Choices

This time around I am reading a 1905 edition of the Book of Mormon printed in Chicago on the press of Henry C. Etten & Co. for the Northern States Mission.

Since I just finished reading a facsimile of the 1830 edition, I didn't want to read that version again, even though I have a different version to go through: Joseph Begins His Work, vol 1. published by Wilford Wood. Wood's version should be a little different than the LDS and RLDS facsimile editions, since it used a different copy to create the facsimile. I've been learning that each copy of the original edition can be somewhat unique. Also Brother Wood includes interesting historical documents and photographs in his edition. Ahhh, well, maybe next time around...

The 1905 edition is different than the other editions I have, in that it uses the 1879 edition for it's layout and cross-references. In 1879 Orson Pratt updated the Book of Mormon by re-dividing the chapters, adding verse numbers and cross-references.

The next big change to the Book of Mormon came in 1920 when James E. Talmage formatted the book in double column pages, re-did the cross-references and added an index. The 1920 version was the standard until 1985, when the latest version was organized.

Back in about 1990, I purchased my 1905 edition from the Green Hat Bookstore, a little used book shop out about 5 miles east of Nauvoo, Illinois. At the same time I purchased a 1903 matched set of the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. The binding on the 1903 edition is in worse shape than my 1905 edition, so I'll keep that one on the shelf.

It is interesting to read various versions of the book.

It broadens my perspective and takes me closer, historically.