New revised version of the BOM.

[Moliere]

I think the trick is to modernize it without losing all the charm or tradition. For example, I never should have changed "goodly" to upper middle class.

Sounds like what you want is something more along the lines of the JST, except this would be the SCT for the BoM. If you ever write it, I'd buy it just for kicks.

[Majo]

I think the trick is to modernize it without losing all the charm or tradition. For example, I never should have changed "goodly" to upper middle class.

A modern translation is a great idea, but it will take a ton of time. Until then, here is a short term fix geared towards the youth. It took less than a second to rewrite the entire BOM in Utah Valley vernacular, and I didn't even have to break out the peep stone. I used my word processor to replace every "And it came to pass that" with "Anyways" and every comma with the word "like". I was going to replace just the extra commas, but that would have taken too long. Here's an excerpt (you have to pause with each "like" and use a peppy EFY voice to get the full effect):


2 Anyways like the Lord commanded him that I like Nephi like and my brethren like should again return unto the land of Jerusalem like and bring down Ishmael and his family into the wilderness.
3 Anyways like I like Nephi like did again like with my brethren like go forth into the wilderness to go up to Jerusalem.
4 Anyways like we went up unto the house of Ishmael like and we did gain favor in the sight of Ishmael like insomuch that we did speak unto him the words of the Lord.
5 Anyways like the aLord did soften the heart of Ishmael like and also his household like insomuch that they took their journey with us down into the wilderness to the tent of our father.
6 Anyways like as we journeyed in the wilderness like behold Laman and Lemuel like and two of the adaughters of Ishmael like and the two bsons of Ishmael and their families like did crebel against us; yea like against me like Nephi like and Sam like and their father like Ishmael like and his wife like and his three other daughters.
7 Anyways like in the which rebellion like they were desirous to return unto the land of Jerusalem.

[CardiacCoug]

It has been done. I have this "modern language" BOM version from 2005. Looks like it is out-of-print:

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Revelation-Thomas-Johnson/dp/0976760800/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1305412340&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: Modern Revelation: Thomas Johnson: Books[/ame]

[SoonerCoug]

It has been done. I have this "modern language" BOM version from 2005. Looks like it is out-of-print:

Amazon.com: Modern Revelation: Thomas Johnson: Books

Bummer.

[YOUTUBE]L8GITy6Bm_A&[/YOUTUBE]

[Moliere]

Bummer.

[YOUTUBE]L8GITy6Bm_A&[/YOUTUBE]

You could always do a BoM movie or BoM broadway play.

[DU Ute]

A modern translation is a great idea, but it will take a ton of time. Until then, here is a short term fix geared towards the youth. It took less than a second to rewrite the entire BOM in Utah Valley vernacular, and I didn't even have to break out the peep stone. I used my word processor to replace every "And it came to pass that" with "Anyways" and every comma with the word "like". I was going to replace just the extra commas, but that would have taken too long. Here's an excerpt (you have to pause with each "like" and use a peppy EFY voice to get the full effect):


2 Anyways like the Lord commanded him that I like Nephi like and my brethren like should again return unto the land of Jerusalem like and bring down Ishmael and his family into the wilderness.
3 Anyways like I like Nephi like did again like with my brethren like go forth into the wilderness to go up to Jerusalem.
4 Anyways like we went up unto the house of Ishmael like and we did gain favor in the sight of Ishmael like insomuch that we did speak unto him the words of the Lord.
5 Anyways like the aLord did soften the heart of Ishmael like and also his household like insomuch that they took their journey with us down into the wilderness to the tent of our father.
6 Anyways like as we journeyed in the wilderness like behold Laman and Lemuel like and two of the adaughters of Ishmael like and the two bsons of Ishmael and their families like did crebel against us; yea like against me like Nephi like and Sam like and their father like Ishmael like and his wife like and his three other daughters.
7 Anyways like in the which rebellion like they were desirous to return unto the land of Jerusalem.

This is a good start. Now replace "yea" with "you know" and "verily" with "but really" (pronounced "rillee").

[Dwight Schr-ute]

I think the trick is to modernize it without losing all the charm or tradition. For example, I never should have changed "goodly" to upper middle class.

It's just nice to see a correct interpretation of the term. I'm guessing that 5-10% of the active membership realizes that this is an economic reference.

[UtahDan]

Has anyone ever undertaken to study what sort of English the BOM was translated into? It sounds very much like the 17th century English of the King James Bible, but I don't really know what dialect Joseph would have grown up speaking. That could be a good doctoral thesis for someone.

[jay santos]

It's just nice to see a correct interpretation of the term. I'm guessing that 5-10% of the active membership realizes that this is an economic reference.

Goodly appears twice in the BOM. How do you figure it's an economic reference in this case

[pelagius]

Has anyone ever undertaken to study what sort of English the BOM was translated into?

Royal Skousen.

[Non Sequitur]

It's just nice to see a correct interpretation of the term. I'm guessing that 5-10% of the active membership realizes that this is an economic reference.

How do you know it's an economic reference? Do you have access to the original text?

[pelagius]

Goodly appears twice in the BOM. How do you figure it's an economic reference in this case

Nibley was the first to make the argument. The logic is that the context for "goodly" is in explaining why Nephi can make the record. Specifically, Nephi is explaining that having goodly parents led to him being literate. So goodly should be understand as something that led to literarcy in a society where few were literate. It might be right, but there are alternative explanations with non-trivial probabilities of being right.

[jay santos]

Nibley was the first to make the argument. The logic is that the context for "goodly" is in explaining why Nephi can make the record. Specifically, Nephi is explaining that having goodly parents led to him being literate. So goodly should be understand as something that led to literarcy in a society where few where literate. It might be right, but there are alternative explanations with non-trivial probabilities of being right.

This sounds familiar. Makes sense I guess. It appears the last therefore might be attached to goodly as well as the first therefore.

[DU Ute]

Nibley was the first to make the argument. The logic is that the context for "goodly" is in explaining why Nephi can make the record. Specifically, Nephi is explaining that having goodly parents led to him being literate. So goodly should be understand as something that led to literarcy in a society where few where literate. It might be right, but there are alternative explanations with non-trivial probabilities of being right.

But what good is literacy if it is in some language no one else uses or has even heard of?

[Dwight Schr-ute]

Pelagius. Thanks for getting to it before I could get back. Yes, Nibley was what I was primarily referring to. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have made it as conclusive as I did. But it is the explanation that makes the most sense to me. Nephi would be describing his qualifications and under what conditions he became learned. "I was able to receive the best education because my parents could afford it."

But what good is literacy if it is in some language no one else uses or has even heard of?

I see this "Reformed Egyptian" as a type of short hand that evolved among the record keepers. Giving how much labor each inscription required, an ability to make it more concise was likely very desirable.