Robert J. Matthews

Robert J. Matthews (born 1927 in Evanston, Wyoming) is a Latter-day Saint religious educator most noted for his role in promoting the concept that the currently-available text of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible is reliable and authentic. He is the youngest child of immigrant parents who joined the LDS Church in England and then moved to the United States.

Matthews began teaching with the Church Educational System in 1955. Early on he was a seminary teacher. He also taught institute classes and was a course writer and editor with the seminaries and institutes division of the Church Educational System.

In 1968, Matthews received his Ph.D. in ancient scripture from Brigham Young University. He began teaching in the division of religious education at Brigham Young University in 1971. For 17 years, he served as either department chair of the Ancient Scripture Department or Dean of Religious Education at Brigham Young University.

In the 1970s, Matthews served on the Church Adult Correlation Committee of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Earlier he had served as a bishop and high councilor. In the mid-1990s, Matthews was the first president of the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple.

Matthews was one of the main people involved in compiling the "Encyclopedia of Mormonism". He wrote the articles on the "Book of Moses" and Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible.

He was the first person from the LDS Church allowed by the Community of Christ (then Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or RLDS) to work with the original manuscript of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, which was in their possession.

Publications

*"A Plainer Translation": Joseph Smith's Transolation of the Bible, a History and commentary" (Brigham Young University Press: Provo, Utah, 1975) ISBN 0842514112
*"A Burning Light: The Life and Ministry of John the Baptist" (Brigham Young University Press).
*"Selected Writings of Robert J. Matthews" (Deseret Book: Salt Lake City, 1999) ISBN 720826477
*"Historicity and the Children of God" in Paul Y. Hoskisson, ed., "Historicity and the Latter-day Saints Scrptures"

ources

*Dust Jacket of "A Plainer Translation.
*Deseret News article at http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695206730,00.html