Shew

The word shew is maintained in the Book of Mormon because we were directed by the Lord not to update archaic language in that work.

Shew is an archaic form of the word show and both are pronounced "shoh".

Scriptures update given at the conference in Sandy, UT

• All of the work on the texts has been completed.
• PDFs for all 3 volumes are available for download from scriptures.info.
• The online scriptures have been updated with the final texts.
• Paperback versions of our scriptures are in the process of being produced and should begin to be available within the next 1-2 weeks. They will be formatted exactly the same as the leather-bound scriptures. They will be broken down into 6 parts as follows:
• The Old Covenants: Genesis - 1 Chronicles
• The Old Covenants: 2 Chronicles - Malachi
• The New Testament
• The Book of Mormon
• Teachings and Commandments
• A Glossary of Gospel Terms
• No paperback will be more than 700 pages, in the hopes that the bindings will last longer than the previous paperbacks have.
• The paperback versions will be available in 3 sizes:
• A5, which is only slightly smaller than 6 x 9 - this is the same size as the leather scriptures.
• A4, which is only slightly larger than 8.5 x 11 - this will be the large print version.
• 5 x 7 - this will be the compact version.
• The A5s will come first, then the large print A4s, then the compact 5 x 7s.
• The paperback versions will be sold individually rather than by the set.
• Once the paperback versions are available, hardback versions will also be produced in:
• A5
• 8.5 x 11 (A4 not available in hardback)
• 5 x 8 (5x7 not available in hardback)
• All of the paperback and hardback books will be Print-On-Demand. There will be many shopping websites worldwide where you can purchase them, including:
• scriptures.shop
• Amazon
• Barnes and Noble
• Foyles
• Waterstones
• Booktopia
• BookDepository
• Espresso Book Machines
• There are many more, and a complete list will be made available soon on scriptures.shop.
• The Android app will be updated with the final text and some new features in about a month. New features will include:
• The ability to add, remove, and navigate to bookmarks.
• The app will open to the last chapter & paragraph the user was reading previously.
• Improved formatting of the text (showing the same styles as on scriptures.info).
• Full-color maps
• Text-to-Speech for listening to the current chapter, with settings for adjusting the voice locale (US/UK), gender, and reading speed.
• Double tap to hide or show the top/bottom bars while reading
• Swipe left or right to go to the next or previous chapter
• There is no updated information on the iPhone at this time.
• Ebook formats are being created from the final texts, and once completed, they can be downloaded from scriptures.info for free. The first round of basic ebook files will hopefully be ready in the next few weeks. Down the road, an updated version of each have greater indexing and linking capabilities. The ebook formats will include:
• ePub
• Mobi
• Kindle
• Pre-ordering of the leather scriptures will hopefully start within the next month - but please do not hold us to the timing given here. We've been reminded continually by the unfolding of this project that there is always more to do than we anticipated. Pre-orders will need to be placed as quickly as possible so that by the time the printer has the paper ordered and in hand, we will be able to provide them with the types and amounts of the different cover choices. We won't have pricing for the leather scriptures until we have seen final samples from the printers competing for our order. We hope to make the final decision within the next few weeks. Once we decide on the printer, we will know what the pricing will be and pre-orders can begin. We will keep you informed.
• Enough interest and research has gone into developing an audio version of the new scriptures that such a project merits consideration. Audio playback is already available on scriptures.info and in the coming update of the Android app, but those are computer generated voices. Those involved in the scriptures project aren't intending to take this on - it's a project unto itself. There is important information already gathered that needs to be shared with anyone interested in taking on the project. If you are interested in undertaking or assisting with a project to produce audio scriptures, send an email to REaudioscriptures@gmail.com. As soon as there is a small group ready to consider it, those people will be connected and can determine for themselves how to move forward. 
• Additional information about the leather scriptures will come in the next couple of weeks, as soon as a few important decisions are made. Though the process for obtaining the leather scriptures has seemed to take far longer than one would suppose, there are a surprising number of steps and not all of them are tightly controllable. We're grateful for all those who have helped out with the research process and expect that when we finally have the scriptures in hand, they will not disappoint. These will be high quality, generational books that are expected to last, if well cared for, more than a lifetime.

We mean it this time.

The texts for all of our scriptures are now locked down.

The PDFs of all 3 volumes have been updated on scriptures.info. You can download the PDFs freely. They are the PDFs we intend to send to the printer for the leather scriptures. The online scriptures for volumes 1&2 (OC & NC) are already updated and the T&C will hopefully be completed by Monday night or Tuesday.

There will be more progress announced at the conference in Sandy, UT this coming Sunday.

We do understand.

A PLEA TO THE SCRIPTURES COMMITTEE (submitted to us on the 16th)

Dear Friends in Christ,

Sometimes I wonder what happens at night in the spiritual realm, because I really woke up this morning with a “bee in my bonnet” about getting the new set of scriptures. Before sharing a few thoughts I feel constrained to relate, please know if you read this note and go, “Who does he think he is? This isn’t his stewardship!” I would totally agree with you.

I only offer this plea in a spirit of gratitude - for all that you have done for each of us, and in a spirit of hunger for the Word of the Lord.

You see, there are many like me who desperately want to grab that red pencil and jump into an onion-skinned or better yet, “lamb-skinned” set, and start learning the scriptures with the words reclaimed in final “mental position.” (Sure we can read online and in rough draft form - but as far as preparing for a real ministry among the people, holding and using the physical set cannot be replaced.)  

Many in the movement have waited months and months to begin the real scripture transition - even as you folks diligently sacrificed for us and for the Lord!

At this time, please let me suggest the repentance we as a people so desperately need, (which will be heightened with having scriptures in physical form) is SO MUCH GREATER than saving a few dollars on a more affordable set. 

Please let me witness that the TIME we have to prepare and repent is dwindling quickly, and that the TIME we need to change is far more precious than any other factor. But our common enemy uses money (and real reasons) to manipulate, limit, control and delay.  

Whether the new scriptures are 25 cents, $79 or $300. How much is the word of the Lord worth? Could anything be more important? And if it is, then that is the core of the problem, not the final cost of the scriptures. This final printing is a values issue, and for those who truly cannot afford the scriptures, it becomes a fellowship-tithing-sacrifice issue to acquire them for them. I am not a wealthy man, but I will sell or acquire whatever is needed to obtain the Word of the Lord. The time lost in saving a few bucks is the real tragedy.

I am not alone when I say I desperately need these scriptures. Please let the Word come out now. Please help folks like me get into the most correct version on the entire Earth! Please don’t let money and fear of people being upset or ungrateful delay what is so deeply need at this key time.

I know you have been falsely accused and unappreciated about many things. I write this as your friend in Christ, not by way of complaint. Please forgive me for “butting in.” For truly, I am truly a flawed and impatient man of great sorrow. I wish I was so much more for the Lord-and I know only in His Word can He make me more.

No matter what happens in the years ahead, thank you for your unseen sacrifice. Thank you for helping people like me change.

HOW WE SEE THINGS

We're as anxious as everyone else to have scriptures to work with. The production of a working set of scriptures has weighed us down and practically worn us out. It's hard to go days and weeks without any visible signs of progress. But I can assure you that a day doesn't pass without work and progress. The rounds of review and correction only ended last night for the Old Covenants and New Covenants. The Teachings and Commandments should be locked down in the next couple of days. Getting things just right isn't a quick thing. So many cats need herding that it takes........................

"25 cents, $79 or $300" is important to many. If it weren't a concern, we would be further along in getting the leather scriptures. We got a lot of feedback from people that $300 scriptures would be elitist, putting the leather scriptures out of reach of many, including large families. And as soon as you move to thinking about the people outside of North America, and further, to Third World countries, price becomes an even greater segregating obstacle. Yes, we should all be willing to sacrifice to obtain the word of God, but when your life leaves nothing to sacrifice, how fair is it to set a price that is high to Americans as the price for everyone around the world? That's why, when we found a printer that appeared to be able to rival the finest Bible printer at only half the price, we determined we needed to take the time to consider what they could offer. We received samples from that printer, but the original specs we gave him were regrettably below what we wanted, so we've had to refine the requirements and are waiting for a final sample in a couple of weeks. If that printer measures up, we will have GENERATIONAL books that are expected to last hundreds of years, at a cost that the finest bible printer can't even consider. And the pricing will be far more reasonable (below $100 for an entire set, whereas the bible alone from the finest bible printer sells for $200) and less discriminatory price. Also, some commented that everyone has scriptures available online, even if printed scriptures aren't readily available. If that argument presented a suitable solution to the problem, you wouldn't have sent me your plea.

The excitement about finally having scriptures that are acceptable to the Lord is palpable. I hear about it almost daily - PLEASE give us SOMETHING! Well, we do have the scriptures online and in an app. We have "nearly there" scriptures in print, though no longer for sale, but those books are falling apart fast. But repentance isn't dependent on physical scriptures. There are underground Christian churches in China that only have one page of the Bible to work with and it doesn't slow them down. There are testimonies online of Muslims in prison who have never read the Bible, but who have had the Lord appear to them and they converted to Christianity. The father of king Lamoni only needed a conversation with a believer to return to his Lord. We suggest that we look to the light, not the book, and be patient. The books will come.

Regarding the poor quality of books so far, that, too, is something that has weighed on us. The cost of the leather scriptures project is over $100,000, so we aren't going to jump into it without making sure we've dotted all the Is and crossed all the Ts. The cost of soft and hard cover sets is less, but what we've seen from Amazon is disappointing and the promise of better hasn't been found thus far. The challenge is that no one will do print-on-demand (POD) books in paper that is much thinner than what Amazon does (55# / 55 pound). But the only bindings offered are the same, so we risk having bindings break. The only way to get paper that is much thinner is to order books in batches, which is expensive compared to POD. If anyone has an alternative that we haven't seen or that knows a printer that can do POD with paper below 45#/68gsm (Amazon is 55#/81gsm), let us know ASAP.

We'd also like to ask everyone to continue praying for the Lord's help that all mistakes are discovered in time and that final stumbling blocks and challenges are quickly overcome so that the time it takes to get all the versions of the scriptures available is kept to a minimum.

A final note on printed versions of the scriptures. Here are the anticipated versions through the various printers we are talking with:

• Leather scripture sets
• Soft and hard cover sets, maybe through POD
• Large Print soft cover sets
• Compact soft and hard cover sets
• Stand-alone soft cover Glossary and Book of Mormon

Section 101 Resolution

The original Section 101 "On Marriage" was determined to be left out of the T&C. Going into the recent conference held at Grand Junction, a group of individuals expressed concern about the possibility of polygamy rearing its head again. They believed that adding Section 101 to the T&C by a vote would give the strong statement they felt was needed against polygamy. Because the possibility was raised in the week running up to the conference, there was not enough time for people to prepare for such a vote; there was also the concern that the scriptures project would be done soon after and no opportunity would be available to vote on the matter.

After discussions with the group, the most acceptable solution for all concerned was to add the section as a historical document to the Appendix in Volume 3. However...

There has been an unexpected amount of push-back over the inclusion of the section in the appendix. Numerous emails have laid out  some very good reasons why the section is not necessary in order to address the issue of polygamy:

• The Answer to Prayer for Covenant & Jacob 2 are overtly more anti-polygamy than Section 101.
• The Answer to Prayer for Covenant includes this: “ I commanded that there shall not any man have save it be one wife, and concubines he shall have none.”; whereas Section 101 is less straightforward, capable of being circumvented by careful wordsmithing. “Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband, except in case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again." Polygamy per se is not condemned in Section 101. God’s will is not stated, only what “we believe”, whereas the Answer to Prayer for Covenant & Jacob 2 give God’s will on multiple wives.
• Adding Section 101 to the T&C adds little doctrinally & includes some requirements for marriage that apparently don’t come from God:
• To allow for all possible roles to act as the authority to marry, we would have to institute the office of Bishop within fellowships.
• Private marriages would no longer be allowed; public ceremonies only.
• Every fellowship would have to select a clerk for recording marriages.
• Anyone marrying outside the movement would be considered "weak in the faith."
• All children would be bound by law to obey their parents.

• In T&C 157 the Lord tells us, "And now I will accept what you have produced and you need not labor further to recover my words, but to complete your labors as you have agreed." In T&C 177 He says, "The work that has been done is acceptable and sufficient for the
  labor now underway." Removing D&C 132 and giving us a replacement in the Answer to Prayer for Covenant are more than enough to turn aside a true seeker from continuing polygamy.

The original concern was having a strong statement against polygamy. That is already found in our current scriptures. So there doesn't appear to be a need to include the original Section 101 in the Appendix or T&C. It was originally left out of the T&C because it was not a product of either Joseph or Hyrum. We will therefore leave it out.

What we're up to...

We received a genuine inquiry about why we would want to produce expensive leather-bound scriptures.

To be clear, our goal is to produce the finest books possible while at the same time making them available at as affordable a cost as possible. We want the quality of the volumes to be superior so they will endure. We want the cost to be as low as possible.

Here is the email and the responses we provided:

While pondering the logistical/financial details explained by Denver in Grand Junction, CO pertaining to the ordering of the leather bound scriptures, I had some impressions that left me feeling I needed to reach out.

In the "Response from the Lord on Acceptance of Scriptures" the 3rd paragraph down reads

"These scriptures are sent forth to be my warning to the world, my comfort to the faithful, my counsel to the meek, my reproof to the proud, my rebuke to the contentious, and my condemnation of the wicked. They are my invitation to all mankind to flee from corruption, repent and be baptized in my name and prepare for the coming judgment."

I trust the Lord and know with Him all things are possible. If these are truly His words and His response, He will surely provide a way. However, with the extremely limited printing situation, how long will it take us to spread them far enough to warn the world and to get them to whoever needs them for any of the following; to be comforted, counseled, reproved, rebuked, or condemned. 

I'm sure it's been considered how to print an affordable version that could be given out (or sold an affordable price, at any given moment they come across it and want to order) to those seeking something like this from the scriptures. I wouldn't want to just hand them out to anyone who will make eye contact, leading a lot to go in the trash, the way Books of Mormon are in LDS missions. But this achievement and blessing is very precious and valuable, having the scriptures restored and formatted like this is clearly an essential work to the Lord!

I do not want/need the edges of my scriptures to have gold edges. Why was that decision made, did it cost extra? Thin-skinned paper with durable cover is a great and wonderful blessing of God! I want to offer them to many people (technically everyone I know, including non-believers because how much the difference affects the readability), but with the one-time ordering of what could be $100 scriptures that of course isn't practical. The PDF being available isn't the same, because I know I am not the only one who doesn't want to always read from a screen. If it made no difference to read PDF or a book this wouldn't be so exciting for people in the movement and you wouldn't be ordering something around 1,400 volumes. (Sorry, I don't remember the number exactly)

I greatly appreciate all the work that has already been done, and in no way am I wanting to diminish that. And also, I hope the acknowledgement is clear that if the answers to my questions (which I am sure are not unique) were so simple of course you guys would have already thought of it and done it that way. It's clear to me there is a lot of information I don't have that would help explain why you are going about it this way. So, please don't take this as any accusation or anything, just seeking to understand and also hopefully aid in God's work in all things. 

I wonder, how low will their discount go per how many we have to buy? Is there a durable, eco-friendly, way that's cheaper than leather way to bind a book that still will hold the thin paper? Are there cheaper "onion skin" materials like hemp paper perhaps? Would it be worthwhile to invest in a printing press of our own to cut out profit margins? I'd much much rather have cheaper materials and have many people have access to this precious, delicious gift, than have my very own elite special never-printed-again-for-the-foreseeable-future gold edged first edition super scriptures.

I hope this comes off with the love I intend it! I get anxious easily, and don't want my writing to offend. Again, I acknowledge great work and sacrifice has gone into these efforts. Time from family, and I'm sure fielding a lot of emails with people like me trying to each put in their two cents. I am not intending this to be that way, nosing into a work I didn't help complete. Simply that the way I see it, is for these scriptures to be a "warning to the world" they need to reach much further than those who can afford them in this exact timing, while currently being aware of them, and while most likely involved and connected with the Remnant movement. I think these being available to faithful, deceived LDS members could make a huge difference in them finally actually having their eyes opened to the Word of the Lord without the mis-colorings of modern apostasy. 

OUR RESPONSE:

This is just an assumption, but from your approach, it sounds like you believe that we will only have leather scriptures available, other than PDFs and scriptures.info. Please rest assured that we are mindful of the many that either don't know about the scriptures or that are in places where leather scriptures will either be difficult or impossible to obtain, due to cost or distribution limitations. We are taking steps to make sure that the scriptures are available in many forms:

• Online at scriptures.info
• Downloadable PDFs
• ebooks
• Mobile phone apps
• Leather-bound volumes
• Paperback books
• Hard cover books

We're changing printers for the paperback and hard cover books so that we can use a distribution system that can reach worldwide. We also may be able to get the printing costs of paperbacks and hard cover books down to less than half of the current Amazon cost.

One other point. There is a very good reason for gilding page edges - it prevents insects that feed on paper, such as silverfish, from getting past the metallic edge. The point of making more expensive leather-bound copies of scriptures is so that they will last for generations. A time will come when printing isn't available any longer. We are doing everything in our power to have the finest books made so that some will endure.

I hope this addresses what you seem to be getting at - making the scriptures available to as many people as possible and why we would produce expensive copies of scripture.

--Chris

THEN:

Chris has touched on the value of gilding edges, but there are more reasons than one.  The determination to put metal on the edges of books was a discovery made in the Middle Ages that dramatically extended the life of a book.  Not only does it preserve the page from insects, but it also forms a barrier against rot, mold and water.  Gilding uses gold because it is so malleable, easy to apply, and wears well.  It is not a matter of just style, but a matter of book protection, defense and durability.

Most of the world no longer buys books.  They use electronic versions.  Throughout Latin America, for example, it is rare to have a book in a printed form, even for avid readers.  The world has migrated onto the hand-held electronic versions for price and convenience.  Therefore no matter what we do to reduce printing and make low-cost distribution available world-wide, the world's largest body of readers will use the electronic version.

As to costs for the printing, every cost lowering idea has been explored, including tracking cover materials back through the distribution chain to the first source of the material to make a direct, bulk purchase option for cost-lowering.  And printers worldwide have been consulted, not just American or European printers.  Work on the printing has consumed many days of labor to put a comprehensive specification list, and then have printers acknowledge and bid on the basis of that comprehensive specification list.  We have been fortunate to have an actual qualified maker of books, who restores valuable but damaged texts professionally as a consultant.  He has refurbished or repaired many of the original copies of the Book of Mormon printed in EB Grandin's shop.  He has worked with many of the materials we have reviewed, and made valuable contributions to the specifications, including lower-cost and more durable leather treatment.

2 Adjustments

In response to questions posed by observant folks, we have learned some things that affect our scriptures:

In his talk given at the 2016 Sunstone Symposium, titled Was There An Original?, Denver recounted Joseph Smith's last dream, had the night before he died. It was pointed out that Denver had removed the three references to "the church". In footnote 210 of the transcript Denver wrote: TPJS pp. 393-394, edited to remove insertions about the church that do not belong in the account.

When asked, And is this verifiable or simply something you happen to know?, he responded: It is something I know, but I've never seen in any historical document--because it was recounted and recorded postmortem.

Given his understanding of the matter, it has been determined that his more correct version should be used in the T&C, so the three references to "the church" will be removed.


During the development of the Timeline of the Fathers it was pointed out that while we have the age of each father noted as to when he was ordained to the Holy Order, there was no such age given for Melchizedek. The matter was brought up again yesterday and the question was posed to Denver whether he knew what that age was. He replied:

There is no age given for his ordination. He exhibited great faith "when a child" and qualified because of his great works to be ordained as a result. (His father having been ordained at the age of 10). The record states, immediately after defining this as "when a child" that Melchizedek "thus, having been approved of God, he was ordained a high priest after the Order of the covenant."  That does not necessarily mean he was ordained as a child, but that he was approved of God for ordination because of his great faith exhibited while he was still a child.

That having been said, there would be little reason to mention he had this great faith to qualify "when a child" unless the immediately following reference to ordination to the Holy Order were not likewise a childhood event.  In the absence of direct proof to the contrary, I would conclude he was ordained at the same age as his father, when 10 years of age. I would make that "perhaps 10" rather than a definitive "10".

The notation "~10" will be added to Melchizedek's timeline.

Section 174 Vote Results

Here are the results of the vote on Section 174:

338 in favor and 17 against formally adopting the Section within our scriptures.
324 in favor and 21 against adding a second paragraph of material to the section.

Section 174, with the additional material, will be included in the T&C.

The Mystery of the Running Headers

There have been enough volunteers during the final text review of the scriptures who have been baffled by how the running headers are arranged at the top of the pages that they should likely be explained.

Most scriptures use running headers that give the starting and ending verses on a given page. We have simplified that by indicating the starting new paragraph number at the top of the left-hand page and the last new paragraph number at to of the right-hand page:

Here is a link to a sample.

Section 174 Vote

To participate in a vote to formally add what has bee Section 174 to our scriptures and to separately vote on expanding that section, click on the following:

VOTE

This vote will continue through this coming Sat, May 11th.

Oops

Somewhere along the way an important item was missed. The Lord's explanation to us of what He meant by "mutual agreement" was added as a section to the T&C, but no record of a vote to do so can be found. Perhaps it was assumed that something from the Lord would undoubtedly be added. Not sure, but we need to formally rectify the problem, so an online vote to adopt His explanation as scripture and to add it to the T&C as Section 174 will be held next week. In the meantime, please spread the word that the vote will be coming. A post about it will be made here and on Scriptures.info.

There has also been a proposal to add to the same section some information Denver gave about it. Here is how the additional vote will be worded:

An expansion to 174 has been proposed. In his talk That We Might Become One (Jan 14, 2018) Denver explained:

"When the definition was given, it was accompanied by the realization the Lord could have disputed every day of His life with someone. He deliberately chose to not contend. He was not an argumentative personality."

The reasons for the addition/expansion were given as follows:

1. It gives greater understanding of the Lord and the Lord’s personality not found anywhere else. 
2. It assists people in understanding how to go about solving disagreements in the way the Lord did.  It's directly related to us and our current desire for Zion, and is focused on the Lord.
3. It directly relates to the answer about mutual agreement, as Denver stated it “accompanied” the revelation. Therefore it seems like it should also accompany the answer as part of 174. It sheds light on the Lord’s ministry and choices.

It is proposed that Denver's remarks be added as a second paragraph to the proposed Section 174.

Glossary Additions

The growth of the Glossary had to stop at some point and that was the announcement of the stand-alone publication. But words continue to pop up in Denver's teaching that should arguably be in there. For that reason we have made sure to add about 10 blank pages at the end of the Glossary for adding definitions and explanations that we run across. For example, in the talk Denver gave in conference this past Sunday he defined "good" and explained what is meant by "judgment". Those will not be added in print in the Glossary, but can readily find a place in the back. Perhaps a mark of some sort in the body of the terms could point to those entries being in the back...

New sections in the T&C

The addition of material on the Resurrection to expand Section 161 was voted in the positive unanimously. The Lord's approval of the scriptures project becoming Section 177 was also voted in the positive unanimously. They will be added to scriptures.info and the mobile apps within the next few days.

It's all there... Almost

Vol. 3 of the scriptures (Teachings and Commandments) is now updated to the final text on scriptures.info. The glossary has also been updated to include over 400 entries. There are a few ancillary tools to be added or updated in the coming week.

LIVE

The final text of Vol. 1 (The Old Covenants) and Vol. 2 (The New Covenants) are live on scriptures.info. We are working to get Vol. 3 (Teachings and Commandments) live before the conference.

Proposal for Addition to the T&C

We've been asked to post this:

It will be proposed in the upcoming conference to expand Section 161 (Gethsemane) to include visionary material from Come, Let Us Adore Him about the Resurrection. You can download a PDF of the proposed expanded section here.


Here is the proposed revision:

SECTION 161

Vision on 26 February 2005, related by Denver Snuffer Jr. in Come, Let Us Adore Him as “Gethsemane”. Also, extracts of a vision given to Denver Snuffer Jr. March 14, 2005, reported in the chapter titled “Resurrection.”

1 I knew a man in Christ about four years ago who, being overshadowed by the spirit on the 26th of February, 2005, had the Lord appear to him again. And the Lord spoke to him face to face in plain humility, as one man speaks to another, calling him by name. As they spoke the Lord put forth His hand and touched the eyes of the man and said, Look! The man had opened before him a view of the Lord kneeling in prayer. It was in a dark place. The air was heavy and overcast with sorrow. The man beheld the Lord praying in Gethsemane on the night of His betrayal and before His crucifixion.

2 All the Lord had previously done in His mortal ministry by healing the sick, raising the dead, giving sight to the blind, restoring hearing to the deaf, curing the leper, and ministering relief to others as he taught was but a prelude to what the Lord was now to do on this dark, oppressive night.

3 As the Lord knelt in prayer, His vicarious suffering began. He was overcome by pain and anguish. He felt within Him, not just the pains of sin, but also the illnesses men suffer as a result of the Fall and their foolish and evil choices. The suffering was long and the challenge difficult. The Lord suffered the afflictions. He was healed from the sickness. He overcame the pains, and patiently bore the infirmities until, finally, he returned to peace of mind and strength of body. It took an act of will and hope for Him to overcome the affliction which had been poured upon Him. He overcame the separation caused by these afflictions and reconciled with His Father. He was at peace with all mankind.

4 He thought His sufferings were over, but to His astonishment another wave overcame Him. This one was much greater than the first. The Lord, who had been kneeling, fell forward onto His hands at the impact of the pain that was part of a greater, second wave.

5 This second wave was so much greater than the first that it seemed to entirely overcome the Lord. The Lord was now stricken with physical injuries as well as spiritual affliction. As he suffered anew, His flesh was torn which he healed using the power of the charity within Him. The Lord had such life within Him, such power and virtue within Him, that although he suffered in His flesh, these injuries healed and His flesh restored. His suffering was both body and spirit, and there was anguish of thought, feeling, and soul.

6 The Lord overcame this second wave of suffering, and again found peace of mind and strength of body; and His heart filled with love despite what he had suffered. Indeed, it was charity or love that allowed Him to overcome. He was at peace with His Father, and with all mankind, but it required another, still greater act of will and charity than the first for Him to do so.

7 Again, the Lord thought His suffering was over. He stayed on His hands and knees for a moment to collect Himself when another wave of torment burst upon Him. This wave struck Him with such force he fell forward upon His face. He was afflicted by this greater wave. He was then healed, only to then be afflicted again as the waves of torment overflowed. Wave after wave poured out upon Him, with only moments between them. The Lord’s suffering progressed from a lesser to a greater portion of affliction; for as one would be overcome by Him, the next, greater affliction would then be poured out. Each wave of suffering was only preparation for the next, greater wave.

8 The pains of mortality, disease, injury, and infirmity, together with the sufferings of sin, transgressions, guilt of mind, and unease of soul, the horrors of recognition of the evils men had inflicted upon others, were all poured out upon Him, with confusion and perplexity multiplied upon Him.

9 He longed for it to be over, and thought it would end long before it finally ended. With each wave he thought it would be the last, but then another came upon Him, and then yet another.

10 The one beholding this scene was pained by what he saw, and begged for the vision of the Lord’s suffering to end. He could not bear to see his Lord suffering in this manner. The petition was denied and the vision did not end, for the Lord required him to witness it.

11 The man saw that the Lord pleaded again with the Father that “this cup may pass” from Him. But the Lord was determined to suffer the Father’s will and not His own. Therefore, a final wave came upon Him with such violence as to cut Him at every pore. It seemed for a moment that he was torn apart, and that blood came out of every pore. The Lord writhed in pain upon the ground as this great final torment was poured upon Him.

12 All virtue was taken from Him. All the great life force in Him was stricken and afflicted. All the light turned to darkness. He was humbled, drained, and left with nothing. It is not possible for a man to bear such pains and live, but with nothing more than will, hope in His Father, and charity toward all men, He emerged from the final wave of torment, knowing he had suffered all this for His Father and His brethren. By His hope and great charity, trusting in the Father, the Lord returned from this dark abyss and found grace again, His heart being filled with love toward the Father and all men.

13 These great burdens were borne by the Lord not only on behalf of mankind, but also as a necessary prelude to His death upon a Roman cross. Had he not been so physically weakened by these sufferings and drained of power from within, the scourging and crucifixion he suffered at the hands of men could not have taken His life.

14 It was many hours after this vision closed before the one who witnessed this suffering could compose himself again. He wept because of the vision shown him, and he wondered at the Lord’s great suffering for mankind.

15 The witness reflected for many days upon this scene of the Lord’s great suffering. He read many times the account of the Lord’s agony given to Joseph Smith, which reads, Therefore I command you to repent — repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore — how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not. For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit — and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink — Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men. [T&C 4:5]

16 He pondered and asked, Why were there waves of torment? Why did they increase in difficulty? How were they organized as they seemed to fit a pattern?

17 After long inquiring into the things which he had seen, the Lord, who is patient and merciful and willing to instruct those who call upon Him, again appeared to the man on the 20th of December, 2007. He made known unto him that the waves of torment suffered by the Lord came in pairs which mirrored each other. The first of each wave poured upon the Lord those feelings, regrets, recriminations, and pains felt by those who injured their fellow man. Then followed a second wave, which mirrored the first, but imposed the pains suffered by the victims of the acts committed by those in the first wave. Instead of the pains of those who inflict hurt or harm, it was now the anger, bitterness, and resentments felt by those who suffered these wrongs.

18 From each wave of suffering, whether as the one afflicting or as the victim of those wrongs, the Lord would overcome the evil feelings associated with these wrongs, and find His heart again filled with peace. This was why, in the vision of the suffering of the Lord, it was in the second waves that there appeared oftentimes to be injuries to His body.

19 The greater difficulty in these paired waves of torment was always overcoming the suffering of the victim. With these waves the Lord learned to overcome the victims’ resentments, to forgive, and to heal both body and spirit. This was more difficult than overcoming the struggles arising from the one who committed the evil. This is because the one doing evil knows he has done wrong and feels a natural regret when he sees himself aright. The victim, however, always feels it is their right to hold resentment, to judge their persecutor, and to withhold peace and love for their fellow men. The Lord was required to overcome both so that he could succor both.

20 In the pairing of the waves, the first torment was of the mind and spirit, and the second was torment of mind, spirit, and body.

21 The Lord experienced all the horror and regret wicked men feel for their crimes when they finally see the truth. He experienced the suffering of their victims whose righteous anger and natural resentment and disappointment must also be shed, and forgiveness given, in order for them to find peace. He overcame them all. He descended below them all. He comprehends it all. And he knows how to bring peace to them all. He knows how to love others whether they are the one who has given offense or the one who is a victim of the offense.

22 In the final wave, the most brutal, most evil, most heinous sins men inflict upon one another were felt by Him as a victim of the worst men can do. He knew how it felt to wrongly suffer death. He knew what it was like to be a mother holding a child in her arms as they are both killed by those who delight in their suffering. He knew how it was for ambitious men to rid themselves of a rival by conspiracy and murder. He knew what it was to have virtue robbed from the innocent. He knew betrayal, treachery, and abuse in all its worst degrading horror. There was no cruelty, no offense, no evil that mankind has suffered or will suffer that was not put upon Him.

23 He knew what it is like for men to satisfy their ambition by clothing their hypocrisy in religious garb. He also felt what it was like to be the victim of religious oppression by those who pretend to practice virtue while oppressing others. He knew the hearts of those who would kill Him. Before confronting their condemnation of Him in the flesh, he suffered their torment of mind when they recognized he was the Lord, and then found peace for what they would do by rejecting Him. In this extremity there was madness itself as he mirrored the evil which would destroy Him, and learned how to come to peace with the Father after killing the Son of God, and to love all those involved without restraint and without pretense even before they did these terrible deeds. His suffering, therefore, encompassed all that has happened, all that did happen, and all that would happen in the future.

24 As a result of what the Lord suffered, there is no condition — physical, spiritual, or mental — that he does not fully understand. He knows how to teach, comfort, succor, and direct any who come to Him seeking forgiveness and peace. This is why the prophet wrote: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. [Isa. 19:2] And again: Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. [Isa. 19:2] He obtained this knowledge by the things he suffered. He suffered that we might avoid sin by being obedient to His commandments. None of us need harm another, if we will follow Him. He knows fully the consequences of sin. He teaches His followers how to avoid sin.

25 The prophet Alma taught and understood our Lord’s sufferings as he wrote: And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. [Alma 5:3]

26 He can bring peace to any soul. He can help those who will come to Him love their fellow man. He alone is the Perfect Teacher because he alone has the knowledge each of us lack to return to being whole and at peace with the God and Father of us all after our transgression of His will. He is wise to what is required for each man’s salvation.

27 As the Lord made these terrible things known to the man he cried out, Hosanna to the Lamb of God! He has trodden the winepress alone! Glory, honor, and mercy be upon the Chosen One for ever and ever! I will submit unto anything you see fit to require of me! I will bend my knee in obedience to you! Let thy will, not mine be done! For worthy is the Lamb! Then, thinking upon how trifling his difficulties and disappointments had been in comparison with the suffering he saw imposed upon his Lord, the man added, Surely goodness and mercy have been mine all the days of my life!

28 And the Lord responded, And you shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Then the man wept.


29 When I saw His resurrection, I was surprised to see it was still dark. When Mary realized it was Jesus, she embraced Him joyfully. She did not timidly reach out her hand, but she readily greeted Him with open arms, and He, in turn, embraced her. It is difficult to describe what I saw of the incident, apart from saying the Lord was triumphant, exultant, overjoyed at His return from the grave! She shared His joy. I was shown the scene and do not have words to adequately communicate how complete the feelings of joy and gratitude were which were felt by our Lord that morning. As dark and terrible were the sufferings through which He passed, the magnitude of which is impossible for man to put into words, these feelings of triumph were, on the other hand, of equal magnitude in their joy and gratitude. I do not think it possible for a mortal to feel a fullness of either. And, having felt some of what He shares with His witnesses, I know words are inadequate to capture His feelings on the morning of His resurrection. He had the deep satisfaction of having accomplished the most difficult assignment given by the Father, knowing it was a benefit to all of His Father’s children, and it had been done perfectly. 
30 Mary and Christ embraced. There was nothing timid about the warm encounter she had with Him. Then He said to her, “Hold me not” because He had to ascend, return and report to His Father. Joseph Smith was correct when he revised this language. I then saw Him ascend to heaven. I saw the golden heavenly light glowing down upon Mary as she watched His ascent. All this happened while it was yet dark on the morning He rose from the dead. He has shown this to me and I can testify to it as a witness. 
31 Although I have disclosed some of what I have been shown I cannot tell all. If I have a witness of the Lord’s resurrection, certainly you can have the same. There is nothing significant about me. Further, I cannot compel you to believe me, but can truthfully testify of Him. Believe His promise to come to you and comfort you, and take up His abode with you (John 9:8). Believe Him, because everybody is equally dependent upon Him for their hope of salvation. Never put your eternal salvation in the hands of anyone other than Jesus Christ, who paid to ransom you. Belief based upon the testimony or witness of another should never satisfy you. You should press forward and obtain your own witness of your Risen Lord. Move into action, grow beyond belief, act in conformity to the things He has asked you, and develop faith. Use that faith to develop knowledge of Him, then you will not be dependent upon anyone else for knowledge which will both save you and assure you eternal life. 

Scriptures Approved

For many months we have hoped that we would learn what the Lord thinks of the work done in the scriptures project. Last weekend we accounted for the work we had done. Having finalized the texts, we asked Denver to speak with the Lord regarding all that had been attempted and completed. Here is the Lord's response to his supplication:

Revelation received through Denver Snuffer Jr., recorded on the morning of 6 April, 2019, in response to his supplication on behalf of the scriptures project completion.

1 You have asked to know if the scriptures are acceptable and approved, or if there is more to be done:

2 The work that has been done is acceptable and sufficient for the labor now underway. You were permitted to update language, select a current vocabulary and you were warned not to change any meaning. I reminded you that you do not understand the glory to be revealed unto my covenant people. You were instructed to complete the agreed upon labors, and you have done as was required.

3 These scriptures are sent forth to be my warning to the world, my comfort to the faithful, my counsel to the meek, my reproof to the proud, my rebuke to the contentious, and my condemnation of the wicked. They are my invitation to all mankind to flee from corruption, repent and be baptized in my name, and prepare for the coming judgment.

4 False witnesses will be exposed, and the imaginings of the wicked heart will prove a curse unto them. A corrupt and foolish world will be brought to harvest, while the faithful who receive my words, obey my voice, covenant with me, and abide my law shall be preserved. I come as a thief in the night, and none can stay my coming.

5 I ordained this work and labored beside you. No man should condemn these words, or see the weakness of my laborers when I judge their hearts. All their weakness, foolishness and vanity are before me, and none of it is hidden to me. To vindicate the promises I made to the fathers, I will bear patiently with all of you for my name’s sake. If I accept their work despite their weaknesses, that I may fulfill my promises to gather my people under my wings, then stop murmuring and complaining against those who labor. If you expect mercy, then show mercy to others. I, your Lord, am pleased with all those who are grateful and merciful and who will have me be their God. I am meek and lowly of heart.

This text has been formatted with the intention of presenting it during the upcoming conference for a vote to add it to the body of scriptures. A PDF of this text can be downloaded from here.


All of the finalized texts have been submitted to scriptures.info for processing and uploading. We hope to see the final texts available on that site within the next week. We will post an announcement when they are ready and available.

Is the web site current?

Some have asked whether the scriptures found today on scriptures.info are current, are there final text. No. Though we completed the primary project this week, it takes time to get the text formatted in a way the web site can upload them. We are hoping that we will have the scriptures to the coder and uploaded within the next week. We will announce that accomplishment here when it happens.

IT IS FINISHED.

We have been told that there are some who are surprised that there have been ongoing updates to the scriptures since their adoption in Boise during the Covenant Conference, including some additions. Additions are due to things the Lord has directed Denver to have us modify as we have been proofreading the scriptures over the past year. The changes are due to the ongoing discovery of archaic terms and grammar that had not been identified by the time the lists of archaic terms were provided during the Boise Conference, or items that were somehow missed as we worked with the original manuscripts, either by our own notice or by someone bringing it to our attention.

Periodically, as a significant portion of text has been completed, we've updated the scriptures available for purchase on Amazon and also, at times, on scriptures.info. However, there are still significant portions that have not been updated. These will all be updated shortly. As work on the scriptures project is coming to a close, there will be significant updates to many of the texts. For that reason, sales of all volumes available on Amazon have been suspended until the final texts are uploaded. This will not be a long delay. At the same time, PDFs showing all changes made to the texts from May of  2018 to the present will be simultaneously made available on both this blog and on scriptures.info for anyone currently possessing copies. More information will be given at the upcoming conference in Colorado this April.

In the Answer to Prayer for Covenant, the Lord stated the following:

15 ...You may remove the brackets from your record, as I accept your clarifications, and you are permitted to proceed to the end with your plan to update language to select a current vocabulary, but take care not to change meaning — and if you cannot resolve the meaning, either petition me again or retain the former words.

45 And now I will accept what you have produced and you need not labor further to recover my words, but to complete your labors as you have agreed. You have inquired about the details, including punctuation, and what I say unto one I say unto all: I have given to you my doctrine, and have also revealed teachings, commandments, precepts, and principles to guide you, and it is not meet that I command you in all things — reason together and apply what I have given you, and it will be enough.

It is apparent from the above that the Lord intends to accept what we have produced, but that there was an expectation at the time of the revelation that there was still work to do. The original plan agreed to by the committee was to restore all possible text as closely to what Joseph Smith attempted during his lifetime, and that has been the ongoing work that has kept us busy for the past year.

Today, all those who have contributed to the production of the scriptures project met with Denver to account to each other and to him regarding our role(s) in the project and how faithfully we have adhered to what the Lord directed. We all ​affirmed with a clear conscience that we have done as He has directed, and have neither overstepped the limits placed upon us nor neglected anything we were directed to accomplish. That plan was in place at the time of the adoption of the scriptures in preparation for the Covenant, and today has been completed.

All that remains for us to do is to complete work on peripheral portions of the volumes and then to get the texts updated on scriptures.info and on Amazon. We also have to reformat the texts in preparation for publishing leather-bound scriptures.

Why parts were left out of the T&C

We've created a doc to be posted on scriptures.info that explains why some "revelations" and other items have been left out of the T&C. A condensed version will be added to the scriptures as we prepare them for final printing. The PDF EXCLUDED REVELATIONS can be downloaded from this site over to the right or through this link.

A new tool and an update.

Scriptures.info has announced: "A bidirectional reference translation page for the Book of Mormon both to and from LDS references is also now available."

You will need to click on the announcement link on the home page in order to get to the tool. WAY TO GO, CODER!


Also, the New Testament has been updated to it's most current text (except "note" in 1 John 1:15, which will be updated soon). The Book of Mormon text is also fully updated (except "and" in Enos 1:1, also to be updated shortly.)

When it's done, it's done.

People continue to purchase scriptures from Amazon.com. Some are buying updated copies as we work through the proofing of every work in the scriptures.

We have heard that when the leather-bound scriptures are finally published this summer, some will wait to purchase their copy until a second or third printing, in case there are updates.

We want to make it clear that once the text is sent to the printer for the first printing of the leather-bound scriptures (and to scriptures.info and Amazon for final updating) - we have no intention of doing any further work on the scriptures. They will remain as is until the Lord directs otherwise. The only issues that would arise would be obvious typos, and none will be accepted without proof they are typos (too often we are emailed with "typos" that turn out to be restoration of Joseph Smith's work).

Provisions are being made for additional sections to be added to the T&C during the short-term. For the long-term, when we have enough additional sections, several possible solutions will be considered and offered.

Almost missed it

We're very grateful that the tools used by scriptures.info help in checking our work. It was discovered last week that some text in 2 Nephi was completely missing! We want everyone to be aware of it and to know that it was not an intentional deletion. For those with paperback copies of the scriptures, the following sentences may be missing:

2 Nephi 5:5
For shall the prey be taken from the mighty? Or the lawful captive delivered?

These should be the last sentences in paragraph 5. 

The explanation for why it was missing is unclear. Simple keystrokes during editing, for example, or during formatting could account for it. We don't know how it happened. We're just grateful that it was caught. 

Tracking changes 2

Here is a link to a PDF that tracks all of the changes made to the NT from May 2018 to the end of January:

New Testament Changes May 2018-Jan 2019

Continued Transparency

Here is a link to the account statement for the royalties paid on the sale of scriptures through Amazon.com:

Account Statement

 As a reminder, we keep the price of the scriptures as low as Amazon will allow, but they insist that a royalty be made/paid on every book. We cannot refuse it. Since the statement doesn't give a total, it is $6,436.72.

No funds have ever been removed from the account. That will change shortly. Some funds will be used to purchase sample scriptures from the finalist publishers being considered for the printing of the leather-bound scriptures. We anticipate only 3-4 samples need to be purchased in total, meaning we anticipate spending less than $400.

Regarding the final specs for the leather-bound sets, here is our list that has been sent out in each Request for Quote:

• 6" x 9" page size
• Rounded corners
• 900-1200 Pages Per Inch biblestock paper (36-45 gsm)
• 100% cotton, archive quality paper
• Archive quality ink
• Guilded page edges
• Smythe-sewn binding with silk thread
• 48-64 page signatures
• 2 bookmark ribbons per volume
• Lambskin or goat skin leather cover
• Tooled lettering on cover spine only

 These specs should result in books that last more than a lifetime. We are consulting with a bookbinder to professionally assess the quality of the samples received.

Scripture References, Kindle, and Progress

As the T&C began to take shape, we realized that there would be challenges with how to reference some of the parts, specifically (1) the Joseph Smith History, (2) the Lectures on Faith, (3) the Book of Abraham, and then (4) the Testimony of St. John. Several discussions resulted in a workable system that needs to be explained as we get close to finalizing the T&C:

• The scriptures are WORKS (OT, NT, Book of Mormon, T&C)
• that are made up of BOOKS (Genesis, Psalms, Luke, Acts, Alma, 3 Nephi)
• which are divided into CHAPTERS and PARAGRAPHS.

• The T&C is a hybrid of both SECTIONS (as the D&C was traditionally was, rather than chapters) and also BOOKS (1-4 above).
• The SECTIONS don't have internal divisions other than paragraphs, but the BOOKS do.
• Also, in the JSH, there are no CHAPTERS, but there are PARTS, which act as chapters, and the LoF has LECTURES instead of CHAPTERS.

To work with several variations, yet maintain a standardized referencing system similar to what is used in most scriptures:

• SECTIONS use a regular # : # approach — T&C 89:4 is SECTION 89: PARAGRAPH 4.
• BOOKS (because there are only 4 to remember) don't reference their T&C Section number. Doing so would result in a # : # : # reference that is so uncommon as to be confusing. Instead, as with any other BOOK, simply use the book name and then the standard chapter : paragraph # : # approach:
• JSH 15:4 (Part 15:paragraph 4)
• LoF 2:2 (Lecture 2:paragraph 2)
• Abr. 6:1 (Chapter 6:paragraph 1)
• TSJ 11:7 (Chapter 11:paragraph 7)

The immediate first question might be: Where is the Book of Abraham or Lectures on Faith? There's a Table of Contents at the front of the work, and after only a few trips to them (there are only 4 to remember — Sections 1, 110, 145, 171), it will be easy to find them all!

We don't reference Alma 12:10 by stating "Book of Mormon, Alma 12:10", so it will be unnecessary to state "T&C 110: Lecture 2:16", but instead "Lectures on Faith 2:16". Use of the scriptures will make us familiar with where to find the books that are in the T&C.

*******

We've been asked about having the Kindle version of the scriptures. We want that, but must make sure that everything is as good as it will get, because just like the print versions on Amazon, if we update the content within Kindle, existing copies will not be updated. Here is what Kindle says:

• We only send customers updates to serious quality issues. Sending customers updated content may erase notes or highlights they entered, so the improvements must outweigh the disadvantages. We won't accept your request if you:
  • Added, deleted, or changed words, sentences, pages, chapters, or images.
  • Changed a character's name or your eBook's plot.
  • Added, deleted, or changed links or marketing information
  • Made significant changes that warrant a new edition.

That is why we've held off up to now and will wait until the content is ready for the leather-bound sets. In the meantime, once a WORK is completed, we also make a list of all changes that have been made since May 2018 available in a PDF for the work. It can be downloaded from scriptures.info. So far we only have such a PDF for the Book of Mormon and will have the entire NC doc ready shortly.

*******

The T&C is moving along rapidly and we expect to have it completed by the end of next week. That includes color maps (for scriptures.info and leather-bound versions) and a much larger Glossary of Terms. However, there will be minor updates to the T&C coming, due to punctuation updated in the OC. We need to make sure that quoted scriptures match our updated scriptures when relevant.

Hope this helps.