Bringing Timeless Truth into Clear, Modern English

At LDS Publishing, our mission is simple: to make scripture and classic Latter-day Saint literature easier to understand without changing their meaning.

Many readers want to study the inspired teachings of the Restoration but find older English, outdated wording, and complex sentence structure difficult to follow. Our modern English translations are created to remove those language barriers while preserving the original message, doctrine, and spirit of the text.

We believe the truths of the restored gospel are timeless. Language, however, changes over time. By presenting these treasured works in clear, contemporary English, we hope to make them more accessible to today's readers, families, youth, new converts, those new to the English language and anyone seeking a better understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Why We Translate into Modern English

One of the clearest expressions of our translation philosophy comes from Nephi, an early prophet in the Book of Mormon:

"My soul delights in plainness, because this is how the Lord God works with people. The Lord God gives light to their understanding, and He speaks to people in their own language, so they can understand." — 2 Nephi 31:3 (original older English)

We believe this principle still applies today. As the English language has changed over the centuries, many readers find older wording more difficult to understand. Our goal is not to change God's word, but to express it in clear, modern English so today's readers can more easily understand the message.

For example, here is the same verse in our modern English translation:

"My soul delights in plainness, because this is how the Lord God works with people. He gives light to their understanding and speaks to them in ways they can understand." — 2 Nephi 31:3

This simple example reflects the purpose of all our translation work: preserving the original meaning while replacing archaic words and outdated sentence structure with clear, natural English.

Our work is also inspired by the Lord's own declaration in Doctrine and Covenants 1:24. In the traditional wording, the revelation states:

"Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding."

This verse teaches that God communicates with His children in language they can understand. That principle continues to guide our work today.

In our modern English translation, the same verse reads:

"I am God, and I have spoken. These commandments come from me. I gave them to my servants in their weakness and in language they could understand, so they could learn and gain understanding."

While the wording has been updated for today's readers, the message remains the same. Our goal is to help modern readers experience the scriptures with greater clarity while remaining faithful to the meaning of the original text.

Our Translation Philosophy

Every translation is prepared with great care and respect for the original text.

Each modern English edition is carefully translated to:

• Preserve the original meaning and doctrine.

• Use clear, natural, contemporary English.

• Improve readability without adding or removing ideas.

• Replace archaic words and outdated expressions with language familiar to modern readers.

• Maintain a reverent tone appropriate for sacred scripture and classic Latter-day Saint literature.

• Scriptures: books, chapters and verse numbers align with the original publications.

• Scriptures also have newly original written book introductions and chapter headings.

Rather than rewriting doctrine or offering interpretation, we seek to communicate the same teachings as faithfully and clearly as possible.

What We Publish

LDS Publishing specializes in modern English editions of:

• The standard works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

• Classic Latter-day Saint books and historical writings

• Early Restoration documents

• Public domain works by respected Latter-day Saint authors

• Educational resources that help readers better understand the restored gospel of Jesus Christ

Every project is carefully reviewed to ensure accuracy, readability, and faithfulness to the original source.

Independent Publisher

Our books are not published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; all text (verses/chapters) are the same as the current editions published by the church, except the language has been updated from older English to clear modern English and new unique book introductions and chapter headings have been written and added. LDS Publishing is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; it is an independent publishing company owned by devout members of the church.

Our Commitment

We are committed to producing books that are accurate, readable, professionally designed, and faithful to the original works. Every translation is completed with careful attention to detail and a sincere desire to help more people study and understand the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Whether you are reading these sacred texts for the first time or have studied them for many years, we hope our modern English editions make the message of the Restoration clearer, more accessible, and more meaningful.

Contact Us

We welcome your questions, feedback, and suggestions. Whether you have a question about one of our publications, would like to report an error, or simply want to learn more about our mission, we'd be happy to hear from you.

Email: contact@ldspublishing.com

Thank you for visiting LDS Publishing. We are honored to assist you in your study of the restored gospel.