Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles held up a copy of the first French edition of the Book of Mormon during his talk on increasing faith during the priesthood session of the recent general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Using this edition as a reference, Elder Andersen stated that “some or all of the Book of Mormon is now in 110 languages across the world” and that the book “provides a spiritual and tangible witness of the truthfulness of the restoration.”
It’s been 163 years since the Book of Mormon was first published in French. The publication was the product of an 18-month translation process constantly disrupted by social and political upheaval.
When the French translation began in June 1850, the Book of Mormon hadn’t been published in any other language, according to Richard D. McClellan’s article “Traduit de L’Anglais: The First French Book of Mormon,” published in the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies in 2002. At the time, Elder John Taylor, who was then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and would later be the third president of the LDS Church, was called to be the first mission president in France. He oversaw the translation process as one of his responsibilities.
With President Taylor as the administrative head, four other men would contribute their time and skills to this work. McClellan wrote in his article that it was an “unlikely mix” of men who combined their efforts into translating the Book of Mormon into French.
Upon arriving in France, President Taylor immediately appointed one of his counselors, Curtis E. Bolton, to translating. McClellan wrote that Bolton “seldom allowed diplomacy and self-restraint to soften the harshness of his honest feelings.”
While he had a strong personality, Bolton was also the only one of the first missionaries in France who could speak French, according to McClellan.
As they translated, President Taylor and Bolton also engaged in missionary efforts, and two of the earliest converts ended up joining them in their translation work. One was a man named Mr. Wilhelm; the other was Louis A. Bertrand, political editor of Le Populaire, the largest communist paper in France.
Bertrand had significant skills to contribute as an editor and man of faith, but due to his responsibilities with the newspaper, he was unable to devote time to translating, according to McClellan. Other problems arose when Wilhelm quit after only a few months and ultimately left the church. To fill this void, Bertrand sent for his friend Lazare Auge, who was not a member of the LDS Church, to help with translating.
The translators also worked under constant scrutiny from the French government, according to McClellan. At this time, the government viewed any independent social, political or religious movement as treasonous. Bertrand’s affiliation with Le Populaire certainly did not help matters; however, as he became more involved in translating, he stated that he was “no longer a political, but a religious man.”
On Nov. 18, 1851, Bertrand was fired from the paper and therefore released from any controversial political involvement, according to McClellan. Consequently, he was now able to contribute all his time and skill to translating.
Political turmoil continued, however, as Louis Napoleon staged a military coup d’etat on Dec. 2, 1851. McClellan wrote that during this time of unrest, Bertrand left the city and President Taylor was forced to reorganize the mission presidency and leave the country.
The French translation of the Book of Mormon was completed a month later in January 1852. According to McClellan, it was a miracle the translators finished their work during the time they did, translating against the backdrop of strong contrasting personalities and political turmoil.
McClellan wrote, “This they did while devoting time and energy to such things as opening a mission, learning French, joining the church, securing food and lodging, and avoiding government persecution. Sometimes God uses small and simple things to further his work; this time everything was small but not very simple.”
Elder Andersen, who previously served as the mission president of the France Bordeaux Mission and who also speaks French, shared several ways a person can increase his or her faith, including through reading the scriptures, during his talk.
“When was the last time you read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover?” he asked. “Read it again. It will increase your faith.”
Email: lpeterson@deseretnews.com