"We seldom get into trouble when we speak softly. It is only when we raise our voices that the sparks fly and tiny molehills become great mountains of contention."
The
eighth Article of Faith states, “We believe the Bible to be the
word of God as far as it is translated correctly.”
Those seven words suddenly sank in for me a year or so ago as I
perused a special exhibit at the Shakespeare Library in Washington,
D.C., on the history behind the widely-used King James Version of the
Bible. I had memorized the Articles of Faith in Primary, yet decades
later, it was this exhibit that made me appreciate the truth of that
simple phrase “as far as it is translated correctly.”
That
experience was brought back to me as I read Fires
of Faith, The
Inspiring Story Behind the King James Bible.
This excellent book from Covenant (2012) is a companion to the BYUTV
documentary directed by Lee Groberg ($29.99 for 115 pages in
hardcover. A DVD with BYUTV's three-part series, Fires
of Faith: Coming Forth of the King James Bible,
has also been released). The
documentary, shown widely on PBS stations in December, was made to
celebrate the 400-year anniversary of
the Bible's English translation and publication (1604-1611) during
the reign of King James I.
The
text by Brock Brower is the outstanding feature of this oversized
book. (It is a bit unwieldy for just holding and reading, yet the
visuals and layout require the larger format.)
Despite
the author’s impressive credentials – Rhodes Scholar,
professor of journalism at Dartmouth College, writer-in-residence at
Princeton University, writer-producer of TV’s 3-2-1-
Contact! and 20/20 and author of eight published books and
numerous articles in nationally-recognized magazines – this is
no erudite treatise. As with the best writing, Brower’s
explains the facts clearly and accurately, in a conversational tone
that engages rather than puts the reader off, and he helps the reader
understand what those facts mean. His prose is a pleasure to read.
For
instance, William Tyndale was burned at the stake in 1536 for
secretly translating and publishing an English-language Bible when
even possessing one was against the law in England. Brower goes
beyond those facts, though, in helping the reader understand
Tyndale’s legacy to the English language: Familiar phrases such
as “the powers that be,” “eat, drink, and be
merry,” and “Give us this day our daily bread”
appeared first in his English translation from Erasmus’s Greek
New Testament. (He was writing near the same time Shakespeare was.)
Although the King James Version of the Bible was created by a
committee of 47 translating from other translations and versions,
“the agreed estimate of the debt in words owed to William
Tyndale by those who ‘translated’ the New Testament for
the King James Version is 83 percent.”
The
history’s all here, and in an inviting package. Through
Brower’s delightful words and descriptions, we meet the central
figures in the European reformation era and learn of their
commitment, contribution, and sacrifice in seeing the word of God
disseminated in the English language. We are also treated to copies
of historic art and portraits, along with still reenactment photos by
Steven Porter.
For
the reader, “as far as it is translated correctly” gains
more meaning with the following words, quoted from a member of
another, later committee called in to revise the KJV in 1689: “The
translators in King James’s time took an excellent way. That
part of the Bible was given to him who was the most excellent in such
a tongue . . . and then they met together, and one read the
translation, the rest holding in their hands some Bible, either of
the learned tongues, or French, Spanish.” As the author says,
“They spent seven years reading aloud . . . They wanted to hear
how each and every passage would sound in English. This practice
added a deeper dimension to their collective judgments on the
ultimate worth of their proposed translations.”
Brower’s
final chapter enlarges the “big picture” with examples of
the KJV Bible’s influence in politics, history, culture, and
literature. Additional comments by international scholars and leaders
from various religions appear as separate quotations in attractive
calligraphic text, adding another dimension to the historical account
of how the Bible, translated into English during King James’s
time, has influenced and impacted the word for more than four
centuries.
Laurie
Williams Sowby has been writing since second grade and getting paid
for it since high school. Her byline ("all three names, please")
has appeared on more than 6,000 freelance articles published in
newspapers, magazines, and online.
A
graduate of BYU and a writing instructor at Utah Valley University
for many years, she proudly claims all five children and their
spouses as college grads.
She
and husband, Steve, have served three full-time missions together,
beginning in 2005 in Chile, followed by Washington D.C. South, then
Washington D.C. North, both times as young adult Institute teachers.
They are currently serving in the New York Office of Public and
International Affairs
During
her years of missionary service, Laurie has continued to write about
significant Church events, including the rededication of the Santiago
Temple by President Hinckley and the groundbreaking for the
Philadelphia Temple by President Eyring. She also was a Church
Service Missionary, working as a news editor at Church Magazines,
between full-time missions.
Laurie
has traveled to all 50 states and at least 45 countries (so far).
While home is American Fork, Utah, Lincoln Center and the
Metropolitan Museum of Art have provided a comfortable second home.
Laurie
is currently serving a fourth full-time mission with her husband in
the New York Office of Public and International Affairs. The two
previously served with a branch presidency at the Provo Missionary
Training Center. The oldest of 18 grandchildren have been called to
serve missions in New Hampshire and Brisbane, Australia.
