LDS Church Encourages Portuguese Speaking Members to Study New Edition of Bible

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a new edition of the Holy Bible, in Portuguese, and is encouraging all of its Portuguese speaking members to study from the text.

After five years in the making, the new edition is available online now at AsEscrituras.churchofjesuschrist.org and in the Gospel Library mobile app. Mormon Newsroom reports that the Church will begin printing hard copies for world-wide distribution beginning March 2016. 

The new edition of the Portuguese Biible comes from João Ferreira Annes de Almeida’s 1914 translation. The Church assures that the translation is high quality, and that it addresses outdated grammar and vocabulary. 

President Henry B. Eyring encourages the 1.4 million Portuguese speaking members of the Church to study from this new edition. In a video the Church released, posted above, Eyring states,

[pull_quote_center]We invite you to gather around the scriptures. Gather your youth, even at an early age, so they may listen to the words of our loving Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. That they may know their voices that they may know their Heavenly Father as He knows them.[/pull_quote_center]

The new edition, titled Bíblia Sagrada, Almeida 2015, will include cross references, footnotes and other study aides. The Portuguese Bible will also be available in a quadruple combination, starting next year, which will include the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. 

The leaders of the Church hope that members will take advantage of this opportunity to better learn the Gospel in their own language. “The scriptures are the ultimate guide to learning the Gospel, the key to the understanding of our Father and our Savior Jesus Christ,” Eyring stated in the video. “Use the scriptures in your personal study and Sunday School lessons…the Holy Bible is a link to our brothers and sisters of other religions, a common ground of faith, built upon the words of our Father, the writings of ancient prophets and the enduring teachings and atonement of our Savior and Redeemer.”