Above is the JST manuscript page showing the verses associated with Mark 9:40-49. The hand writing is that of Sidney Rigdon. Joseph had several scribes among whom were Oliver Cowdery, Emma Smith, John Whitmer, Sidney Rigdon, and a number of others. This and other manuscript pages can be viewed on The Joseph Smith Papers website.
(Image is used by permission. © By Intellectual Reserve, Inc.)
Above is the example of Mark 9:40-50 from the Joseph Smith Translation, Red-Letter Edition, New Testament. The red text is Joseph's additions and alterations. The blue text with a strike-through is how the altered KJV read originally, while the black print is the untouched KJV. The verse numbering follows the KJV except when the JST causes a change, which is then shown in red numerals. Blue numerals with a strike-through show the original KJV verse numbering.
Since 1867, when it was first published by the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (RLDS), the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) of the King James Version (KJV) of the Holy Bible has been available in a number of formats. The 1867, 1936, and 1944 RLDS versions included modifications aligning the chapters and verses more closely to the KJV. They also made numerous modifications correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and sometimes whole verses. The original manuscripts of Joseph’s work were not available to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) until after years of persistent effort by Dr. Robert J. Matthews of the BYU College of Religion. Since then, a number of publications showing the differences between the KJV and the JST have been published, generally with parallel columns showing the KJV verses in one column and the JST verses in a parallel column. In the 1979, edition of the KJV of the Holy Bible published by the LDS Church, Dr. Matthews’ timely efforts resulted in the inclusion of many of the more pertinent changes made in the JST. However, due in great part to space limitations, numerous changes from the JST were not included. In order to view JST changes that were included, the reader needed to examine the footnotes for those verses, or entries in an Appendix.
The Joseph Smith Translation (JST) of the King James Version (KJV) of the Holy Bible was yet another remarkable feat of the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. In his History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Joseph wrote that he considered his work as a translator a “…branch of my calling…”. Joseph described in his personal history how as a young man, he first became aware of the lack of clarity in the KJV. Regarding his search for the truth at that time he wrote “…the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.” Not long after the publication of The Book of Mormon on 26 March 1830, Joseph’s awareness of that lack of clarity as well as instructions from the Lord, led him to undertake a “New Translation” of the KJV. An examination of the JST manuscripts, and other documents found on the Joseph Smith Papers website reveal that the bulk of that effort began in June 1830, in Harmony, Pennsylvania, and was declared "finished" on 2 July 1833, in Kirtland, Ohio.
During his visitations with the angel Moroni on the night of 21-22 September 1823, Joseph was once again made aware of discrepancies found in the KJV text. Moroni quoted several verses differently than they read in the KJV. The passage recounting Joseph’s experiences with Moroni that night can be read from The Pearl of Great Price in less than 5 minutes. However, Joseph related that shortly after he had said his prayers and retired to bed, Moroni appeared to him the first of three times during that night, with the final visitation ending when the “…cock crowed”. There is very little information about what Joseph learned from Moroni that took up the whole night, but obviously some portions of their visits were highly relevant to the scriptures Moroni quoted. Later in the day as he attempted to go about his work, Joseph recorded a fourth visit by Moroni, wherein he generally received the same discourse the angel had given him during the night, with an added injunction to inform his father, Joseph Smith Sr., of his visitations. Moroni continued to visit Joseph at least once a year over the following four years, instructing and preparing him to translate The Book of Mormon.
Following the visitations of Moroni, Joseph began an unparalleled journey of revelation, inspiration, and Celestial visitations resulting in the establishment of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) and three new volumes of scripture which, along with the KJV of the Holy Bible, make up the scriptural canon of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The three volumes are known today as The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price. Although the JST is not canonized LDS scripture, it is highly revered and the manuscripts are publicly available through The Joseph Smith Papers website of the LDS Church. The JST manuscripts show that Joseph attended to every book of the Old Testament and the New Testament during his translation process. Joseph initially started his translation process with the book of Genesis, but was later instructed by the Lord to move to the New Testament. The bulk of his translations continued, on and off, over an approximate 3-year period, at which time on 2 July 1833, Joseph indicated that he had "...finished the translation of the bible a few hours since..." However, between July 1833 and his martyrdom, along with his brother Hyrum on 27 June 1844, Joseph continued making alterations and updates to the work. Several individuals close to Joseph, including his wife Emma Smith, later wrote about Joseph's continual concern regarding the unfinished status of the JST. Due to financial constraints and other poignant events, the complete text of the JST was never published during Joseph’s lifetime. However, the knowledge and understanding that Joseph received while creating the “New Translation” led directly to numerous revelations, many of which became entries in The Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.