<figure class="alignleft size-full is-resized"></figure>

In this episode of Hebrew Voices #206, Revelation or Imagination: Part 3, Nehemia learns from Royal Skousen how the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon was changed to match printing errors despite the belief of some Mormons that angels helped operate the printing press. Nehemia also shares his vision for elevating Biblical Studies to its greatest potential.

You are listening to Hebrew Voices with Nehemia Gordon. Thank you for supporting Nehemia Gordon's Makor Hebrew Foundation. Learn more at NehemiasWall.com.

Nehemia: And here’s why this is so valuable for someone like me. It would have never occurred to me that someone would change the original manuscript based on a copy, but that can happen. It happened here.

Royal: When they think it’s right, they’re going to do it.

Nehemia: Wow.

Royal: Nothing’s going to stop them.

Nehemia: That’s amazing, that’s absolutely amazing.

Shalom, and welcome to Hebrew Voices! I’m here today with Royal Skousen. Royal, thank you for coming and joining me on this program. I’m so excited! And one last thing in this pitch, guys, just so you understand who we’re dealing with here. This is the Emanuel Tov of the Book of Mormon. I don’t think that’s an exaggeration. No, really! I mean, you’re the guy! So, the fact that you’re joining me on my program, I’m really honored.

Let’s look at this example. So, there’s a section that you talk about where the 1830 edition was typeset based on the printer’s manuscript, but then proofread against the original.

Royal: Yeah, only one signature. One signature that we know of.

Nehemia: Well, let’s look at this one, Alma 42:10 . I’ll show you this on my screen here. These are notes I took from what you presented. So, the original 1830 and 1837 have a preparatory state, but the printer’s manuscript has a probationary state.

Royal: Right.

Nehemia: And what that shows is 1830, although it was typeset from the printer’s manuscript… And I guess we can see that because of how the printer’s manuscript is marked up.

Royal: Yes. The printer’s mark shows that they’ve used the printer’s mark to do the 1830. And very often, though, you can look at the typeset version and see extra spacing like in this one. That there’s extra spacing in the 1830 showing they had changed it. So, they originally set probationary…

Nehemia: Woah, woah, wait a minute! So, what you’re saying is that the first printed page off of the printing press had probationary state, and then they cut it out?

Royal: Yeah, that was the proof sheet.

Nehemia: Oh, wow!

Royal: The proof sheet, instead of comparing it against their copy, which was the printer’s manuscript, they somehow did it against the original. And they saw that it was preparatory, they changed it, and when the typesetting occurred you can see that they had a longer word there originally.

Nehemia: That’s really cool! So now we have to find this. Sorry to… okay, hold on.

Royal: Now, I don’t know… we’ll see if this holds.

Nehemia: Alma 42:30 .

Royal: I’m not sure.

Nehemia: And I have to say, this isn’t the… website. Because now they’re going to make me hunt for the page, so hold on a second.

Royal: Oh, yeah. That is going to be…

Nehemia: It says, “a preparatory state”.

Royal: It’s 42:10 .

Nehemia: Okay, so it’s going to be on page 337.

Royal: They’ve reset it. You’ve got to look at this…

Nehemia: My English is like Oliver Cowdery’s, I can’t spell. <