The Question of “Lead Us Not Into Temptation”
A listener asked why the Book of Mormon retains the King James phrase “lead us not into temptation,” while the Joseph Smith Translation revises it to “suffer us not to be led into temptation.”
This reflects a deeper issue: many Christians assume scripture must be fixed and unchangeable. Joseph Smith, however, understood scripture as a living, clarifiable text.
Scriptural Revision as Part of Joseph Smith’s Prophetic Role
Joseph Smith:
Revised the Book of Mormon (1830 → 1837) for clarity and grammar
Revised the Bible to restore meaning and improve doctrinal accuracy
Latter-day Saints accept that prophetic clarification is consistent with divine communication.
Biblical Manuscripts and Variants
The New Testament exists in thousands of manuscripts, containing more variants than total words. Examples:
The longer ending of Mark
The Trinitarian phrase in 1 John
Thus, the idea of a flawless, fixed Bible does not match historical reality.
Why Joseph Smith Changed the Lord’s Prayer
Joseph corrected passages suggesting God causes sin. For example:
KJV: “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart”
JST: “Pharaoh will harden his heart”
Likewise, the JST changes reflect doctrinal clarity about agency.
Why the Book of Mormon’s Sermon on the Mount Resembles the KJV
The likely explanation
God revealed it in a familiar biblical style
A radically different version would have been rejected
An identical version would be accused of copying
The purpose was testimony, not textual originality.
Joseph Smith’s Teachings on the Sermon on the Mount
Joseph emphasized:
Meekness as humility, not weakness
Kindness over outward piety
Charity as the heart of discipleship
Forgiveness as essential, patterned after Christ’s mercy
His sermons and journal entries highlight compassion, generosity, and avoidance of self-righteousness.