CA Steve Posted January 7, 2019 Posted January 7, 2019 (edited) As I am sure most of you know, this year's course of study is on the New Testament. As a compliment to that study I would like to recommend The New Testament: A Translation for Latter-day Saints by Thomas Wayment. Below is a review from Amazon. Quote If I could recommend only one resource to help Latter-day Saints with the study of the New Testament this coming year, it would be Thomas Wayment’s study edition and new translation of the New Testament. With the Church placing greater emphasis on personal and family study, there is greater need for resources to help us navigate challenging passages in scripture. When last we studied the Doctrine and Covenants in Sunday School, we had the help of the new supplementary manual, Revelations in Context. Now Wayment’s The New Testament: A Translation for Latter-day Saints provides the much needed historical, cultural, and linguistic contexts that can help to make sense of these sacred ancient texts. In the English-speaking Church, we continue to use the 1769 Blayney revision of the 1611 King James Version of the Bible. This practice helps us to identify parallels between the Bible and restoration scripture that uses similar language, but it can also lead to confusion because of the KJV’s antiquated English and heavy reliance on Latin. For instance, the KJV renders 1 Peter 2:9 as follows: “But ye are … a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Wayment, however, renders the passage in this way: “But you are … a people acquired so that you declare the virtues of the one who called you from darkness to his amazing light.” The KJV translators used the word “peculiar” from the Latin peculiars meaning “personal, private, or one’s own.” Today, however, the word “peculiar” has come to mean strange or weird. But God is not calling his people weird, God is calling his people his own—his own private possession, or as Wayment renders it “a people acquired” for a purpose. For Latter-day Saint who might worry that a new English translation will obscure the parallels between the Bible and restoration scripture, don’t. Wayment has included in his detailed footnotes not only allusions to the Old Testament, but also the most comprehensive collection of parallels between the New Testament and restoration scripture (including the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price) ever published. The footnotes also include historical and cultural insights that help to clarify the text. For example, the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard (Matt 20:1–16) begins with a householder agreeing to pay his workers one silver coin per day. Wayment’s note on this passage provides important information to us that Matthew’s original readers already knew: “The wage for the worker who worked the entire day (= one denarius) would have been considered quite low in some regions and for certain types of work. Work contracts from North Africa indicate wages between three and eight denarii per day. Jesus’s audience would have anticipated a looming problem because of the low wage promised to the first worker.” Wayment makes it clear from the beginning, in his “Note to the Reader,” that he is not replacing the King James translation: “The language of the King James Bible will always be part of the Latter-day Saint cultural fabric in English: it is woven into our hymns, our ordinances, and our scriptural canon. It has been one of the primary vehicles through which we encounter the word of God.” But I am convinced that Wayment’s translation will help English-reading Latter-day Saints to encounter the word of God in new and profound ways. Enjoy. On Edit. See here for a Kurt Manwaring interview with the author. Also it should be noted that Dr. Wayment has taught New Testament classes at BYU for many years. Edited January 7, 2019 by CA Steve 1
Calm Posted January 7, 2019 Posted January 7, 2019 (edited) He is in my ward too. Does that up his status enough? If not, he makes the best pizza. Has a great set up in his backyard, sweet ward parties. Edited January 7, 2019 by Calm
CA Steve Posted January 7, 2019 Author Posted January 7, 2019 19 minutes ago, Calm said: He is in my ward too. Does that up his status enough? If not, he makes the best pizza. Has a great set up in his backyard, sweet ward parties. Calm, I don't want to impose, but if you feel comfortable asking him, next time you see him, can you find out if he has any idea when U. of U. is going to release the book with his research on Clarke and the JST? Much appreciated. 1
Calm Posted January 7, 2019 Posted January 7, 2019 3 minutes ago, CA Steve said: Calm, I don't want to impose, but if you feel comfortable asking him, next time you see him, can you find out if he has any idea when U. of U. is going to release the book with his research on Clarke and the JST? Much appreciated. I will pass the request onto my husband who will likely see him sooner than me (hibernation started early for me this year) 1
Scott Lloyd Posted January 7, 2019 Posted January 7, 2019 I’ve interviewed Dr. Wayment and hold him in high regard. That said, I do wonder how his “new translation” passes muster with Church Correlation if one’s intent is to use it in gospel doctrine classes or other formal Church settings. 1
CA Steve Posted January 7, 2019 Author Posted January 7, 2019 9 hours ago, Scott Lloyd said: I’ve interviewed Dr. Wayment and hold him in high regard. That said, I do wonder how his “new translation” passes muster with Church Correlation if one’s intent is to use it in gospel doctrine classes or other formal Church settings. This almost sounds like a great topic for a thread. With the new emphasis on family home study, where do we stand on use of materials in a formal Church setting that are not directly produced or recommended by the Church? For example one of the interesting things Dr. Wayment pointed out in his translation was that a deacon was originally a female role. Would that be something that should be shared in a Church setting like perhaps a sacrament talk?
The Nehor Posted January 7, 2019 Posted January 7, 2019 21 minutes ago, CA Steve said: This almost sounds like a great topic for a thread. With the new emphasis on family home study, where do we stand on use of materials in a formal Church setting that are not directly produced or recommended by the Church? For example one of the interesting things Dr. Wayment pointed out in his translation was that a deacon was originally a female role. Would that be something that should be shared in a Church setting like perhaps a sacrament talk? I would not. It is more likely to sow confusion rather then promote edification.
Scott Lloyd Posted January 7, 2019 Posted January 7, 2019 2 hours ago, CA Steve said: This almost sounds like a great topic for a thread. With the new emphasis on family home study, where do we stand on use of materials in a formal Church setting that are not directly produced or recommended by the Church? For example one of the interesting things Dr. Wayment pointed out in his translation was that a deacon was originally a female role. Would that be something that should be shared in a Church setting like perhaps a sacrament talk? See, there you go. I’ve heard that before, and I think it highly debatable. I would never want to see it presented as a priori fact in a formal Church meeting or lesson.
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