Questions about buying scriptures - Are they current?

From an email today:

I have...questions, I am hoping you can help me find the answers to. I would like to buy the Old & New Covenants, as well as the T&C that are currently for sale on Amazon.com. However, I would like to know if the needed corrections of errors that people have been sending in, are updated/corrected in these, if I buy them now? (*If not, do you happen to know when they will be? I really like these paper editions (GREAT for note taking), but want to make sure I the errors found, up to date, corrected in them.) Another question... Is there anywhere, or any possible place that can be made accessible, where we can see what corrections have been made/are needing to be made to the New Covenants? (The T&C & The Old Covenants too, if possible!!!) My thought is, if I know all of the errors & what the corrections are suppose to be, I can go through my paper copies I have/am purchasing & make the necessary correction with a pen. That would be so helpful IF the ones we can order today on Amazon.com are not updated.

RESPONSE:

The scriptures aren't finished yet. We have completed the Book of Mormon and don't plan any future changes. We are in the middle of the New Testament and hope to finish by around Christmas. That will mean that Vol.2 will be ready around New Year's. We will announce that. The T&C won't need as much time to complete and will be done sometime in Jan., hopefully. Then the OT will get a workover by late April (next Gen Conf) we hope.

As we reach major milestones we update the text on Amazon. For example, the 4 Gospels are done and we have updated Vol.2 with that portion.

The vast majority of changes are punctuation, though we keep finding archaic phrases and grammar that we have to tackle.

We kept a running list of typos on the scriptures blog, but it took so much time to keep updating it that it hurt the progress of the work and we stopped making note of those changes.

 

There may be a way to post our copies of the final run-throughs for each work, showing what was changed and why. We'll look into that.

REPOST: If you think you've found a typo, do some research first.

Several emails have come in recently to point out typos. The good news is that every one of them has not been a typo, but has been text that has been restored to Joseph's original. The bad news is that these folks haven't bothered to research the issue on their own and are simply handing us some busy work that takes us away from getting this project done. and when you add up the time it takes to go and look and verify, those small pauses become significant. So we're reposting this from last April when we first invited you to look before you leap:


We get emails for potential typos almost daily. Yet the majority of them are not typos or errors, but are simply unusual text. Remember that the Lord rescinded permission to update the archaic language in the Book of Mormon. Also remember that Middle English was in use during Joseph Smith's day. And realize that the LDS scriptures are not a valid source of reference. The scripture project was undertaken to correct the errors introduced not only by scholars, but also by the LDS church.

If you discover something that you think is an error, please research it on your own first to confirm that it is an error. Yes, it might be faster for us to look into it since we've been doing this for a couple of years, but if it takes perhaps 5 minutes to resolve one submission, and you multiply that to include all of the emails we get, it puts an unfair burden on our time. We're still working on cleaning up the damage that software inflicts on text. And we've already sacrificed many thousands of hours on this project. We need to get to know our families again.

Here are the resources you might need to verify that you've found a problem. Obviously some typos are self-evident and don't need research, but most are not. Many are unusual, but not blatant. Anyway, here's where you can go to do your research:

VOLUME 1 - THE OLD COVENANTS
Joseph Smith's personal bible
Old Testament Manuscript 1
Old Testament Manuscript 2

VOLUME 2 - THE NEW COVENANTS (New Testament, Book of Mormon)
New Testament Manuscript 1
New Testament Manuscript 2

Printer's Manuscript
Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon, 1st Edition
(We used the 2nd Edition, but it is not available online)

VOLUME 3 - TEACHINGS AND COMMANDMENTS
Revelation Book 1
Revelation Book 2
Book of Abraham
1835 Doctrine and Covenants
D&C correlation to earliest documents

Parable vote results

The results were 277 for, 3 against adding the Lord's parable to the T&C.  Here is a link to the official results:
https://surveyhero.com/results/91085/47dc19e94f1ce0ab2488cef9d6cf5d3d

Poll: Section 176

To participate in voting about the adoption of the Lord's answer to our Statement of Principles in to the T&C, click:

HERE

Should we adopt the Lord's answer regarding our Statement of Principles?

We need to decide whether we will include the following answer from the Lord regarding our Statement of Principles in the Teachings and Commandments as a new section (176):

Revelation given in response to our adopted Statement of Principles, 4 October 2018, through Denver Snuffer.

1 You  ask  on  behalf  of  my  people,  and  therefore  I  answer  my  people.  Hear,  therefore,  my words:
2 What  have  you  learned? What ought you to have learned? Consider this:

3 A master called his servants and told them, I send you to a far off land where there is no stone, and command you to there build me a house. When you are done, send me word and I will come there to dwell. All his servants were faithful to their master and obeyed.
4 Some reasoned among themselves that their master dwelt in a stone house, and because this far off land had no stone, they ought gather and take stone with them. Others reasoned among themselves that because the master said there was no stone, there must be trees, and therefore brought axes and tools to build a wooden house. And yet others reasoned among themselves that they should go and see the place their master had chosen, not knowing beforehand what would be there.
5 The first group gathered stones as they traveled, with great difficulty in their chosen labor. The second group went with haste to the place, but found no trees with which to build a wooden house, and their tools were of no use. Their plans having failed, they remembered their fellow servants who gathered stones for a stone house and returned to join their labor. Returning, they met the group planning only to go to the place and do as their master commanded. Those returning said, We have seen the place. There is no stone and no trees there with which to build a house. We return to help gather stones. Come with us. Those going replied, Not so. We will see for ourselves the place the master has chosen and then obey his command. Those returning said, You are foolish, for the master said: There is no stone there, and therefore must want us to bring stone.
6 The servants departed, one to see the site chosen by the master, and the other to join those gathering stone. When the servants arrived at the site, they too saw there was no stone for a stone house, neither was there wood for a wooden house. They pondered why their master should choose such a place for his house. Looking about they saw the place was high and lifted up, as if the whole world could be seen from the wondrous place. An approaching enemy could be spied from a long distance. They said, Surely the master has chosen a place of safety, peace, and beauty. Our master was wise in choosing this spot. He must also have been wise in commanding we build here his house. What are we to do? Ought we also labor to bring the distant stone?
7 But among these servants, some began to prepare the ground, clearing a place to build the house. As they moved away the grass and brush, they found there was clay suitable to make bricks with which to build a house. They told their companions, See, there is clay here. Let us make bricks and build the master a house from what we have found here on his chosen spot. And so they made bricks -- laboring, digging, shaping, and drying. These servants reasoned among themselves that the labor would be better done if their fellow servants joined them. They sent messengers to those laboring to bring stone.
8 The messengers told their weary, fellow servants -- now moving a great mound of rock -- that while they were still distant from the place chosen by their master, work on his house had begun. They said, Come now quickly with us, for we have found clay to make bricks at the place the master has chosen, and with you we can accomplish what the master commanded. Many were willing, and some were offended, and some wanted to stop all effort, and return to their master and tell him his command was too great. They argued among themselves, and for a moment forgot their master’s command, and forgot those who were laboring to make bricks from clay at the place the master had chosen.
9 After a season of quarreling and disputing, some said, We have neglected our master’s command long enough. We go to help make bricks of clay to build our master’s house at the place he has commanded. Seeing some depart, those who remained called for all to reason together because the labor was hard and the loss of even a few made moving stones even more difficult. Soon, many others went to join in making bricks. A few others returned to complain to the master. Another few continued to move the stones with little hope to complete their labor to build their master a stone house such as he had before.
10 When the house of brick was complete, all the servants returned to tell their master as they were commanded. Returning, they came upon the place where those few remained faithfully moving stone. Many had compassion on their fellow servants and began a new labor with them. A messenger was sent to tell the master his house was finished. Those who had compassion said, The master’s house is finished. What need is there for further labor to carry stone for the house? Let us not waste the effort of our fellow servants who have labored hardest, and we will put the stones to good use.
11 Hearing the work was complete, the master, with his household, departed for the new house. On the way, they found the pathway improved by stones laid to pave the way. The master was pleased, and said, I asked you build a house at the spot I had chosen, and this you have now faithfully done. But you have also made a stone road in place of the old pathway to a place where there is no stone to use. Well done my faithful servants, for all of you have labored to do as I have commanded, and proven your faithfulness. I will accept the house and the road, that none of your labor be lost.

12 I ask again, What have you learned? What ought you to have learned?
13 I say to you that there is need for but one house, and I accept the statement you have adopted, and approve it as your statement to be added. But I say again, there was honor in the labor of others. Whereas I look upon the heart and see faithful service, many among you do not look at, nor see, nor value what I, the Lord, love in the hearts of my people. As I have said before, I say again: Love one another, labor willingly alongside each other. Learn what you ought, and when I ask you to labor, do so wisely, even if you know not beforehand what you will find. I do not ask what you cannot do. Trust my words and proceed always in faith, believing that with me all things are possible. All who have been faithful are mine.



A poll will be posted for all to choose. The poll will run from Sunday, Oct 14 through Wednesday Oct 17. A link to that poll will be posted on this blog at the start of the poll. Please vote only once.

Where can I buy copies of the scriptures?

LINKS BELOW:

The Old Covenants

The New Covenants

Teachings and Commandments

Book of Mormon - Large Print 

Book of Mormon - Compact 

Citations

Weve noticed a few people struggling to cite the Lectures on Faith, Joseph Smith History, Book of Abraham, and Testimony of St. John. Here's what we imagined when we structured them for citation:

Though each of them is a section within the T&C, those section numbers are just place holders. Each should be cited as it's own "book":

Lectures on Faith (or LoF) 2:104 (meaning lecture 2, paragraph 104)

Abraham (or Abr.) 4:6

Joseph Smith History (or JSH) 5:2 (meaning Joseph Smith History, part 5, paragraph 2)

Testimony of St. John (or TSJ) 8:9

With only 4 section numbers to remember, this seemed to be the cleanest approach.

Hope this helps.