The Church Publishes a New Triple Combination

The Church Publishes a New Triple Combination

By Bruce T. Harper

Since its publication in the fall of 1979, the new Latter-day Saint edition of the King James Version of the Bible has been heralded as one of the most significant resources ever made available for understanding the word of God.

The fruit of nearly seven years of labor by countless dedicated individuals, the Bible was the first part of a project that has now been completed with the recent publication of a companion volume, a new edition of the “triple combination”—the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.

When the project of publishing new editions of the standard works was first begun, President Spencer W. Kimball gave the original committee the charge “to assist in improving doctrinal scholarship throughout the Church.” The goal of everyone involved has been to put into the hands of the members of the Church the tools that will enable them better to study and understand the Lord’s revelations through his prophets.

History of the Project

The work of producing the new triple combination was made much simpler and smoother by the experience that had been acquired in publishing the new edition of the Bible. Most of the difficulties in procedures had been resolved, productive and harmonious working relationships had been established, and the same people were still available to provide the expertise they had gained through working with the Bible. Indeed, even before the Bible had been published, many of those individuals were already deeply involved with the triple combination. As always, inspired direction came from the Scriptures Publication Committee of the Quorum of the Twelve: Elder Thomas S. Monson, chairman, Elder Boyd K. Packer, and Elder Bruce R. McConkie, with Brother W. James Mortimer serving as executive secretary.

The concept of a new triple combination was first considered during the preliminary discussions about the Bible, but the need for the new edition became more pressing in 1976, when the Church accepted as canon two additional revelations: Joseph Smith’s vision of the celestial kingdom and Joseph F. Smith’s vision of the redemption of the dead.

Consequently, two of the major contributors to the Bible project—Brigham Young University and Deseret Book Company—were given additional assignments involving the triple combination. Ellis T. Rasmussen, then the dean of Religious Instruction at Brigham Young University and the chief coordinator of the scripture publication effort at BYU, was asked to begin preparing new footnotes for the Pearl of Great Price. Assisting him was Robert J. Matthews, also of BYU. At the same time, Eleanor Knowles, editor of Deseret Book Company, began to develop a new index for the Pearl of Great Price.

During the spring of 1979, Bruce Harper, a member of the committee that had prepared the topical guide for the Bible, was asked to develop a preliminary draft of the index for the Doctrine and Covenants.

Also during 1979, Brother Rasmussen, Brother Matthews, and their fellow workers at BYU continued to develop the footnotes and other supplementary materials for the Doctrine and Covenants. Their preliminary efforts convinced them that many of the features being introduced in the new Bible, such as the innovative footnote system, should also be incorporated into the new triple combination.

The overwhelming response to the publication of the Bible in the fall of 1979 convinced everyone involved that the need for a new triple combination was genuine and that full efforts should proceed. In November 1979, the Scriptures Publication Committee submitted fully developed plans to the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve, who gave complete approval. It was decided that new footnotes and cross-references would be developed for all three books of latter-day scriptures, that new chapter and section headings would be prepared, that the typographical features of the triple combination would follow those established in the Bible (thus making the two volumes truly companions), and that the indexes would be revised and expanded without duplicating the topical guide in the Bible.

At BYU the preparation of the Doctrine and Covenants continued into 1980, and then work on the Book of Mormon commenced, continuing into the early months of 1981.

In December 1979, calls had been issued to members of the committee that had prepared the topical guide: Alma Gardiner, who was asked again to serve as chairman; George A. Horton, Jr., director of curriculum for the Church Educational System; Edward J. Brandt, associate director of the Salt Lake Institute of Religion; Brother Harper; and Sister Knowles. This committee was assigned to prepare a thorough index for the Book of Mormon and to review preliminary indexes that had already been prepared for the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price.

After reviewing and discussing the task, the committee made preliminary recommendations to the Scriptures Publication Committee, including suggestions that the three separate indexes be combined into a single index; that the index be given a strong concordance flavor, so that readers could find specific verses by key words as well as by subject; and that the “Pronouncing Vocabulary” for the Book of Mormon be revised for consistency and simplicity. These recommendations were all approved by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve.

Work on the Book of Mormon index continued through April 1980. The work was complex and demanding. Brother Horton developed entries on people, places, and things; Brother Brandt created concordance-oriented entries; Brother Harper brought together the different types of entries, ensured consistency, and prepared cross-references; and Brother Gardiner provided quality control by checking the manuscript in general and checking each cited scripture to verify accuracy.

When the three indexes were finished, Deseret Book arranged to have them integrated into one index so that, for example, the entries on “Adam” from each of the three standard works appeared consecutively on the page. The result was a sixteen-hundred-page manuscript. At the same time, Dr. Soren F. Cox, professor of English at BYU, was asked to review the Book of Mormon pronunciation guide and to make recommendations for its revision.

By the end of October, both the pronunciation guide and the combined index had been completed. When set in type, the index would be over four times longer than the combined length of the previous indexes.

As elements of the new triple were completed piece by piece, Sister Knowles and Lowell Durham, Jr., general manager of Deseret Book Company, assumed responsibility for ensuring that all materials were ready for production. These final phases required extraordinary care in coordinating schedules for the various elements of the project with their overlapping deadlines.

Cambridge University Press, perhaps the most highly esteemed Bible publisher in the world, did the typesetting for the triple combination, just as it had for the LDS edition of the Bible. However, the printing and binding of the various styles in which the book is being published (see page 75, “‘Triple Combination’ Styles Available”) have taken place at various locations. The “style A” triple combination, which is the most expensive of the three styles, has been printed and bound in England by the Cambridge University Press. “Style B” and “style C” (or “curriculum edition,” for use in the Church Educational System and other classroom situations) have been printed and bound in Boston, Massachusetts.

In commenting about the challenge of producing these new editions, Elder Monson has observed, “I can’t say enough about the seemingly countless people who gave part of their lives to this project. But we should never forget the great and powerful source of inspiration that has overseen the entire project—the Spirit of the Lord.”

Special Features

As noted earlier, a number of useful innovations from the Latter-day Saint edition of the Bible have been incorporated into this new edition of the triple combination. Among the most noteworthy are the “running page heads” at the top of each page, the new headings for chapters and sections, and the system of footnoting.

Running Page Heads.

In previous editions of latter-day scriptures, the running page heads consisted only of the name of the book and a chapter number. Unfortunately, this style occasionally led to confusion, especially when the chapter cited at the top of the page did not begin until the end of the page. In the new edition the running page heads list the first and last verses that begin on that page—“2 Nephi 25:24–26:3,” for example.

Chapter/Section Heads.

Also of great aid in studying latter-day scriptures will be the new headings that have been prepared for each chapter and section.

The new chapter headings in the Book of Mormon emphasize, even more than before, the doctrinal content of the chapters. For example, the heading to 2 Nephi 20 [2 Ne. 20] in the previous edition read merely, “Scriptures from the brass plates continued—Compare Isaiah 10 [Isa. 10].” Readers of the new chapter heading will see “Destruction of Assyria is a type of destruction of wicked at the Second Coming—Few people shall be left after the Lord comes again—Remnant of Jacob shall return in that day—Compare Isaiah 10.” Similarly, the former chapter heading to 3 Nephi 13 [3 Ne. 13] stated, “The Savior’s sermon to the Nephites continued—His commandments to the twelve—compare Matthew 6 [Matt. 6].” The new chapter heading is expanded: Jesus teaches the Nephites the Lord’s prayer—They are to lay up treasures in heaven—The Twelve in their ministry are commanded to take no thought for temporal things—Compare Matthew 6.”

The section headings in the Doctrine and Covenants have also been expanded, but in a different way. In previous editions the introductions to the sections combined both historical background and synopses of the content of the sections. These two types of material have now been distinguished typographically for greater clarity. At the beginning of each section the historical background is given first, and the synopsis of the content second. To differentiate between the two, the historical backgrounds are set in slightly larger type and cover two columns in width; the synopses, on the other hand, are set in one-column widths, like the chapter headings in the Book of Mormon.

In addition, each section synopsis refers to the specific verses in which the summarized material is found. Thus, the synopsis for section 110 [D&C 110] reads, “1–10, The Lord Jehovah appears in glory and accepts the Kirtland Temple as his house; 11–12, Moses and Elias appear and commit their keys and dispensations; 13–16, Elijah returns and commits the keys of his dispensation as promised by Malachi.”

Earlier editions of the Pearl of Great Price contained virtually no chapter headings, but they have now been supplied. For example, the heading to chapter 3 in the book of Moses [Moses 3] reads, “How Satan became the devil—He tempts Eve—Adam and Eve fall and death enters the world.” Also in the book now entitled “Joseph Smith—History” synopses have been interspersed throughout the single chapter. Between verses 20 and 21 [JS—H 1:20–21], for instance, we read, “Some preachers and other professors of religion reject account of First Vision—Persecution heaped upon Joseph Smith—He testifies of the reality of the vision. (JS—H 1:21–26.)” (This new edition of the Pearl of Great Price uses, of course, the titles “Joseph Smith—Matthew” and “Joseph Smith—History” for the units that were formerly known as “Joseph Smith 1” and “Joseph Smith 2,” respectively. The revised titles were announced some time ago.)

Footnotes.

The footnote system in the LDS edition of the Bible has been praised as one of the most significant innovations in the printing of the scriptures, and this simple, flexible system has now been applied in the triple combination.

The first footnote in each verse is identified with a superscript letter a, and subsequent footnotes in the verse follow in alphabetical sequence—b, c, d, and so forth, depending on how many notes are needed in the verse. At the foot of the page each note is identified by the verse number and the letter for that particular note. The beginning of a new chapter is marked in the footnotes by a boldface number.

Several different types of material are to be found in the footnotes. By far the most frequent are cross-references that lead the reader to specific related scriptures and to the topical guide in the Bible. In the cross-references to specific scriptures, the reader will find pertinent passages in any of the four standard works, and cross-references to the Bible will also enable the reader to take advantage of the enrichment aids in that volume, such as the Bible dictionary, excerpts from the Joseph Smith Translation, and the topical guide. The cross-references to the topical guide (identified by the abbreviation TG) direct the reader to relatively longer lists of related scriptures, useful for helping the reader understand the subject within a larger context and for encouraging more extended study of gospel principles.

The footnotes sometimes contain specific aids to help the reader understand a word or phrase. The label IE indicates that the note explains an idiomatic expression or some other type of difficult construction. In 1 Nephi 17:52 [1 Ne. 17:52], for instance, the word confounded is marked with a superscript a. The corresponding footnote, labelled with IE, explains that the connotations of the word in this verse are “ashamed, overawed.” In another type of IE reference, footnote a in Abraham 1:16 [Abr. 1:16] points out that “Abram” was used instead of “Abraham” in some early printings. Yet another type of IE note suggests interpretations of somewhat difficult or obscure phrases, such as “the lawful captives” (1 Ne. 21:24) or “according to the flesh” (1 Ne. 22:27).

The role of these footnotes in promoting better understanding of the scriptures is demonstrated in section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Verses 38 and 39 [D&C 76:38–39] in that section have led some to think that the sons of perdition would not be resurrected, especially when verse 39 emphasizes that “all the rest shall be brought forth by the resurrection of the dead.” However, note a, which refers to the words “brought forth,” explains, “IE redeemed; see v. 38. All will be resurrected. See Alma 11:41–45. D&C 88:32.”

Footnotes with the abbreviation HEB, which occur primarily in the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price, shed additional light by providing translations of Hebrew terms (for example, some of the place names in the early chapters of the Book of Mormon; see 1 Ne. 16:13, 34). Other footnotes which are not marked with HEB may use Hebrew to clarify a verse, such as the explanation that gnolaum (in Abr. 3:18) “is a transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning eternal” (see also 1 Ne. 2:10).

Finally, there are some footnote references to BD (the Bible dictionary in the LDS edition) and to JST (the Joseph Smith Translation, popularly known as the “Inspired Version”). In Doctrine and Covenants 9:2 [D&C 9:2], for example, the footnote that accompanies the reference to “other records” concludes, “See also BD, ‘Joseph Smith Translation.’”

Cross-references to the Joseph Smith Translation are relatively rare, because the reader who follows a cross-reference to a verse in the Bible will find any appropriate information from the Prophet’s translation in the Bible footnote. Nevertheless, some cross-references to JST have been included to clarify the meaning of verses. For example, when Nephi mentions the rod of iron in 1 Nephi 11:25, a footnote refers the reader to “JST Rev. 2:27.”

With this wealth of information and enrichment aids, the footnotes are among the most valuable and interesting additions to the new triple combination. Readers will also find that footnotes have, for the first time, been prepared for the Articles of Faith in the Pearl of Great Price.

Maps.

In addition to the aids mentioned so far, readers of the Doctrine and Covenants will also find four maps: “The New England Area,” “The New York-Ohio Area,” “The Missouri-Illinois Area,” and “The United States in 1847.” These maps help the reader keep track of geographical areas in which early Church history took place and will thus make the historical introductions in the Doctrine and Covenants more meaningful.

In section 61 [D&C 61], for example, the historical introduction explains that while the Prophet and ten elders were returning to Kirtland from western Missouri, William W. Phelps saw in a vision “the destroyer riding in power upon the face of the waters” at a place along the Missouri River called McIlwaine’s Bend. At that time the revelation which later became section 61 was given through the Prophet. It has been unclear exactly where McIlwaine’s Bend was, until a BYU graduate student recently uncovered information that suggested a location. On the map entitled “The Missouri-Illinois Area” readers will now find that location identified.

Index.

In the past, students of latter-day scriptures have occasionally been frustrated by the limited size and coverage of the indexes to these three books. This shortcoming has now been remedied with a new expanded combination index.

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the new index is the way in which it brings together the indexes for all three books into one unified index. Thus, a reader looking up “Adam” will find first a paragraph citing passages in the Book of Mormon referring to Adam, followed by two paragraphs covering successively passages in the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. This approach will benefit the reader in at least two basic ways. On the one hand, the student who is pursuing a specific topic will find in one place references from all three of the modern scriptures. On the other hand, someone who is searching for a specific verse, but cannot remember in which of the three books it is located, can quickly look in one place, rather than thumbing through three different indexes.

The person looking for specific verses will also find this index to be more helpful than past indexes because it combines the qualities of both an index and a concordance. Although it does not restrict itself to verbatim quotation of the words from the cited verse (as a concordance would), this index does have a very strong concordance flavor: The topics are not limited to “people, places, and things,” nor even to major ideas and principles, such as charity. The reader will be able to find the passage he is seeking by looking up specific words that occur in the passage. For instance, the student looking for the passage in which the Lord asks the twelve Nephite disciples, “What manner of men ought ye to be?” will find 3 Nephi 27:27 [3 Ne. 27:27] cited under “Manner.”

Moreover, by not restricting itself to verbatim quotations, the index has more flexibility and clarity than a concordance might be able to achieve. A concordance, for instance, would have to be content with an unidentified pronoun (“He,” for example, referring to “God”), but the index can freely substitute the noun (“God”) to which the pronoun refers.

A number of the typographical features of the index have also been designed to improve its usability. As in the topical guide in the Bible, the topics are arranged in paragraphs, a separate paragraph for each of the three volumes of scripture cited within the topic. Thus, the topic “Abraham” is divided into three paragraphs: the first containing citations from the Book of Mormon; the second, the Doctrine and Covenants; and the third, the Pearl of Great Price.

In the new triple, the running page heads at the top of each page inform the reader of either the first topic (if on a left-hand page) or the last topic (if on the right-hand page) on that page. People and places are briefly identified in italics immediately after the name, and dates are suggested when available (“ZEEZROM—lawyer in Ammonihah [c. 82 B.C.”). The cross-references at the beginning of each topic refer the reader to related topics in the index and also to the topical guide (TG) and the dictionary in the LDS edition of the Bible (BD).

One particularly troublesome problem facing the committee that developed the index was to find the simplest and clearest way of distinguishing among different people with the same name. Most members of the Church are aware that there are two Almas, two Moronis, and two Ammons in the Book of Mormon, but not everyone is aware that there are also two Jareds, two Enoses, and four Aarons in the triple combination, not to mention two Mormons and three Helamans in the Book of Mormon. Maintaining clarity in the most efficient way was a challenge.

Eventually, the committee recommended that superscript numbers be used to identify the various individuals with the same name. The numbers would be assigned chronologically. Thus, Aaron the brother of Moses became Aaron¹; Aaron the Jaredite king became Aaron²; Aaron the son of Mosiah (Mosiah², that is) became Aaron³; and Aaron the king of the Lamanites became Aaron⁴. The same principle applies to places and groups of people. Jerusalem¹ is in Israel, and Jerusalem² is a Nephite city; the descendants of Zoram¹ are Zoramites¹, whereas the apostate Nephites, followers of Zoram³, are Zoramites².

In addition to the aids already mentioned, readers will want to note the revised list of abbreviations, the new introductions to each of the three volumes of scriptures, and the new pronouncing guide for the Book of Mormon. The list of abbreviations covers all four standard works and follows the system established for the footnotes and the topical guide in the Bible (1 Chronicles = 1 Chr., Words of Mormon = W of M, Official Declaration = OD, Joseph Smith—History = JS—H). The new pronouncing guide for the Book of Mormon has been made more consistent and has been simplified by reducing the number of symbols used. For example, “Jared” has been corrected from “já’red” to “jér’ud.” Some omitted names have also been added (Ishmael and Samuel, for example), and a key explaining the sound represented by each symbol is also included.

The new introductions contain concise explanations of the contents of each volume and the way in which each came to be. The new introductions for the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price are particularly noteworthy.

Titled “Explanatory Introduction,” the introduction in the Doctrine and Covenants explains that the book “is a collection of divine revelations and inspired declarations,” which include “messages, warnings, and exhortations … for the benefit of all mankind, and contain an invitation to all people everywhere to hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking to them for their temporal well-being and their everlasting salvation.” The introduction also observes that “the Doctrine and Covenants is unique because it is not a translation of an ancient document, but is of modern origin. … In the revelations one hears the tender but firm voice of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

There then follows a sketch of the history of the Church and the restoration of priesthood keys. “These sacred revelations,” says the new introduction, “were received in answer to prayer, in times of need, and came out of real-life situations involving real people. The Prophet and his associates sought for divine guidance, and these revelations certify that they received it.” The introduction notes that a number of sections deal with “matters regarding the translation and publication of the Book of Mormon” and that other sections “reflect the work of the Prophet Joseph Smith in making an inspired translation of the Bible, during which many of the great doctrinal sections were received,” thus portraying the intimate interrelationship among the standard works of the Church. Selected material from the previous introduction, including the “Testimony of the Twelve Apostles to the Truth of the Book of the Doctrine and Covenants,” is contained within the new two pages of material.

For the Pearl of Great Price, the new one-page “Introductory Note” fills a need in supplying background information on the origin and contents of this small book. The history is sketched of the “first collection of materials carrying the title Pearl of Great Price” (1851), noting that it contained items “produced by the Prophet Joseph Smith and … published in the Church periodicals of his day.” A brief introduction to the present contents of the Pearl of Great Price is given. The contents include: the three items relating to the Biblical historical period—“Selections from the Book of Moses,” “The Book of Abraham,” and “Joseph Smith—Matthew”—and two items dealing with the latter-day historical period—“Joseph Smith—History” and “The Articles of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

The introduction to the Book of Mormon contains one noteworthy change: the title of the excerpt from the History of the Church found in the preliminary pages of the book has been changed from “origin of the Book of Mormon” to “Testimony of Joseph Smith.”

In addition, the reproductions of the facsimiles in the Pearl of Great Price had lost some of their clarity over the years, so the reproductions in the new triple were made from earlier versions for improved accuracy. Readers will also want to note that the four major sections of the triple combination—the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and the index—are paginated separately, each section beginning with page 1.

Text Additions and Corrections.

All of the new features mentioned thus far fall into the category of study or enrichment aids. Of equally great interest to the members of the Church are new elements that have been added to the text itself and the work that has been done to make this edition as accurate as possible.

The new additions to the text are sections 137 and 138 of the Doctrine and Covenants [D&C 137; D&C 138] (Joseph Smith’s vision of the celestial kingdom and Joseph F. Smith’s vision of the redemption of the dead, respectively), excerpts from three addresses by President Wilford Woodruff regarding the Manifesto, and the text of the First Presidency’s statement on the revelation extending the priesthood to all worthy male members, which appears here under the title “Official Declaration—2.” The Manifesto itself, which previously was labeled in the Doctrine and Covenants as “Official Declaration,” will now be designated as “Official Declaration—1.” Both of the official declarations will be published at the end of the Doctrine and Covenants, and the statements by President Woodruff will appear directly after Official Declaration—1.

In order to present the word of God as accurately as possible, a number of corrections have been made in the text itself, primarily in the Book of Mormon. Most students of latter-day scriptures are aware that from the very first printing typographical errors have crept into the Book of Mormon. For example, the Missionary Department recently received a letter from a missionary couple who, in studying the scriptures together, had noticed that one of the words in the husband’s copy of the Book of Mormon was different from the word in his wife’s copy. In checking this discrepancy further, they determined that the husband’s copy had been printed in the 1940s, whereas the copy the wife had been reading was printed during the 1960s. (For an interesting discussion of errors in the Book of Mormon, see Ensign, Sept. 1976, pp. 77–82.)

The Prophet himself attempted to correct some of these kinds of errors, but his many duties prevented him from completing the project; and even so, some of his corrections seem to have disappeared again in later editions. For example, the 1830 and 1837 printings of the Book of Mormon contained a prophecy that the Lamanites would one day become “a white and delightsome people” (2 Ne. 30:6).

In the 1840 printing, which the Prophet edited, this passage was changed to read “a pure and delightsome people,” but for some reason later printings reverted to the original wording.

When we consider the primitive conditions under which early editions of latter-day scriptures were printed, it is easy to understand how such errors arose and were perpetuated. It is not surprising, therefore, that about two hundred of these kinds of errors that have been identified in the Book of Mormon alone have now been corrected.

Elder McConkie points out that readers will want to keep two important principles in mind as they deal with these corrections. In the first place, the objective, in every case, has been to return to the wording which evidence indicates was intended by the Prophet Joseph Smith. And secondly, every correction was approved by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve, and the Brethren felt good about each of them.

By far the majority of the changes involve minute matters of grammar or style, such as changing a singular noun or verb to the plural form. It was even discovered that two rather obscure names had been misspelled. (In Morm. 6:14, Joneum and Camenihah have now been corrected to Jeneum and Cumenihah.) Some of the more interesting corrections may be found below.

In addition to these corrections, two other sets of changes have been made. In the Doctrine and Covenants many readers have puzzled over the code words used to disguise references to people and places, such as references to Joseph Smith as Enoch or Gazelem, or to Kirtland as the City of Shinehah (see D&C 78, D&C 104). The need for these disguises has, of course, long since passed, so it has been decided to drop them from the text. This matter is explained in the historical introduction to section 78 [D&C 78]. Furthermore, a few changes have been made in the wording of the Articles of Faith for the sake of simplicity. Probably the most noticeable is to be found in the tenth article of faith, which now reads, “We believe … that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent.” And many will be grateful that namely has been substituted for viz. in the sixth article of faith.

In summarizing the importance of the new editions of the scriptures, Elder Packer observes, “The Latter-day Saint publication of the King James Version of the Bible and the new triple combination with all their helps are of monumental importance to all members of the Church. Everything that could be done has been done to help open the scriptures to members so that they might know the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Bruce T. Harper, administrative assistant in the Church Missionary Department, is a counselor in the Salt Lake Butler West Stake Sunday School presidency.

Sample Text Corrections

Most changes correct typographical errors, misspellings, matters of grammar or style—such as changing singular to plural—and incorporate corrections made by the Prophet Joseph Smith.