Keywords

Korean Translation, Book of Mormon

Abstract

While some of the story of the Korean translations of the Book of Mormon is told in fragments throughout the documents chronicling the rise of the LDS Church in Korea, most notably Ronald K. Nielsen’s “Hangukeopan Mormongyeong Huesaenggwa Noryeok Kyeoshil,” no one source has the whole story, including the present study. This article will draw on those prior secondary sources as well as accounts from those who lived the events themselves, as told in their personal journals, letters, and reminiscences. The epigraph is a common (mis)conception by members and missionaries who have served in South Korea. In fact, Han In Sang was one of several translators who contributed to the first Korean Book of Mormon published in 1967. The history of the translation of the Book of Mormon into Korean is an important chapter in the international history of the Church, illustrating the various challenges of the translation process as well as the cultural significance of religious language in the lives of believers. This paper will explore the untold story of the translation of the Book of Mormon in Korean, along with some textual comparison of the various translation editions.