Most people associate the idea of gaining spiritual knowledge on one's own with Martin Luther. But prior to 1515, the year Luther posted his famous 95 Theses, there was popular demand for the word of God. A certain preacher in England named John Wycliffe believed that clergy and layman alike should be exposed directly to the Bible. His followers, known as Lollards, carried scripts of Bibles around the countryside and taught the common people. The best part? Those Bibles were in English! John Wycliffe had translated the Bible during the late 14th century. Bear in mind that this was before Gutenberg's printing press; these Bibles, as had been the case for centuries, were painstakingly written by hand.
But what was so significant about the word of God in common vernacular?
I could probably write another 15 blogposts on the history of Biblical translation, printing, and distribution; I'm passionately interested. But to answer this question, I point instead to a modern
 |
A Nepali family reads the Book of Mormon digitally
in their native language
|
example: the translation of the Book of Mormon into Nepali. Just last summer, the Book of Mormon was released in Nepali after seven years of translating. It brought immense joy to Nepali church members; Branch President Ghanashyam Sarki said, "I am so happy the Book of Mormon will finally be translated to Nepali. With the translation, I can help others to understand and appreciate the Book of Mormon. ... It will help us to know the truth." To empathize with President Sarki, I look back on my own life to when I began to read the word of God with a sufficient understanding of the language. Indeed, I found truth, and every other facet of my life has hinged upon it. The impact of "spiritual literacy" has been immeasurable.
In short, breaking down the barriers of language allows us to access knowledge-- both spiritual and temporal. The old adage "knowledge is power" only applies when we meet linguistic criteria. Wycliffe and countless others have understood this-- and put everything on the line because of it.
Image credit: Valerie Johnson, 2017.
https://www.lds.org/church/news/celebration-commemorates-translation-of-the-book-of-mormon-into-nepali?lang=eng
This is so true. It's amazing how much you understand things you thought you knew when you read them in another language. Things translate differently, and you can get a new perspective each time.
ReplyDelete