Translations of the Book of Mormon
The introduction of the Book of Mormon to every corner of the earth is ongoing. These were the first non-English editions to be available to native speakers in the regions shown below. The first non-English translation of the Book of Mormon was the Danish edition in 1851. Afrikaans, the latest edition in the exhibit, was released in 1972. The Book of Mormon is now published in more than 80 languages, with selections available in another 25 languages.
El Libro de Mormón (1886)
Daniel Jones and Henry Brizzee began translating extracts from the Book of Mormon into Spanish in 1874 and were soon joined by Meliton Trejo, a convert from Spain, to publish Trozos Selectos del Libro de Mormon (Selected Passages from the Book of Mormon). Later, Meliton Trejo, James Z. Stewart, and Olivas Aoy completed the translation of the entire Book of Mormon.
El Libro de Mormón (1886)
O Livro de Mórmon (1939)
Though missionaries had labored in Brazil among German immigrants for many years, the Church began to blossom among the Portuguese-speaking population following the translation and publication of the Portuguese Book of Mormon in 1939.
O Livro de Mórmon (1939)
Mormons Bog (1851)
The first non-English edition of the Book of Mormon was published in Denmark in 1851, having been translated by Elder Erastus Snow of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Peter Olsen Hansen. The copy on display was prepared for Denmark’s Queen Caroline, but she would not accept it.
Mormons Bog (1851)
Mormon Kitabı'ndan Seçmeler (1906)
Latter-day Saint missionaries began work in the Ottoman Empire in 1884. The first Turkish translation of the Book of Mormon was written in the Armenian script to meet the needs of most Church members there.
Mormon Kitabı'ndan Seçmeler (1906)
Ko Te Pukapuka a Moromona (1889)
Māori Church members Henare Potae, Piripi Te Maari, and John A. Jury assisted Ezra F. Richards and Sondra Sanders as they translated the Book of Mormon into Māori.
Ko Te Pukapuka a Moromona (1889)
モルモン書 (1909)
Alma O. Taylor, one of the first missionaries to Japan, produced a draft translation of the Book of Mormon with the help of local Church members. He also sought input from experienced Japanese authors to ensure that the language of the translation was imbued with force and dignity.
モルモン書 (1909)
Die Boek van Mormon (1972)
Although Latter-day Saint missionaries preached in South Africa in the 1850s, it was more than a century before the Book of Mormon was translated into Afrikaans, an African variant of Dutch. After unsuccessful attempts by volunteers, the work was contracted to professional translator Felix Mynhardt.
Die Boek van Mormon (1972)
Ka Buke a Moramona (1855)
George Q. Cannon translated the Book of Mormon into Hawaiian with the assistance of native judge and convert Jonathan H. Napela. The missionaries ordered a press from Boston that was eventually shipped to San Francisco, where the book was finally printed. The copy on display belonged to George Q. Cannon.
Ka Buke a Moramona (1855)