God will spare my life, I will cause that the boy who drives the plow will know more of the scriptures than the Pope himself."
• Died saying, "God, open the King of England’s eyes!"

Henry VIII

• Known for separating The Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church when he was refused an annulment from Catherine of Aragon.
• Had advisors who were secretly Protestant.
• Initiated the first mass publication of the Bible in English.

Moses 1:39

• States the Lord’s mission: "this is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

DAB (David A. Bednar) Quote

• "We were foreordained in the premortal existence & born into mortality to fulfill the covenant promise God made to Abraham.”

Genesis

• Genesis 1-11 serves as an introduction to the Old Testament.
• Genesis 12-50 tells the story of Abraham, Sarah, their children, and grandchildren.
• The Abrahamic covenant involves unique commandments and blessings through obedience, meant to bring all families of the earth into the covenant.

The History of Israel

• Key figures include Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob (Israel), Rachel, and Leah.
• Jacob had 12 sons through Rachel (2 sons), Leah (6 sons), Bilhah (2 sons), and Zilpah (2 sons).
• Joseph was sold into slavery but later saved his family in Egypt.
• The Israelites stayed in Egypt for 430 years and became slaves.
• Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt.
• They wandered in the wilderness, learning to become holy through the tabernacle and the Law of Moses, and renewed the covenant.
• Around 1400 BC, Joshua led them into the promised land.
• In 1095 BC, Saul was chosen as the first king of Israel after the people requested a king from the prophet Samuel.
• David became king in 1047 BC, followed by Solomon in 1015 BC.
• In 975 BC, Israel divided into the northern kingdom of Israel (10 tribes) and the southern kingdom of Judah (2 tribes).
• In 740 BC, Isaiah prophesied of the destruction of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms and the future gathering of Israel; Isaiah named his sons Mahershalalhashbaz and Shear-Jashub as symbolic prophecies.
• In 721 BC, Israel was destroyed by Assyria, but Judah was saved by Isaiah and Hezekiah.
• In 606 BC, Assyria fell to Babylon.
• Around 600 BC, Lehi, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel preached repentance.
• Lehi and his family fled Jerusalem (the capital of Judah).
• In 587 BC, Judah was destroyed by Babylon.
• Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were taken to Babylon but refused to abandon their faith.
• Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, foreseeing the fall of Babylon to the Persians, the Persians to the Greeks, and the Greeks to the Romans.
• In 539 BC, Cyrus of Persia allowed a remnant of Israel (Jews) to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple.
• Jews with gentile heritage were cast out and went north to build their own temple and establish Samaria.
• In 332 BC, Persia was conquered by Alexander the Great.
• Hellenization, or the spread of ancient Greek culture, occurred over foreign peoples conquered by Greece.
• Some Jews fully accepted Hellenization (Sadducees), some accepted it partially (Pharisees), and others rejected it (Essenes).
• In 323 BC, Alexander the Great’s death resulted in the division of his nation into multiple kingdoms.
• The Ptolemaic and Seleucid kingdoms continually warred, with the land of Israel in the middle.
• In 175 BC, Antiochus Epiphanes, the King of the Seleucid Empire, hated Jews and outlawed Judaism.
• In 167 BC, the Hasmonean family initiated the Maccabean Revolt.
• Mattathias Hasmon and his son Judah Maccabaeus drove the Seleucid Empire out of their land.
• In 63 BC, Hasmonean prince Hyrcanus asked Rome for help to defeat Aristobulos, leading to Rome (Pompey) taking Jerusalem.
• In 37 BC, Rome placed Herod the Great as king.
• The Jewish people were allowed to govern themselves through the Sanhedrin.
• In 33 AD, the remnant of Israel was present during the Savior’s birth, crucifixion, and resurrection.
• Jesus visited the Nephites and identified them as part of the people of Israel who would be gathered.
• In 70 AD, the Jews were massacred by the Romans, Jerusalem was destroyed, and the House of Israel was scattered.
• In 1823, Angel Moroni told Joseph Smith that the gathering of Israel was about to begin.
• In 1842, Article of Faith #10 stated a belief in the literal gathering of Israel and the restoration of the 10 tribes.

The Gospel of Mark

• Likely the first Gospel written.
• Written under Peter's direction.
• Intended for a Gentile audience, providing explanations of Jewish customs.
• The Markan priority suggests that Matthew and Luke based their writings on Mark.
• The Markan Sandwich embeds one story within another.

The Gospel of Matthew

• Likely the second Gospel written.
• Likely used Mark and Source Q.
• Matthew was a publican (tax collector).
• Written by a Jew with extensive knowledge of the Old Testament.
• The Gospel emphasizes Jesus as the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament.
• The Gospel draws parallels between Jesus and Moses.
  • Joseph's dreams, the miracle birth, Pharaoh/Herod, the Red Sea/Baptism, 40 years/40 days in the wilderness, and Sinai/Sermon on the Mount.
• Matthew divides his Gospel into 5 "books" paralleling the 5 books of Moses.
• The genealogy traces Christ's lineage to the tribe of Judah.
• Matthew includes infamous women in Jesus’ genealogy, i.e. Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba
• The Magi were likely representatives of scattered Israel.

The Baptism

• John the Baptist served as the forerunner, preparing the way for Jesus.
• The location of the baptism was 25 miles from Jerusalem to the Jordan River, the same location as Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land.
• John called the Pharisees vipers.
• A voice from heaven declared, "This is my beloved son."

The Temptations

• The use of "if" during the temptations was meant to create doubt.
• Latter-day Saints believe Christ was genuinely tempted.
• The temptations included turning stones to bread (flesh vs. spirit), jumping from the temple (vanity vs. humility), and worshipping Satan (my will vs. God’s will).
• Christ responded to each temptation by quoting scripture.
• Matthew covers these events in chapters 3 and 4.
• Jeffrey R. Holland: “don’t assume that a great revelation, some marvelous illuminating moment, or the opening of an inspired path is the end of it..cast not away therefore your confidence. Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you."

Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)

• Emphasizes doing good deeds in secret (fasting, praying, serving) with the right motive.
• Focus on personal improvement ("the beam in your own eye") rather than judging others ("the mote in your brother’s eye").
• Harold B. Lee: “in his Sermon on the Mount the Master has given us a bluepring for our lives”

Matthew 5

• Beatitudes
• The Commission (salt, light)
• New law to the old law

Matthew 6

• Comparing religiousness of hypocrites with the reward of heaven

Matthew 7

• Principles of human conduct

Matthew 8-9

• Includes accounts of 10 miracles.
• Jesus healed men, women, children, Gentiles, and Jews.
• He demonstrated power over disease, demons, death, and the elements.

The 5 Books of Matthew

• Book 1 covers the Sermon on the Mount.
• Book 2 covers the Apostolic Discourse.
• Book 3 includes parables.
• Book 4 covers the Community Discourse.
• Book 5 includes the Olivet Discourse.

Matthew 11:11

• "Of them that are born of women, there is none greater than John the Baptist."
• Like the Law of Moses, John was sent to prepare the way for the Messiah.
• Last Old Testament and first New Testament prophet.
• He brought Aaronic priesthood authority to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey in 1829.
• John 3:30 states "He [Jesus] must increase, but I [John the Baptist] must decrease.”

Matthew 13

• Jesus taught using parables.
• The purpose of parables was to veil the meaning and convey religious truth in proportion to the hearer's faith and intelligence.
• The Parable of the Sower is one of the two times Jesus explained a parable.
  • Wayside: hardened heart/ birds=Satan
  • Stony Places/ No root of depth: parts of heart hardened; sun=trials, tribulation, persecution. The sun is good for a plant IF it has deep roots
  • Thorns (weeds) take resource: distractions, cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches, the lust of other things, the pleasures of this life
  • Good ground: heareth the word and understandeth it

Explore the historical context and significance of key figures like St. Jerome, John Wycliffe, and William Tyndale in translating the Bible. Understand the motivations behind making the Bible accessible in English, including Henry VIII's role and the impact on religious reform. Discover how Moses 1:39 connects to the Abrahamic covenant.