By Krista Tripodi
The exhaustive labors of a BYU professor have led to a new way of understanding the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
For the last 13 years, Royal Skousen, a professor of English and linguistics at BYU, has worked to compile a critical text version of the Book of Mormon.
The critical text version of the Book of Mormon shows all the changes the book has undergone from its original version to its present editions, Skousen said.
Skousen presented his findings in a symposium sponsored by the Foundation of Ancient Research and Mormon Studies on Saturday in the HBLL auditorium. The symposium also featured several of the people who contributed to the work over the past decade.
Skousen said the purpose of illustrating the differences in the text is not to discredit the translators, but to enhance the readers understanding.
'We need books like this to tell us what is there, what it was like before and how it was changed,' he said.
The project compared the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon with the first printer''s manuscript and subsequent editions of the book. The 'original manuscript' refers to what the prophet Joseph Smith Jr.''s scribe heard -- not necessarily what the prophet said -- and wrote down as he translated. The 'printer''s manuscript' is the handwritten copy of the original manuscript that went to the printers, Skousen said.
The critical text version of the Book of Mormon contains everything that was originally written, including spelling errors and editing marks, he said.
By looking at an original document, future generations can discover the multiple layers of meaning in the ancient artifact, said Robert Espinosa, the digital projects librarian in the Special Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library.
Espinosa worked with Skousen to preserve portions of the original manuscript, most of which was damaged by water after being placed in the cornerstone of the Nauvoo House.
Skousen spent the last part of the conference highlighting differences found in the manuscripts.
He said the differences are very subtle and do not change any doctrinal principles. However, knowing what was initially intended helps readers to better understand the Book of Mormon, he said.
Such in-depth study of the Book of Mormon for the last 13 years has been important evidence the Book of Mormon is a revealed text from the Lord, Skousen said.
'The Book of Mormon is a real history of real people,' he said.
Other speakers at the symposium were Ron Romig, the archivist for the Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and Larry Draper, the curator for Mormon Americana, Special Collections in the Harold B. Lee Library. They told the audience of their contributions to the project and also expressed their gratitude for having been involved.
'It was one of my most unforgettable experiences as an archivist,' Romig said.