D&C 91

Section 91 is very short and very specific. While JS was translating the Old Testament, apparently the Bible that he was using contained the Apocrypha. I didn’t know about the Apocrypha until I was in my twenties. DJR comments “The question came up as to whether he should translate the Apocrypha. The Apocrypha consists of fifteen books of questionable value and validity contained in some Bibles but not in others. They are books in addition to the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament. These books are:

1.       The First Book of Esdras

2.       The Second Book of Esdras

3.       Tobit

4.       Judith

5.       The Rest of the Chapters of the Book of Esther

6.       The Wisdom of Solomon

7.       Ecclesiasticus or the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach

8.       Baruch

9.       A Letter of Jeremiah

10.   The Son of the Three

11.   Daniel and Susanna

12.   Daniel. Bel, and the Snake

13.   The Prayer of Manasseh

14.   The First Book of the Maccabees

15.   The Second Book of the Maccabees

The Bible that Joseph Smith was using contained the Apocrypha, and he asked the Lord if he should translate it.” The IM gives background saying, “The Prophet Joseph Smith received this revelation in Kirtland on 9 March 1833, one day after section 90 was given. He was engaged in the revision of the Bible at this time. The Bible from which he was making his corrections contained the Apocrypha. The Prophet inquired of the Lord whether he should also revise that part of the Bible, after which he received the revelation known as section 91.”

91:1-6 – The IM quotes Elder Bruce R. McConkie as teaching, “Scholars and Biblical students have grouped certain apparently scriptural Old Testament writings, which they deem to be of doubtful authenticity or of a spurious nature, under the title of the Apocrypha. There has not always been agreement as to the specific writings which should be designated as apocryphal, but the following are now generally so listed: 1^st and 2^nd Esdras (sometimes called 3^rd and 4^th Esdras, because in the Douay Bible, Ezra is 1^st Esdras, and Nehemiah 2^nd Esdras); Tobit; Judith; the rest of the chapters of Esther; Wisdom of Solomon; Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach or Ecclesiasticus; Baruch and the Epistle of Jeremiah; additional parts of Daniel, including the Son of the Three Holy Children, the History of Susanna, and the History of the Destruction of Bel and the Dragon; Prayer of Manasses; 1^st and 2^nd Maccabees (called in the Douay Version, 1^st and 2nd Machabees. These apocryphal writings were never included in the Hebrew Bible, but they were in the Greek Septuagint (the Old Testament used by the early apostles) and in the Latin Vlugate. Jerome, who translated the Vulgate, was required to include them in his translation, though he is quoted as having decided they should be read ‘for example of life and instruction on manners’ and should not be used ‘to establish any doctrine.’ Luther’s German Bible grouped the apocryphal books together (omitting 1^st and 2^nd Esdras) at the end of the Old Testament under the heading: ‘Apocrypha: these books which are not help equal to the sacred scriptures, and yet are useful and good for reading.’ The Apocrypha was included in the King James Version of 1611, but by 1629 some English Bibles began to appear without it, and since the early part of the 19^th century it has been excluded from almost all Protestant Bibles. The American Bible Society, founded in 1816,… and the British and Foreign Bible Society (excluded the Apocrypha from most of their Bibles during the 19^th century). From these dates it is apparent that controversy was still raging as to the value of the Apocrypha at the time the Prophet began his ministry. Accordingly, in 1833, while engaged in revising the King James Version by the spirit of revelation, the Prophet felt impelled to inquire of the Lord as to the authenticity of the Apocrypha. From the answer it is clear that the books of the Apocrypha were inspired writings in the first instance, but that subsequent interpolations and changes had perverted and twisted their original contexts so as to leave them with doubtful value. Speaking of the Apocrypha the Lord says: ‘There are many things contained therein that are true, and it is mostly translated correctly; There are many things contained therein that are not true, which are interpolations by the hands of men. Verily, I say unto you, that it is not needful that the Apocrypha should be translated. Therefore, whose readeth it, let him understand, for the Spirit manifested truth; and whose is enlightened by the Spirit shall obtain benefit therefrom; And whoso receiveth not by the Spirit, cannot be benefitted. Therefore it is not needful that it should be translated.’… Obviously, to gain any real value from a study of apocryphal writings, the student must first have an extended background of gospel knowledge, a comprehensive understanding of the standard works of the Church, plus the guidance of the Spirit.” I listened to a conference given my Brent Top called “What’s On the Other Side,” and it was incredible, but in the beginning Brent Top started out by saying that for his information on this subject he pulled from many different sources, some from the church, some not, and he asked us to employ what he called the Apocrypha principle which basically says something to the effect of “when this information is received by the Spirit you can know and benefit from it.” I feel like that concept needs to be applied to all aspects of our lives. Anything we hear, see, or feel needs to be analyzed with the Holy Ghost so that we can be benefitted from it. The Lord tells us that benefit when we are “enlightened by the Spirit… And whoso receiveth not by the Spirit, cannot be benefitted.” This is why it’s so important to live worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost, so that we can know truth from error, and only the Holy Ghost can give us that. And I believe that this applies not only to ancient writings that may or may not be important, but with everything we do in our lives.