How We Got the Bible!

Put together by: Valerie Lee

It’s time we knew!

“We believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God,
We also believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly”
Have you ever wondered why it says – “as far as it is translated correctly”?

Preparation: Print all pages – (I find it cheapest to send to a local copy store)
Purchase Treat Supplies

Object:
Object: To learn the Basics of: How we got the Bible

Quote:
Quote: Elder M. Russell Ballard said, “The Holy Bible is a Miracle. It is a Miracle that
the Bible’s 4,000 years of sacred and secular history were recorded and
preserved by the prophets, apostles, and inspired churchmen. It is a Miracle
that the Bible has turned men’s hearts for centuries, leading them to pray, to
choose right paths, and to search to find their Savior.” (2007 May Ensign)

Lesson:
Lesson: Build a flow chart on the floor as you discuss the story of How we Got the
Bible – use arrows in between each major event (see the one page diagram to
know how to lay out the entire lesson).

Quiz:
Quiz: To help put this lesson into long term memory play this game now & every night
at dinner for 1 week – place a Quiz Card on each person’s plate, at dinner
everyone can help each other answer their question (as an end of lesson review have
everyone draw a card).

Handout:
Handout: Give everyone in your family a handout to put in their Bibles to refer to!

Treat:
Treat: Buy chocolate covered graham cracker cookies in square shapes & frosting.
Make scriptures by putting frosting between the cookies!

Great Follow-up Readings:

• How We Got the Bible by Lenet Hadley Read (Also see LDS Ensign Jan – Sept. 1982)
• Defining the Word: Understanding the History and Language of the Bible by John A Tvedtnes
• Fire in the Bones: William Tyndale by S. Michael Wilcox (one of the best reads you’ll find!)
• A World Lit Only By Fire by William Manchester (this is a good book for understanding the dark ages)
 In Short – How We Got the Bible!
1. Sacred records were written in Hebrew & Greek by Men of God – long ago
2. As people began to speak Latin they were translated into Latin by Jerome (380 AD)
3. John Wycliffe translated them into Old English (1380 AD)
4. The Printing Press made it possible for many people to have the Bible (1456 AD)
5. Secretly William Tyndale translated a version into beautiful English – and
printed it! (1526 AD)
6. There were many, many other translations, some Protestant, some Roman Catholic,
French & more (1500s)
7. Then King James hired 47 translators to make a Bible they would all accept – The
King James version in 1611
8. Joseph Smith was told by God to translate a few parts of the Bible (1830-1844)
9. Today we have the LDS Version of the King James Bible (1979)

In Short – How We Got the Bible!

1. Sacred records were written in Hebrew & Greek by Men of God – long ago
2. As people began to speak Latin they were translated into Latin by Jerome (380 AD)
3. John Wycliffe translated them into Old English (1380 AD)
4. Printing Press made it possible for many people to have the bible (1456 AD)
5. Secretly William Tyndale translated a version into beautiful English – and
printed it! (1526 AD)
6. There were many, many other translations, some Protestant, some Roman Catholic,
French & more (1500s)
7. Then King James hired 47 translators to make a Bible they would all accept – The
King James version in 1611
8. Joseph Smith was told by God to translate a few parts of the Bible (1830-1844)
9. Today we have the LDS Version of the King James Bible (1979)

In Short – How We Got the Bible!

1. Sacred records were written in Hebrew & Greek by Men of God – long ago
2. As people began to speak Latin they were translated into Latin by Jerome (380 AD)
3. John Wycliffe translated them into Old English (1380 AD)
4. Printing Press made it possible for many people to have the bible (1456 AD)
5. Secretly William Tyndale translated a version into beautiful English – and
printed it! (1526 AD)
6. There were many, many other translations, some Protestant, some Roman Catholic,
French & more (1500s)
7. Then King James hired 47 translators to make a Bible they would all accept – The
King James version in 1611
8. Joseph Smith was told by God to translate a few parts of the Bible (1830-1844)
9. Today we have the LDS Version of the King James Bible (1979)
 King James Version (KJV) of 1611
(This page is included to help show the difference in the 1611 KJV
and our latter-day edition of the King James Bible)
Once Upon
pon a Time . . .
There was a Man named Adam.
• God told Adam to keep track of
his family and what happened.
(Adam could read & write! Moses
6:6) From Adam to his children
and their children – they all
wrote it down!!!

• From the beginning of time we

know that histories were written
and saved.
saved.
 The Bible Was Written!
Written!

by MOSES
He wrote the First 5 Books of the Bible (in Hebrew)
How? The Lord gave
gave Moses a Vision of what happened before Moses lived

A Collection
of
Prophets Writings
(O.T. mostly in Hebrew – N.T. mostly in Greek)
Greek)
Jerome’s Vulgate 382 AD (Latin)
Latin)
As the number of Latin speaking
Christians grew the Pope wanted:
• Jerome to translate The Bible
from Hebrew & Greek to Latin,
this become known as “The
Latin Vulgate.”
• During this time not many
people could read, & those that
did were clergy of the church.
• Latin was the language the
clergy studied and wrote in.
• The Roman Catholic Church
recognized The Latin Vulgate
as authentic – Most people in
Europe were Catholic
Wycliffe’s Bible
ible
1380 AD
John Wycliffe
translated the bible into
Middle ENGLISH
from The Latin Vulgate
He made a nearly word-for-word
translation from Latin:
Psalm 22:1
Wycliffe
1 The Lord gouerneth me,
and no thing schal faile to me;

King James Bible

1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
 WHAT? A PRINTING PRESS
The Gutenberg Press Johannes Gutenberg

• No more
hand copies
• Thousands
could easily be
printed!!
• Now
everyone could
have a copy of
the Bible!!
The impact of the Printing
Press was as important to the
World in the 1400s, as the
Internet is in our day!

Where? Germany When? 1456

TYNDALE
1526 AD
• William Tyndale wanted
everyone to read The Bible –
not just clergy men!
• Tyndale’s brought new words &
phrases: Jehovah, Passover,
Atonement, scapegoat, holy of holies…

Tyndale Influenced other Translations:

• Coverdale’s Bible
• Mathews Bible
• Great Bible
• Geneva Bible
• Bishops’ Bible
• Douai Bible
Many people were burned & killed for trying to
write, read & memorize The Bible in English.
Yet, this did not stop them!
 King James Version - 1611 AD
James became King, and he
wanted everyone to agree
on the same bible –
so he picked 47 men to
translate a new version!
• The King James Bible included:
• 80% influence from Tyndale
• Beautiful pictures, Map of Canaan
• Chapter headings & verses-numbered
• Table of Contents, Almanac
• Genealogical chart

Most Catholics & Protestants agreed on this translation!

 In 1979
The LDS Edition was printed

=
Joseph Smith KJV
Translated parts of The Bible - new chapter headings
From 1830 – 1844 - footnotes cross-referenced
* A unique translation as he - topical guide
filled in missing parts that
had been taken away & made
- bible dictionary
clarifications - 24 page maps & gazetteer

“Ironically, at a time when the best and most useful edition of the bible is available,
the Bible is still suppressed in much of the world.
It’s voice still struggles to be heard. It’s message suffers most from abandonment. ”
Lenet Hadley Read
 DATE Event

A.D.
B.C.
1 B.C.
4000 B.C. –
Old Testament Times

100 AD Christ's Life

Greek Septuagint O.T. (from
200 AD Hebrew to Greek)

Before Christ
300 AD Jerome's Vulgate (382)

Anno Domini - After Christ's Birth

400 AD

500 AD

600 AD

700 AD

800 AD

900 AD
translations

1000 AD

1100 AD
No complete or significant bible

1200 AD

1300 AD Wycliffe (1380)

The Dark Ages (mainly 400 AD - 1000 AD

1400 AD Printing Press (1456)

Major Events in The Bible’s Time Line:

Tyndale (English, 1526)

Many English
1500 AD

Translations

1600 AD King James, 1611

1700 AD No significant Translation

1800 AD Joseph Smith (1830-44)

1900 AD LDS Edition (1979)

This Page is simply here for your information and clarification:

2000 AD
 QUIZ Question QUIZ Question
Who translated The Bible because
In 380 AD who translated the Bible from he wanted everyone to read it –
Hebrew to Latin – which was called “The even though his life was in
Latin Vulgate?” danger for doing it? His translation had a
major influence on the King James Version
we now read.

QUIZ Question QUIZ Question

What Latter Day Prophet translated Parts
of the Bible?
What Language was the Old Testament
Originally written in?

QUIZ Question QUIZ Question

What translation of the Bible In 300 AD who translated the

Bible from Hebrew to Latin –
do we read from? Are there
which was called the Latin
more translations than the one Vulgate?
we study from?

QUIZ Question #1 QUIZ Question

When was the Printing Press invented? What King Wanted the Protestants and
Do you remember what country it was in? Catholics to both use the same bible
What the Man’s Name was who invented it?
and stop fighting?