Julie M. Smith
Latter-day Saint scholars have long discussed various approaches to Joseph Smith’s inspired translation of the Bible. The most recent discussion appeared in volume 7 of Studies in the Bible Antiquity, where Julie M. Smith identifies five impulses in the prophet’s work. She sees her essay as a potential bridge between different approaches:
“There is currently a divide in the LDS interpretive community between what might be called traditionalists and progressives. My hope is that this chasm could be bridged by a recognition that these reading impulses can be rooted not only in the modern reading practices of the secular academy but also in the founding prophet of the Restoration.”
Julie Smith has been busy. She recently published Apocalypse: Reading Revelation 21–22 (Maxwell Institute) and As Iron Sharpens Fire: Listening to the Various Voices of Scripture (Greg Kofford Books). She’s also working on a commentary on the Gospel of Mark for the BYU New Testament Commentary series. All this in addition to her recent Studies article, which we’re offering free access to now.Download “Five Features of the Joseph Smith Translation of Mark and Their Implications for LDS Hermeneutics” by Julie M. Smith at bit.ly/SBAJSmith. To read the rest of Studies volume 7, subscribe here.