In 1920, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) agreed to publish a new edition of the Book of Mormon. An intense review process headed by apostle James E. Talmage and comprising several apostolic readers ensured that the Book of Mormon text, a moving target in the earlier editions, was firmly established upon earlier readings and consensus decisions. From 1920 through 1948, leaders and staff members of the LDS Church oversaw the publication of numerous impressions or iterations of the 1920 text. Tens of thousands—perhaps hundreds of thousands—of books flooded missions, churches, and members’ homes. Because the printers published the entire edition from printing plates, there were no changes to the text (except for correcting two minor typos) between 1920 and 1948. This means the text of the Book of Mormon remained virtually unchanged from 1920 through...

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