Original 1888 Māori Manuscript for The Book of Mormon Located and Made Available to the Public

In conjunction with the 170^th anniversary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand, the Church announced on Sunday 27 October that it has located the original 900 page manuscript for the Māori translation of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

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Area Church History Manager, Dr Melanie Riwai-Couch, explained that the translation of the Book of Mormon into reo Māori was contributed to by a number of American missionaries, male and female, as well as local Māori members of the Church in the mid to late 1880s.  "From the first large meeting of Wairarapa Māori at Papawai marae in the early 1880s, Māori wanted to have the Book of Mormon translated into our indigenous language. The calibre of Māori translators was very high including prominent Māori leader John Hoani Te Whatahoro Jury, (Ngāti Kahungunu), Henare Potae (Ngāti Porou), Te Pirihi Tutekohe (Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki and Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti), Piripi Te Maari (Ngātu Kahungunu), and others."

“This manuscript is the final printer’s copy,” she said. "We have determined that it is handwritten by early missionary, Sister Georgina Marriott.”

This manuscript provides an authentic glimpse into the dedication and faith of those who worked to make the Book of Mormon accessible to Māori speakers.  This initiative underscores the Church’s commitment to honouring and supporting diverse cultures, languages and communities, while also strengthening faith in Jesus Christ.

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Elder Peter F. Meurs said, “In this week’s ‘Come Follow Me’ study, Mormon speaks of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon: ‘And now behold, I say unto you that when the Lord shall see fit, in his wisdom, that these sayings shall come unto the Gentiles, according to his word, then ye may know that the covenant which the Lord hath made with the children of Israel … is already beginning to be fulfilled,’” (3 Nephi 29:1).

Elder Meurs added, “This historical record of the early translation of the Book of Mormon into Māori is a testimony to the importance of this sacred record to the early Māori saints.”

The Māori manuscript of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ will be available in the online Church History Catalog.  Click here.