About This Project

About the Original Language

When Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon in 1829, the words came through divine revelation in the style of the King James Bible. Whether this was because scriptural language carried that cadence in his era, or because it was how God intended it to sound, the result was a sacred text with language patterns from 1611: "thee," "thou," "hath," "wherefore," and sentence structures that feel ancient and reverent.

That language is beautiful, but it can also be a barrier. Many modern readers struggle with archaic English, and the meaning gets lost in unfamiliar words and constructions.

Why This Project Exists

This project aims to make the Book of Mormon accessible to everyone by converting archaic language into clear, contemporary English while preserving the original meaning and message.

This is not a replacement for the original text. The original translation stands as scripture. This is simply a reading aid - a way to understand what the verses mean so you can return to the original with greater comprehension.

Verse numbers are preserved so you can easily reference the original at any time.

How It Was Made

This translation uses a combination of rule-based text transformations and AI-assisted modernization:

• Pronoun updates: "thee," "thou," "thy," "ye" → "you," "your"
• Verb modernization: "hath" → "has," "doth" → "does," "saith" → "says"
• Phrase simplification: "it came to pass" → contextual alternatives, "wherefore" → "therefore" or "so"
• Sentence clarity: Complex archaic constructions rewritten for modern comprehension

The goal is accessibility, not interpretation. Doctrinal meaning is preserved; only the language is updated.

Open Source

The translations are open source and available for anyone to use, improve, or build upon. Community contributions are welcome.

View on GitHub →

Available Languages

• English - Modern English translation from King James English
• Spanish - Spanish translation

More languages coming soon.