"Fires of Faith: The Coming Forth of the King James Bible"

This is an important year in the history of the King James Bible.  As we noted on blog previously, this is the 400th anniversary of that version of the Bible.  A special traveling exhibit of the history of the Bible, "Passages," has been on display in Oklahoma City since May.  And the Church produced a special video on the contribution of William Tyndale to the development of the Bible.

Now, a special three-part documentary, "Fires of Faith: The Coming Forth of the King James Bible," will air on BYUtv beginning this Sunday, October 16.  Take a minute to enjoy the trailer:



According to the Church website,

The three-part series, Fires of Faith: The Coming Forth of the King James Bible, follows the complex history of the book—the sacrifice of countless people to bring it to pass, its violent beginnings, changes over time, and its influence the world over today. At the forefront of the history is British religious scholar William Tyndale, who was responsible for the original translations that make up more than 80 percent of the Bible’s text.

* * * * *

“Few milestones in history have had greater influence and significance than the translation of the Bible into English,” said Derek Marquis, executive producer of Fires of Faith and managing director of BYUtv. “The director, writer, actors, scholars and religious leaders in our film combined to create an extraordinary chorus that transcends any one religion to truly celebrate the most influential book of all time.”

Much more information about the documentary may be found here.  The schedule for each of the episodes is as follows:

Part 1 Fires of Faith: Yearning for the Word

• Sunday, October 16: 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. eastern daylight time/ 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. mountain daylight time
• Wednesday, October 19: 9:00 p.m. and midnight, eastern daylight time/7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. mountain daylight time

Part 2 Fires of Faith: Martyrs for a Book

• Sunday, October 23: 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. eastern daylight time/6:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. mountain daylight time
• Wednesday, October 26: 9:00 p.m. and midnight eastern daylight time/7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. mountain daylight time

Part 3 Fires of Faith: The King James Bible

• Sunday, October 30: 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. eastern daylight time/6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. mountain daylight time
• Wednesday, November 2: 9:00 p.m. and midnight eastern standard time/7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. mountain standard time

It will also be available for viewing on demand on the internet on BYUtv.

Mormon Messages: "The Blessing of Scripture"

In this year of the 400th anniversary of the King James version of the Bible, the Church recently produced a new Mormon Messages video.  The video, which is based on Elder D. Todd Christofferson's address at the April 2010 General Conference, tells the story of William Tyndale, who was instrumental in translating the Bible into English.  Tyndale is well known for speaking out in favor of sharing the Bible with all.  First, there is Tyndale's promise to a cleric who opposed making scripture available to the common man: “If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough, shall know more of the Scripture than thou dost!”  And his final words, spoken immediately prior to his execution, were a plea to heaven to soften the heart of the king: “Lord! open the king of England’s eyes."  From Elder Kristofferson's address:

Tyndale nevertheless undertook the challenging work of translation. In 1524 he traveled to Germany, under an assumed name, where he lived much of the time in hiding, under constant threat of arrest. With the help of committed friends, Tyndale was able to publish English translations of the New Testament and later the Old Testament. The Bibles were smuggled into England, where they were in great demand and much prized by those who could get them. They were shared widely but in secret. The authorities burned all the copies they could find. Nevertheless, within three years of Tyndale’s death, God did indeed open King Henry VIII’s eyes, and with publication of what was called the “Great Bible,” the scriptures in English began to be publicly available. Tyndale’s work became the foundation for almost all future English translations of the Bible, most notably the King James Version.

Enjoy this video on the life of William Tyndale.  For those who would like a free copy of the Bible, the Church makes them available here.

400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible

One of Elliot's primary purposes as a missionary to Oklahoma is to share the message of the mission of Jesus Christ, as contained in the Bible: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  (John 3:16.) 

This past week marked the 400th anniversary of the first publication of the King James Version of the Bible.  The King James Version gets its name from the English King who commissioned a new translation of the Bible, a translation that has become the most widely used English Bible and is the official English language version of the Church.

A story from the Church Newsroom reports:

Like other Christian denominations, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes the Bible to be the word of God, and members are encouraged to study it and follow its teachings. In a 2007 general conference address titled “The Miracle of the Holy Bible,” Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

It is not by chance or coincidence that we have the Bible today. Righteous individuals were prompted by the Spirit to record both the sacred things they saw and the inspired words they heard and spoke. Other devoted people were prompted to protect and preserve these records. Men like John Wycliffe, the courageous William Tyndale, and Johannes Gutenberg (pictured) were prompted against much opposition to translate the Bible into language people could understand and to publish it in books people could read. I believe even the scholars of King James had spiritual promptings in their translation work.

For those who would like a free copy of the Bible, the Church makes them available here.

And here is a link to a documentary that describes the Church's effort to publish a Latter-day Saint edition of the King James Bible. Included in the publication were new chapter headings, cross-referencing footnotes linking all of the standard works, a topical guide or subject index, an improved bible dictionary, a gazetteer, and color maps. Selections from the Joseph Smith Inspired translation of the Bible were also included.